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    El Rancho Restaurant

    3.6 (328 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Open 10:30 am - 8:00 pm

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    EL RANCHO RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - El Rancho Restaurant

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    Fish burrito is excellent! Get it!
    Vivian H.

    What can I say? This place delivers! Great drinks, great food, excellent service! I came here with my caving group today and we were a party of ten around 2pm. The place was packed as everyone knows this spot is good! We only waited 10 minutes and then sat down. Service was great and the complimentary chips and salsa always appreciated. I ordered one of the specials which was the fish burrito (I had this exactly one year ago when I came with my caving group) and it was again delicious! My only gripe is that I dont enjoy black beans in this style, not the restaurant's fault, but I should have asked if I could have something else instead. I also had a jalapeño spicy margaritas and it was delicious, well made and a pretty big size. We had a great time here and definitely will come back! This is one of the best spots in Payson, don't miss out!

    The rice is flavorful, a little dry but not bad. Full flavor.
    Janie G.

    Stayed in Payson for a training, my coworker raved about this place. Walked in & were seated immediately on a Sunday evening. Space was roomy, dated decore and crowded entry area but clean and decent. Chips & salsa were so good! I asked & it seems they do sell pints of salsa to take home. Service was quick, kind, helpful. Food was out fairly quick and hot. I tried the street carne asada tacos with only rice on side. The flavor was amazing! Serving size was more than adequate. I will visit the next time I'm in Payson.

    Smothered chicken breast on the senior menu pretty tasty
    Krissy H.

    3.5 stars Service was great and the food was good--just not amazing. We did like that they offer a senior menu with supposedly smaller portions, but honestly the plates still looked pretty big, just at a cheaper price. The inside was comfortable--maybe a tad rundown--but definitely not bad. I got the smothered chicken breast off the senior menu, and it was actually a pretty large portion with good flavor. We also ordered the smothered senior burrito with shredded beef. It was quite big as well, though the beef was a bit overcooked. The salsa was tasty and the chips came out nice and warm. Overall, solid place with good service, decent food, and generous portions.

    Enchilada and taco plate

    Best Mexican food!! Make sure you order the cheese crisp. Visiting from Nevada we went three times it was so good. We ordered a different item every visit. Loved all of them.

    A good sign when you get lemon with your water.
    Lola R.

    Tired after a mountain hike, we decided to go to the Payson area to explore. We wandered into El Rancho and walked right into the bar. The busy bartender greeted us but didn't give us the lay of the land for a few minutes. He, then, said that we could wander around and decide where to sit. The restaurant was at the back and there was a covered patio on the side. Once seated in the restaurant, a very personable waitress named Tasha brought tortillas, salsa, and waters for us. We ordered an appetizer and main course which didn't take long to arrive. The El Rancho Sampler was delicious but my least favorite were the mini tacos. They were an Americanized version of the Mexican taco. However, the Chili Relleno was superb. I would have preferred to give this establishment a 4.5 instead of a 4 but there were not options for that. The service was impeccable. The ambiance quite authentic Mexican.

    Taco plate lunch special.  I usually dont like restaurant rice but the rice was so good!!
    Victoria C.

    Stopped in for lunch on a road trip with my dog. I ordered the shredded beef taco plate lunch special. The tacos were delicious. Good flavored shredded beef and all the toppings were so fresh and tasty. I usually dont like restaurant rice but the rice was so good!! The bartender was telling me the beans and rice is a 50 year old recipe. And they only close twice a year but someone has to go in to start the beans for the next day. Pretty cool share! The back patio is dog friendly. Just go through the cantina and let the friendly bar tender know you have a dog. I will be back. Great service, fresh and flavorful food, and super dog friendly! Win win

    Pork Chimi Con Queso = AMAZING! (also, the black beans are incredible)
    Scott L.

    This is some of the best Mexican food I've had in a very long time. Absolutely awesome service, food is A+, and their margaritas are right on the money. Cool little bar attached as well.

    Baja Enchilada
    Desiree D.

    I've been stopping here for years whenever I pass through Payson. Every single time it's packed full of customers. Friendly service, nice shaded dog friendly patio and good Mexican food. The Baja enchiladas were delicious. Full of flavor with a delicious jalapeño crème sauce. Will definitely be back next time through Payson.

    Green Chili rellano with a Cheese Enchilada
    Danielle B.

    From the beginning Dani made us feel at home! Food is delicious and reasonably priced! Super fast service, in the cantina! Highly recommend

    Burrito - red and green sauce
    Nick C.

    Been coming here for years on the way into or out of Pine. The food and service are always top notch. Usually we're coming in on a busy holiday weekend but everyone is always friendly and it seems to always have a bunch of local regulars at the bar. They are also dog friendly on their patio and now have fans and a cooler. You just need to walk through the front to the side patio. This most recent time I got a burrito with red and green sauce. Everything was super filling and delicious. The free chips and salsa are also always quality.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Love their Queso Loco Burro, but everything here is awesome! Nice bar. Staff are great!

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Sub-par food and lied to me about having a game I was wanting to watch. Definitely won't be back.

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Every time we drive through Payson we have to hit up El Rancho. Service is always good and the food is excellent!

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    It was ok, nothing to write home about, service was alright and the food was more of a Tex-Mex

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    2 years ago

    Usually good food. Tonight the food was horrible! There loco bean dip had no flavor. Might be awhile before we order again.

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    5 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Nice restaurant! Dog friendly! Super fast service and friendly people! Good food super hot and fresh!!

