Visiting Connecticut drove 2 hours Decided to get Birra tacos from here ($16) after such a long drive and it was so disappointing No seasoning whatsoever just meat I was just chewing meat and they were not fresh at all cheese was hard and so was the tortilla Was not appetizing I completely wasted my money I wanted to cry don't bother getting birra tacos from here read more

My go to Mexican restaurant in the Danbury area! From the tacos, flautas, combo meals, margs, to the staff - I always have a great experience. They also make my favorite salsa I always have to order a container to take home! read more

I wish I still had the picture of the mocajete that I ordered but my taco and my other half's combo meal will have to do on this update. We never have been disappointed and they stay consistent. Glad to see they weathered the pandemic and didn't miss a beat. Still one of our go-to Mexican restaurants in the area. Also their Jamaica agua fresca is phenom! read more

El Ranchero - Goat taco - Mexican Near Me - Danbury, Connecticut

See all

I ordered the carne assada dinner plate (which is supposed to come with rice and beans) with a garden salad on the side. I also asked for a side of shredded lettuce and tomato for the steak and guacamole. I received a garden salad (which was basically only lettuce) topped with ground beef and Italian dressing, and a large side of gauc. the woman who took my order at the bar spoke little English, looked confused about my order, and also was extremely unfriendly when I tried to re-explain. When I got the food I tried to tell them the order was not correct. They were not interested in resolving it. The server looked at me and just stared, made no comment. Unfortunately I was running low on time bc I had to get back to the hospital and I was unable to solve the issue, so I asked to pay and the bill was $30. For lettuce and ground beef. I also asked for 2 sodas and got one. Don't go there expecting friendly service. You won't get it. And the food was average. read more

El Ranchero - $30 worth of food? - Mexican Near Me - Danbury, Connecticut

Wonderfully prepared tacos and lovely rice with refried beans. A delicious treat for your senses to enjoy! I loved what I ordered. It was 2 chorizo soft tacos with the works and rice and refried beans. Of course there was cilantro, chopped onions and limes to uniquely seasoned your food. And oh yes chips and their own signature salsa. Last but not they have delectable desserts too! A family of four was able to dine for a little as 53 dollars. We all prefer to drink lemon water. That's why I gave this restaurant 5 Stars. I love their food. Plus they have clean bathrooms. You just have to drop bye and enjoy dining at Ranchellos. read more

I would not recommend this place at all! We ordered chicken tacos and the chicken looked and tasted like it was boiled chicken! Disgusting! No flavor at all. Chicken in tacos is suppose to be grilled and it was just chicken tossed in a soft taco nothing else. Awful. Flautas were bad too. Flavor was lacking. No one was a fan of the soggy beans either. Sad cause the other review pics looked great but not for us. read more

I am a margarita blogger and love Mexican food and culture. My goal is to find the best margarita in CT. This is definitely in the top 5. Very good (and strong, not mixy) margaritas. The food is also very good and extremely authentic. The atmosphere is very realistic (not too showy but also still cultural). A little lacking in atmosphere but the food makes up for it. I will continue to come here time and time again. read more

Love the food here (especially the fajitas) and sometimes I just order the fresh guacamole to go because I love it that much!

It is the best Mexican food around Danbury! The tacos and sopes are my favorites . Every single time I come it is perfect! read more

Ok there are a lot of Mexican restaurants in the area...but where is the food exceptional, the service fantastic and they make you feel a part of the family from the moment you walk in the door? Well let me tell you that would be El Ranchero ! Amazing. The first time we went the place was not crowded the server sat us and made us feel so welcome. My husband is fluent but that didn't matter, she explained everything and actually ordered everything for us. We feasted like kings! A week later we went again, very crowded, still wonderful service amazing food and everyone including the other customers were so kind!! The food is oh my god delicious, amazingly priced and hey the cocktails are just as fantastic as the food!! Can't wait to go back! Thank you El Ranchero!! read more

Called to make a simple order. Shrimp ala plancha with salad instead fries, Chicken Sopes and three pork tamales. Got home and got some weak ass looking shrimp over a bed of rough cut vegetables and lettuce with melted Mexican blend cheese on top. The tamales were an infamnia (see pic). My wife threw out her shrimp "dinner" because it was was awful tasting as it was looking. The chicken on the sopes looked boiled and flavorless. I went back on the the website to see where "shit show dinner" was. Couldn't find it. What I did find was a description of shrimp salad that somewhat matched what we got, but they should be embarrassed by what they put out. Then I recalled the phone order- it was a little difficult communicating even though I speak Spanish. I went over the order several times, I wasn't surprised by what happened In the end. This place is not worth it. Stay away at all cost. Regardless of the shrimp dinner mistake the food overall was sub standard - college cafeteria grade. I would hate to venture any further down the Yelp list for tacos in Danbury if this place is #3. Hasta la vista baby, nunca mas. Thanks for ruining Saturday's dinner. read more

