Loved this place! Heather was our waitress and she was awesome!!! Great spicy salsa with regular pico salsa. Chicken tortilla soup had a shell bowl that was original and delicious. Margaritas were yummy! Grandeza Cadillac! Sopapillas were amazing! Cinnamon and sugar with honey on the side! One is good to share!!! We will be back! read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Chicken tortilla soup - Mexican Near Me - Payson, Arizona

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Just stopped for a drink before dinner. The margaritas were fantastic. Plenty of free chips and salsa too. Thanks

El Rancho made it right with the double charge on credit card. Reimbursed me with a gift certificate. Thank you for making it right. Family will be back soon. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Twice charged - Mexican Near Me - Payson, Arizona

If you are up in Payson or driving though and you are hungry, this is a great place to eat. Our meal was very good and a decent price. The waiter and hostess were very friendly and attentive. I would definitely recommend. I have as a 4 only because the building is a bit aged and needs some updating. Especially the restrooms. read more

My family of four had a fantastic meal and service in the bar area seating. I always have gotten good food and service. Alan P and family,

Note to customers, this business must practice Bidenomics. It charges an extra 3.2% (or 3.5% ) for using credit/ debit cards so if you have cash, it is a little cheaper. The food and service were awesome but the extra cost left a bad taste in my mouth after a great meal. read more

Great lunch. We did the 2 for $22 option. We has the Queso Fundido, fish fried cod tacos and carne Asada. All was filling and good. Great value! read more

I should have gone to del taco or taco bell. Food was not that great. The waitress was nice though

The fish tacos were amazing. I give them an 8. Next time I go there I'll prob get them again. I went out to eat with my parents, we walked into the restaurant and they told us it was happy hour but only in the bar, so we went and sat in the bar at a booth. It wasn't even happy hour (it was a Saturday) we stayed at the bar anyways. I ordered a glass of wine. The bartender Don brought me my glass on wine, I didn't like how he held the glass from the top with his hands all over the rim. I also didn't like how he had a pen in the same hand with a fake flower on the end and had half the flower dipped in my glass of wine!! I also didn't like how he asked my mom from across the room what she wanted to drink and she said moscato and he said Moscow mule!? My mom had to stand up and walk to the bar to tell him what she wanted. I don't know why he didn't walk to your table to take our order. We ended up paying and having dinner in the dinning area. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Cod tacos on flour tortilla. - Mexican Near Me - Payson, Arizona

Great food, we had Carne asada Tacos (mi daughter couldn't talk within was eating, Chicken Club Salad (full of chicken and bacon) and Chicken Tacos (super yummy), and the desert .... Fry Ice cream uhmmmm awesome! The services was great, I will be back for sure ! read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Payson, Arizona

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The food was delicious and the service was fast. I had the lunch special. The margarita was ok, but not exceptional. read more

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Not sure why the bad reviews... I like the place. My go to is the taco salad... not a health choice by far as it comes loaded with beans, meat, cheese, guac... PERFECT! Waitstaff is always available for another beer. read more

service was great, very nice servers and we were well taken care. the food is garbage. myself and one of my companions both got crunchy tacos and my tortillas were clearly from a box while his was a greasy, floppy, barely fried corn tortilla. The spanish rice reminded me of Uncle Ben's boxed rice, and there was a big chunk of salt in it that i bit into, unpleasant. for the sake of the wonderful servers please make the food better!!! read more

So to continue with review of restaurants here in payson. We ate at El Rancho last night. The salsa is good, but ask for the hotter one. But no pickled carrots at all which other restaurants bring them. I got the combo cheese enchilada and Chile Relleno within and beans. Huge portions, so coming from California you become spoiled by great Mexican food and judge, so it's decent here. you will have good food and good service. Give it try. read more

El Rancho has changed a lot in the years. Ordered the chili rellenos, flavorful if you like a corn dog style coating instead of the egg based batter. Needed a steak knife to cut into the chili rellenos. Cheese enchilada was all tortilla not much cheese. Refried crispy Spanish rice ( not fluffy). Like I said went down in the years. read more

We had a late lunch here. Note: bring an appetite when eating here, portions are huge. This is good basic Mexican food. The service is great and the plates are generous. We had an enjoyable lunch, and brought some food home. If I lived nearby, I would be a frequent visitor and be overweight. I hope to eat here again while in the area. read more

My mom passed away recently in her home town of Payson Az. We decided to have our little celebration of life in this her favorite restaurant. The food is great every time I have gone proceeding this event. They knew my mom and really took care of us so we could focus on my moms life and not her death. The staff are amazing and the food is really great ! Every time I visit I will be glad to eat here at this place . read more

Premade margaritas had no alchol. Hard taco shell was too soft to break. Hot slasa was good.

