A staple of downtown CoMo late-night eating. It's not the most authentic Mexican food but it's quite tasty, especially if you're up late or you just happen to live downtown and need a carry-out. Note that the reviewers who complained about the food being boring probably made boring choices. They will serve your tacos on authentic soft corn tortillas if you simply ask. The fish tacos and tortas are not to be overlooked! Oh yeah, they also serve an assortment of Mex. beers: Tecate, Dos Equis, Sol, etc... PS: Try to avoid the multitude of soulless frat / sorority zombies by not visiting between 12:30AM - 3AM Thursday - Saturday. read more

Driving thru Colombia. My wife found this place online as we drove into town. I actually liked it and reminded me of my college years. Just a basic storefront Mexican food joint. It was hot and greasy. Easy to eat. I had a burrito and it would have been perfect if I had it wrapped in tin foil to go but since we ate in the whole presentation lost something because of the plate. Some burritos where only made to be eaten out of a sheet of foil and you lean forward to avoid dripping grease on your shirt. Very laid back so my three kids could be kids without me worrying about ruining someone else's dinner. I left happy. read more

El Rancho - Wife and two of my kids. - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, Missouri

This place is so good, my buddies call it SexRancho. The idea is to make their spice blend into a men's cologne, and instead of SexPanther, it'll work 100% of the time. Besides the aphrodisiac cuisine that is offered to Como revelers into the wee hours of the night, this place is legitimately an addicting experience. Grilled Chicken Nachos are the rule of the land, and all you need to know. Enjoy your SexRancho, Como! read more

I give this place a 4/5 for the experience and for reasonably affordable food. I wouldn't compare it with a sit down mexican restaurant for quality of food, and honestly wouldn't go here in most situations, but it is really an experience that most should try at least once after a night on the town. If you are going when class is in session expect a line after the bars close and expect a wide array of drunk fratdaddys, hungry gangstas, and the occasional floozy. An employee of the restaurant stands at the front door and only lets people in after people leave (for safety reasons when at maximum occupancy), but once you get in just grab some nachos and kick it until your ride arrives to drive you home for the night. read more

Great local Mexican option. I would hands down give four stars if the ordering system wasn't odd and the girl at the register wasn't rude. You order your food with the cook (doesn't really speak English so can make ordering a challenge, but not terrible) and the girl at the register is only there to take money. We mistakenly ordered with her and were summarily chastised. Whatever happened to manners? read more

Best Chicken Chimichanga. EVER. i miss their salsa and cheese dip. I can't find cheese dip like that anywhere in the west coast. read more

I love their steak nachos! It's not just beer food, as many college students will try to convince you of. It's awesome Mexican (Americanized) food. It is a bit pricey, but runs average if you compare prices to El Maguey or La Siesta. The decor isn't the best or the classiest, but the food and the people make up for that. I would recommend this place to anyone who wants to go to a local dive. read more

Steak Fajita Nachos, 'nuf said. You must order the SFN. They are to die for. People start by going there drunk after the bars but soon you will find yourself going there sober. At least that's what happened with me because of those SFN. read more

I wasn't expecting a whole lot when I walked into this fast food Mexican restaurant but was thrilled with the low prices, huge serving sizes, and speedy/friendly service. My only complaint was the lack of seasoning, the "hot" sauce is too hot, and the plastic knives make cutting through the quesadilla very difficult. read more

El Rancho - Vegetarian mushroom burrito, mushroom quesadilla, and vegetarian nachos - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, Missouri

I miss the queso more than anything else from my college experience. Even though I graduated and left town in 2010, I consistently have dreams about and cravings for El Rancho. The last time I was in Columbia was for a wedding, and I believe I ended up having steak nachos from El Rancho 5 times in 3 days. I desperately wish they would open a Los Angeles location, or at least start bottling their queso and selling it online. read more

El Rancho is one of the best restaurants here in town! One of the few Mexican authentic restaurants and it's at a very fast well pace. The cooks are very nice, They make sure that they can get the order completed right the first time, and it's overall a Beautiful environment. read more

This is the place where gods are made. I lived directly in the lofts above and made love to the sweet smell of grilled chicken nachos every night. There is no venue more satisfying after a night of drinking than this holy establishment. The smells alone will make you fall in love with whoever you are standing behind in line. I have never had a single bad dish from here that I can remember. Fuck wherever else you were thinking about going (Gumby's pokey sticks are good, but not this good) because there is nothing that can fill the void in your bubbling stomach once El Rancho enters your thoughts. I would give 10 stars if I could. Whenever you are in Columbia, this stop is an absolute must, even if the line looks like it might take an hour. Worth every second and every penny. I'm hungry just writing this and it has been 5 years since its creamy queso has passed my lips. Do not sleep on El Rancho - the vibe is always immaculate, your fingers will be messy fingers, and your stomach will orgasm guaranteed. read more

