We have been coming here for years. It's a mainstay when we are in Newport. One of my favorites is the chicken tortilla soup. It's so flavorful, I miss the Huntington Beach location and having access to it. The tortilla chips at the Newport location are the BEST! They are thin and crispy compared to other El Ranchitos. Of course the salsa is 5/5 too. My husband had the mahi veggie bowl which didn't have enough seasoning. It was a hearty size but lacked flavor. The service is always good, they check in with us repeatedly during our dining. The restaurant is kept very clean and has an old charm to it. It's definitely our go to as a sit down Mexican restaurant. There's something to be said that it has been around for 50 years. read more

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Family stopped by here for lunch, before heading to the marina to do some kayaking. The food here is incredible. Straight up. It's so damn good. Staff was so friendly when we came in, and thankfully it wasn't too busy on a weekday afternoon, so we were sat immediately. We were loving our waitress, she was so happy and pleasant to interact with. She brought over some chips and salsa, made some recommendations, and already had our drink orders being delivered within the first 5 min. I am happy to say that the entire menu, healthy or more indulgent, is fantastic. I had to eat a little lighter this particular day, so I went with the Baja Bowl with chicken and no rice. Healthy? Check! Absolutely delicious? Check! Possibly one of the best taco bowls ive ever had? CHECK CHECK! So much flavor for being on the lighter end of the dining spectrum. For the record, the day added to the experience too, because this restaurant is open air. Especially if you're sitting right by one of the open windows, you get that refreshing, ocean air coming through, the entire experience makes you feel like you're on vacation. Great spot, highly recommend, we need one of these out in Arizona. It would be the best Mexican Food spot in all of Phoenix valley!! read more

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I cannot believe this place does not have 5 stars!?! It's so good. The food is excellent and the service is fantastic. I love being served by Manny, Gustavo and Victor. I frequent happy hour but also love their Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Definitely give it a try. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Love the sunset from here - Mexican Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Decent Mexican food! They certainly have really big portions and lots of options on their menu. Chips and salsa come with the table as well which is always nice. They have indoor and outdoor seating so it was dog friendly which was important as we brought our fur child with us. I went with the California chicken plate. It came with grilled chicken served over a bed of onions and green chiles. Came with tortillas and your choice or of rice & beans or veggies. The chicken was a bit bland and did not taste like the highest quality chicken. It had a more shredd-y texture which I was not expecting. It was topped with a green salsa and overall had a tangy flavor that might've needed something else to counterbalance it, maybe a creamy component or slightly sweet flavor would have helped. I enjoyed the chips and salsa and they refilled them for us. They also refilled our drinks without us asking so the service was great. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive. The restaurant has a very casual atmosphere. The prices were also reasonable especially considering the good portion sizes. Next time I would probably considering getting one of their combination platters. read more

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Compared to other restaurants in this area, the service I've received here is lackluster. Not impressed for the caliber of clientele that frequents here. Maybe one has to be a local to be given a friendly service. I came in for takeout a few times now and I'm never greeted- maybe they're busy. Who knows. But the service hasn't impressed me yet. On the first visit back here I remember I stood at the host/hostess stand several minutes -oh it was just before Super Bowl weekend- not one table occupied to my left and the bar area was a a small crowd. I do believe this is a popular restaurant due to its location two blocks from the beach and just around the corner from all the yachts and group boat excursions. I remember I used them for a catering service on one of our yacht events and they were accommodating for large groups. The food has been decent. It's not the best Mexican restaurant I've visited, but the ambiance and menu selections seem nice enough. I've only tried their enchiladas and my family enjoys their red sauce, but it's not one of my favorites. I'll venture to try something else another visit I am sure if I revisit. Maybe the fine-in experience is very different. I did order a cup of tortilla soup and a deep fried ice cream that came to about $30 after tip (shown in photos). I hate to say it, but I've made the tortilla soup better at home in my opinion. It was bland (like it was watered down???) on this particular visit. I later learned I do not get the whip cream and chocolate syrup unless I remind them or ask for it as I had on the last visit ordering the deep fried ice cream to go. Is that customary? For me to ask for these toppings on their deep fried ice cream? For the area, I just expected better attention to details as I've experienced at neighboring restaurants. ie a sushi restaurant I get takeout every couple nights and the utensils and sauces I get every visit I never have to check their bags or ask for. I had to ask for utensils when I checked my takeout bag. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - 3/2025 about $30 with tip for a cup of soup and deep fried ice cream- no whip cream/no chocolate sauce??? - Mexican Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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I have been ordering the same thing from this place for over 20 years and this last time I had the shrimp botanas it was almost $40 which was ridiculous and it was horrible. I would not recommend this place. I will not be going back. Sad to say because it was my favorite thing to eat down in Newport and a good place to go read more

