Plenty of affordable options, great complimentary chips and dip w/ a self-serve salsa bar, and…read morefriendly staff ... everything you could want from a Mexican restaurant, but they were out of horchata :( I had ACP and tried my friend's birria--both delicious. I was in a party of 12, and everyone had great things to say.

This is as close to true Mexican food in our Country…read more Their sauce bar, their chips, and the giant servings make this place a keeper. Out of the mainstream Newland is a hidden NC gem!

The BEST Mexican food in North Carolina without a doubt. I would come here for my last meal if it…read morecame to it. The service is amazing, food comes out quick and fresh and the place is a great vibe. 11/10

The food was authentic and very good. The service was excellent. If you come here for the ambience,…read moreyou're probably the wrong kind of person to come here. It's perfect for a hole-in-the-wall Mexican place.

sitting outside Ranchero's in the middle of summer on a saturday afternoon waiting for the notary…read moreto arrive because it's northern carolina and I just got a car... I get inside eventually and after washing up get sat at the first booth right by the door which I suppose makes things easier for the lone server, so sure... I get chips and a fair rendition of salsa - mildly zippy yet flavoury - and ask about coffee (YES!!) and icy waters for while I figure this out. I opt on the Vegetarian A and an app while revisiting a host of other life choices. bowl of street corn burried under about an ephah measure of dried grated cheese arrives before my fresh black slightly bitter coffee... the corn is a little sweet for my taste and citrus forward rather than chiles but otherwise inoffensive. my plate arrives screaming hot so I don't dare even wag a finger at it, I use the rolled flatware to nudge it around on the table instead and ask for a refill on the coffee... beans and rice represent well but I could stand some chile-warmth here too. bean taco is mostly fun, a little soft from hanging out next to the rice but it eats pretty good. the cheese burrito is sweeter than hotter but nothing to complain about and agreeable as a counterpoint to one last cup of coffee :-) all totaled I'm not going out of my way to get here but I'm not running away either AND it rates very well with the locals who have been coming and going with take out the whole time. BTW: its Ranchero's now

It was conveniently located near our stay. The restaurant was crowded on Sunday evening. We waited…read morearound 5 mins to be seated. We were given chips and salsa. The waiter was very knowledgeable and guided us to order according to our preferences. The food arrived pretty fast and it tasted Hot and Fresh. The waiter checked us frequently which was good. Overall we enjoyed the meal!!!

As we wend our way to Florida, we spend the night in Bristol for one main reason. This restaurant!…read more (The Hilton Garden Inn hits all the marks too, but as I have nothing to add I'm not updating that review.) My husband ordered five enchiladas each with a different stuffing. While delicious, unless you haven't eaten since last Thursday, who can consume so many enchiladas?! I shouldn't talk. The house special quesadilla -- always excellent -- is a lot of food. Ever resourceful, I took half back, put the chicken and peppers on a bagel and ate it for breakfast! (Note to self AND my husband: next time let's split one and maybe forego the steak and chicken. Chorizo and shrimp?!) Moving on, the salsa bar is great with smooth, chunky, mild and spicy salsas. That's not counting the warm bean spread brought to the table with their thin and crisp chips. Our margaritas -- $6 each -- are not only good but pretty, topped with berries and a flower. Here it is, Monday night -- not a typical going-out day of the week -- and the place is busy with locals. Pretty good testimony to what's become one of my favorite Mexican restaurants.

Ate here 2 weeks ago. Sat at the bar like we always do, ordered some drinks and our meals…read more I decided to try the fried scallops and fried shrimp with baked potato. When my meal arrived I tried a scallop and it was awful. Cut another one in half and tried it...still terrible. Ate a few of the fried shrimp which were lukewarm warm at best and decided...wow, this meal sucks. The potato was fair. A server came and asked if I was done and I said yes...it wasn't very good at all and he could certainly see that I didn't even eat a 1/4 of my food. When my partner was done with his meal, which he enjoyed, the female bartender took his plate away and I said his meal was good, mine was awful. Both of the workers that I spoke with about my meal couldn't care less. I suppose it was my fault for not asking for a manager, but as someone who has worked in restaurants, one of the employees should have done something...anything to show they cared and tried to make things right. Left a $7 tip on a $70 bill (which was generous, considering my bad meal) This place has been hit or miss and this night was a huge MISS. Definitely won't ever come back to this location. We will drive the extra 20 minutes and go to the Abingdon location. Never had a bad meal there and the service has always been top notch.

