Southern California is Mexican food heaven, with too many restaurants from which to choose. But for years, Avila's Ranchitos restaurant in Corona Del Mar, (Newport Beach), has been an early Friday evening tradition for me and my wife, and we love it. We enjoy sitting at the end of the bar, eating freshly cooked quesadillas de carnitas from the grill in front of us, made by our favorite short-order cook, Maria. She already knows what we want to eat. The delicious food is always accompanied by complimentary home-made salsa and tortilla chips. The bar serves all kinds of mixed drinks, Margaritas and Mexican beers, including my wife's favorite beer, Modelo Negra. As a nonalcoholic myself, I always opt for their tasty Arnold Palmer mix if iced tea and lemonade. . Two orders of freshly grilled quesadillas, chips and salsa, and two drinks are more than enough food for the two of us, and they are reasonably priced. You'll enjoy the friendly service, Mexican ambiance, and plentifully delicious food at Avila's Ranchitos restaurant. We highly recommend it! read more

Rosa was great we love coming here the service and food and drinks are the best ! Thanks David read more

This was my first time visiting this Avila's location and I really enjoyed my experience. I attended a private event in their back room, so the food was served buffet style rather than from their regular menu. We had salad, salsas, rice, beans, and several different taco meat options. Everything was so tasty! They also offered a few different margarita options, which were great. The service was excellent throughout the event, from the cocktail service to the food service. Everyone was very attentive and welcoming. I also loved the private space in the back with its own bar. It's a great setup for a private party or gathering, and I'll definitely keep this location in mind for future events! read more

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Great location for people watching, restaurants across the street are all bomb- bamboo bistro and Sugarfish are a destination and now I'll never wonder what kind of fun is going on here I'm not privy to. Refillable chips at the ready and lots of servers around, so if you need anything somebody will get it for you. The food is fine just fine. Quesadilla eggcellente was a nice surprise. It's almost like eating a breakfast burrito minus the additional starch like rice or potatoes. And the cheese enchiladas are exactly what you'd get at any other reputable Mexican places and trust it's not going to fail you. The guac was also just fine. But the price point suggests something more.. I blame the rent. It's a hot spot and I'm sure the competition is fierce. read more

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I came here this time for the restaurant week promo. I ordered the carne asada tacos from the taco bars. My niece ended up eating all the steak but it is fair game. What I love most about this place is the lighting. The open windows and sky lights make the place so intimate during the day. The free chips and salsa is what keeps me coming back. Our server was perfect. The bartenders are super fun and always make it a special event to sit at the bar. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Two very happy customers - Mexican Near Me - Corona del Mar, California

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This is a beloved eatery that will forever hold beautiful memories for me. It is not far from Sherman Gardens. My boyfriend who passed in June '25 and I enjoyed many breakfasts, & lunches here before hitting up the gardens. The restaurant is right on Coast Highway near Macarthur and is easy to find. There is a small parking lot in the back, limited street parking, and there is also a small municipal lot nearby too. The restaurant has a warm inviting environment with rustic decorations. Staff is always pleasant & attentive. My boyfriend's favorite thing was having a bowl of menudo and or a steak. Be aware sometimes they run out of menudo. lol I enjoyed everything I had here from the tacos to the enchiladas but I think my favorite is the breakfast quesadilla. read more

I love this place for it's laid back vibe. We were seated right away and our server came over not long after. As she was taking our drink order, someone was bringing us chips and salsa. I ordered the shredded beef taco with beans and rice and it was super tasty! Been here numerous times and it's always a great experience. I look forward to coming back. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Mexican Near Me - Corona del Mar, California

I'm surprised to be reading some sort of less-than-stellar reviews here..I just discovered this chain by accident. I was taking a friend to the JW airport, and looking for somewhere to eat, and found Avila's for lunch. I couldn't be more pleasantly surprised...the food was outstanding..the service was fantastic...I live in San Diego, were there is a ton of great mexican food, but I live in Carlsbad now..and it's not that great. Overpriced and just ok. Avilas is the real deal...really authentic and really good...great retro atmosphere, which we love. The chips were fresh and hot...salsa was good. I see there is one in San Clemente, which looks like the closest one to me..so I will drag my family up there to try. Thanks again for the great lunch. read more

We just came in at 2:45pm Saturday October 20th 2026. I ask a guy if parking in back of restaurant was ok to park in yellow striped spot. He said yes. I told him thank you. He left. We walked in and I noticed there were a lot of steps inside so we decided to sit by the door because I didn't want to get down my wheelchair. I can walk enough to come in and out bet not with steps. We saw two waitresses eating, looked like they were on their breaks. We tried to get the attention of three people to help us. When one lady saw us she just waved to us and ignored us. Then she said something to another waiter and they just stared to laugh. No one very came to help us. I am Hispanic and I don't know this has anything to do with the way were treated because I only saw while people in the restaurant. It was very disrespectful and rude. Is this the way all your customers are treated at all your restaurants? Really what kind of service do you give customers at your other restaurants? Disappointed and will be looking up your peers to let them know what is going on. Stuck up people too good to help disabled people. Teresa Gomez read more