Food is bland, plain, typical Missouri mexican food. Overly greasy, made for drunk college kids who can't taste their food. Don't believe anyone who claims they know good food. Or even "Tex-mex" food for that matter. This is nothing even remotely close to Tex-mex and is an insult to actual good tex-mex food that is being compared to this trash. I've lived in San Antonio and my whole family is from San Antonio, and I can say that anyone who thinks this food tastes similar is a truly ignorant person. And of course, their staff is horrible. They never get your order right. Then, when you ask them to correct their mistake, they get defensive like it was your mistake to begin with. They will refuse to refund you, stating they don't have a manager around, or know how to, and will instead try to keep your money and bargain with you by giving you something you don't want. They are also unwilling to make any changes to your food if you want them to replace something with another thing. They straight out refused to replace beans for rice in a dish they made me. Also, their cheese dip is basic, but they treat it like it's high quality. The price to add-on cheese dip is extremely expensive, despite how cheap of a product it is. It's not even real cheese, it's imitation out of a can crap. And on top of charging you a stupid price, they hardly give you any of it. One half filled ladle that they hope you didn't notice them pour... Next time you go, watch them short you on what you paid for. That's shady business practices. Normally i'd say support local businesses, but give your money to somewhere quality like Pancheros. They only charge $1 for cheese add-on, and have freshly made tortillas that are the closest taste you'll get to tex-mex around here. And their cheese dip actually tastes good because they mix peppers/salsa in it. It's an actual Chile con Queso, not just warmed up white cheese dip from a can. They actually care to make it taste good. read more

The food here is very good, but MAN, the employees douchbaggery can only be surpassed by that of the customers. I'm not joking when I say that it's always 1:30am for somebody in this place. read more

El Rancho - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, Missouri

A Columbia staple that's cheap, tasty and consistent. No frills but you shouldn't expect them here either

Great food! The nachos and enchiladas in particular. It can be annoying to deal with the college crowd on busy nights downtown, but that's the for all of downtown. And is only a problem if you're old and crotchety like me. Overall, the food is great! read more

I go to El rancho a lot before work because they are close to each other. I always get the grilled chicken nachos. This time I asked for chicken and steak mixed and got told no in a way that made me feel like I was asking way too much. Good for late night drunk snack but don't waste ur money if you are not wasted. Not going back. read more

This is a great restaurant to stop by if you're in the area. It's one of my favorite authentic Hispanic food places in Missouri. All the food is delicious and they have pretty great portions. Everyone is kind and welcoming and the atmosphere is very comfortable. It's also right in the downtown area so it's surrounded by clubs, stores, ice cream shops and other things to check out and when you're hungry go get some Rancho! read more

This restaurant is disgusting. The food is the furthest from Mexican food I've ever had. When the bars let out at night, the place is packed with drunken idiots. During the day, it's empty. Service is horrible, food is worse. I ordered a cheese quesadilla. It was basically a folded-over, lukewarm tortilla that they COVERED in some disgusting white cheese. Ugh, it was the worst Mexican food I'd ever had. I feel sorry for Columbians. They obviously have no idea what good Mexican food tastes like. read more

Is it really a good night in CoMo without ending it at El Rancho? I think not. It's definately not, actually. This is the place to end up after spending a night drinking at the bars. I love the chicken nachos. They just really hit the spot after drinking all night. It's kinda like one step up from taco bell after a night of drinking haha. I have yet to go during normal hours, but I'm sure I would like it just as much! read more

My family really enjoyed this place,we go out for Mexican food frequently and this is one of my kids favorites,they keep asking to go back and we are only in town for a week! Excellent fajitas, loved the cheese enchiladas and the beans and rice where excellent!! read more

Disappointed! The beef was tough and tasteless. The shell it was in tasted greasy. Beans and guacamole was good!

