Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant

    3.9 (63 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Open 8:00 am - 9:00 pm

    El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    EL RANCHITO MEXICAN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    More like El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant

    Recommended Reviews - El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Desire R.

    Good ass tacos. A hole in the wall, diamond in the rough. The tortillas where so warm and they had a beautiful fresh smell. The meat was falling out of the taco, they do not leave you hungry or wanting more.

    Two Shrimp and one al Pastor tacos
    Melissa N.

    I have been coming to El Ranchito for quite a while, and it is one of my favorite authentic Mexican restaurants around. They are one of the few places that serve shrimp street tacos. I never have luck finding those, so I happily get them here. They are located in a run-down plaza, in a not-so-fancy part of town. But, this doesn't mean you shouldn't tried them out. Prices are extremely cheap, and the food is wonderful. They also have daily lunch specials. Tamales and Horchata are always good here, as well as, any of the tacos. But, I don't discriminate against tacos, I love them all equally. The girls immediately bring out chips and a spicy salsa. The chips are much thicker than your regular tortilla chip. It actually took me some time to like them. Now, I really enjoy them. Service is super friendly, but practice your Spanish. It is a very simple restaurant. They have been making a few changes since my last time here. They have revised the menu, and even they added a TouchTunes jukebox. Yep, I like them.

    Delicioso!!
    Mark P.

    Good cheap eats. You'll find them sort of hidden in the back of a small mom and pop Mexican grocery store in a worn out part of town that's obviously well past the comfort zone of most fainter types. Brushing up on your Spanish might help but isn't necessary. They do these really thick chips I've come to like and their salsa's on the spicy side, at least for Orlando. Their tacos are cheap and really good. They have some adventurous choices like tongue and hard to find shrimp but my favorites are the chorizo ones. The Caldo de res is wonderful here and there's a cooler with interesting sodas. Love that Horchata! ...but there are times they're off enough to weigh down my rating from a four.

    Randy J.

    We have lived in Orlando 16 years coming from California. We are always searching for good Mexican food. It was my birthday and Mom asked if I wanted to go to Agave Azul in Winter Park. It's more upscale Mexican restaurant and we like their food. I said I'd rather go find a new hole in the wall Mexican place like El Peublo on 426 (warning their hot sauces are WAY Hot). It's small authentic Mexican food joint in a strip center next to Race Track station. We searched Yelp and found El Ranchito. Read reviews and I said I'd like to try this Mexican restaurant. I'll tell you it did not disappoint! The Flavors of their food, the chips and their perfect salsa! It has some heat to it but the right amount we finished the bowl. I'll include some pics but should have taken before we started eating! I ordered the enchilada plate that comes with 4 enchiladas AND your choice of chicken breast or thin flat steak. I ordered 2 chicken with green sauce / 2 beef enchiladas with red sauce with steak as main meat. It's a good amount of food! The green sauce has some heat to it over the red sauce being more mild. Next time I'll be ordering 4 chicken enchiladas in green sauce with the thin steak. Mom ordered 2 asada tacos and enjoyed her food as well. It's not fancy place... it's a small Mexican Market with a decent size restaurant inside the market on right side of store. I think it's a hidden gem. Exactly what I wanted... real authentic Mexican food. I feel as a California raised person that has been spoiled with great Mexican food growing up... we are always looking for authentic in Florida. Habaneros or Amigos is NOT authentic. Give El Ranchito a try and see for yourselves. I give it 5 stars and a California approval. After dinner they have a meat counter to pickup meats for home... produce... and full little Mexican market to take home your favorite staples. Bam! P.S. I saw a review saying unsanitary? Uh, no. Maybe that reviewer needed to go to Agave Azul I remember specifically saying to Mom. The bathroom is definently old, but it's really really clean. (I'm a weirdo about clean bathrooms)

    Chicken fajitas
    Ashley C.

