We stopped at this restaurant in Marion for lunch and had a really good meal. We'd never seen the dish that was Mexican rice bowl with roasted veg and cheese sauce before. It was really good! Also had the chips with a great salsa. All the people we encountered were super kind and friendly. It was clean and enjoyable to be there. Fast and friendly A little note. This dish would have been fine with no cheese sauce and a sprinkle of shredded cheese instead Just an idea for the place. The cheese sauce was indeed delicious! read more

El Ranchito - Veggie Fresh Mexican Bowl - Mexican Near Me - Marion, Illinois

Great food and service for a fair price. From the burritos to the fajitas it's all great. I suggest trying the authentic items they have.(there is a special menu). read more

OMG... This place was horrible! They don't even know how to make huevos rancheros ! I sent my plate back.

Very clean and spacious. Wait staff was very friendly and efficient. Not busy, but we were there quite early after a few hours of hiking. We heard someone in the back (cook maybe?) actually whistling a happy little tune, which led us to believe he was happy while working - something I always take as a very good sign. The complimentary chips and salsa were fine, not extraordinary, but fresh enough. My husband had the burrito al carbon, which was absolutely chock-full of meat. Luckily, it didn't suffer from being too big, as it was also very well-seasoned and tasty. I had the enchiladas Chipotle. They were each individually on the smallish side, but the three together made a nicely sized meal. The white meat chicken was flavorful and the sauce had just enough spice. Their tasty top shelf margarita was huge, and the Pina colada was one of the better I've had. It even came with candy sprinkles on it, which I found delightfully whimsical. This place is definitely worth a stop if you're in the area. read more

Better than expected. With a menu containing so many non-ethnic items and some unappealing pictures (I don't get all the pictures or selections with mushrooms), I got nervous that we didn't pick a good option. It didn't help that the salsa they put on the table lacked spice and tasted like chunky ketchup. BUT, it turned out good! The tacos were generously portioned and nicely priced. Flavor was there and the tomatillo salsa served with the meal was tons better. The tamales must be good - they ran out of them at lunch, so we couldn't try them. The chile relleno was good - outside batter was not oily or heavy. We liked our drinks, too - they were incredibly enormous. The price for 4 dishes and 3 top-shelf drinks was about $68 plus tip. Keep in mind - we splurged a little and the drinks were about $10 each. All in all, cute place and worth a visit. read more

El Ranchito - Carne Asada Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Marion, Illinois

New location on Lake of Egypt at Mack's Marina. Very good authentic Mexican food. Huge portions and everything is made fresh. Chicken Quisadillas were great, service was excellent. So glad for a new option on the lake. We ate outside and there were some marina floats or something like that lying on the floor, so clearly the Marina has not given this space over entirely to the restaurant, but made it look a little junky. This was their first month open at the new location so maybe they'll get that worked out. Still getting the kinks out but the food is great. read more

The food here was phenomenal and didn't cost an arm and a leg. One strawberry margarita pitcher lasted the 3 of us our entire dinner. We also ordered the chicken fajita nachos which tasted amazing and was a large portion size. Definitely going back when I'm in town next. read more

El Ranchito - Chimichanga special - Mexican Near Me - Marion, Illinois

Food was just ok. The beans stuck to the roof of my mouth, weird. But seriously the strongest margarita I've ever had in my life.

Ive eaten here four times before. Every time the food is fresh and consistent. The servers are incredibly nice and extremely accommodating. The setting is comfortable and cozy. I love the chimichangas and the carne de la mar. The portions are so large that you have enough for lunch or dinner next day. Also, they have great hours and soup on Sundays! read more

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It's your typical Mexican restaurant but the best in the area. The food is always fresh and has the best flavor. The service is always consistent and the staff are friendly. read more

Great food, great service, better than ANY Mexican restaurant in Marion BY FAR!!!! The burrito coco was awesome with the steak tips. Wife had the pollo con chorizo, and it too was great We noticed that the chicken here was much better than any of the other Marion places. It wasn't dry or tough at all. Cant say the same for Don Sol or Tequilas. If you are looking for Mexican food in Marion at a good price, come to El Ranchito because they are the best around!!!! read more

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This is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. The food is good and the service is excellent. They just opened a second location and it is amazing. read more

Add to chorizo and cheese on chips it's great. Order the chimichangas Supremes I'll update you in a minute pitcher margarita with $ 5.99 can't beat that. Chimichangas are great the carnitas tacos wonderful very tender. I'll be here a while longer. read more

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Food did not look appealing at all. The food was dished in carry out like dog food. Will not go back

Simple Mexican place with some newer menu options (and a lot of the same old ones) than other local places. Good portions. Nice flavor. Good service. Reasonable prices. Not a bad choice for places to eat in Marion read more

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Great little restaurant, friendly staff and just a word of caution... Where your big boy pants because the food portions are huge. They had $.99 margaritas which was awesome. I ended up getting the steak burrito with rice and beans and I ordered a tamale on the side, Which I could not finish. Highly recommend read more

El Ranchito - Mexican Near Me - Marion, Illinois

Stopped in Marion for the night and went here after reading Yelp reviews. Was not dissapointed. We ordered guacamole with the chips for $3.75. We both loved it. We both ordered off the choose 4 menu for 8.99. It was more than we could eat. Only a few small complaints. The refried beans. They were more of a mush. Not one bean was actually in them and the rice did not have any flavor other than white rice. But the rest was amazing. Server was great. Would go there again if ever in the area. read more

If you want Mexican food, you need to come here!! We go there almost every week and never disappointed! Fast service, large portion, fresh and cheap! read more

Split a delicious vegetable fajita platter with black beans (instead of frijoles) and corn tortillas. Good fresh mild salsa. Great value!

