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    Avilas El Ranchito

    4.6 (2k reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Avilas El Ranchito Photos

    Business Info

    AVILAS EL RANCHITO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Happy hour specials
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Avilas El Ranchito

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    Relaxing patio area
    Yvonne R.

    Very friendly staff! Amazing food and beautiful ambiance. Awesome restaurant for a family dinner or brunch with the ladies. The chicken mole was so delicious and so was the mariscos. Thank you

    Menu - Margaritas (1/2)
    Simon K.

    The following were all amazing... Cadillac Margarita, Guacamole, Shrimp Fajitas. The fajitas had this incredible flavorful liquid at the bottom of the hot plate.

    Thank you Mercedes
    Gary M.

    We had a last minute change of plans. We needed a place to celebrate a mile stone birthday. El ranchito came through. We got a last minute reservation and the BEST server. Mercedes was lovely, thoughtful attentive and kind. She even brought over the crew to sing happy birthday and a birthday ice cream, we never mentioned we had a birthday. Our son and the whole table was surprised. Very grateful for Mercedes and her amazing service. Thank you

    Shrimp cocktail
    Curt H.

    Overall above average shrimp cocktail and home made chicken soup but in both cases I thought the average amount of shrimp and chicken kept it to a four star review Cadillac Margarita was six stars Good size parking lot and prompt, professional service

    Quesadilla
    Stephanie M.

    Yummy food. Fast service for a lunch. In town for a conference and we had a ton of people wanting to go to lunch so we decided on Avilas. We had a party of 11 and they were great. Seated us quickly and we were at one large table which was fun. They immediately asked if we wanted quacamole and we said yes. They brought it out without asking quantity or anything... while it was delicious they brought FOUR then charged us $48 for them. Bad on us for not clarifying and it was DELICIOUS. The flautas (cannot remember the name but it is in the pictures I posted) on the appetizer menu was plenty for myself and another to share. It was delicious and overall not that expensive. The location was clean and welcoming. The restroom was clean and appropriately stocked. Overall I would come back here. Everyone seemed to enjoy their food.

    Carnita fajitas
    SillyDilly55 C.

    Besides the food being absolutely incredible. The experience we had here was even better. Atmosphere - cute classic Mexican style. Service - so beyond wonderful. Our waiter Rocky was so kind, warm, and friendly. He made us feel like family. He was also just exceptional at what he does. Quickly brought us out not one but two extra salsas. Chip refill. Soda refill. Extra napkins. All before we even had a chance to ask. 100% plan on becoming a regular here. Thanks Rocky!

    Botanas De Camarones. The chili oil is so good
    Olive Y.

    Love the family style and the awesome food here. Have been here twice and the food never disappoint me

    Fried Ice Cream

    ASAP ROCKY... more like come here ASAP for Rocky!! He hooked it UP!! 10/10 Food AND Service

    Baja Bowl*
    Laura P.

    This is a great go to Mexican restaurant. The chips and salsa are exactly what I like at a Mexican restaurant. The salsa had onions and cilantro but not huge tomato chunks with a little kick to it. This is a great place for a group and as a date we had a party of 9 and they were very accommodating and kind with great service!

    Two Item Combo
    Lisa K.

    I've been going to El Ranchito for years but this location is awesome. The people working here are so nice and friendly. The chips and salsa is delicious and so are the entrees! The restaurant has a cute patio or ample seating inside. There's even a lady making fresh tortillas!

    Our Famous Avila Soup
    Melanie P.

    This spot really nails the vibe of a perfect neighborhood Mexican restaurant. They have complimentary chips and salsa and they kept them coming throughout the meal, which everyone at the table appreciated. We came in about an hour before closing with a big group, and the staff couldn't have been more accommodating. They found space for us right away and never made us feel rushed. I ordered their famous soup--it was good, but I'll probably try something else next time. It just didn't quite pop for me flavor-wise, though it wasn't bad by any means. I'll likely order one of their combination plates next time. I love when a place offers those. Overall, I'd definitely come back and would recommend this place if you're looking for a casual, sit-down Mexican spot with solid food, great service, and a neighborhood feel.

