We stopped for breakfast at El Rancho Restaurant in Gallup, New Mexico, located in the historic El Rancho Hotel, which serves American and Mexican food with a Hollywood theme, featuring dishes named after movie stars like the "John Wayne Burger" and "Ronald Reagan Burger". This location is on the Historic Route 66 Highway. I'm still in search for the best New Mexico chili and trying as many locations before leaving. I enjoyed the huevos rancheros breakfast in green chili salsa at El Rancho. While dining at El Rancho, we met a group visiting from Wales, UK in the U.S. for the World Cup turns out Josh Thomas is a professional Rugby Player in Wales they were so nice. The service was great. I bought a few souvenirs and Prickly Pear candy at their gift shop. The weather in Gallup is much nicer and cooler than it was in Rosewell. Check out this near town! Happy Yelping :) read more

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This place is mediocre at best. I went here because Gallup doesn't have a ton of options, it is close to where I'm staying and the recent reviews were ok, plus I was hungry. I ordered the three dips and chips - which is a shareable appetizer. It came out almost as soon as I ordered it and since I was only the third person in the restaurant I wondered if they had a bunch pre-made in case they got busy. The guac wasn't made to order. It looked like it had been sitting out for awhile, but tasted ok. Queso was good. Salsa was decent. Chips were good but I had more tiny broken pieces than actual dip worthy chips. For dinner I chose the Rita Moreno with chicken, no sour cream and no beans. I got it "Christmas style" so I could try both green and red sauces. When it was brought to me the plate had beans on it and the enchiladas weren't even hot - they were barely warm. The cheese garnish on top was barely melted. I started with the red side. The sauce was very spicy (I love spice so no big deal for me). I wasn't a big fan of the flavor so I switched to the green side. The sauce had a decent amount of spice but way more flavorful IMO. The tiny rice scoop was decent, but again, all this food was barely warm. The waiter came by once to say sorry about the beans but a random hotel/restaurant guest that was muttering something incoherently prevented me from being able to get a refill of my soda. By the time the waiter checked in again I was over it and asked for my check. I guess I could say the appetiser met expectation but would have been much better had the guac been made to order. With all the hype this place got I expected more. There is a bar and a gift shop connected to it and a historic hotel where apparently come famous people stayed long ago. Since I'm not staying there and was there only for dinner I would have rather had a better meal experience and less hype. My advice is to keep looking unless you have it as a stop on your bucket/checklist. read more

Kind of stuck in Gallup for places to eat. The area is sad and we didn't feel safe walking around the area after dark, plus a lot of places are only open for breakfast through lunch. We went to the bar and waited for our table. The place was packed due to several motorcycle clubs from all over the country doing the Route 66. When we were finally seated, the first off-putting thing was our waitress. She was chewing a wad of gum and it was gross. I had a burger as did my friend. Our husbands ordered different types of pasta. We asked our gum chewing waitress for water 3 times. "Oh sorry, I'll bring it". Nope, a food runner finally brought us water. We asked for mayo 2 times. Nope. The same food runner brought it. By then, our food had been on the table for 15 minutes. The fries could have been cooked another 3 minutes. Not really crispy. The pasta was decent. read more

Great atmosphere and history. Sat at the bar (most comfortable elbow rests I've ever encountered, padded and cushy!), Very friendly bartenders and excellent service. Main platters (taco's and tostadas) were (as other's stated) just okay. Green chili stew was delicious and nachos with three dips (salsa, guac and queso) and homemade chips was also very very good. The adjoining souvenir shop was kitschy cool. Go for the atmosphere, drinks and app's if in the area. read more

It was okay for the price but the service was kinda slow and the dining room wasn't too full.. Very nice staff. And the old timey vibes of the building itself was worth the go. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Secret room in hotel. - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

