It's always a great day when you discover a new Avila's location! Small footprint yet the vibe/decor/folks make it large in a great way. Memo is an absolute Rockstar! Truly impressed by his contributions. Enjoyed a delicious Grande Taco Salad and as always, left with a quart of their epic salsa! Thank you for your brand consistency! #myhappiness read more

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I had a great meal during Happy Hour at Avila's El Ranchito. The tacos and taquitos were made with fresh ingredients and they were not salty. Our server was attentive and check-in to see if we need anything. Ambiance was festive with the Mexican music and old fashion decor. Great local place for delicious Mexican food. read more

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Jesus A is a GREAT server! Food is always so good and service is love coming here! The bartender makes delicious drinks too.

We had a great experience. The food was great, fresh, high quality. Our waiter couldn't have been friendlier. He was helpful and attentive but didn't ever seem intrusive. Portion size was generous. Decor and atmosphere are pluses: plenty to look at, including some old photos that maybe are not just decorations; some might be family pics. Delicious brewed iced tea. Tasty salsa. Be sure if you ask for your wet burrito's salsa on the side that they don't charge you an extra $4 to do that. read more

This review is based on a single experience, so your mileage may vary. I came here during happy hour hoping to try their food for the first time. We were greeted by a super friendly server, who seated my party very quickly and was very attentive to our table. Granted, it was not busy at that time so the attentiveness was appreciated. Since I was not that hungry, I opted for their traditional tacos, one with chicken and one with shredded beef, which was reasonably priced for the two. It came without rice and beans, which I didn't really need. The tacos were generously stuffed with meat, lettuce and tomatoes and came in a crispy fried shell. I did need to add my salsa that came with house chips to add additional flavor to the tacos. The tacos met my expectation for what I expected. And the house chips were on point. Our server was friendly and personable, which made the experience good overall. read more

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Shaun Shine was one of the best workers I have ever seen in my 44 years of living. He was polite with exceptional service, and even put his own secret sauce on the nachos for me! Will visit again. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Shaun Shine, server extraordinaire after his grueling 8 hour shift - Mexican Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

It's a small restaurant in the shopping center and we didn't know what to expect. We ordered the steak and shrimp fajitas and the Azteca burrito. It's was all very tasty. The service was very good and very attentive. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

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I had to share a few of my favorite things to get when I eat at Avilas El Ranchito!! The new melon margarita is a must try. So refreshing and perfect for summer! The potato taquitos are a must have every time I come to visit the foothill ranch location. They're my favorite!! I switch on and off between the different soups but was craving more veggies so got the tortilla soup no chicken and it was so delicious! The guacamole is always a must have as well. I love all The vegan options as well!! Love how the restaurant is decorated and the ambiance. It's such a vibe!!! The art work is really unique and the service is always impeccable. Super friendly staff and the owner is one of the sweetest people I have ever met! Highly recommend :)) you can't go wrong with anything on the menu but these are just my favorites from my most recent experience last night!! 10/10 everytime!! read more

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First : the food is so regular food, pretty much like street food. Second: the service , I felt the staff they don't have knowledge about the food ingredients, they just wanna sell you anything without any care and curtesy. and I forget to mention the lack of communication. And no one is smiling. The place is very small, no privacy at all like everyone knows each others, like one big table. To be honest I will give Del take 4 stars ****. They don't deserve one star but I have to rate them. read more

I had such a great evening last night celebrating my birthday with family at Avila's, my favorite restaurant. Monica and Jesus, along with the entire staff, made this such a special evening. The service was exceptional, food superb and atmosphere festive. We are frequent customers and my family would have taken me anywhere for my birthday.... and I chose Avila's. read more

Best service and food around! This was our favorite place to go when we lived in the area and now that we came back for a visit we knew where to go. Jesus and his team are not only friendly but very personable, making our visit memorable! Highly reccomend the fajitas and Grande Cadillac Margarita!!! read more

Avila's El Ranchito - FIESTA TIME! - Mexican Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

The staff were so friendly! I got there right at 4:30pm before the place was packed The service was fantastic! I loved the atmosphere of the restaurant! Lots of lights and conversation pieces! The food was so good! Big portions read more

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I cannot recommend Avilas enough! I've been going for probably well over ten years now and the food and service are both excellent! The decorations and ambiance are very festive and everyone is always so wonderful. I especially love their Mama Avila's soup and their botanas, which are great for sharing! They are also one of my DoorDash go-tos! read more

We are from La Habra , so we are not newbies to El Ranchito's yummy menu . We moved to Irvine a year ago and have been struggling to find great Mexican Food. Thankfully we stumbled across El Ranchito's Lake Forest location today . We had great service by Marisol for dinner tonight . read more

Avila's El Ranchito - We shared the Fresco burrito wet with divorced sauce . Additionally we each had a Cadillac Margarita & chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

