Loved spending the afternoon on the patio grabbing lunch with friends. Rancho has a standout cocktail menu and an amazing wood fired chicken! Fresh food, fresh service. Well deserved five star experience. read more

The food is excellent. High quality ingredients and high standards for the stuff members. Everyone is really nice I will keep coming here regularly ! Thank you Rancho Catina glad to have such a good place around ! read more

Fresh Modern version of classics. Friendly. Great outside setting in front Steak was outstanding read more

Great food! Great service! Love the outdoor seating. Gotta bring my pup next time. :-) Thank you. read more

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Stumbled into this place on a busy Friday night. Food: menu is simple, comfortable, and just really freaking good. Pozole was the sopa del dia, and it was like having Abuela cook for you. Got the Vaquero Platter for our main, mix of beef, chicken, and shrimp with beans+rice and tortillas. Perfect for 2. Finished up with flan, also exquisite. Service: if you get Avery, you're in great hands. Attentive, affable, the epitome of hospitality. Ambiance: not too many tables, a handful of bar seats. Perfectly intimate. read more

Rancho Cantina - Flan o'clock! - Mexican Near Me - Lafayette, California

I really wanted to like this place, but we left feeling swindled. Decent food, nice ambiance, local small business. Nonetheless, the server was really pushy with upselling and when we got our bill we found 7 items on our bill we had no idea we'd be charged for. Examples: asked for hot sauce - he brought us 3 ramekins - $3 each. He offered more tortillas, I asked for 1 - $2.50. I asked for cheese and sour cream - 2 ramekins charged $3, $2. I asked an extra empty plastic cup for my 2 yr old (wanted to give her a sip of my lemonade) - he pushed to split the lemonade into 2 cups and charged us for 2 lemonades. We left feeling like we were taken advantage of and it wasn't the price so much as the way we were charged unknowingly. I contacted the restaurant to provide this feedback and never heard back. read more

So......pretty disappointed in this place. The people were very nice, when they showed up at the table, and the food tasted ok. Noting special but we all got fajitas and they were fine. However....some things I didn't like 1) $28 for chicken fajitas. Small portion. 2) Add $6 if you want a small side of rice and beans. 3) $34 for a complete fajita...oh wait...they offers no cheese at all. 4) serves NEVER came by the table after delivering the food. Had to get up and refill our own water bottle. Net net...it cost my wife and I $120 to have one drink each and checked fajitas. Not a great value, not great service. read more

It was good, not outstanding. Not traditional more upscale. Biggest issue was lack of seasoning and no salt on the table but didn't want to request it. read more

Yeah, the food is good, just make sure you don't order via phone or else they scam you. Three times ordering via phone I get a burrito and a small guac and I get charged $37 is that insane? A burrito cost $18 max large guac is $10 max that's $28 not 37 even if I did order a large guac it's way overpriced you're being scammed. read more

Anyone that doesn't give this place a 5 star rating , I don't understand!! The food here is as close to true Mexican food you can get , all of the dishes have tons of flavor. Great drinks and service. Ben here multiple times and never disappointed! read more

Staff was super kind and the mocktails were awesome. I love the fajitas and felt so welcomed.

The restaurant was quaint inside and they had a nice size patio. Food was really good! Nice wood-fire taste to the meat. All of the waitstaff was courteous and attentive. We will definitely be back. Margaritas were good too. read more

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Dude, where's my server? That was the theme of the evening. We arrived for a 6 pm reservation. We were seated and it seemed like everything was going as planned. Drinks were ordered and then the wait began. The drinks arrived, but then nothing else. FOR OVER AN HOUR. We had ordered nachos. Did the server tell us that there was a delay because _____. Nope. He basically abandoned us. Did he ask if I wanted another cocktail? Nope. I finally approached the host outside and asked him where our server was. Poor guy. It wasn't his fault, but it was still frustrating. The nachos arrived at one hour and seventeen minutes after we were seated. They just ok. I can't remember when our entrees arrived. IT WAS A WHILE LATER. I had the Chile Relleno. It was awash in molé sauce. I mean, it was smothered. It was not good. The beans were terrible and the rice flavorless. If this is what passes for Mexican food in Lafayette, I pity the populace. We were offered a free cocktail for the delays. We were never told what was going on. My dining partner saw take out orders completed. Maybe that is their priority? No matter. This is another establishment I will never return to in the area. read more

Having moved from Southern California we've been in a constant quest to find good Mexican food in Northern California. Rancho Cantina showed up on OpenTable and we went. We could not have been more pleased! Sat on the front patio which was great. We ordered a tostada with steak and an enchilada with chicken that included rice and beans along with a margarita and Sav Blanc. Other than the fact it's was Friday night and busy and therefore Service was a bit slow. We had a great time. Very helpful staff - food was excellent and we will be back. read more