Had dinner one night while staying at the hotel. We walked to the restaurant inside the lodge after getting settled into our room. Were greeted walking in, and seated in the same moment. Our server who was a professional and very courteous, had menus in hand and he asked for our drink requests in the same moment. We started with the Trios Dips appetizer house chips with tres dips styles. It was a good start and arrived shortly after our beverages. I had the Ricardo Montalban, a hearty plate with two enchiladas, a taco and a tamale with rice and beans. This is a good meal and filling. The enchiladas were well made and flavorful, the taco as well. The pork tamale was very good and the beans and rice typical very basic. Along with a decent side salad, it was a good meal and we were able to walk from our room. 3.5 Stars rounded up for our server 01200 read more

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Wow! Best food I've had in a long time! I came for the historic hotel on the way home from Telluride to Scottsdale. There didn't seem to be much around to eat that was open on a Sunday so I came to the hotel restaurant. I saw lots of people had the chips so ordered the trio dip appetizer. The guac was definitely my favorite. So flavorful and fresh! The salsa was delicious but a little extra spicy and the queso was yummy! I ordered a cup of the green chile pork stew and it was spicy but delicious, a little light on the pork but very good. I got the Rita Moreno three chicken enchiladas with green chile. Best chicken enchiladas I've had in a long time! The chicken was moist and had just the right amount. Excellent flavor and melted cheese. The rice and beans were very bland. My friend got the chicken mole and got light sauce but she wished she had got the full sauce because it was that good! The whipped potatoes and sautéed veggies were the perfect accompaniment. I wish this place was where I lived because I would eat here as often as I could. Great atmosphere and service too. Had fun wandering around the gift shop after. read more

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Reservations made when checking into the hotel, showed up a few minutes early and was seated promptly and the hostess left menus. That's when the wheels came off the wagon... sat for 25 minutes, buser did bring waters, but that was the only interaction with serving staff; no 'we're a little swamped/understaffed tonight, I'll be with you soon,' nothing, zero acknowledgment. Finally went up to the hostess station and asked if a server is assigned to our table and she offered to take our order. Sat for another 5 minutes, still zero server, so we just went up to the bar and ordered and ate there. Mediocre at best food. Flavorless beans, hard rice, burnt taste to the enchilada sauce. Like low-end chain Mexican restaurant food if I'm being generous. Pleasant bartender and the chips/salsa were decent. Cool old school ambiance and the hotel has real Hollywood Western history, but the restaurant should be skipped. read more

Stayed at the hotel so decided to pre-purchase breakfast as well. Restaurant was large with lots of seating and menu looked decent. The breakfast voucher was only good for a smaller menu but luckily the 2 things we wanted were offered on that menu. Staff were friendly and quick on the coffee refills as well as tuned into what was vegetarian. I appreciated being able to slightly modify mine and receive a giant plate without meat, stock or lard. Thank you! read more

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I love this place. The atmosphere is of a grand old resort. Beautiful lobby with Hollywood photos and amazing log lodge woodwork and stonework. I always come here if I'm in New Mexico it's worth an hour or so drive from Grants for a good meal. This place is like stepping back in time to the old west and a great America. I war in the cozy bar area with its comfortable half round booths and dark comfy atmosphere. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Bar - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

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Ok Route 66 travelers... We ate at El Rancho Restaurant/ Hotel last night. The place has a 5 star Route 66 vibe! But.. If you're eating in the Restaurant DO NOT order the Chimichanga!! $25.99 for burnt flour tortilla, really OVERDONE brisket with no other filling. Pinto beans and Spanish rice on the side. I mixed the two and added salt. I should have sent our plates back.. -1 star... please try the fajitas or steak... they looked delicious!! read more

The food was ok at best. Beans had little to no flavor, tacos were good although on store bought pre-made shells, enchiladas had good flavor, but seemed as if made hours ago. Chips and salsa were good, but not complimentary. Salsas wrre good! Walking through the hotel lobby was great, old school and rustic. Service was OK. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

Ambiance and decor with all the pictures of movie stars was great to see however the restaurant food and service was less than expected. $17 burger was a disappointment. Swiss cheese was supposed to come on the burger not cheddar. Mushrooms were dry. Food came out in twos for a party of 10. Never did get ketchup!!! Great to visit but skip the food. read more