Came in due to a total downpour and was not safe to drive. Should have stayed in car and waited it out. I have Mexican food from all over, and this place hands down was some of the worst ever, how do you screw up Flautas? Well these people can, the salsa is not very good either. I would avoid this place. Del Taco right next door is a better option, that's how bad it is. No Thanks. Junk.... read more

Stopped in this afternoon and sat on the bar patio so we could bring our pups. The waiter was very attentive and friendly and the beer was cold. Felt it was reasonably priced. Our only complaint was that the enchiladas (maybe the beans and rice perhaps) were very salty. Hubby ordered fajitas and said they were good, he didn't notice the saltiness of the food so perhaps just the enchilada meals. read more

This place deserves a solid four stars. There are multiple reasons for this. One being that I've been here so many times and it serves the perfect purpose after a nice hike or adventure up in Payson. It's a staple restaurant in Payson, captures a lot of locals and travelers alike. The reason I felt compelled to write a review after this experience is because of the warm and pleasant server Shurrie. She was very kind and made us feel very welcome and at home. The hostesses were very good as well. I definitely recommend this to anybody passing through Payson for a nice warm meal. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - The burritos are my fav! - Mexican Near Me - Payson, Arizona

Triple D worthy. It looks like a dive, but it's really a great small-town restaurant​. The cheesy burrito​ is fantastic. Lots of flavorful​ cheese. You can tell they don't cheap out on ingredients like a lot of the chains or other dives. This is quality food. And the shredded pork we good. Tender, not fatty, good flavor​. A good chunk of meat cooked well. Service came with a small town flair. If you're​ hungry​ for some great Mexican​ food and don't want to pay too much, stop here to eat. Well worth it. read more

We enjoyed the Navajo taco (fried bread with lettuce, tomato, cheese, etc.). The shredded beef was tasty. We also enjoyed the Taco salad. All 5 of my friends were happy with their food and the service. The place is clean and well decorated. read more

Very good food & fast service Definitely coming back whenever we come down from Flagstaff!!!... read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Chimichanga was soooo good!! - Mexican Near Me - Payson, Arizona

Traveled from 'the City' to Payson for a little weekend trip. First of all, there aren't a lot of options in Payson to begin with. I went on a Friday during Lent and was looking forward to either shrimp fajitas or some sort of seafood enchilada... Neither was offered. Only the standard battered fish fry or fish taco were offered. I got the fish tacos, which I would give 3 stars. The queso dip was also pretty good, maybe 3.5 or even 4 stars. El Rancho receives only 2 stars because their wait staff is ridiculous. There was a herd of 3-4 of them (our waitress was part of the pack) that would meander throughout the restaurant. We would have to call her to separate her from her social preoccupation. "Um sorry to interrupt you, but could we get another margarita?" Also, I hope they "beef up" their seafood options. Regardless of Lent, delicious shrimp options are a staple at any respectable Mexican restaurant. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - The ambiance. - Mexican Near Me - Payson, Arizona

My all time fav place for the best Mexican food around. My fam and I recently moved to Payson and this has been the one place we can all agree on. The food, the service, the staff are all amazing. My mom and I often stop in at lunch and we always are treated so kind and with care. I've got my favorites on the menu but from what I've seen and tried anything you order will be well prepared and tasty and with an abundant portion. My family and I will be lifelong patrons of El Rancho. PS..Delivery is amazing too. Our food arrived hot and with a smile just like when we are dining in the restaurant. read more

Stopped in on my way up north, I was very surprised. I really liked this place. They were helpful and the food came out super fast. The food had great flavor and was a good size. read more

We ordered to-go. Delicious. The veggie wrap and the spinach enchiladas were great. I got the red chile for my enchiladas and absolutely loved it. read more

On our way home from staying in Forest Lakes and we stopped at El Rancho's for lunch. We have always wanted to try and we so happy we did! Great service and great food! It was amazing! We will stop anytime we are in Payton. read more

The wife and I decided to venture up to Payson for a nice escape from the valley, typically we pack some snacks or are hunkered down at a campsite when we are in this neck of the woods. On this occasion we decided to break from the normal and chose to stop into El Rancho being that we must've driven by at least 20 times collectively. We were not disappointed on our visit. The food was tasty and hit the spot, the guacamole was a nice side treat. The one area that I would recommend improving would be the salsa, it was decent but likely from a jar or can, could've used a more homemade touch...it just lacked flavor. The staff were friendly and helpful, offering recommendations and engaging conversation. If we ever find ourselves craving a nice Mexican dish at the foot of the Mogollon Rim, I'm sure we'd pay a visit to El Rancho again! read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Carnitas plate w/rice & refried beans - Mexican Near Me - Payson, Arizona