The food was delicious and the staff was very friendly. Atmosphere was very relaxed and they have TV's to watch the games! If you come hungry you will leave full! We will be back! read more

Simple place yet very good mexican food! Loved it so much so we came back the next day. Definitely recommend!

Awesome food, great service. Can't wait to come again. Free chips and salsa when you sit down, quick service for the food to come out. Delicious!!! read more

Great food and the staff is amazing!!! I am so glad to have such a great Mexican restaurant on the lake!

An excellent little place! Unassuming from the outside, you will be nicely surprised when you step in. A simple yet elegant atmosphere with a varied menu - there's something here for everyone. Our meals were delicious, the margaritas well-made and the service was very prompt and friendly! We will stop here again! read more

For those of us with many years and too many restaurants to count, many of which are Mexican, I give this restaurant four stars. One for its simplicity and true to its nature, 2 for the fabulous $7.99 pitcher of margaritas, 3 for the food, 4 and last but most of all the service. For those that give it few stars, don't compare this to a Richard Sandoval restaurant, but rather consider where it is and the quality it offers. read more

I don't understand all the rave reviews, unless perhaps they have been written by people who have limited experience with Mexican food. Mexican has been my favorite cuisine ever since I was a child in Texas. I have dined in scores (hundreds?) of Mexican restaurants, from Mexico to Minnesota to Massachusetts. This one left a lot to be desired. I had a combination plate with an enchilada, a taco, rice and beans. The food was passable--barely OK, but nothing to make me want to eat here again. Here's the thing: As is common in many if not most Mexican places, I was given the option of having my taco with lettuce, tomato, and onions (the "American" way), or the more authentic way with cilantro and onions. I asked for the latter. I also asked, as I do in all restaurants who set out chips and salsa for guests, if they had any hotter/spicier salsa they could give me. (Nearly all restaurants do indeed have hotter salsa that they don't set in front of everyone because most diners aren't into really hot/spicy stuff; and they say nothing about it unless you ask.) The waitress eventually brought the other salsa, even though I had to wait quite awhile for it (which meant not eating any chips in the meantime). I was mildly dissatisfied with the dining experience, but at the end felt it had been marginally OK so far as taste was concerned. Then when I was ready to pay the bill, I learned that they had charged an extra $1.75 for the cilantro-onion version of my taco. NO ONE does that! There wasn't enough cilantro to significantly affect their costs--which means that the ingredients for my taco were cheaper than would have been the case had I chosen the lettuce-tomato-onion version. Moreover, they had added another $1.75 for the hotter salsa. NO ONE does that! I've asked for the back-kitchen-hotter versions of salsa in dozens of restaurants, and no one has EVER charged extra for it. My server never whispered a word about either extra cost. She just added these extra charges to my bill, which ended up (with tax) being $13.58 for one enchilada, one taco, rice, and refried beans. Had the food been oustanding, I may not have minded so much. But given that the food was mediocre, I was upset at spending that much money for what I got. The manager who took my money did little more than shrug and explain that such was their policy. Not even an apology for the server's failing to mention the extra costs. I left a generous tip. But this restaurant is definitely off my list. read more

The flavor of the food is about the same as the service. Good.All the things you want, attentive service, fresh ingredients and a clean environment. Although good, the food and service was only good and fell just a shade flat from being really great. read more

So every week for a while I order the exact same thing 6 enchiladas with extra extra cheese and total comes to $7.67 but today I call and a different answered and said it would cost $26.83 for them wtf is going on with this world no wonder people are starving read more

El ranchito does not pay their waitresses an hourly wage. You are literally feeding children with your tips.........wait....is this still AMERICA? read more

Surprisingly good Mexican food, considering my prior experiences in Marion. Our server was very pleasant, and accommodated our requests happily. The white queso is very creamy and mild, and clearly made with real cheese, unlike some other restaurants I've been to. I had the "Pick 4" combo dinner, and ended up with more food than I could eat. My el pastor enchilada and chicken chimichanga were both stuffed with meat, and my quesadilla was bursting with cheese and chicken. The rice is nothing special--a potato side dish would be a good addition. It looks like that with a few new restaurants opening in town, Marion's long sad Mexican food drought is likely ending. El Ranchito is serving the kind of Mexican food that Marion has needed for a long time. read more

Very Good food. Good selection and service is quick and friendly. It would be my recommendation for the Marion area.

Awsome food and great service. The granddaughters loved it and my food was top quality. I dont live around here but wish they were in my town. read more

Great food and service. I'm usually not impressed by Mexican cuisine, since nothing really sets one apart from another, but El Ranchito is the best in the area. read more

This is the newest Mexican restaurant in town and let me tell you, it is very good! Everything from the wait staff to the food is excellent! The wait staff is super friendly and attentive. The food is bigger portions than the other Mexican restaurants in town. The food has been absolutely delicious the last couple of times that I have eaten here with my partner. Great food, great atmosphere, great employees...what more could you ask for?! read more

Very good service. Salsa could be spicer. We corrected. First time here and will return.