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    El Ranchito

    3.7 (44 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican, Salad
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    El Ranchito Photos

    EL RANCHITO ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Not much pork under there!
    Richard P.

    I thought I was going to post an "Update" to a previous review to this spot I have been frequenting for a couple years. Sadly for them, but more realistically for readers, I had never written a review in better times. In fact, since my first visit, both the food and the service have gone down hill. Today I encountered a completely apathetic group of four hosts who had no enthusiasm or charm. And my meal was a shadow of previous offerings. While the slow cooked pork in my Chile verde was quite good, the portion size was laughable and just covered in tomatillo sauce that was way too tart. In a town full of good Mexican eateries, I would remind the folks here that they're not doing the customer a favor by providing good service and quality food at a reasonable price.

    Bryan S.

    I used to live in Topeka back in my college days.... The area has exploded with new business... So I rate 5+ stars! Yes this place does white cheese dip the RIGHT way. (As if I'm a professional chef) the family loved it. Ordering was easily done online and lightning fast it was ready. Short walk across the street from hotel.. Still hot when I got it back. Had fajita taco salad and it was delicious! Mask life was in effect. & It was posted at the door..+2 stars The crew got me a margarita as I waited for my order to finish up!!!! A generous amount of chips came with our order. Ordered large cheese dip & had plenty to share. Their house salsa was flavor packed and the heat was there!!!.. Yummo. This experience was pretty delightful & delicious. +5 stars I will go back for sure. They get a phenomenal review from me. The staff is friendly & delightful as well. Keep up the good work. My monies were well spent! Respectfully, Bryan Yukon, Oklahoma

    Chicken Fajita
    Sergio T.

    We came with our family to try out the local Mexican cuisine. This is mediocre Mexican food that lacks true authenticity. The salsa given to us with our stale chips literally tastes like pizza sauce. It's like they borrowed the pizza sauce from their neighbor "Pizagel's" for their salsa. The entrees are fairly priced and are okay. I've been to other Mexican restaurants that stuff their chimichangas with more meat for the same price. The staff are friendly and responsive to our requests. The margaritas are strong and good!

    Chiefs Burrito!! Beef burrito with rice, beans, avocado, & sour cream, smothered w/queso blanco, yellow queso, & red sauce! Go chiefs
    Madeline H.

    We love El Ranchito! Their food is always good and the service is always fast! I have been coming here for years and have never had a bad experience yet.

    Fajita chicken quesadillia. Tasted as great as it looked.
    Jay G.

    Another Mexican restaurant in Topeka? Yes it seems. One afternoon my usual spot was packed so it was suggested we go here. If you grew up here you'll remember this place as a Pizza Hut back in the day. The building sure looks like a PH building and a few fixtures (for the jr sleuths out there) still have the Pizza Hut logo. You won't find pizza here but you'll be happy to find really tasty wonderfully fresh Mexican dishes. They have good Mexican beer and tequila selections, also Fanta orange on tap! The lunch specials are a good deal, dinner sized dishes but a few bucks less. Lunch specials are Monday-saturday till 3pm. If you are getting something to go these guys do it right, hot food, a bag of warm chips and salsa. If you need it to go this would be a top spot in my book.

    a refrigerator with a sign on it

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    9 years ago

    The worst I've had in last 10 years If I could give it a minus 5 stars , I would. I have never had any worse.

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    El Centenario

    El Centenario

    4.4
    (102 reviews)
    4.0 mi
    $$

    El Centenario is pretty decent Mexican food in Topeka…read more I've been to El Centenario a half-dozen times. It helps that it is just a couple blocks away from work, it's easy to get a consensus among co-workers as a place to go for lunch, and it has had good and consistent food that comes out pretty speedy. I know that the menu is filled with diverse items, but I keep gravitating to the same lunch item over and over -- 1 taco, 1 burrito, and refried beans. It's not an exciting lunch, but it's remarkably affordable (~$6!) and it is very filling. El Centenario also plys you with heaping baskets of tortilla chips and salsa. My recommendation -- request the salsa picante. It's a spicy ranchera-style sauce, it has a rather spicy pepper bite, but I've gotten to the point that I will eat chips with it spooned over the top, while one of my coworkers mixes some of the spicy salsa into her bowl of regular salsa. I won't say that El Centenario is the most authentic Mexican restaurant, but it does fit solidly into the current concepts for TexMex / Mexican that is run and staffed by Latin-Americans. Considering some of the other "Mexican" food in Topeka, it's about as authentic as you are going to get without heading over to the taquerias on the east side.