This is the best Mexican in the area! The prices are very reasonable, the staff is very friendly,…read moreand the food is delicious! They even have a salsa bar! The margaritas are delicious and made fresh. It's a must go every time I'm in the area.

If I was rating this purely based on the food, Valle de Bravo would receive 5 stars! We stopped in…read moreafter a day of skiing at Sugar Mountain. The young lady who sat us was very pleasant but when she brought chips she did not inform us that there was a salsa bar at the front so we were left wondering why there was no salsa. Our server was honestly quite rude and acted as if he did not want us to be there - even though the restaurant was empty. Every time we asked for a refill or any other request he would huff and puff which became quite comical. The food though was amazing! Chalupa, burrito, enchilada and chimichangas - everything came out hot and delicious. So maybe prepare yourself for bad service, but I would still highly recommend this place for the food alone!

Food was great, and service was great as well. Ambiance was fine, typical for the type of…read morerestaurant...nothing fancy but good

Great service, setting, and food! Plantains!! I never find plantains at Mexican restaurants. Server…read moresaid they are of Colombian descent. Sweet or salty, be sure to order them.

A super authentic, hole-in-the-wall spot for Mexican food in West Jefferson!…read more I wanted four tacos- 2 al pastor, 2 campechanos- but something must have gotten lost in translation bc I received all al pastor. Honestly, not a big deal bc it was delicious haha; I especially loved the contrast of the pineapple and fatty pork (also comes with cilantro, onions & lime). If you get a full order (4 tacos), the waiter informed me that you can only get 2 different kinds (not specified on the menu). Also got an horchata, which was perfectly sweet, cinnamon-y, and refreshing. The ambiance is good with booth seating. Service was friendly, but wait time (both for getting seated/orders taken and receiving the food) and attention (getting utensils, water refilled) could be improved, but this could have been due to the lunch rush. Lots of parking in the adjacent lot. 8.5/10 would recommend!

Burrito and Fajitas are huge. Well seasoned meat with lots of add on nummy essentials. Get the…read morefresh guacamole. It's unusual but so fresh and tasty. The clientele gives you confidence the food is authentic. Servers are Hispanic and very sweet. They ask regularly how things are. We left having an increased confidence in the food scene here! Quirky spot parking on the side. Very small but worth the visit!

Food was edible but your standard American Mexican joint…read more Server was super nice and the place only had 2 other tables total when I stopped in for a weekday lunch at 12:30...kind of a red flag but I was hungry so I rolled the dice. I had a salad with chicken. Lettuce was all iceberg and close to turning...chicken was dry and seemed like a re-headed consistently. The captive college town crowd must keep them going and I will be back for dinner to see if food is fresh later in the day.

The food is good, basic Mexican fare, but I hate to say that on more than one occasion I received a…read morebill that was higher than it should have been. Maybe they made an honest mistake, but I recommend that you check your bill carefully.

Stopped by after a hike in the area and OH WOW! I got a chicken Gordita and a carnitas taco. The…read moreGordita was solid but that carnitas taco is hands down one of the top 10 best things I've ever eaten. I almost teared up, it was that good. The restraint I had to walk out without ordering 3 more honestly surprised me. Cute little unassuming spot right off of 421. The parking lot filled up fast. There's a nice fresh condiments bar for any salsas, guac, radish, garnish, etc. that you'd like to add. My total came to about $10 which was super reasonable, especially given the portion size.

I visited Taqueria la monarca's food truck when they were at High Country Beer Fest. I waited in…read moreline for a good ten minutes but as soon as I ordered, my food took less than five minutes! The woman who took my order was so sweet and supportive of me practicing my Spanish! I got a carnitas taco and an asada taco and they were amazing. I've had pretty solid, delicious, authentic tacos in Boone but the meat was so juicy and seasoned well!! I really enjoyed that they serve cucumber on the side in addition to the radish/lime and salsa. The salsa verde was the perfect amount of spice! However, I do wish they did double tortilla for the tacos. All good though.