Rancho Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Lafayette, California

Food: amazing Service: outstanding Avery intercepted us on the way in, showed us where our table was waiting... made every effort to do table checks to all guests... such a great experience ... there was a birthday a couple tables away... best restaurant birthday you have experienced ... going back asap We had the Tomahawk ... excellent Chimichurri Don't miss out!! read more

Love the steak salad, the warm service, and the ambiance here. A few Mexican places to choose from in Lafayette, but I come here when I want a relaxing, outdoor space to enjoy a lunch or dinner. Their margaritas are great, too! read more

Rancho Cantina - Taco salad + carne asada. Delicious and super filling! - Mexican Near Me - Lafayette, California

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I really like this restaurant! We were last there the day before Mother's Day so service was lacking but they were very busy...so I get it. Yet it took about 30 min to get our drink. We (party of 6) were sitting at our table at least 15 min before our server acknowledged us. Having 2 young kids with us this was not good. Food was delicious...enchiladas, spicy shrimp for appetizer. Margaritas could have been chilled more...definitely needed more ice! Lovely patio setting on a warm night. read more

Good food and drinks. Excellent service. Nice outdoors and indoor seating A place to return to for dinner read more

Shout out to AVERY! This dude will take great care of you during your time at Rancho Cantina. He clearly loves people and loves what he does. We ate outside on the last day of summer on the patio, which is simply charming. The menu is enticing and everything is prepared really well with fresh ingredients and with nice presentation. Flour tortillas = so fresh they practically melt in your mouth. The Vaquero Platter is a winner, and our son got the nachos - probably the best nachos we've ever tried. The combined service, food quality and charm will bring us back! read more

I wanted to go someplace really special for my birthday and did I ever pick one! I selected Rancho Cantina from all the good reviews and no one in our party of seven was disappointed! Everyone ordered something different from the menu and all enjoyed their dinners. Avery was our server and I've never had anyone make me feel so special! His rendition of Happy Birthday is one that I will never ever forget. Thank you Avery! The owner came over to wish me happy birthday. Good food. Excellent restaurant. Magical night! read more

Hey Mexican foodies. I'm 80 yrs old and love Mexican food. Over the years I haven't found much authentic, good Mexican until now. Rancho Cantina Lafayette is absolutely delicious. Both salsas are beyond good, the food is fresh, prepared correctly, and the service is outstanding. What more could you ask for? It's father-daughter-owned and they both go beyond making your visit most memorable. Ask for Ali. Please be sure to give it a try. You will be pleasantly surprised. If you enjoy genuine spicy flavor, ask for the habanero sauce but beware. It's so nice having a great place so close to home. read more

Great cozy patio if you're looking for outdoor dining. The food here is good not great. The margaritas were good (which is a must if you're a Mexican restaurant). Good chips and salsas. What makes this place 4 vs 3 stars was the service. Our server was attentive, friendly and informative. read more

As soon as I walked in, I should have walked out. It used to be that one would smell the wood burning grill - no longer! The bar is missing lots of bottles with the exception only of tequila- doesn't speak of their prosperity or continuity. Food was overpriced and not even mediocre. So sad as the locale is great and it used to be a great little spot, but it's gone way downhill. read more

Had a wonderful evening trying outstanding food and meeting new friends. Service was exceptional. Loved spicy grilled shrimp, brick chicken and flourless chocolate cake. Both salsas were fabulous and the guacamole outstanding. Thank you Nico for a wonderful evening. Avery always takes good care of you and has a fun attitude. read more

My husband and I went here for the first time for our anniversary, and it was amazing!! We sat outside in the covered patio area with the perfect amount of headlamps and lighting. The Pineapple/cucumber Mojito was fantastic and a very generous size. It was recommended that we choose from the wood fired menu since it was our first time and we could not have been happier. The meats were amazing, and the sides of pinto beans and rice were the best I have ever had. The staff was great, and the owner stopped by and talked with us as if we were old friends. It is one of those places where you can just feel how everyone really cares about the experience their customers have. So special!! read more

It feels like this place banks on its location, ambiance and local demographic to charge the prices they do. And that's totally fine. But the rustic vibe doesn't always mean good and/or authentic food. I always get mole enchiladas from Mexican restaurants I haven't tried to get a sense of what we're dealing with. Yall...sorry but mole was weak...like an Instagram weekday crockpot "you can still make good mole in 30 mins!" type recipe. Just waaay too much cinnamon and sweetness, no spice or smokiness/depth of flavor. Also the guac was a red flag. We could all see and taste how much they cut the guac with a lot of oil--you'd get better guac at Chipotle on any given day. A nice, fun place to get a little buzzed with parent-friends you would never be friends with otherwise, or entertain out-of-state in-laws who don't like "ethnic" food even though they very strongly insist they do. read more