    Dropped in for lunch. Service was fast and they checked several times to ensure everything was ok…read more I had the lunch special Speedy Gonzales with an extra taco. Chips were hot n fresh. The deco is very culture centric and very well done and very clean. I'll be back

    Photos
    El Centenario
    El Centenario
    El Centenario

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    Margarita's Jalisco

    Margarita's Jalisco

    3.8
    (118 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$

    I want to go back and try this but the last time was a bust. The only other two guys there were…read morevery very loud and made no effort to reduce their obnoxious activity. The lady who was working there took my order at first and then went back to the kitchen to prepare it. In the face of the disturbing noise by the two, I decided not to stay and wait for my food. I did not want to stiff the waitress/cook so I put a $20 bill on the table to pay for probably 4 chips and 2 drinks out of my diet cola and left. I never did see the waitress/cook again. Topeka is blessed with several good mexican food places so I would think this place would be more accommodating. I urge you to try this place only if the many others are closed.

    First time I have been to this location. It's not much to look at. Table was very wonky. I don't…read morethink the customers cared. It seems like a lot of regulars. The service was quick and attentive. The food was ok. I had a steak burrito and rice. The steak was a little on the dry side. Not terrible in my opinion. My partner had tamales with rice and beans. They definitely were not impressed and stated on leaving that they would never go back. They get decent reviews and had a good crowd for a Wednesday night. But Mexican is Mexican is Mexican in Topeka. There really is no one restaurant that has separated themselves by doing it different or better.

    Photos
    A mouse in the wall on the patio seating area.
    A mouse in the wall on the patio seating area.
    Michelada
    Michelada
    Queso

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    Queso
    Jorge's Cantina Mexican Restaurant

    Jorge's Cantina Mexican Restaurant

    4.3
    (59 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $$

    Woooow! Jorge & his team really put together a fantastic catering spread for my family for our…read moregrandma's 90th surprise party. I love supporting local & Jorge really went above & beyond to provide a wonderful meal for our family! Joey & I picked it up right when we arrived in Topeka after an 8hr drive from Denver, and Jorge was just the sweetest, thanking us for choosing his business & sharing his excitement for our upcoming meal. Soooo sweet!! We had 25 people & still had so many leftovers, and it was all packaged perfectly. We had a crunchy taco & burrito bar with 4 huge pans with chicken/veggies, ground beef taco meat, rice & beans. It came with 2 huge pans of chips, as well as half pans of queso, salsa, cilantro, onions, smoked jalapeños, shredded cheese, lettuce & sour cream. The chicken & veggies were phenomenal, the taco meat was perfectly seasoned, and everything was piping hot! And most importantly, none of it was too salty. Too bad i didn't get any pics, everyone just dug right in! Just wow.. many thanks Jorge & team for the most incredible meal for my family. From mine to yours, gracias! We can't wait to come back- you're now our fav Mexican spot in KS :)

    I compared the shrimp burritos to Rene's in Wichita, and Rene's definitely wins that category for…read moreme. That said, this was only a one-time visit and based on a single menu item. The menu is extensive, so there may be other dishes that are far more worthy of an exceptional review. I'm willing to come back and give a few more items a try before making a final judgment. You pay per packet for packets of sauce. The guacamole was good.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Chimichanga beans rice and all fixings
    Chimichanga beans rice and all fixings
    Enchiladas

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    Enchiladas

    El Ranchito - mexican - Updated August 2026

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