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I moved to Payson in October of 2019. I had a go to place in Chandler for Taco Tuesday. Juan Jaime's is the best. That said, El Rancho is the place in Payson for great Taco Tuesday. Priced right and hand made old school tacos . Long waits are uncommon however I normally arrive later in the evening. Full bar for those who like a cocktail or craft beer. I prefer iced tea with lime. Can't go wrong when you need good Mexican food. Enjoy, Bill read more

We love trying new to us Mexican restaurants. Should have skipped this one. Their version of a mild table salsa truly looked like they had opened a can of Rotel and dumped it straight into the bowl. tasted like it too. Once we placed our order , it arrived to our table in under 3 minutes. I know because I was on my phone texting during that time. Wow Chef Microwave works overtime there. Rice was "crunchy" , my enchiladas were swimming in grease and the cheese on the plates sizzled from the extreme heat for longer than it took to order and receive our meal. Nothing fresh , everything premade. Best thing I can say is the staff was super nice and clearly understood how disappointed we were - neither my husband nor I even ate half the meal it was so beyond mediocre. Waitress was sweet , place was clean Sorry but thats the best I can say about it and why it even got 2 stars. Yes did leave her the full tip , not her fault. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - a mexican food and cantina menu - Mexican Near Me - Payson, Arizona

I cannot say enough good things about El Rancho! The food was amazing but the service was even better! I higy recommend this plac.

Eat here! I love Arizona, but for some reason it's crazy hard to find good Mexican food here. I'm glad I tried El Rancho while visiting Payson. I had a good feeling about this place as soon as I saw the food pics on here and the beef chimichanga, tacos, and wet burrito was awesome! The well flavored refried beans and beef, hit the spot in the belly. On top of that, the waitresses were very friendly and helpful. read more

We decided to order takeout from here to support a local restaurant during this COVID19. We are seniors and really need to make sure all precautions are taken wherever we go. We ordered from the parking lot and thought it was curbside pickup however it was walk in and pick up. That was our error because it was clearly posted. Having said that, we were parked outside the window of the kitchen where we could see everyone in the kitchen. It concerns us to say this, however we noticed NO MASKS, NO GLOVES on any employee including the cook. People were coming and going to get their orders however allowed to linger together near the cash register. We debated whether to drive away but the order was $47 and we did not want to do that. We wanted to support the business and pay for what we ordered. The food was terrible. My husband had the Loco Chicken Burrito and I had the Spinach Enchiladas. Both meals were "swimming" in red sauce mixed in with retried beans. It was difficult to find the actual entree. Margaritas were OK but consider they had to travel. If we knew it was not curbside pickup, we would not have chosen El Rancho. Again, our error and we own that. BUT, knowing the staff is not taking precautions during this Pandemic, is the most concerning. We would rather have given a $47 donation to the local business than eat there again during the Stay at Home order. We Will most likely come back after the Pandemic because it is a favorite of my husband. read more

Stopped in for lunch, but the warm chips and DELICIOUS chunky Salsa filled me up, sat in a very friendly bar. the waitress was very Polite. I Bought a young hard working boy his lunch. and the Beer is cold.. Make this a stop in Payson. . read more

Great food. Excellent service. Reason for a 4 star, ice tea glass so full that it took several sips to get to the spoon that was an inch below the surface of the tea. Also looked like the food was either microwaved or put in a broiler just before being served. Food (and plate ) were hot, but the beans and rice were dried out on top. Food was plenty and tasted good after remixing my friholies and rice. read more

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This seriously is the BEST Mexican food. The margaritas are excellent. Just one wasn't enough. The burritos are toasted and smothered...amazing. The beans and rice are usually an after thought at most restaurants but here the are a great accompaniment to the awesome entrees. The fried icecream was Devine as well...be sure to save room. Taco Tuesday special was easy on the pocketbook too. I may need to make a trip back to Payson just for this food. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Excellent Margaritas - Mexican Near Me - Payson, Arizona

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My favorite place for margaritas until they charged extra for using my card. They don't tell you ahead of time that there is an extra fee. It's just posted at the counter for when you pay. I won't do business with an underhanded company. Post it where I know ahead of time. read more

WORST Mexican food my wife and I have ever had!!! How could anyone give this place more than 1-2stars?!?! Salsa was awful. Margarita was bland. Fajitas were dry and the 4 small flour tortillas were so overcooked, they ripped when I pulled them apart. Find another option in Payson! I know we will. read more