I stopped for lunch and had taquitos and a small bowl of soup. What a great lunch. Everything was amazing and the soup was perfection! The only disappointment was being charged $2 extra for guacamole and $2 extra for sour cream to go with the taquitos. These two items are usually served with them and not as an "add on". That was my only complaint. Next time I would skip the taquitos just because of that. read more

My partner & I were welcomed when entering and the staff was kind to find a spot for us in the sun, as requested! We got seated right away & I noticed there was plenty seating inside and outside along with a play area for kids to freely engage with toys and other kids. There was also a banquet area where there seemed to be a business party or gathering occurring. Our table did have a toy and crayons underneath it but we didn't mind. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves & the vibes of the patio were easing going & social. The food arrived fast & was pretty good! I also got the pineapple margitini & it had good ratio of coconut and pineapple & tequila. Our server was friendly but often didn't check in with us and forgot some of our requests for more water, chips, etc. The bathrooms were clean as well. Overall, we had a great experience & would stop by this place again after a beach day! read more

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Dear Jodie, Thank you for being so attentive, efficient, & caring, your hospitality is what draws me back! Thank you for recommending the special. The "Mama Avila's soup" is always very comforting, and delicious. It's very soothing for a nice beautiful day off. It's exactly how my Mother would make it growing up so the nostalgia is real here... Thank you for recommending the half green/half red enchilada sauce mix, it was absolutely banging! This has got to be my absolute favorite location and spot. Perfect service, great for walking the Newport Pier afterwards, burning off those Skinny margarita Calories. Jodie, don't stop being you. Simply amazing. Ooh, and screw the bad reviews because shredded chicken quality is top notch. Who cares if food isn't loaded with grease, it's good for a cheat day. The only slight complaint is less salt on the Chips, but they're still fresh. Sincerely, Previous "Elite Squad" chick but got booted off. So need to get back on my Review game. Paulina Garibay read more

Avila's El Ranchito - The special. Delicious & comforting for the gloomy beach day! - Mexican Near Me - Newport Beach, California

My Grandma and I went here for lunch and the food was good! It's very airy in the restaurant which is nice and feels spacious. Chanel was our server and she is so sweet and answered all of our questions. The non alcoholic beverage made with fresh watermelon is very refreshing. read more

From the moment you arrive, you are greeted by two very nice host who would rather talk and get to know you then let you start dinner - which was very nice. There smile was a great welcome. The other staff were also excellent. Went on Father's Day - gave all the Dad's a little gift which was a great touch. First timers here, so the dessert was free - another great bonus. Food was well above average, but the overall experience was fantastic. Will add this to our list of restaurants we will return to. Pricing was $20 for most large entrees. Margaritas were 7/10. read more

I needed to pick the perfect enchiladas as they were my sons favorite. For his celebration of life I knew it had to get them from Avilas, as they are the best. Everyone loved them they never disappoint, thank you for making our day perfect read more

El Ranchito has the yummiest Mexican food & the best vibe! It was the most enjoyable meal we have had out in a long time with our young kids thanks to the play area! read more