Easily one of the best chimichangas in town, and this town has plenty of mexican restaurants. So if you want a chimichanga fast, like I did today . . stop here. read more

Pretty fun place. That cheese/cream sauce is pretty weird. We went early in the evening so it was not crowded or rowdy at all. We were one of two tables. The guys behind the counter were really cool. read more

Some buds from MU directed me to this place, and they weren't lying about how insanely delicious the food is. I've personally never been here after dinner hour, but hear it's the place to go after the bar. I've tried a couple menu items, but the steak nachos is what I tell my friends about. Instead of a few strips of steak, it's COVERED in little bite-sized cuts of tasty steak but without the steak price. This is definitely one of my must-eats in CoMo. read more

El Rancho is a college after bar spot. It's right in the middle of all the downtown bars and the line is usually out the door as soon as it turns 1 a.m. The food is good and the service is quick. I have many good memories from this place. A group of college students even made a music video about it. What more can you say? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXpeqHHPzGQ read more

I have gone here for years. The quality has gone downhill and the food no longer is good and cheap, only cheap. Honestly the chicken is good but the sour cream ruined the entire meal. Wish they still cared about the customers. Would give 0 stars if possible. read more

This place was not around back in the dark ages when my husband and I were in college, but it is a great addition to the food options in downtown Columbia. We went to a show at The Blue Note and we were looking for some food after the show and found this gem. It is open late and the line was out the door after midnight when we showed up. The line moved very quickly, even though most of those in line were rather intoxicated. The servers behind the counter were very helpful to us newbies. I ordered tacos and my husband got nachos. They had great salsa - very spicy options. We took it to go and ate it at our hotel. We will definitely be back. This is another "must visit' to add when we hit Columbia. read more

When I walked in after letting the overly intoxicated college student pass, the memories came flooding back. I love this place. Sure it smelled kind of funky. That's not a problem -- take it to go. If you eat there, be warned that the atmosphere is a little impaired... maybe the folks who were there couldn't smell the funk. Ah... no worries, the food was as good as I remember it. I got 3 tacos -- 1 chicken, 1 pork, 1 shrimp. I recommend pork, then shrimp, and I probably wouldn't order the chicken again even though it is my default meat. read more

I'm far from a Mexican food snob, but after only going here once before and continuing to hear people rave about this place, I figured I'd stop here on a whim. Boy, was I disappointed. Ordered a chicken fajita quesadilla. The chicken itself was fine, but the cheese -- are we really going to call the food "authentic" and then put some sort of processed sliced white American cheese in the middle of it? It was kind of gross. It was edible. Price was okay. But that cheese (which, let's face it, is what makes the quesadilla) a total let down. I suppose there's a reason people rave about it most when they're drunk. read more

Simply my favorite Mexican joint in the world. Super GREAT food, good prices and hours. Nothing goes down better after a late night of drinking read more

although i've never had it sober, it is the best drunk food. so cheap and really yummy. it gets packed late nights and has a super fun atmosphere. read more

I can't remember how many times I've been here at 2 or 3 in the morning. If you can get around the annoying, douchey after bars crowd, it's the best late night food place in town. I recommend the chicken chimichanga. Prepare to "re-visit" El Rancho in the bathroom the following morning. read more

Great food for late night or any time. You get to see them grill the meat for your burrito right in front of you. Fresh, delicious and inexpensive. read more

This is the go to place to Mexican food in Como. Perfect for every occasion - lunch to drunken late night munchies. Priced right and close to campus. I dream of their chimichanga. Then I just wake up hungry and slightly aroused. This place is amazing. read more

This place has cheap, yet effective diarrhea inducing food. If you are drunk, it is paradise. If you are not, you won't enjoy it as much. They only accept card on purchases over 5 bucks and their to-go cups look like they were stolen from a quickie mart. read more

I love this place. I lived in southern Arizona for many years and this place reminds me of there. This is excellent taco stand style Mexican food. Folks trying to compare this to a sit down style Mexican restaurant are missing the point entirely. Very authentic taco stand style food. Prices are cheap, service is fast and friendly, food is always good. If I want real Mexican that reminds me of taco stands in Naco or Nogales, this is where I go. read more

Rice was good and ice was cold. Beyond that this is a step below chipotle in the Mexican food category. Maybe if your passing by and just need to eat but if your looking for quality Mexican food then keep walking north to walnut street. read more

The food is delicious. It's fresh, hot, authentic, cheap, fast, and excellent nutritionally. Any Questions? GREAT beans and rice. Try shrimp or fish tacos on soft corn tortillas. Don't expect elegant surroundings, but they are open very late. If you are hungry and your bar closed on you, this is where you go. read more

Coming from Chicago, I didn't expect a whole lot from this place. First of all it was way too expensive. It was $12 for tacos, rice and a drink, that's awful. Also, the food had no taste, it was right out of the box. Bottom line this place is a joke and I will not go back again. read more