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    2 years ago

    I love their taco Tuesday specials! The staff are friendly, personable and their food is great

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    4 years ago

    We had Indian Fry bread. Worse I've even had. The bread was so hard, you couldn't even bite it. We'll never eat there again!!! I'm

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Love there salsa and chips. You can also get it to go. Ground beef tacos are incredible. The service is fast and very friendly.

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    Page 2 of 9

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    Alfonso's Mexican Food - Beef Nachos

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    This is a small counter-service place with great food. My friend and I like to ride to Payson and…read morehave B'fast there bc of the food and location. It's clean and the cashier is very pleasant. Never been dissatisfied. The place is set back from the road a bit so it could be a little hard to spot...the first time

    Honestly, the food is very tasty and we were pleased with our selection. We used to go to one of…read morethe other places in town and an employee of mine told me that this one was better. They don't have quite the selection of the other place, but the food is very good. My only criticism would be. There was not much in the way of carrots left by the time we got there on Sunday and they put the guacamole on the chips instead of giving it to you on the side. So the chips got sort of soggy by the time we got home. I will definitely have the shrimp tacos again. It was delicious and my son was very pleased with his Carne Asada tacos with guacamole. We also had a Carne Asada quesadilla and the famous chips with the guacamole already on them. Everything tasted very good. The inside is not anything fancy, but there's a few seats and there's a salsa bar with really nice salsa, limes, and if you can go when they are not out of carrots, there are carrots. I wished that their pickled carrots had more garlic in them. So I guess that would be my second criticism or more of a suggestion. The people there are very nice and if you can find the place you should go.

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    El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant & Cantina - Rice and beans

    El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant & Cantina

    4.2(110 reviews)
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    My husband and I were in town this was our second visit there. We were blown away the first time…read moreand I was even more blown away the second. We love Mexican food! My husband got the Birria tacos and consume. I had those last time he had them this time they are amazing super flavorful. I switched it up this time and got the enchilada trio. When they walked up with the plate I was in shock the plate was three times the size of my head. Those may have been the best enchiladas I've ever had. I'm very picky with my sauces. Trying enchiladas are always a staple for me that determines a restaurant for me. I usually like a darker red sauce. It was a little orange and surprisingly very pleasant very flavorful first time I've ever liked an orange sauce. The creamy white sauce was so flavorful and might've been my favorite enchilada. I've never been a green sauce girly but there's is absolutely delicious. The rice was a little bland for me but the beans were delicious. Our service was very attentive and food came out quick. I love the ambience there. Everything is wood lots of things to look at very laid-back and very welcominga bit western too . I highly recommend this restaurant if you're in town at Payson!

    A generous 3 stars. This place is just OK. I had a combo with burrito, flauta and tamale served on…read morea gigantic plate just for show, wasn't really necessary with the rice and beans spread out over the plate. The burrito was easily the smallest one I've ever seen. Just meat in a tortilla. Very blah. My wife had the enchilada special, but really nothing special, you can easily get meals like this or better at "order at the counter" style Mexican restaurants. Not crowded at all at prime lunchtime hour which should have told us something.

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    Alibertos Mexican Food - #4 Asada Plate

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    Driving back from Show Low and we were craving comida Mexicana something crazy. I hand-picked…read moreAliberto's based on the reviews on Yelp. Service was great. Food delivery very quick. My Arizona burrito? Not as great as I wanted it to be. It's my own fault I suppose - the meat to filler ratio wasn't fantastic, but my biggest gripe was the very fatty meat - almost gristle in places. I was disappointed. But you know, it won't deter future visits in pass throughs, and will definitely look to more regular menu choices

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    CRNE Tacos Fuego

    CRNE Tacos Fuego

    5.0(44 reviews)
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    Listed as temporarily closed on Yelp, but definitely open today. Ordered four tacos, two pork and…read moretwo steak. Charged $3 each, no tax. Even delivered them out to my truck. Friendly service. Located in the parking lot of an antiques store with bathrooms inside, "Western Village Antiques" to be precise. One picnic table available, but we ate off the tailgate of the truck (which I noticed others were doing too). Tacos were great! Fresh ingredients. "Street tacos" sized. Should have ordered six for two people. My only recommendation: use double tortillas for each taco to reduce spillage and messiness. Otherwise, one can ask for a fork. Wife liked pork. I liked beef. Both were great. They were out of chocolate chip cookies. Darn. Strong Recommend.

    Just moved up to Payson from California, so trust me when I say: my taco standards are high. But…read moreCrne Tacos? Absolutely blew me away. We came by on a Monday -- their special chicken dinner day -- and ordered the chicken plate (fresh breast + thigh), with rice, beans, fresh corn tortillas, and both red and green salsas. We also grabbed two carnitas street tacos. The second I took a bite, I knew I was in trouble (the good kind). The chicken was perfectly seasoned, with a golden crust that had flavor in every crispy edge. And the carnitas tacos? Authentic, juicy, rich -- exactly what you want in a taco. We literally turned around right after finishing and ordered two more tacos. No shame. Took them to-go and ate them lakeside at Green Lake -- 10/10 vibes. The guys running the truck are genuinely kind-hearted and personable, which just makes the whole experience even better. Why tacos this good are in Payson, I have no idea... but I'm so glad they are. If you haven't tried Crne yet, what are you waiting for? Whether you're a local or just passing through, this place is a must-hit. Hands down, some of the best and freshest tacos I've ever had -- and that's coming from a Cali native. Will be coming back, again... and again... and again. Bonus tip: they serve Vegan options on Sundays!

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    El Rancho Restaurant - mexican - Updated May 2026

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