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We just had brunch here today..came in from las vegas for two days and the food was very authentic and delicious! Best Mexican we have had in a long time!! We will be back soon..fyi Karla was our server and she was wonderful! read more

Hubby and I usually go to the Avila's in Lake Forest but we came to this location because we were in the area. When we walked in we were shown to a high top table without being asked if that was ok. I do not like high tops as they are not comfortable for me so I asked if a regular table was available. The host seated us at a more comfortable table and our orders were taken a short time after. Once we had ordered the waiter came back to confirm our selections. We thought he'd gotten it straight but when our meals came neither of us had the correct items. I had asked for a cheese enchilada and it ended up with some sort of dark meat in it. It was tough and I could just not eat it. My husband said that his items weren't what he'd ordered either. I just pulled the mystery meat out of my enchilada and soldiered on with my meal. When I got into my tamale there was something in it that didn't taste right and I spat it into my napkin. By this time I was so put off by my meal I pulled over the chips basket so I had something to eat as I enjoyed my margarita. We don't plan on returning to this location due to the poor quality of the food. I've eaten Mexican food since I was a youngster and know what is good and what isn't. This was just not palatable. Lastly, the waiters should write down the orders so they do not make mistakes. read more

Wow such a great place. Originally going to crab place up the street. My wife and I decided to pick this establishment. A young host staff seated us to see the Newport foot traffic, a beautiful warm Saturday as my wife celebrated our marriage and friendship of 31 years The menu was well set with so many temping dishes. Chips and salsa served and the salsa was mild and tasty. I ordered a watermelon cooler(great job liz) and my wife ice tea. This establishment was very clean as it being a semi indoor outdoor restaurant. Christina the manager giving shout out to you on good ethics with your host staff as well as wait staff and runners. You keep your staff content and busy with necessary projects for the function of the restaurant no one twiddling thumbs. I chose a platter with carnitas side of rice of beans the patter was filled with fresh tomato's, peppers, onions and Pico de Gallo had a side of rice and beans. Like mom would make so good beans ans rice puffy. Carnitas we crisp well cooked chunks of meat. My wife had carne asada with shrimp great plate. Our wait staff was also a bartender she was help out with the wait staff. Thank you Liz for your great customer service you made us feel welcome. A nice little gem in Newport Balboa just a little distance from the Newport pier I will return and maybe try there Costa mesa location Thanks for helping us celebrate our anniversary read more

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Great spot in Newport! Perfect mix of semi trendy semi authentic California Mexican cuisine. Excellent hard tacos and great steak quesadillas. Service was good and ambience was really nice on a beautiful summer day in the OC. One less star because the Cadillac margaritas were super weak with the flavor of a basic margarita/sour mix and Also, they didn't have any spicy salsa. Otherwise still good overall read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Inside - Mexican Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Waitress was very pleasant and patient with us. Food was excellent and hardly had to wait at a busy lunch hour on a Friday. Food is excellent! Margaritas are some of them best we have had. Not too sweet..just right with quality tequila. Definitely recommend this restaurant! read more

Great food and an overall great experience. Will, our server was attentive. I ordered flautas and the chili relleno combo and it was delicious. ONLY disappointment was the Cadillac Margarita, TOO MUCH mix. Couldn't taste the alcohol. Great Chips and Salsa read more

First time here. Amazing service and food was delicious!! Best Guacamole! Thank you Maldonado.