    Hole in the wall with decent food and decent prices. Definitely not fancy. The servers are not very attentive and the chips are hard and could leave you with broken teeth if not careful. The salsa they provide is considered "mild" to them but very spicy to a softee like me. Overall okay. I wouldn't go out of my way to go there but I'd go again if I was in the area. The quesadillas were my favorite out of everything I tried.

    Ho L.

    Fancy? Definitely not. Delicious? Absolutely! This is hands down one of the best little Mexican restaurants in Orlando. Sure, it's located inside a grocery store, but the food here is fresh, tasty, and perhaps most importantly, cheap! Forget those hipster $4.50 tacos in Winter Park. Here. you get something just as flavorful, if not more so, for about $1.50. If you love Mexican food, you owe it to yourself to check this place out!

    Chorizo and asada tacos
    Dest B.

    Always a gem, they updated the menu. Looks nicer and cleaner. But their tacos are spectacular! My boyfriend had the quesadilla, he got into it before I got to take a picture but so much meat in it. I love it!

    That ceiling has mold over customers that eat here

    This place is so slowww when not even busy. Food took a whole hour and restaurant was very unsanitary and unprofessional Cashier was rude Very UNORGANIZED! First time and last time here!

    Carne asada
    Latoya C.

    Warning: Ladies do NOT and I repeat DO NOT wear heels to this place. I made that tragedy of a mistake and I ended up face down on the floor. Now that the announcement has been made..... This is some of the best cheap Mexican food I have had! Most Mexican food is cheap but this one takes the cake. I decided to give this place a try after church one day. I should have left my heels in the car or put on some flats. The restaurant is inside a grocery store. The surface of the grocery store is fine. When I entered the restaurant it was made of tile (that wasn't the problem). The floor was uneven and had a dip or two in it. As I was walking to my seat my Louboutin didn't have enough leverage and down I went.....was I embarrassed? No. Even though the entire restaurant seen me, I was on the floor laughing. I got up laughing. I crawled to the table and took a look at the menu. Everything was so friggin cheap! I got a few tacos and had a bite of a burrito. I recommend the chorizo or carne tacos....They all are delicious! I loved the variety of sauces on the table. This place was awesome! I will be returning without heels or barefooted at the least to get to this yummy place!

    Tacos to die for. These are al carbon and carnitas :)
    Michael L.

    Absolutely delicious and courteous, super good! Love it. I had tacos asada, al pastor, carnitas and they were so good and fresh! The salsa is homemade. The little grocery store next door has a fabulous selection of fresh produce and meats. I can't say enough good about this place. Open at 8 am and until late!

    Approach from Edgewater Dr
    MIKE V.

    Great grocery store for those everyday Mexican meals. The restaurant side provides LOTS of food, inexpensively. Most of their prepared food is take-away, but I always sit and enjoy the food in a quaint, yet comfortable space where I can catch up on the "telenovelas" Reviews from another Food review website: "Best Mexican and a Bargain Too! I love Mi Mexico! All items are freshly made and authentic. Also, they are very flexible and will alter all meals to suit your needs. Taquitos with soft corn tortillas are the best. Order individually and they will keep them coming until you scream ¡Basta!" - Rhett - Dec 19, 2009 "BEST Mexican this side of the border This place rocks. It is good, it is cheap and really it just has amazing food. I am craving it now just thinking about it. Now when you go most of the staff including wait staff doesn't speak much english. Also grab a drink from the cooler..." - Chris Rank - Aug 6, 2008

    Pechuga Asada

    See all

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ayla J.
    143
    371
    1636

    7 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Dariana B.

    Dariana B.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Dariana B.

    Dariana B.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 27
    Thanks 0
    Love this 32
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 10
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ashley C.
    6
    83
    341

    7 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Dariana B.

    Dariana B.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ho L.
    106
    989
    502

    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Dariana B.

    Dariana B.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Dariana B.

    Dariana B.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 8
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Michael L.
    127
    41
    505

    8 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Dariana B.