Daylight Savings Time was in our favor today. Since clocks were turned BACK, we were all hungry by 4:30PM. Avila's El Ranchito is in a strip mall with plenty of parking. It's a small location and we heard that it used to be larger but they gave back space to the strip mall. Our party of 9 strolled in at 4:45 and were seated right away. We had 2 kids, 2 teens and 5 adults. Kids' meals are free with paying adults so that was covered. They had chicken fingers and fries. The teens had burritos that were pretty big. I had the shredded chicken taquitos and a potato taco combo. It was sooooo good. Also loved their warm Chips and salsa. During the time we were there, the place filled up and there were parties seated outside as well. Our timing was perfect. 20% mandatory gratuity with large parties. I would definitely return again. Delicioso!! Ok, bye. read more

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Had dinner here this evening and had the best time! We got sat in a timely manner, for a party of 5, and our server, Jesus, was super kind and prompt and attentive. The food was yummy and my margarita was on point! We'll definitely come back :) read more

Absolutely loved it. The dos tacos & caldo (2 tacos & soup) was very delicious. Had great flavor. The ceviche tostada was so good. They give you so much ceviche with avocado and lime. Definitely something to try if you like shrimp. The posole and menudo are very authentic and has great flavors. Something perfect for cold weather. The Chile relleno was really good as well. Came with rice and beans with hand made flour tortillas. We are typically picky about beans and rice, and we finished the plate. The Chile was amazing. If you want something with garlic, try the Shrimp al mojo. Really great flavor, and something to devour. Hands down a great little restaurant that has authenticity. The scenery is really cool. Makes you feel like your not in foothill. read more

This place is FANTASTIC! Shout out to my very good friend Jesus! He made me a yummy Halloween Margarita! Omg sooooo yum! It's with Espolon and he added black salt on the rim! It was absolutely remarkable and very refreshing! I definitely recommend this place! Remember, ask for Jesus! read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Tequila Espolón! - Mexican Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

I ordered the carnitas from here, and Shaun had an amazing attitude, and gave me a warm welcome. The food was also amazing and the ambiance of the whole restaurant was so nice that I will defined be returning. In my entire 35 years of life, I have never been as welcome in a restaurant as with Shaun. I struck up an amazing conversation with him, and he made my experience much better. read more

Shaun Shine was the best worker there. He was smiling and attended my every need. I asked for so many modifications on my meal and he did it all so well for me. Thank you again Shaun! read more

We love Avila's! The food and service are great. This is our go-to for reliable, delicious food. Marisol has been our server many times and she is always attentive and awesome. read more

After hiking Black Star Canyon, my friend and I were starving and found Avila's El Ranchito on Yelp. Amazing pics of the margaritas lured us in, so off we went. Busy Saturday night, but that should be no excuse for the greeters at the door. The greeters were not friendly (we weren't acknowledged at all, I stopped one of them to ask about seating/ordering) or helpful. As it was our first time at the restaurant and we weren't sure if we order at the counter first and self-serve seating, or WTF?!? While we are on the subject of service, our waitress was phenomenal! To remember her name, we called her "Princess Dianne" and she was super friendly, attentive and knowledgeable about their food/products. If management reads this, Dianne is amazing and she does her job with me feeling her genuine enjoyment of her job and of people (even on such a busy Saturday night). I give her 5 stars despite this overall review. Grande taco salad was as expected. My friend and I ordered the margarita special for the evening, which wasn't on the menu. It had the smoothest tequila and was exactly what we wanted after our hike. We enjoyed the margarita, despite it's $30 price tag. Ambiance is busy and good for a low-key, casual date night. Decor is fun as it had tons of traditional Mexican pieces all over the walls. Free small parking lot. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Grande Taco Salad with shredded beef - Mexican Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

'Ive traveled to Mexico for years and developed a deep love for authentic Mexican cuisine. If you're looking for the real deal, this is the place! Every dish is absolutely delicious, Five stars all the way! -- Ricardo https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGoer8FTHrI/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== read more

This place never disappoints!! Food is always excellent, staff is like seeing an old friend. The location in Lake Forest and Foothill Ranch are super cool and decorated to make you feel like you are south of the boarder!! read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Crispy shredded beef tacos!!! So good. - Mexican Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

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The food is amazing, and the service is top notch. This little restaurant has become my family's home for delicious comfort food

We came for brunch this morning and they were able to seat us right away. The service was top notch and our server Jesus was really on point. We started with chips and guacamole. Jesus recommended these gigantic margaritas that were just the right amount of sweet and alcohol. The food was great, I tried the azteca burrito with chicken and it was super tasty. The kids all got burritos and flautas . Everyone finished their meals. The portions size of everything was more than generous. 10/10 would recommend. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Mexican Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

Thank you for the offer of a refund. Its not the money, it was the customer service, or lack of once we had complained about the chicken bones. Who ever was your floor manager that evening was rude and laughed about us to our waitress. I would definitely work with the kitchen about deboning thoroughly before they put any chicken in any type of food product. Somebody could've choked, and you guys would've been liable and probably sued. We will not be back to your restaurant and I hope other patrons take this review to heart. read more

Jesus was the best server!! Very funny and great service! Delicious food!! Thank you Jesus

Amazing food and amazing service! They have delicious enchiladas verde & their nachos are very good as well. The service is always fast. The restaurant is always clean and the staff are all very friendly. read more