    Fried Ice-cream!

    Some people are good servers. Rocky is exceptional. We first met Rocky at NORMS Restaurant, where he quickly became our family's favorite server. He's always warm, attentive, and genuinely kind. One time our two-year-old accidentally left behind his favorite toy monster truck and race cars. Rocky found them and kept them safe until we came back another day. Even though he wasn't our server that visit, he took the time to bring the toys to our table. Our son was ecstatic. From that moment on, Rocky became his best friend. On Sunday, (3/8/26) we finally took Rocky up on his invitation to visit him at Avila's El Ranchito to celebrate my husband's birthday, and it was fantastic from start to finish. We were warmly greeted by El Salvador, who immediately made us feel welcome. The food was incredible -- fresh chips and salsa, delicious carne asada, garlic shrimp, and pork carnitas. Rocky recommended the Cadillac margaritas and they were refreshing and perfectly made. For dessert we tried flan and fried ice cream for the first time and both were amazing. To top it off, Marie Avila stopped by our table, introduced herself, and shared a bit of the restaurant's family history. She was so warm and welcoming, which made the experience even more special. Rocky made sure everyone at our table was taken care of all night. My husband said it was one of the best birthday celebrations he's had. Great food is wonderful, but great people make a place unforgettable. Huge thank you to Rocky and the entire team at Avila's El Ranchito for making the night so special. We'll definitely be back.

    Amazing food, super sweet staff, and lots of available seating so you can avoid the booth that people put their feet up on.

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    1 month ago

    Fantastic!! Mercedes is incredible and Salvador was so sweet to us! We will come back just to see them again!

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    12 days ago

    The food, the service and the staff are terrific! I highly recommend this place for a fun and festive ambience!

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    16 days ago

    Yup, must have been an off nite. Perfect, delicious, apologies for the 3 stars. Our go-to for life!

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    12 days ago

    Amazing location and food! The vibes are always great and Hector was a fantastic server!

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    12 days ago

    Super great service! Came for cinco de mayo and our server Hector was fantastic! great food, atmosphere and service. Will come back!

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    Avilas El Ranchito Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Avilas El Ranchito

    If i want to order Posole, when is the latest time to order before you run out?

    Peggy, We have no way of knowing exactly when we will run out each weekend, but you can call… Read more

    Is the carne asada ranchera beef?

    We use Rib Eye steak for our carne asada.

    What days and hours do you make fresh tortillas?

    We make them fresh every evening at 5PM - 8:30PM and on Saturdays and Sundays beginning at 9:30.

    Do you have vegan rice and beans?

    Thank you for reaching out to us. We have a vegan entree. Our Vegan Vegetable Bowl has grilled vegetables, black beans, sliced avocado and pico de gallo. Our Guacamole Picado is also vegan friendly.… Read more

    Anyone know if they use non-GMO corn for their tortillas?

    What's on special for taco Tuesday?

    Well tacos everyone's favorite

    What type of outdoor dining do they have and how many tables?

    They have two outdoor patios with portable heaters if needed. We have taken large parties and are comfortable.

    Are you reopened for outdoor dining?

    Yes! We would love to have you join us.

    Do they do brunch here? If so, Is it a flat fee or you purchase a plate and bottomless mimosas separately?

    It is an order off the menu wonderful Mexican Breakfast/ Brunch entrees and order drinks separate. Good prices on all!!

    Do they have good refrained beans?

    Yes! Much better than most places.

    View All 14 Questions

    Playa Mesa - A house favorite: Taco Combination with our Spicy Cucmber Margarita

    Playa Mesa

    4.4(3.4k reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$
    Takes reservations
    Happy hour specials

    OMG!!! What an amazing experience from the time we came in the door till the time we left! Friendly…read moreand inviting atmosphere! We were in from out of town and celebrating 31yrs of marriage. We sat at the Bar and really enjoyed our time with Mario! He was great and really took care of us, not to mention the food was amazing!