El Ranchero - Three "tamales" that look like they were pulled out of the bin and thrown in a to go container. You should be ashamed to serve this. - Mexican Near Me - Danbury, Connecticut

I wanted Mexican so I was in the area and I stopped in tried the nachos they were just ok I expect more because this place has 4 stars nachos were just ok the drink was excellent but I will try them again hopefully it's a lot better next time read more

Delicious joint with great service! Highly recommended, socially distanced tables and all the safety precautions you could want for eating out/dining in during a pandemic read more

Was in Danbury for a meeting at lunch time...craving tacos, I went to yelp, and found 4 stars not too far away. First impression when pulling up was that it was going to be great, because, like all really good Mexican restaurant, it wasn't in the nicest section of town. I walked in and the waitress, all alone stared at me, as I stood there silent in the empty restaurant at noon, wondering why kids cartoons were on the TV over the bar. I asked "are you open?" She said "yes"....I said table for one please.. No one else came in the whole time I was here, and I don't know why...the tacos we're amazing, especially the carnitas! The pico was right on, and the salsa's were very good. The chip salsa could have been better, but over all, I was pleased. You definitely need to dress your taco before you eat it, or it will be super dry, but once dressed they were just what I was looking for. read more

See all

Where do I start. I love Mexican food. The rice, the beans, and gauc. This is the place I went to after I lost my virginity. El ranchero has literally always been there for me. When my grandma died they were right there for me with taco flavored kisses. Ellie is so sweet Ellie call me I love you. Plz I miss you so much please unblock my number. We have a kid and I can't raise her on my own. I'm doing pretty good now. I got my job back and got a raise but every time "Versace on the floor" by Bruno mars comes on I literally shatter to pieces and cry for hours at a time. Oh I love this place 10/10 would revisit. :) (Ellie call me) read more

Best Tacos so far, keep the great work and outstanding quality of the food.Highly recommended.

I am new to Danbury. I was delighted with everything. I ordered farjitas de carne asada and a . While I was waiting I munched on some delicious tortillas with salsa . The prices are fair and the service was great. The atmosphere was relaxing. I will return again to try their spicy tacos. read more

Went to a private event last night that was catered by Purdy's. Everyone was impressed and complementing about everything. The presentation, staff and food were all homeruns. Made reservations tonight for dinner and looking forward to impressing our friends. read more

I've been to this place for years and finally decided to review it. Place serves authentic food, just not tasty authentic food. Some items were good, and others were not. I would definitely recommend the tacos and enchiladas, but stay away from their ceviches and fried whole fish. Definitely a scam to pay that kind of money for the amount AND type of ceviche they serve you (and psst, it's not fresh). The fish... inedible. Not sure what happened here, but the mojarra al ajillo was gross. Definitely developed freezer burn and you can taste it when eating it. The sauce... well, it wasn't a sauce. It was more like a rub (cold and raw) and was applied to the fish just like that after they fried the fish. I think maybe they forgot to cook it some more after applying the rub? My stomach is turning just thinking about it. Pass. read more

Really yummy food and great service. A lot of options and good portion sizes. Such a cute, authentic place!

Have been going for a while. Love the place. The food is bussssin bussin. Los chiles rellenos are on a whole other level, it ain't the white people jalapeño popper. This is actually Mexican food. read more

I have lived in Danbury for a couple of years and had never given this place a second glance. Tonight my husband and I came here to use our Danbury Grub Crawl voucher, and we were delighted. Good quality ingredients and delicious. The beef in the chimichanga was beautiful chunks of tender beef. The heat level of the spicy pork in my tacos was perfect, and I appreciated that the tacos came with a bowl of onion and cilantro and a bowl of lime wedges so that I could dress them to my taste. The horchata was flavorful--much better than the super-sweet drink that many places serve. We will be coming back again! read more

Food was GREAT!! Everything came out right on time after our appetizers. We really enjoyed what we ordered. Good environment. Only thing is after time had passed after our entrees our waitress kind of forgot about us and we wanted dessert. Had to call two different waitresses on two different occasions and the place was not full by far. Other than that, Food was awesome! read more

This place is THE BEST! Authentic and consistently great food, the best service!, and a MUST VISIT!