My friend and I made an hour detour out to Gallup to check out El Rancho Restaurant, per a family member's recommendation! El Rancho is a stand out spot, and the hotel is famous for being frequented by Hollywood's stars who stayed while filming in New Mexico. The historic charm definitely won us over! We walked in on a late weekend afternoon and were seated right away. I was starving from a long day of travel and decided to order a cup of the green chile stew and the loaded nachos. The green chile stew was one of the best I've ever had, and I wish that I had gotten a bowl. The nachos, on the other hand, were very underwhelming, especially with the hard melted on cheese and raw jalapeños. Service was slow, and it took a while to close out. El Rancho may be a landmark place to stay for tourists; however, I'd recommend passing on the restaurant since you can probably find a better meal elsewhere. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Art inside - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

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Terrible service. Friendly but plan on waiting a LONG time. Waited crazy amount of time for drinks then bill.

Normally I am weary of hotel restaurants, but this restaurant was great! Our waiter was so fantastic, he was very diligent with my husband's food allergy. The sirloin and enchiladas dish was delicious. And I also highly recommend the green chili stew. read more

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I don't know why this place only has 3.5 stars. We were driving through to Albuquerque on a Sunday after 8:00PM. El Rancho was the only non-chain place we could find that was open late enough to serve us dinner. Wow. We had a great experience. Our server, Dylan, was friendly and quick. My husband ordered the pork tamales. I ordered the green chili pork stew and the beef tostadas entree. The two tostadas were small but they were generously piled with meat and veggies. The sides of rice and beans were delicious and just enough. The stew was sooo good. It was everything I was hoping it would be. Tender juicy chunks of pork with a well seasoned, spicy green chile broth. The tostadas were not over seasoned so the red and green chile I ordered on the side complemented them perfectly. My husband said the tamales were some of the best he had ever tasted and the red chile he selected was amazing and had a delectable consistency. The hotel itself is a historic property and it was really fun to see it, inside and out. Loved our experience! read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Cool sign! Fun place. Good food. - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

Took forever to get our order. Food was very tasteless. The brisket was tough. Rice and beans unseasoned.

Not many choices in Gallup on Sunday evening. This place hit the spot. Really enjoyed the green chili pork stew. Ordered the triple dips and chips to accompany a bowl. The guac , salsa and queso dips are all delicious. Husband ordered the chicken mole and said it was some of the best mole he'd ever enjoyed. Great service. Good margaritas. read more

I ordered the 3 enchilada meal. Asked if it could have 1 cheese, 2 chicken. Waiter said no "we need to keep it simple for the kitchen". Didn't inspire confidence. Tortillas were chewy. Sauce came on the side in little plastic cups. It was busy so maybe the burgers were better. read more

Ambiance is fine Food is bland Service is exceptionally s l o w ! I'm staying at the Historic El Rancho Hotel. I gave the restaurant three chances; a lunch, a dinner, and a breakfast. All three were sub standard. read more

We had thought this would be really wonderful, but breakfast may not be their best meal.... Smallest 3 egg omelette we have seen.. 2 eggs maximum. The hashbrowns were far larger than the omelette, no toast..., that needs to be a separate request, brioche French toast looked nice until cut in to it... it had not soaked long enough and was unfortunately dry. This was Friday at 10:30 AM. We had checked out of our hotel and stopped here after seeing how busy it had been when we stopped through a week ago on our way to Santa Fe. Apparently their lunch may be better than their breakfast.. read more

This was an unexpected delight--and one of the few places open on Sunday night. I had a delicious green chile stew and a Pancho Villa salad with greens, Hatch chiles, pepitas, jicama, carrots, BBQ chicken, corn chips, tomatoes, and dressing. My local IPA was smooth and refreshing. My husband ordered the chile relleno, prepared the Gallup/Grants way with a blue cornmeal coating--excellent. The service was attentive and helpful, and the ambiance was wonderful. We later learned the hotel housing the restaurant is a historic landmark where many movie stars stayed while filming in New Mexico. Definitely worth a visit. read more

Nice waitress, but the food was awful. We had the tacos, rice and bean plate. Arrived cold, had to be sent back. The pinto beans were barely cooked, seemed like they were just dumped out of a can. The Spanish rice was ordinary, just some rice cooked with tomato sauce and bits of corn thrown in. The tacos were mediocre at best. Pretty tasteless to be exact. Felt we could have had a better meal at Taco Bell. Not to mention with a drink this came to $56. read more

