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    El Rancho

    3.9 (106 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed 5:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 3 months ago

    El Rancho Photos

    Business Info

    EL RANCHO ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - El Rancho

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    This is a picture of the restaurant from the street.
    Ronnie K.

    My wife and I were in Columbia Missouri for a couple of days for a Christmas event and found ourselves hungry late at night and looking for food. We decided on Mexican food but were limited on options at 9 pm with most places closing by 10 pm. I discovered El Rancho on Yelp and we decided to give it a try. The place was small with most people getting to go orders. We ordered a Chicken Chimichanga and the Guadalajara special. The food was delicious and the portions were so big we took about half of it home. The service was great, the people were nice as well. You have to give them a try if you are in or passing through Columbia, Missouri.

    chicken quesadilla

    El Rancho is always a great choice! Good any time of day, workers are always friendly, the food is amazing, and the place is always clean.

    Shrimp Tacos
    Sydney H.

    This place....don't let the hole in the wall, run-down look of the outside deter you. I've only been here during the wee hours of the morning after having 1 too many tequila shots, but this is some of my favorite mexican food I've ever had. They are open till 2am Thursday, Friday, Saturday so this place gets flooded with drunk people on the weekends. They handle it beautifully though. Never once have they gotten my order wrong or seemed annoyed at all the sloppy, obnoxious people in their restaurant. They are always SO NICE and despite how long the line gets late at night, it always seems to move pretty fast. Their food is fresh and authentic. I haven't been able to convince my friends to go with me during the daylight hours yet, but you can just tell from my picture it would taste just as good sober as it does after the bars. I always get shrimp tacos and a side of rice and beans, but I think you could order anything from here and it would be delicious. 10/10 recommend!!!!

    Beef nachos
    Blake S.

    El Rancho is far better than anyone says. The food is always good and as long as you're not going after 12am then the service is very fast. It is a small restaurant and I wouldn't plan on eating inside. This is my go to place after a night out though. Go to order is beef nachos with extra beans and rice. Go try it out!

    Two tacos, steak and chicken.
    Penny F.

    Ordering process was quick and painless. You tell the cook what you want, they confirm and start cooking. Then you tell the cashier what you ordered, add any extras like chips and sodas, she rings you, hands you what you ordered once it's ready, easy peasy. Boyfriend got an a la cart order, 2 tacos (one chicken, one steak), chips, salsa and queso and a mandarin Jarrito. I got a lunch special, the Speedy Gonzalez. One taco, one enchilada, choice of rice or beans for $5.25. Added a fountain drink. Had our food in less than 5 minutes, grabbed utensils, seated ourselves and ate. The chips, salsa and queso are all made in house, and they were all very good. It was hard not to finish all of it, but we were flying out of St Louis only two hours later so we had to get back on the road. Boyfriend loved his tacos (ordered crunchy), I loved my enchilada. The taco was also good, but I probably should have ordered the shredded instead of ground beef. The beef had good texture and pepper flavor but was a bit underwhelming in taco form vs enchilada form. Alas we do not live in the area, we were visiting my daughter, so unlikely we will be back soon. If we lived in or near Columbia we would absolutely be regulars!

    Mushroom Quesadilla

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    7 months ago

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    27 days ago

    Fast, fair priced, huge portions, exceptional service. This place hit the spot after a fun night.

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    1 year ago

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    6 months ago

    Amazing place. Amazing food. Amazing workers. Can't get enough of those chicken Nachos and Toerilla supreme

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    2 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great food and it's pretty quick too. This is my favorite place to get Mexican food in Columbia.

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Excellent. Fast. Fresh & friendly staff!! Don't let the hole in the wall look deter you!! Love the food!!

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