My absolute favorite Mexican restaurant. I've been coming here since I was just 10 years old. I'm now 39 and I still see some of the same faces (always with a smile) working here! The food is stellar, the flavors off the charts, and the service is fantastic. My favorite are the chicken enchiladas with rice and beans. Plus the salsa is perfection. If you're craving great Mexican food, do not hesitate to stop in. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Chips & Salsa - Mexican Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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My friend and I came to Avila's El Ranchito for dinner and what a great experienced we had:) We sat at the bar and Victor the bartender made us delicious old fashion cocktails, they were so good, the busboy brought us some chips and salsa right away, for food my friend ordered the Wednesday's special, steak and chicken fajitas and I ordered the steak and shrimp Ala Diabla plate, OMG! My dinner steak and shrimp Ala Diabla was so good! The steak was perfect and the shrimp Ala Diabla was spicy but good spicy, the rice the beans were good too, my friend's Fajitas came out on a skillet nice and hot, we finished everything lol. The place was busy and everyone seems to have a good time:) I can't wait to come to this place soon, so if you go to Avila's I honestly recommend you to try the Steak and Shrimp plate, I'm still salivating from last night lol. read more

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Service was less than par! Waitress acted as though we, a party of 8, were a bother. Slow service and help was not welcoming or friendly. Food was just ok! Pricy for what you get. Ambiance was the best part of the experience. Not sure if I would give it a second chance! read more

The mama Avila's soup had chicken, rice, tomato, and a little avocado. It didn't have too much flavor, some added onions would be nice. At home, I added some dried onion flakes, and oregano to give it some spice. The description on InstaCart restaurants says that it comes with warm tortillas and I was really looking forward to that, however got tortillas chips instead :( The description also lists the soup has cilantro & lime, but mine didn't come with that, possibly lime but certainly not cilantro. Based on this item being their #1 most liked item & it not being that great in my opinion, my expectations are pretty low for any of their other food items. read more

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Impressive service and hospitality. I mainly hung out at the bar area but it was great atmosphere and the food smelled amazing.

Excellent restaurant the food is just delicious, prices are fair, the service is really good and employees really friendly

This is a good and trusty restaurant for us. We love the variety of margaritas. We suggested a margarita flight to our server. We ate the soup and fajitas. The fajitas were just okay. The meat to veggie ratio was way off. The soup was great because it was free from our Yelp check in. The ambiance was great. They opened the windows and we enjoyed the beach breeze. The service was great and the man tried to help us with all that we ordered. read more

Visiting from out of town and found this fun spot online. Such a fun spot for dinner! The food was awesome, the music had our kids dancing the whole time, and they brought everything out so fast. That's a big deal when you've got hungry little ones. Our blonde waitress was super sweet and on it. The kids loved their chicken nuggets, my husband was happy with his tacos, and my cheese enchiladas were so good. We'll be back for sure! read more

We were saddened to find out the restaurant in Huntington Beach was closed. We have enjoyed the Newport Beach and Laguna Beach locations!!! We love Mama Avila's soup with the extras plate!!! read more

The food was GOOD. I had a shrimp enchilada with green sauce, mixed veggies which were very tasty & rice. The service was consistent but nothing special.The energy great, the ambiance was busy & everyone was having a great time & enjoying their meal. If you like sports there's several TV's to watch.They make good fruit drinks & have a variety of beers & alcoholic drinks/liquor. A little pricey but the food is good & consistent. It's located in a place where you can walk over to the beach after your meal. I'll definitely go back & try some other dishes.Also their chips & salsa are FRESH & DELICIOUS:) ENJOY!!! read more

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Good family spot and even a kids play place outside. Obviously dog friendly because there was a yappy little dog with the people next to us lol... anyway, delicious food (I loved the chicken enchiladas with salsa verde). Yum! Also, we were seated right away which was nice, even on a busy Sunday evening. The outside seating area was fairly tidy, and it was nice to eat outside. read more

The food is amazing, the service is incredible, they cater for large events and always blow it out of the water! The manager Christina is incredible, so grateful for all the staff at Avila's! read more

$17 for a tiny bowl of soup to go. And you forgot the tortillas. It's no wonder why the place was empty, with more staff than customers. Will not be back when portions are 1/3 the size they used to be and 3 times as expensive. read more