Came here for dinner after we checked in. The restaurant doesn't really have the same old school vibe as the hotel. It was kind of a surprise. The place was relatively empty but we came late. An hour before closing so we were seated right away. The staff were friendly and the waitress was attentive. I ordered the Ronald Reagan burger and wife got the pancho villa salad. The food took a while to come out which isn't necessarily a bad thing but it was longer than expected. My burger and fries were good. Nothing exceptional but decent. The wife said her salad was good and they put a decent amount of chicken on the salad. I tried a few bites and the salad was good. The chicken was well seasoned. If I stayed here again I would definitely eat here. Don't know if I'd go out of my way to dine here though. Also drinks were good. I had the old fashioned and wife had Chardonnay. Also reasonably priced. read more

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We stayed at the Historic El Rancho Hotel in Gallop NM and there is a restaurant attached to the hotel, but not related business wise. Since we were staying at the hotel, for convenience we had three meals there. Afterwards we were thinking one was too many. For lunch, my wife had French toast. She said it was pretty good. I had their special, Santa Fe Crunch egg salad Sandwich. Cute but bland. reminded me of elementary school when I'd put my potato chips in my sandwich. In this case it was an unseasoned scrambled egg with Frito corn chips in it. For dinner my wife chose a Turquoise & Silver Margarita. It had the usual in it, but using Blue Curacao, orange liquor, and lime. Not a good mix so she sent it back and had it replaced with a house margarita. I ordered the three-taco dinner with two beef tacos and one chicken taco The beef tacos were pretty decent, but the chicken was cold and dried out. The rice was dry, and the beans were bland. We had the churros with vanilla ice cream They got that one right. Breakfast ... service was very slow (as were the other two meals) and the food was nothing to write home about. The Hotel itself was fun and included a great historic tour. The rooms were nice. Ours had a veranda which was fun when the thunderstorm rolled in. And the bathrooms ... let's just very small. read more

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Incredible. This place is the same price for breakfast as the fast food burrito places including taco bell. Unlimited refill on hot coffee if you order it. Leave off the coffee and all the menu items are ~10$. Food quality is excellent. Everything hand made. Pinto beans boiled from dry. Not from a can. Tortillas with grill marks. Chili sauce handmade from green or red chilis. Not the hot sauce from a jar or bottle. Incredible amount of labor to prep. This isn't reflected in the other reviews about poor food experiences. Everything meticiously maintained. Neon lighting. Nobody does that only see LEDs these days. Hotel built before air conditioning so they incorporated stone and evaporative cooling from water falls to keep the place cool. The rooms are named after individual actresses and actors. The females are stunning. Different body type back then without obesity. The Navajo blanket hanging on the wall are high quality. About the same as what is in the Chihuly Exhibit in Seattle. Countless hours to make by hand. Priceless. Nobody sells these of this quality. Cihiquiles everything prepared with astounding attention to detail including grill marks on the flour tortilla. Not going to see this in a fast food burrito place. Chili sauce hand made from local hatch chilis. This place cant be profitable because of the labor and maintinence costs. Enjoy it while it lasts. The low star reviews dont understand the difficulty of maintaining such an operation and the high labor costs. A 10$ sit down menu for breakfast is rare. read more

I ordered the trio appetizer and the guacamole was delicious. The queso didn't appear to actually be cheese. My burger was WAY over cooked. The kids pizza was a microwavable joke. I was glad that the hotel had a restaurant, but I found it disappointing at best. read more

The restaurant is mediocre. The restaurant's remodel is extraordinary, but the menu has let go of favorites. The food is adequate but not great. It reminds me of a Disney store, hotel with 2 gifts shops and a restaurant offering corporate food. read more

Great dinner at this local landmark. Ancho chili soup/stew was delicious with just enough kick to keep me interested. The mole sauce on my chicken was the best I've ever eaten. And my spicy margaritas was outstanding. Very cool spot and a must visit if, like me, you find yourself with a night to kill in Gallup. read more