    Dariana B.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Dariana B.

    Dariana B.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Dariana B.

    Dariana B.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Steven M.
    474
    63
    69

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Dariana B.

    Dariana B.

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Dariana B.

    Dariana B.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dana F.
    4
    15
    27

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of C H.
    29
    17
    8

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Dariana B.

    Dariana B.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Stacey Y.
    13
    105
    104

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Er R.
    0
    11
    0

    7 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Dariana B.

    Dariana B.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Dariana B.

    Dariana B.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Mexican 21,648 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    El Patron Restaurante Mexicano - Enchiladas

    El Patron Restaurante Mexicano

    4.2(2.7k reviews)
    16.1 miInternational Drive / I-Drive, Horizons West / West Orlando
    $$

    Disclaimer: this review is for the lunch buffet only…read more I went with my family to try the $18.49 all you can eat lunch buffet. This was my first time experiencing a buffet for hispanic food and for this price point in Orlando, this is an amazing value deal. The server regularly brought us out silverware, napkins, and refilled our water. The place is decorated very fun and plays latin music which was lovely Not only was there an unlimited assortment of lunch foods, but an entire bar of fresh toppings for tacos (or rice bowls) and made to order desserts which were included for free! Not everything on the buffet line was the best but given the amount of options, price, and how good the great items are this is still worth a five star rating. I unfortunately did not take pictures of the food before I began devouring everything in sight to the point of near-collapse, but I will do a quick rundown of the buffet highlights: The best meats were the fajita steak, chicken, and shrimp made fresh in cast iron skillets, as well as the chicken lengua which was super flavorful and tender. The mexican rice, beans, fajitas, plantains, and street corn were also excellent. Fresh quesadillas, chips, and corn tortillas on standby with homemade queso and salsas. The flan and mini churros were the best I've ever had. Super rich, decadent Carmel flan. Mini churros hot and crisp on the outside, filled with a gooey soft milk chocolate center. They were delicious. Items that were disappointing: the tamales, mini chicken flautas, and beef chimichangas were just okay, lacking the seasoning and flavor that other dishes had. The beef barbacoa was not as tender or flavorful as the shredded chicken surprisingly. The mixed seafood was itself a mixed bag with some shrimps / scallops overcooked to much while others were perfectly cooked. The chicken mole and beef tri tip were room temperature despite sitting on hot plates. The tri tip also varied widely in doneness throughout the slices and not super tender. The rice pudding was pretty standard, and the tres leches cake was weird as they crumbled the cake into pieces before soaking it.

    Food was terrible ! Carnitas has pork taint . Not only that my taco was dripping this putrid fat !…read moreI nearly threw up after one bite , but was on a date so kept it on the down low . ASADA- almost as bad . Dry no juice at all chunks is grizzle . Prime rib tacos ... are you JOKING ? Some cheap cut of beef not cut on the bias and stringy . Sangria ? Go ahead , drink five pitchers and you'll be fine to drive( other than puking ) no alcohol at all in the sangria . Only ok things were the guac and refried beans ... that's it . I am writing this review sitting on the toilet for the fourth time tonight

    Photos
    El Patron Restaurante Mexicano - Indoor seating

    Indoor seating

    El Patron Restaurante Mexicano - 2 Tacos - Mix & Match

    2 Tacos - Mix & Match

    El Patron Restaurante Mexicano - Nonalcoholic Menu available for my sober curious/ dry Jan fam!

    See all

    Nonalcoholic Menu available for my sober curious/ dry Jan fam!

    Solita Tacos & Margaritas - Specialty Tacos

    Solita Tacos & Margaritas

    4.1(273 reviews)
    5.0 miDowntown / Central Business District / CBD
    $$

    Solita has become my pre-Dr Phillips show ritual! I love coming here for food and a drink or two…read morebefore a show. However, I would recommend leaving some extra time because my experience has varied in terms of speed of service. Make sure you know what you want to order if you're going to a show and be ready. The guacamole appetizer is very good but we didn't realize it had pineapple on top and one of the members of our party is allergic. The carne, corn, and spinach quesadilla is to die for! The combination sounds a little strange but trust me on this one...it is absolutely incredible and is now my go to every time I go! We both loved the blueberry citrus martini - it is so refreshing and packed a punch!

