(Dined 03/18/16 F @ 9:00am): I was ready to pet some animals at this ranch!
As our first official food stop on our way to a long Mammoth camping/lodging weekend, El Ranchito won over familiar places my traveling party and I have been to as well as other places we found on Yelp. In many cases, they weren't open yet or simply didn't sound appealing, so this Mexican eatery was selected. Did we choose wisely or did our luck run out!?:
"Mexican" Shrimp Omelet ($9.15) - I didn't eat breakfast often, but when I did I usually opted for my beloved omelet. This meal consisted of whole shrimp, Mexican shredded cheese, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, chopped serrano peppers, and three eggs, all served with your choice of hash browns, country potatoes or refried beans and your choice of toast or biscuit and gravy. Since it was "no-meat Friday" for me but wanted something of substance, camarones called my name. Once this platter arrived, my mouth was agape at the size of the portion. I'd stuffed my face the evening before at a Yelp event so I wasn't sure if I'd be up to the task; of course I was! The omelet was filled with all sorts of freshly-chopped vegetables and plump shrimp. However, I wished the shrimp were diced into smaller bits so I had seafood in every bite. The hash browns were thick and went well with the spicy green sauce they provided. The sourdough toast was small but made perfect with my favorite orange marmalade I lathered all over it. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=YBm1XG0qybZeS0flgR0s3Q&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw
Service - Greeted by a friendly middle-aged woman, she sat our party of six in a corner booth closest to the front door, was armed with menus for everyone, gathered us glasses of water, and was ready to take our orders. Before doing so, she asked if we wanted separate checks - hell yeah! The majority of my party was Spanish-speaking so apparently that was the language of the morning. I collected myself, summoned all my years of Spanish classes, the past year or so as I practiced with my maintenance men, and ordered like everyone else. Mucho gracias to the kind woman for her patience as I ordered mi comida. In about ten minute's time, one by one each of our orders arrived at our table along with various salsas to lather-up the food. We were checked on a couple times, had our water glases filled, and when it was time to pay-up, she left separate checks on the table as we marched up to the cash register and paid. All in all, a nice way to start a long Mammoth vacation.
Parking (Free) - Although I didn't see a specific lot for them, there was plenty of 2-hour limit parking along the main drag of Main St. as well as surrounding streets.
Atmosphere, décor, ambience - A vibrant interior reminescent of the Caribbean Islands or the famed San Telmo barrio of Buenos Aires with an overt homage to the sea based on its blistering blue painted walls https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=pA2o1bwRPXDhlwEtm3dp5g&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw, displayed fake sea turtles, and draped fishing nets. Colorful sombreros and framed pictures of Mexico also covered the walls. This looked to be at one time an old skool coffee house diner based on the snug layout with its low-back wooden bench tables, worn cushioned booths, and a handful of swiveled bar stools at the counter. A few ceiling fans helped to keep the place cool (not that is was hot during this visit). Plenty of natural sunlight flooded in through the large front glass windows while soul-sucking fluorescent lighting filled in the rest. There were a couple TVs (muted but with captions) but no background music. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=2QjOLVTIBm830i5nGsf1kw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw
Attire - Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops.
Overall, El Ranchito was a welcomed stop after an early start to the day and surprised by how much we collectively like them. I would definitely consider stopping here again whenever I was in the area. The service was wonderful, and I really liked how our greeter/waitress was playful with the one toddler in the party. I loved the portion size, relatively low prices for what you got, and a varied enough menu (they even had onion rings but I sadly passed them up). In addition, I must reiterate that we were offered to pay by separate checks! I found very good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $10.00 BEFORE tip). And, although they accepted credit cards, not mine of choice...AMEX! 4.0 STARS read more