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Food was ok, nothing special. We got fajitas and the steak was tough. Our server was nice but someone else filled my tea glass. I think it's over priced for what you get. We got a coke, tea, fried zucchini and 1 order of fajitas and our bill was $50 with tip. read more

Go to the hotel late and didn't feel like traveling to get dinner so decided to utilize the hotel restaurant this trip. Not my first time here in the hotel, but first time in the restaurant. I was seated after just a few moments waiting and given a menu and then my waitress disappeared. 20 minutes later she came back to get a drink order when she brought that back I was ready to order. 45 minutes later manager woke me up, asking what the problem was. After over an hour waiting for food it finally came out lukewarm and basically palatable. For $45 burger meal with just basic trimming, I would not return again. They didn't even take anything off the meal for the inconvenience. I'm not one to argue and ask for it as I did eat the food, but for the inconvenience and literally falling asleep at the table, more could've been done. Live and learn. The restaurant itself is beautiful and historical. But that's about all I'd go for in the future. read more

There were four pieces of avocado toast. Cant say I would recommend as the flavor was very bland (had to douse with salt and pepper). The fruit was good, the yogurt was yogurt. Ambience was nice, that is probably the only reason I would go here. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Breakfast Menu - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

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Food was really good and the staff were great. So many interesting stories to be told about this iconic property. Celebrating 100 years this year and never looked better. We stop here every year and it keeps getting better. Best sw jewelry store also. Quality. read more

The service was friendly and attentive, but the green stew was overwhelmingly spicy and hard to enjoy.

I love everything about this place but the food. The staff was so kind and friendly. The place was nostalgic without being self conscious. Plenty of cozy booths and fun locals. But we didn't enjoy any of the food or beverages. We are 3 hours into our 3 weeks in New Mexico and hope it hasn't colored our desires for Mexican food or chilies. I'd I were closer I can see coming back for beers or simple cocktails maybe. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Stained glass - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

If you're in a hurry and get put out by inattentive staff, move on to another restaurant. However, if you don't mind a long lunch, enjoy perusing the heyday of Hollywood, and want a fantastic burger... this is your place! read more

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We were staying in the El Rancho Hotel and the convenience of this restaurant couldn't be beat. We embarked on the journey down the stairs and through the small hallway to the restaurant. We were seated immediately and soon after, greeted by our server who was friendly and prompt. I was appreciative of the vegetarian options. They have some vegetarian starters, a veggie burger, and the option to select cheese or beans instead of the meat for some of their entrees. I was surprised by the lack of salad option without a meat but I'm grateful for what I can get. We pretty much always order queso if it's on the menu and this one comes with the most delicious corn chips. They are thin, crispy, salted to perfection, and I would probably gold belly them if that was an option. They should sell these in the store. They were amazing on their own. The queso was more of a sauce, similar to a thin pudding. It was spiced up with some chopped jalapeno and diced tomato. Tasty. To wet the whistle, we both ordered a margarita. GF ordered the one with the orange juice and I ordered the spicy one. The spicy one was like pouring a bottle of hot sauce in your mouth. It was, without a doubt, the spiciest margarita I've ever had. This shit is no joke. It also didn't taste like that fake mixer garbage, totally fresh and delicious. Unfortunately, it was a little bit too spicy for me so GF (who is more of a tank than I, as it turns out) and I switched. Hers wasn't quite as good as mine but very enjoyable and better than your average marg. For our entrees, I ordered the burrito with beans. GF ordered the cheese enchiladas. Per our server's suggestion, we selected the green chili. Both entrees were spectacular. Nothing fancy here, just good, authentic food. Great portions. The price was the best part, super reasonable. No regrets whatsoever eating at the hotel restaurant. You can't go wrong here. read more

Good food. Good service. Surrounded by pictures of people who ate there. Enclosed are the remains of the Ronald Reagan Burger. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Ronald Reagan Burger - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

Dinner was amazing. Love this place highly recommend dropping in for a bite. The dining room and the bar both serve food. Recommend sitting in bar. Service is fast and friendly. read more

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