    What a great find. I had not eaten at this place before, but it came highly recommended from a…read morefriend of mine so I thought hey I'm going to check this out. I am so glad I did, especially since it was happy hour. The place definitely has a great vibe to it. Plenty of seating throughout the restaurant. I recommend sitting at the bar as that's where all the action happens. You definitely want to make sure you get there for happy hour and Taco Tuesday especially, $10 Margaritas $4 tacos and these are not cheap tacos. These are like serious tacos that will fill you up. Their salsa is great, not super spicy and makes great for munching while you're talking with friends. The margaritas are definitely strong, which is nice, as some places tend to water them down for happy hour. I would say that this is a great choice to go check out and have a taco or two or three or four. I had the carne asada, the carnitas, and the pastor, every single one of them was perfect and the salsa that they came with was out of this world. Bottom line? This is a great place for Taco Tuesday as well as just a hangout and have a drink after work. Whenever I am in Costa Mesa. I am definitely coming here again.

    Photos
    Playa Mesa - Margarita flights!

    Margarita flights!

    Playa Mesa
    Playa Mesa - Weekend Brunch served Sat - Sun, 9am-2pm.

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    Weekend Brunch served Sat - Sun, 9am-2pm.

    Mercado Gonzalez - Carne Asada Burrito and Tortilla Chips

    Mercado Gonzalez

    4.3(1k reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    Want to be transported to somewhere new, fresh, exciting and to embrace Hispanic culture? Mercado…read moreGonzalez is that. It's not just a grocery store, it's not a place to go in and out (you could if you wanted to), it's a place to enjoy not just the produce, but everything it has to offer! Yes, it is a grocery store, but it's also a place with many food stalls with delicious foods that are made fresh throughout the day! The service is fantastic, everyone is so happy and are eager to help! The ambiance is bustling either music constantly playing and some live music on certain days! I've had their horchata, burritos from one of the stalls, a torta, and a muleta. I've also purchased some fresh guacamole and their freshly made agua frescas!, all of which were great! Some say it's ok or sub par from other places, it could be true, but it's definitely the experience that is hard to match. This isn't just a one and done place, I feel like I haven't fully experienced everything yet and plan to come back multiple times to try out all that this place has to offer!

    Our building had a catered event from them, and it was well received overall with a successful…read moreconclusion after some initial challenges. I will use mostly my names for what I tried: "ELEPHANT EAR" BREAD: -- light beige color -- very sweet -- honey taste very pronounced and sticky texture -- great with hot Mexican chocolate or hot coffee with no sugar to offset the sweet RATING = A- "PINKIE LA RUE" (aka Polvorone Rojas): -- semi-crumbly texture -- buttery shortbread -- large size -- dusted w/white table sugar on top which I scraped off to reduce the sweet -- medium sweet or tad more -- not dry nor moist -- very nice tasting, especially w/milk or hot coffee RATING = A "RHINO HORN" bread: -- has some color variance with light brown -- semi-firm texture -- lightly sweet -- best for dipping in hot Mexican chocolate or hot coffee; not ideal to eat plain -- not buttery -- I am not a big "dipper" of cookies or bread into coffee so this is not of much interest to me -- it's okay RATING = B- CUCUMBER/LIME AQUA FRESCA: -- I poured into my water bottle and added half water to get the sweet down. Way too sweet for my palate but nice once I got the ratio right. -- up to medium sweet initially RATING = A- PINEAPPLE/SPINACH AQUA FRESCA: -- above medium sweet but expected for pineapple -- the pineapple defeated anything rough about the spinach for me which was a good thing...not chalky tongue syndrome RATING = B+ WATERMELON AQUA FRESCA: -- medium towards high sweet -- I did 50/50 with water again to get it right -- tasted pretty close to fresh watermelon juice when I did that RATING = A

    Photos
    Mercado Gonzalez - Great packaged foods, snacks and Mexican candy.