    I love when Cinco De Mayo comes each year - tacos and tequila are two of my favorite things!…read moreHowever, one thing I do not love is long wait times for seating. This year I told my honey the only way I would go out was if we found a place that excepted reservations. In return, I accepted that it was most likely not going to be an extraordinary, authentic, or a gem of a place. My first experience at Solita turned out to be what I manifested. Upon entering the restaurant, vibes were in full effect. No mariachi band as I would have hoped, but the but the energy in the room was happy and festive. They had a DJ providing music, but it was so loud that when our waitress read us their specials, I literally told her I could not hear her. She did greet us with salsas, chips, and these little wheels I read a lot about. They had a similar texture to a chicharron and were simply delightful! Probably my favorite component I sampled all night. Since I had never been to Solita, I checked out Yelp to do my research. One thing I was excited to try was their "Duckie Frozé". It had Rosé, fruit purée, frozen margarita with your choice of flavor: watermelon, pomegranate, or guava. Adorning the top of the drink was a darling little rubber duckie. There are TONS of pictures of this drink on Yelp. Much to my surprise, my drink arrived with NO DUCK. When I asked the waitress about it, she shrugged it off said they "don't do that anymore". It may sound like a small thing to be disappointed about, but really that was just the start. Luckily, Cinco was on Tuesday this year, so we were able to order from the "Taco & Tequila Tuesday" discounted menu. We started off with the Grilled Corn Elote which is served tableside. I thought this would be cool, but it wasn't. It was a bit painful watching the waitress struggle to shave the corn off. I almost wanted to offer help! After all that, the corn was just ok. I personally think the Elote I make at home is better. Thankfully this was on the Tuesday Menu also making it only $5. While perusing their selections prior to going, I felt that their taco prices were a bit steep. They have two types of taco sizes. The Street Tacos looked itty bitty with next to nothing on them. They do have a lot of flavor choices (11), and you get 3-4 tacos for about $20. Glad I saw photos of these on Yelp beforehand. Then they have Tacos Locos. They are described as "One large taco" when in fact they are just regular sized tacos overflowing in toppings. Just ONE Tacos Locos costs about $15! I think the pricing is loco, and based off what we'd tried so far, I was certain to only order from the Tuesday menu. We were able to get a Shrimp Chicharron for $6 and a Vampiro (Chicken or Carnitas) for $8. The shrimp one was appetizing. I even remember thinking after the first few bites that I should have just gotten two of those. Then I tried a piece of chicken from my Vampiro. It was a piece of straight fat that I immediately spit out. That pretty much killed it for me, and I didn't even eat anymore of the Vampiro or anything else for that matter. The positives of the evening included: -Getting into a spot to celebrate on Cinco De Mayo -The food came out quicker than expected based on the reviews -Trying a new restaurant and learning that it's nowhere I will be returning to or recommending. Knowledge is power.

    Photos
    Solita Tacos & Margaritas - Dueling duckies

    Dueling duckies

    Solita Tacos & Margaritas - Cheers with our Michelada and Ducky Froze

    Cheers with our Michelada and Ducky Froze

    Solita Tacos & Margaritas - Variety of Adult Beverages

    See all

    Variety of Adult Beverages

    ADELITA’S Mexican Cocina Bar & Seafood - Chicken fajitas

    ADELITA’S Mexican Cocina Bar & Seafood

    4.5(119 reviews)
    5.3 miCoytown
    $$

    Phone definitely did not eat first at Adelitas. They have such a wide range of food on the menu…read morefrom seafood to carne asada to soups. All made with love and you can seriously tell how much pride this business takes in each and every dish they put out. My husband and I got the skinny margaritas, had a few shots, and the best food. I could drown myself in their refried beans. Shout out to Jesus who has always taken such great care of us every time we've visited since they've opened. This place is so laid back, a great place to come to yap with friends. I love Adelitas so much and cannot wait to see where their next location takes them.