We dined at this location about 2 decades ago but had never gone back until this afternoon. Needless to say the food was just as disappointing as before. We often try to judge the quality of food By its chili relleno which only genuine Mexican placers offer. Although it was properly prepared, we found it totally tasteless. The ambience and service were adequate and the price very reasonable. We did like its salsa and chips however. Sadly. It's still not tasty after all these years. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Porch dining area. - Mexican Near Me - Corona del Mar, California

I got the chicken street tacos,husband mahi tacos,brother had ground beef tacos and our daughter had chicken tacos. Food was OK great service it was nice sitting outside too read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Mexican Near Me - Corona del Mar, California

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I'm always on the lookout of a great chile relleno and theirs was a standout for all the right reasons with a very good salsa rancho sauce Not many places offer an avocado taco and they did theirs right with the avocado not bring bitter or dried up The Alboondigas soup was definitely one of the best I've had (no wonder it's while supplies last) so get there quick! read more

Order two Avilla soups and couldn't eat them because they are way too salty! Please put less salt in your recipe!!!! read more

I had a chance to go to El Ranchito in CDM today and what a joy. The food and drinks were great. Our server Diana made us feel very welcomed and we always had a drink in our hand. The kitchen manager Gabriel came and checked in with us to make sure we were please with the food and service. They really cared that we were happy. If you haven't been here stop by and enjoy the experience. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Me and our server Diane. Make sure you request her! - Mexican Near Me - Corona del Mar, California

Anytime I do a review I base the stars on the area, price range and competition in that market. You cannot give 3 stars to El Ranchito because you like Javier's better. They are totally different restaurants and price ranges. With that said I give this location of Avilas 4 1/2 stars. Several of us including myself thought it was the best of all the El Ranchito's. We made a reservation for 14 at 6pm on a Saturday night the day before. No problem. We arrived at 5:35 and our table was ready and waiting. The manager actually seemed happy we were there. They brought chips and salsa and waters right away and took our drink order. Before you knew it we were eating dinner less than 45 min in, which is great for a table of 14. I had the new combo with a cup of the amazing chicken soup and 2 tacos. I opted for the crispy chicken and crispy shredded beef. Both had a perfect shell, and loaded with meat and fillings. My wife had the same and loved it as well. Once we were all done they sang happy birthday to our sweet birthday girl and dropped off some strawberry churros to celebrate. The night was perfect. Honestly this will be part of the family rotation. Great management, friendly hostesses, excellent service and reasonable prices in this Bidenomics absurd communist inflation we are all dealing with. Sorry I couldn't help myself. read more

The service was very nice, however the food is atrocious! They use Sysco products and you can tell. The food had no taste and the lettuce in my salad was wet so nothing stuck to it. This place is a "taco shell" of itself. Poor Avalia is probably rolling in the grave. read more

After 50 years of going to 3 locations in Huntington Beach and Newport Beach and Corona Del Mar we are done with you! Your food sucks I'm not sure how you think you can stay home with this effort. Food has no taste and I saw the Sysco truck outside so that explains your problem. Go luck stray trying again! read more

The staff are consistently kind, efficient and care about your experience. Big dog friendly on a fun outdoor patio; on a busy corner. If the walls could talk? Rich with history and character. Of course, we come for the food. Authentic, affordable, plentiful portions. After almost two decades, this is always a home run! read more

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The best broth based tortilla soup with fresh avocado ever! We got it to go on our way home to LA after being at the very best beach ever at Crystal Cove State Beach read more

All I can say is MAMA'S SOUP. This is the only soup with protein that I've ordered and not disappointed with the amount of tasty chicken. I'm not a big soup lover but I am hooked on Mama's. I also like their crispy tacos. Plus it's probably the best value in CDM read more

What a beautiful location how disappointing we had the beef tacos for $11 with the beans on the side and two sauces avocado, and a salsa on the plate. No taste fried taco shells. The meat was disgusting. I can't believe how unbelievable this place went down. great location terrible food. I'm so disappointed. Of course the drinks were on point but I didn't come there for drinks. I came there for food and ambience. The service was good, but the cooks have dropped any kind of seasoning. The beans had no flavor. The meat on the taco had no flavor. It was a beautiful presentation. But no flavor and no taste. You guys can do a lot better so disappointed will not be back. read more

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Unbeatable soup! Does it like no other, we come just to get the soup sometimes. We also ordered the Tacos and caldo, really liked the juicy chicken over the beef tacos. Very kind and fun service, loved the atmosphere. Felt like we were in San Antonio, TX! Very affordable prices and generous portions. Super spacious seating inside. read more

Love visiting this El Ranchito! Especially when Heather (the manager) is there and Diana serves us! They are so welcoming and accommodating to me and my family. The food is always fresh and flavorful and the cozy atmosphere makes it perfect for a relaxed meal out. We will definitely be back read more

this and the laguna beach locations are HORRIBLE. visiting these two locations have genuinely turned me off from ever visiting another location again. i may be a hard person to please, but i at least expect human decency. i cannot wait till both locations close, ill be holding a celebration party :) whenever sees this, you're welcome to attend read more