    Great packaged foods, snacks and Mexican candy.

    Mercado Gonzalez - Time to eat churros

    Time to eat churros

    Mercado Gonzalez - Menu As of 6/8/25

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    Menu As of 6/8/25

    Descanso - Lobster Enchiladas

    Descanso

    4.1(1.8k reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    We LOVED our Mother's Day brunch at Descanso. We made reservations and were seated quickly. They…read morehad bottomless mimosas and a special Mother's Day menu. Food- 10/10. We ordered the bottomless mimosas, watermelon spicy marg, churro pancakes, and the shredded beef chilaquiles. All were amazing! The churro pancakes were soooooooo yummy. Crispy and fluffy. Service- 10000/10. Manny was amazinggg! He was working so hard serving so many tables at once and he did a great job. He was so kind, positive, and had great recommendations. He always made sure we had everything we needed. The gals at the front were also so kind and helpful. Everyone there was great! Environment- 10/10. It was a beautiful day so we sat out on the patio. They had table umbrellas which were super nice to block the sun. They also had a DJ's (I think there were 3 taking turns) that were all great! The inside is very clean and nicely decorated! Next time we wanna try sitting at the grill :) Extras- Lots of parking as it's in a shopping center. The prices for us were a little on the higher end, but the food and service are fantastic! Perfect place for celebrations and authentic food :)

    How did I not know about Descanso's taco game sooner?…read more Came here on a Tuesday during lunch and got the mahi mahi taco and birria taco. Both were amazing! The mahi mahi taco was so innovative. I loved the slaw on top and the surprise of the peanuts. The birria taco is on another level. The short rib was melting in my mouth, and paired with the consume... chefs kiss. On Tuesdays they also have an amazing Taco Tuesday deal with 6 street tacos for $22. That's a steal! Definitely need to come back more hungry to try that out.

    Photos
    Descanso - Dining Room

    Dining Room

    Descanso - Carne Asada Skillet

    Carne Asada Skillet

    Descanso - Short Rib Estofado

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    Short Rib Estofado

    Acapulco Restaurant & Cantina

    Acapulco Restaurant & Cantina

    4.4(2.2k reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$

    This is my favorite Mexican Restaurant. Our server Roberto provided awesome service. We live in the…read moreInland Empire but we make sure we have lunch at Acapulco every time we are in Orange County. Great food and great service.

    LOVE this place for GREAT, FRESH, Coastal, Mexican food!…read moreThis location in Costa Mesa in particular, has been updated (new paint, new chairs, new lighting, etc.) and they have updated their menu with even MORE, Seafood items! They make GREAT Guacamole, customized at table side to your specs and their FRESH Chips, Tortillas and Salsa's are homemade in the restaurant. Husband LOVES their Pomegranate Margherita's and I can't get enough of their Enchilada's (Cheese, Chicken) and their Crunchy Taco's (Shredded Beef is my Fave!). Add in that their FRESH, Side Salads are AMAZING along with their new menu items - including Seafood combo's and there is no where else to go in OC for better Mexican food! Our INCREDIBLE Server, Hector (He IS the Acapulco restaurant - always upbeat and advising us about their new menu items!) and their FANTASTIC Chef Hector and all of the other Servers and Cooks there, make this a casual, yet special date-night restaurant! P.S. We've also tried their EXCEPTIONAL, Sunday Buffet and literally had to almost be wheeled out of there, there were SO MANY DIFFERENT, AUTHENTIC foods to choose from and sample! VERY nice to find this level of a PERFECT MEXICAN restaurant - with HIGH QUALITY FOOD INGREDIENTS, nearby! Can't wait to go back!

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    Acapulco Restaurant & Cantina
    Acapulco Restaurant & Cantina
    Acapulco Restaurant & Cantina - Make your own omelette. Veggies and chorizo.

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    Make your own omelette. Veggies and chorizo.

    Avilas El Ranchito - mexican - Updated May 2026

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