    A bummer experience, unfortunate for a restaurant with potential…read more We went on a Wednesday and ordered the fajitas (weekly special) and the chipotle chicken. The fajitas came out without the sizzle of the skillet (disappointing but not a deal breaker) and the chipotle chicken was overly salty. I would have gladly let my server know the food was too salty, but unfortunately they nearly completley absent our entire dining experience. We love the table salsa and could not find them in the restaurant to ask for more until our food was delivered. But after that, we never saw them again. It wasn't until the bartender noticed us looking, that we were able to ask for our check. There was maybe 4 tables in the restaurant during this time and 0 staff presence.

    Photos
    ADELITA’S Mexican Cocina Bar & Seafood - Cuervo Girl

    Cuervo Girl

    ADELITA’S Mexican Cocina Bar & Seafood
    ADELITA’S Mexican Cocina Bar & Seafood - Ceviche de Camaron

    See all

    Ceviche de Camaron

    San Jose's Original Mexican Restaurant - The Sampler for 2

    San Jose's Original Mexican Restaurant

    4.0(52 reviews)
    16.2 miDisney World, Horizons West / West Orlando
    $$

    San Jose's is a wonderful Mexican restaurant located in a strip mall just north of Lake Buena Vista…read morein the southern part of Orlando. I believe they have several locations in the area, and this is a newer one with very welcoming and modern interiors. They have wonderful daily specials and various happy hour periods that extend from 2 to 10 PM, including $3 tacos from 8 until 10 PM. Meals start off with complimentary chips and salsa (4.5/5), which are happily refilled upon request. We tried a variety of tacos (5/5) which were incredibly fresh and flavorful. The vegetarian San Jose's fajita bowl (4.5/5) was tasty and served in a generous portion that is ideal for sharing. The cheese quesadilla (5/5) hit all the fresh flavor notes without the cheese being too sharp in taste. The churros (5/5) were the perfect dessert, having a slightly crunchy exterior and softer core as you bit into it. We loved the food and atmosphere so much that we visited twice the same week while visiting the Orlando area. Service (4.5/5) was excellent on our first visit, and slightly slower on our 2nd visit, but still incredibly friendly with management checking in on customers to make people were enjoying their meals. Overall, I'd rate the food and experience a 4.5/5, but happy to round up since San Jose's is right up my alley for an ideal Mexican meal that is delicious and doesn't gouge you with prices like other restaurants tend to do. I'll gladly return on future trips to the Orlando area and will be recommending them to others, as San Jose's would crack my rotation of a Mexican restaurants I'd regularly visit if I lived locally.

    Stopped in for Cinco de Mayo. Mistake #1. Only a couple of overpriced margs on the menu. We…read moreordered the organic watered down version in a $25 souvenir cup. We left it behind. Mistake #2. Ordered enchiladas with gr beef and guajillo sauce. Absolutely the most bland, flavorless enchiladas I can recall having in a long time. Mistake #3. Ordered the Flautas with beef tinga. I had trouble finding the filling! Maybe I should have ordered the tinga tacos? I'm so bummed to have spent over $100 on a meal that left me begging for something more. The upside? The staff was friendly and prompt, despite being a busy night. Try at your own risk. We won't be back.

    Photos
    San Jose's Original Mexican Restaurant - Booth

    Booth

    San Jose's Original Mexican Restaurant - 2 cheese enchiladas with cheese quesadilla

    2 cheese enchiladas with cheese quesadilla

    San Jose's Original Mexican Restaurant - Organic Margaritas... amazing and fresh

    See all

    Organic Margaritas... amazing and fresh

    El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant - mexican - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...