Seriously...I wonder what is in this guacamole that makes it so addictive! I literally crave "their" guacamole...nobody else's. The service here has always been friendly and attentive. The ambience is chill Mexican. This is the best local chain in OC for Mexican. I "always" have something with the guacamole. Their soup is county-famous. I usually opt for the fajitas or salad not being much of a soup person. If I'm not drinking alcohol, they'll even doctor up my "unleaded" drink glass with salt so I can have that salty margarita taste without the booze. That's how dedicated the service is into you enjoying your experience. This is a must-go when visiting OC. Healthy lower calorie food and hearty treat food available on the menu. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Corona del Mar, California

Enjoyed the food. However customer service was horrible on Saturday, 5/17, around 11:45 starting from the young guy at the front. Not even a friendly greeting. Then our male server and another younger guy were also totally unwelcoming and seem to be bothered by everything we asked for. Never once did our server come and ask us how we were enjoying our meal. What has happened to customer service? They expect tips but don't do anything to earn it. Everyone should learn from In N Out--great burgers, price and wonderful customer service. read more

Seated very quickly for a weekday dinner with some friends! It is very conveniently located in CDM and there was a good amount of street parking available when we went. I got the enchiladas that came with a hefty portion of rice and beans as well. Very cozy atmosphere! read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Chicken Enchilada - Mexican Near Me - Corona del Mar, California

Wow! By far and away some of the best tacos I have ever had in the states. Which says a lot, as I have traveled near and far. I love that you can watch them make the tacos right in front of you. The flavor was incredible. read more

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Our family been coming here for years atmosphere is good food is ok we visited this weekend we ordered chicken and steak fajitas the plate was loaded with bell peppers onions just a few pieces of meat no flavor very mediocre they need to do better with the prices there charging read more

I'll start with good service good ambiance and very nice waitress. Decent chips but with watery salsa. Got a shredded chicken burrito that was in the top 3 worst burritos I've ever had in my 50 years of eating Mexican food. The ridiculous high price made it worse. It had zero flavor and the soaking wet lettuce didn't help. It was so bland and boring. It was a water balloon. They should be ashamed of this quality of product. My friend got the steak/asada burrito he had the same experience with meat so tough and just bland as could be. We are both big eaters and we both left some on our plates for the trash bin. I prefer to give positive reviews but they earned this bad review. Spent some good money and was disappointed for sure. They need a quality control person or a chef that cares. Bad!! read more

yes best mahi burrito around and the waitress Taletha was the best and she helped my wife pick out a great plate. good food and great service! read more

Avila's El Ranchito - mahi burrito - Mexican Near Me - Corona del Mar, California

Met with a friend here and they had a lot of parking nearby the restaurant. Might be hard to get in front but there's turns you can take. Parking is free on streets. We had the their spicy margaritas - I enjoyed it I mean it's hard to go wrong here! Also got the tortilla soup and tacos combo. We did upgrade our tacos to shrimp and fish. I think the upcharge is $1-2 more. Kind of pricy for what we got and for taste/quality. I was a fan of the soup liked it it was a lighter chicken tortilla, but the tacos could be better. Service was fantastic - our waitress checked on us constantly. Vibe was nice for dates, gno, family night etc. any occasion which I liked. Would I come back for tacos? Probably not.. bc they're kind of priced on the higher side and taste mid but yes to the soup and would try something else next time. read more

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Outside patio area was great for the dogs! Service was good. The new is pch and all the different cars that go by. There is a memorial to Koby and his daughter across the street from the restaurant! The shrimp is so good! read more

Avila's El Ranchito - This is down the road by the beach - Mexican Near Me - Corona del Mar, California

I love these guys and their authentic Mexican food!! All family owned which means they CARE AND THEY TREAT YOU WELL!!! Always go to 3 locations!! read more

Love going to get the soup and tocos. Great location staff is very accommodating and ambiance is very inviting. Highly recommend it read more

I went to this place honestly bc of the location, is very close to my friends house but i really didn't like it so much, service was kind but the food is not great, I ordered carnitas and they tasted a little half cooked, my beer also was draft and it was kind of warm, i really care about what I eat and i will love to know that the managers check that the food is properly cooked. Very expensive experience for a place that I didn't like so much. I also want to add that the place was very clean and restrooms also in good conditions which is something that I always appreciate on a restaurant. read more

Food: bland and overpriced. Service: rude white dudes who couldn't identify good Mexican food if it slapped them in the face Ambiance: entirely too much, trying too hard read more

We went in with high hopes on a date night and ended up leaving. 15 minutes into being seated: no chips, no water, no service. It wasn't an odd time and was probably just a mix up in communication with the staff. The table next to us came after we did and had service. We weren't mad, just didn't want to invest. The manager felt bad, but we promised to try again soon. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Mexican Near Me - Corona del Mar, California

Our food was good however they firstly messed up my order, then brought out my correct order but it was missing the sides it comes with, and there was a hair in the food! The hair wasn't on top of the food, it was cooked in the quesadilla and I couldn't pull it out because the cheese melted around it. read more

First time and it won't be the last. Great food and help. The refried beans are the best. Everything was perfect.