The lunch was delicious not to spicy or plain, the portions were perfect. Left full and very happy. Lunch for 2 was $30.00 and included 2 sodas and a side of tortillas. The chicken flautas were crispy, stuffed with plenty of chicken. The beans were creamy and rice fluffy. We will be back again. RDG read more

See all

Great prices and portions. The combo platters allow you to try a little of everything, which is great if your seeking variety. Laid back vibe and decor. If your into margaritas, I highly recomend the peach. The tamale wasnt that flavorful, however the enchaladas and chimichanga were great! read more

The restaurant is divided into two main rooms. My wife and 2 children walked in around 6pm when multiple tables were available in each room. The hostess greeted us with a smile and saw me eyeing a table in the far room near the bathroom. She looked and me and said "Sorry, reservations", then steered us to the table in the dining room were were in. Our table was closest to the main door, so 3 to 5 minutes minutes later I observed two individuals walked in. The hostess asked how many, they replied 2, and then she steered the pair of walk-ins directly to the table I had just been told was reserved and not available. I then started to look around at the patrons in my dining room relative to the patrons at the other dining room and was able to observe clear visual distinctions between the two groups at every table. The food was perfectly fine and priced accordingly, however I felt extremely unwelcome from the start and won't be returning. read more

The restaurant smells like urine and fabuloso mixed. Sorry we can't come back due to the smell. read more

Great local Mexican place. Very friendly waitstaff and they're always smiling and helpful. Veggie burrito had a nice variety of vegetables and a generous portion, not too big and not too small, just right. read more

Good and authentic Mexican food. The cheese enchiladas were delicious. Friendly staff too. read more

El Ranchero - Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Danbury, Connecticut

See all

Everything was fresh and homemade and delicious! Made to order with care! The hot sauce is really spicy and special!

Great food, fresh guacamole and friendly staff. I like the flautas and the pollo salsa verde.

I love this place! Great tacos, enchiladas, salsa, guacamole! Definitely the best Mexican food in town. I wish there was better parking and maybe some booths but the food is awesome! Highly recommend. read more

Dropped by this good spot at Danbury. Food was good and not exceptional. The menu reflects the mexican and is quite alien. Got the food on time. read more

My 2nd time here. First I have to say that the waitress was not overly thrilled when I did not want to sit in the dining room with my fellow white breads. I wanted to sit in the bar area with the home slices, watch Univision, and listen to the Mexi tunes belting out of the juke box. I received plenty of odd looks by the local crowd! Now for the food, have I had better (yes), more authentic (yes), but yo, I'm in freakin CT! No mamacita's out in the snow banks mashing the masa. So if you have a jones for straight up divey mexican food and you find yourself on I-84, then check out Ranchero. If you come at dark just keep an eye on the strays hanging in front of the liquor store next door. And next time I'll go down White Street and explore Pancho's Tacos. Danbury goes funky, looks like the white cracker 1960's are over in this town! Haha. read more

It's like heading straight to Mexico for some enchiladas. Tasty and reasonably priced with some lovely servers ready to make it a great experience. read more

Had a fantastic first meal at El Ranchero after reading others reviews here. The guacamole and salsa were excellent and my chicken chimichangas were flavorful, crispy and the entree portion was extremely generous including rice & beans. Def recommend for quick take out when you're craving good Mexican food! read more

Favorite authentic Mexican joint in CT. AND great margaritas is a plus.

I love this place. The food is amazing, staff are very friendly and chill people. The only thing that I have a problem with is they NEVER get my orders right when I'm ordering it Togo. I'm not exaggerating, all of the times I order something Togo on the phone it was wrong when I got there. It's either they didn't put what I asked for, they left something out, wrong amount of tacos I ordered, it's always something. Again love this place, but I can't stand when something if left out of my food, or I have to wait an extra 10 mins for the rest of my food. PLEASE fix this bc I love the food here, and I can recommend this place to others if it's not reliable. Hope you read this and fix it. *maybe by reciting the persons order before turning the phone off* UPDATE *THEY HAVE FIXED THIS PROBLEM* -Thanks read more

We returned from Costa Rica recently with a keen eye for authenticity. This restaurant has the vibe down pat. Their guacamole is highly recommended. Their cafe con leche - less so. Either way, from batidos (fruit shakes) to entrees (arroz con pollo) they have the right mix of atmosphere and authentic dishes. read more