Terrible experience! The outside seating area is very cold, chairs are metal patio furniture type, and they seem to provide a blanket to keep warm for the ladies. The heaters are not evenly distributed. It was too cold for that area to be open for paying customers. The 1st margarita was great for $15, the 2nd came glass half empty, had it returned and it came back full but seemed to be all mix and no tequila, did not finish it. The fajitas plate was not the best, small serving of grilled vegetables, the tortillas came late, I have had much better fajitas elsewhere for half the price. It was mot an enjoyable experience. read more

Before Rancho Cantina, the Mexican options in Lafayette were bland and boring. Rancho Cantina delivers interesting and flavor-packed food with a rustic, Rancho-inspired decor living up to its name. It also has a drink list worth exploring, with many variations on margaritas and a nice beer and wine list. My only disappointment, is having to pay for the chips and salsa. Call me old fashioned or cheap, but I don't like having to pay for chips and salsa if I'm ordering an entree. It should be on the house, just like bread and butter at a non-mexican place. Maybe that would be different for something truly special or unique, and I'm used to paying extra for guacamole (but $10 is steep) or queso dip, just not the "basics". That said, their chips, salsa, and guac are very tasty. The waiter claimed they were made in house. My wife's margarita was very good. Also very tasty were the entrees. We tried the carnitas, chicken enchiladas, and a fire grilled chicken. The fire roasting came through but didn't overwhelm. Spicing was also mild enough and just right for the setting. Service was great, and our warm, funny and energetic waiter made it a fun time! As for pricing, I wouldn't compare this to a taqueria, although it looks like a number of other reviewers have. There's a difference in class, quality, and experience for a Mexican table service restaurant. Their prices aren't not too bad compared to those. But still, there *is* a Lamorinda upcharge at work, a buck or two per entree. You get what you pay in this case, though. read more

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Westley was very patient and very helpful. An amazing part of the team . He was polite and genuinely concerned about my wants.

Bone Marrow was delicious...we had several entrees ordered along with great tasty margaritas and several desserts. Everything Was delicious and the service was above and beyond! Always making sure we wanted for nothing and that we were satisfied. This was my first time there and it won't be my last ‼ read more

Beautiful settings, but food and drinks are super expensive. $18 margaritas, $3 extra charge for asking for hot salsa. I ordered salad and was happy with it but $26 for a simple chicken salad? I don't think I will go back as much as I love the settings. read more

Delicious food, very fresh with lots of flavor!! We had Westley as our server and he was absolutely wonderful and very knowledgeable when we had questions about allergies. Great gluten and dairy options and easy modification options that didn't impact seasoning/flavor. :) read more

New Ownership and needed! Great food, margs and service. The patio has been nicely cleaned up. Love the snell of the open wood grill. A must visit in Lafayette! read more

My wife and I found this terrific Mexican restaurant while looking for a new place to try. We were drawn to the open fire cooking at first but found the staff to be welcoming and happy to work there, a rarity anymore! I had carnitas and my wife had fish tacos, both dishes were excellent! The beans and rice were perfectly seasoned. When you go there, try the spicy hot sauce. It is special! Try this place, you won't be disappointed! read more

We just had a really great dinner at Rancho Cantina. It was our first time there but we have been wanting to go there since walking by on another night. The service was great (thank you Dylan) and the margaritas were good too. We got the burrito and the enchiladas and both came out very hot and tasted fresh and delicious. However, my favorite part of the night was definitely the dessert, CHURROS! They were filled with caramel and soooo good. read more

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We ordered margarita, beer, steak and fish tacos. Only thing that was half decent was the steak and draft beer. Rice was flavorless and felt like it had been sitting out, and beans tasted like out of a can. Salsa that came with chips was blah. Steak was cooked okay, but nothing exceptional. Draft beer was good, but took good 30 mins to get a draft beer and margarita first time around, and 40 mins before our second draft beer came. To the point where we were ready to ask for our bill w/o the beer. Had to track down our waiter multiple times to get things and our bill. They were definitely busy, but saw quite a few things being sent back to the kitchen. Also, the guy filling takeout order was eating nacho chips in between filling orders. Without washing his hands... Overall: will not be visiting again and total waste of money. read more

Everything. Went there for my husbands birthday and the food, service and ambiance was all you want to celebrate a special occasion. We had the carne asada, ceviche, chorizo dip and other delicious dishes including the churros for dessert. We even got a personalized Happy Birthday song from one of the team members who has a magical voice. They are amazing and very friendly. Love this place! read more

If we could give zero stars we would do so. We ordered items to go on their website, drove 15 minutes down to get the items, but then told by the manager that the order had been cancelled because they were too busy. Not even an apology. But if we could wait 20-30 minutes perhaps they could fill our order. If they can't fill orders to go they should not take the orders. read more

I really wanted to try this spot because the menu makes my mouth water but when I saw the prices that's just ridiculous, so over priced in a time where so many people are struggling with the economy, I guess I m the type of person that support businesses that take care of their community, think about and care read more

Service and food are always great. Avery is a gem! We especially like everything that is cooked live on the grill.