I usually go to the Avilas in Corona Del Mar or San Clemente. Those are consistently good. The one in Lake Forest is horrid, so I didn't know what to expect from the Foothill Ranch location, good or bad. I knew this was a very small hole in the wall location compared to all the others, but it didn't matter as long as the food and service were good. I called before driving over to confirm if they had potato tacos for taco Tuesday. They said they did and gave me the price. I was not advised via phone that you have to buy drinks in order to order taco Tuesday tacos. We would not have gone if we were told that, as we never order alcohol or soda. I sat down and ordered 2 tacos while I waited for my friend to arrive, while looking at the rest of the menu. We also planned to order some enchillada plates. The chips and salsa was pretty awful and tacos were just okay - pretty bland. My friend arrived and we were discussing what other items we were going to order when our server told us we had to order drinks. We told the server if that was the case, we would leave, because we only wanted waters. The server comes back with a manager insisting it's their policy we have to buy drinks to get the tacos. I asked him why they didn't tell me that then when I called and asked about their taco Tuesday right before I drove over. The manager tried to convince me I had called the wrong location, which was BS. He said he would not make us order drinks this time, but don't expect to do it again next time. And he got his wish. There will never be a next time because of how that manager treated us. Instead of ordering more food like we planned to, I paid the check for my 2 tacos, and left. And my friend and I went to a much better Mexican restaurant with better tacos for taco Tuesday along with our Enchilladas, and where we were not treated poorly for only wanting water to drink. That manager is probably the reason why more than half the tables were empty when we went there. If you treat people that way, people aren't going to come back, they are going to share that negative experience with others, and they will spend their money where the customer service is good and they feel appreciated. Would not recommend this location. read more

I'll be honest...we originally came here for the amazing food and drinks. But the wonderful staff who have made us feel like family keep us coming back. We're always excited to see our favorite server, Diana. She always welcomes us with a hug, knows our order, and takes a minute to ask us how life is going. She always has the best cocktail suggestions and never gets our order wrong. Customer service at its finest. We wish she was working every time we come in. We have been to several Avila El Ranchito locations. This one is by far the best. The food is amazing and the cocktail menu is superior. The Escor Tauro Margarita is the best I've ever had. read more

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I ordered a California burrito cos I love the fries in my burrito. When it got delivered... all I tasted was fries. I opened the burrito and it was a burrito with fries! :( The person I called apologized. But the kitchen was already closed. Fries for tonight I guess. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - California burrito minus everything. Just fries please. - Mexican Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

Parking is a nightmare at dinner time. All the employees we interacted with were fantastic!! Always checking on us, refilling drinks, etc. Chips and salsa were on the table quickly and were good, chips were fresh. The chicken enchiladas were delicious. I ordered the grilled veggies. They were pretty good but could have used more time on the grill. My daughter had a bean and cheese burrito and a side of fries. Both were bland. The ambiance was typical for a Mexican restaurant. A bit loud so it was tough to have a conversation. Very busy but the food came out quickly and the employees were all pleasant. Seemed like they enjoyed their job. A good thing in my mind. read more

Been coming to Avilas since I was a nino. The food is always excellent. Everything is fresh. The vibe is authentic. Service is great. Jesus and the rest of the staff have always taken care of us. If you haven't been you need to go for your next meal! Best Mexican food around period. Cheers! read more

We had wonderful service on a busy Saturday night & we were able to get a table for 4 at 6:00 without a wait. They don't take reservations but do have a call ahead list. The Cadillac margaritas are good $15.50 & strong. Basic chips & salsa but they kept the refills coming promptly without being asked. The entrees were all good & decent sized. I forgot to take pictures but they were yummy. We will keep coming back for sure. read more

bsolutely love this place!! Great food, drinks, and service. Their margs are insanely huge, Love it!!! The huge margs are specific to this location. Diana is my FAVORITE! She took excellent care of us. 10/10 service. Love Diana and Avilas! read more

Amazing Food & Service! I love their Ckn Soup, especially when I'm feeling rundown. It is the best to bring you back from cold/flu. Service is always fast and with a smile. Always consistent and reasonably priced for well sourced home cooked food! Can't recommend these guys enough! Memo is a great server and always makes great recommendations! read more

Great service at this restaurant. Shoutout to my server Shaun Shine for the great service!

Amazing service and delicious food the tacos and fish are yummy also had there cucumber margarita very delicious have to try it. The music is great too , don't forget to try the ice cream ! Try the ceviche read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Mexican Near Me - Foothill Ranch, California

This our favorite local Mexican food place..All Avila's family restaurants are good, with a lot of excellent margarita options. The margaritas might seem pricey at first, until you see that you pretty much get around 1 and 1/2 since the leave the cocktail shaker with you to refill your glass. Order the grande and you'll probably laugh at how giant it is. But there's a lot more than just margaritas: Our favorite dishes are either the fajitas or botanical platters. Seating isn't fancy, but that's not why you go to an Avila's. Consistent, good food with good portions is what we like. Oh yeah, and on weekends their Pozole is wonderful with very lean meat. read more