I had high hopes for Avila's El Ranchito, especially since we usually have a wonderful dining experience at the Costa Mesa location. However, our visit to the Newport Beach location was nothing short of a disappointment. From the moment we walked in, the service was noticeably lacking. We were seated promptly, but that was where the positives ended. We waited an extended period of time just to get our drink orders taken, and even longer for refills. It was frustrating to watch other tables around us receive prompt attention while we were left feeling neglected. When our food finally arrived, I was excited to dig into the fajitas, but my enthusiasm quickly faded. The dish was scantily filled with meat and was dominated by green bell peppers, which overshadowed any flavor the dish might have had. For a restaurant that prides itself on its Mexican cuisine, this was particularly disappointing. To address our concerns, the waitress brought over the bald tattooed manager, who unfortunately added to our frustration. Rather than offering a sincere apology or showing any concern for our experience, he came across as smug and dismissive. It felt as though he lacked pride in his role and lacked professionalism in rectifying the situation. We then waited a ridiculously long time to get out check because you guessed it! No service so we had to get up and go find someone. Smh. Overall, this location was a huge letdown compared to what we've come to expect from Avila's El Ranchito. We left feeling unsatisfied and disheartened, and it's safe to say we won't be returning to this location anytime soon. I hope they can address these issues, as we truly enjoy the brand but cannot overlook this experience. Do better! read more

INCREDIBLE! This is the best mexican place I have ever been too. I have been going here for 22 years with my family and the food and service are always amazing. There is a ton of chicken and avocado in the soup. I also get the tamales a lot and they are also delicious. They recently redid the place and it looks very nice. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Mamá Avila's Soup - Mexican Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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I'm celiac so when we stopped in for margaritas, I asked if they had anything gluten free, and the server was quick to say no. So we figured we'd have our drinks and head towards the beach more. The server came back and went over a few things I might be able to eat, but cross contact was a worry. The Margaritas are good, the Paloma's are really good, and my husband liked the chips and salsa. The place was open up so we got the breeze, and I liked the music. I'd stop in here just for drinks again. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Lunch time margaritas - Mexican Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Beautiful and I inviting entryway. We're eating inside but the outside patio is beautiful. Have not yet eaten, but the complimentary chips are amazing with the huge mound of guacamole they give you. Staff was very inviting and greeted us upon entering Will need to come back. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Mexican Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Stopped in for lunch yesterday. Wanted to be close to the beach since it was a nice day, finally. Saw the cute outdoor patio & lots of parking so I pulled in. Was met by the sweetest hostess and seated quickly. Great menu, lots of choices. The hostess suggested the "new" menu item birria tacos, side of beans & a margarita. Chips & salsa were brought out quickly and were both delicious! Salsa was super tasty and chips were super fresh and crisp (unlike other local Mexican restaurants). Food came out fast and was more delicious than expected. I gobbled one down before taking a photo. Ha. Everyone was so attentive & made sure I had everything I needed and I was satisfied. I will definitely be back. My bill was $24. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Birria Tacos, margarita, chips & salsa - Mexican Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Everything! Their customer service was really bad as soon as we walked in the host that seemed that she really didn't want to be there and looked like she just had gotten out of bed did ask where would we like to sit. We did say inside and pointed at the area by the windows. She then walked towards the back to sit us down. I told her can we sit by the open windows and she did take us to the those tables and sat us on the table that was dirty instead of the one that was right next to it and clean. So already had a sour taste in my mouth. The server when I asked what he would recommend for drinks couldn't really give me any suggestions. The food was really bland and they messed up my husband order. They only had one restroom open and they had a paper saying that there were more restrooms in the courtyard a portable potty. read more

The service was very efficient and our server was friendly. Total time in restaurant was 50 minutes for 3 adult meals, including cocktails. The ambiance is super cute, but tables are a bit crammed so be prepared to be close to others that are dining. The passionfruit margarita was excellent and we loved the salsa. The rest of the food could have been seasoned more. read more