Again and again the food continues to be delicious! I love El Rancho and highly recommend to anyone in the Portales area, it will not disappoint. Also the sweet tea is sooo good! Great service and clean restaurant, thanks El Rancho! read more

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Do not bother ordering a pick up order. Three times they left off a major part of order. You try to call and get it corrected, the phone is busy for 30 minutes. You will sit in drive thru pick up window for 20 minutes minimum. Faster to drive to Clovis and get great food at Leals. If you do drive back and get the left out item, they never apologize. read more

Delicious food that won't break the bank, hubby and I will definitely be ordering more from here! They give plenty of food, were kind and quick, and it's always good to support local restaurants! read more

Prompt service, delicious food, and spicy chile! This is my go to spot in Portales! The only needs improvement was the sopapillas as I didn't like the oil they were cooked in otherwise everything was fantastic read more

This is a long time favorite of my wife's and mine since we grew up in the area. Great family owned restaurant with great food and service. Ordered out favorite red enchiladas and chile Relleno, rice , beans which were all great. Chips and salsa so good and they don't skimp on chips. Oh and can't forget my favorite the Sopas. Stop here if you're in Portales. read more

Great service and delicious food recommend every day. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

Service was great, and the chicken in the green chili chicken dinner was tender and tasted good, but, vegetables were reheated from frozen, not fresh. They also serve all drinks in permanent landfill styrofoam. Don't dine here if you care about the environment. Location is also slightly off on Google maps and there's no sign to verify you have the right place when you figure it out. read more

This place is totally legit. My friends and I all used to go here back in my college days and the food is just excellent. I seriously didn't like Mexican food until I lived out here and went to El Rancho with one of my professors one day. I didn't know what to get, so he said get enchiladas. I did and I loved em. Been eating spicy food ever since and telling everyone that the Mexican places in Chicago don't measure up to El Rancho. I don't know if it's still like this, but for some crazy low price, like 8 bucks, you could go here and get chips and salsa appetizer (they bring that out to everyone), a meal and sopapillas with honey for dessert. Hey, maybe this is how I got fat... Anyway, I'm sure prices have changed since the last time I was there, but if the food is even slightly as good as it was back then, you should eat here. read more

Best Mexican food in town even though they don't have a beer or wine license. service is great, their homemade salsa is good too.

Whenever we pass through/stay in Portales we always eat here and usually two or three times in a five day stay. Family run, clearly a staple in the community, although always busy there is never a wait. The staff is terrific and work hard. We are thrilled this business survived Covid. Delicious salsa with a nice kick and homemade tortilla chips. The stuffed sopapilla, chile relleno, green chili stew and fajita quesadilla were excellent! The taco salad with toppings was okay but the meat was bland and we wanted for more of the fresh toppings. Please note they do not have a liquor license and the credit card fee will be passed on to you. Minimal. This is a small family business that we are happy to support and grateful every time we leave. You'll be full! Overall, this is a home run and don't hesitate to come here. Honestly, out of many choices, I highly recommend this gem. read more

We've heard that El Rancho's breakfast buffet is quite popular amongst the locals, so my friend and I knew we had to give it a try while we were still in Portales. El Rancho has a location in both Clovis and Portales, but the Portales location has an annex that serves breakfast burritos next door (which I have heard are really amazing but is only open Mondays-Fridays) as well as a breakfast buffet on the weekends (in both cities). Of course after hearing the compliments regarding this place, we had high expectations. While El Rancho doesn't have the newest or most modern furniture, they can consider themselves to be homey and familiar. It seems like they remodeled before, but even that remodeling is a bit worn. The restaurant is pretty spacious with a main dining room and another room off to the side with more tables. We came around 10 AM on a Saturday for the buffet and the place was pretty packed. Since all the standalone tables were taken, we decided to sit in a booth. I would say the booths needs to be replaced because they're a bit grimy, and I saw a bug crawling when I slid in. The breakfast buffet is self-serve, so you find a table and the waitress will take your drink order. The food station was much smaller than I expected. Located near the kitchens, they have several carts where one station contains the ingredients that you can choose from for your omelets (bacon, onion, cheese, mushroom, etc.), the next station contains the omelet grills (around 4-6 depending on the number of customers), the next station contains other breakfast items (tortillas, pancakes, French toast, biscuits, potatoes, gravy, etc.) and the last station contains the sauces, fruit, etc. What takes the longest is waiting for the omelet to be assembled and cooked on the frying pans. Even with the line, we were back at our tables in under 10 minutes. I thought the omelet was decent, but it was more on the oily side. The more ingredients, the tastier the omelet but I would have to say that there wasn't anything special about it. Eggs were fluffy enough and I liked the variety of ingredients. As for the other breakfast items - I tried the pancakes, biscuits, and two different kinds of potatoes. Pancakes were decent - eating that with syrup and butter was pretty filling. Biscuits were a little dry and crumbly, but I thought they had good flavor. As for the potatoes, I liked the potato wedges more than the hash. Both were oily, but ... they're potatoes. The setup does make it hard to get back in line for seconds if you just want to grab other breakfast items - if there are a bunch of people, you'll have to wait a bit before cutting in quickly. My friend also ordered a cup of coffee. Nothing awesome, but it was better than regular gas station coffee that I've had. I don't think they had half and half, just sugar and creamer. Service was alright, and we were in and out in less than an hour. Take your check and pay at the cashier by the door. The breakfast buffet was about $10 per person. tl;dr - Pricewise for the buffet - $10 is not too bad, but we left feeling heavy as the food was a bit too greasy. If you're an omelet fanatic, I would say you have to try this as this is the only place you can get cooked-to-order omelets, but if you're not a big fan, I would say to skip it. I've heard their breakfast burritos are awesome though, so if I am ever back in Portales, I'd try the burritos instead. read more

Very busy on Sunday afternoon Order appetizers to stave off your hunger Server was attentive** just very very understaffed this occasion read more

Dang good chow. Excellent Chile relleños. Not too pricy and very quick service. I will be back read more

The food. Comes out hot and so goooood! Service is on point. Prices have gone up, but it's worth it.

Delicious food and the most friendly atmosphere! I highly recommend the huevos rancheros!! Also they make really good and fresh sweet tea! Love everything about this restaurant!! Highly recommend. read more

It was really unpleasant when i saw the "card processing fee" for every transaction they do...when i asked about it, i was informed "as per the owner decision".... the food is really nice and the staff are really friendly... please fix this issue going on or have a valid reason... read more

They have the best enchiladas in a 20 mile radious. They are very nice waiters & waitresses.

Love the stuffed sopapilla. It's so good. A mixture of beans, meat, Chile, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. Salsa and chips are delicious. Hometown fave!! read more

Great fast friendly amazing positivity the best. Taste and verity are perfect. So many things to choose. Great Family restaurant.

I have heard so much about this place, that I had to go ..... bla bla bla. So I went! The place looks like a dump, chairs and tables from the 1970s, and service near the 1980s--when they have time they will get around to you. I was put off from the time it took to get my food that I was making my decoration on my cell phone for this review. Then the food came--I have to stop here... I have never tasted a Smokey burrito that tastes so fresh, so clean with pork Smokey flavor that I will not ask for another now. I love the ambiance so much--this place has none===but the food is amazing! You cant come for look, but you can return over and over again for the food. read more

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

I used to give them five stars because they used to be such a great restaurant. The past six or seven times we have eaten there we have had horrible customer service. today, when I called and ordered takeout The woman who answered the phone was so rude. I will not be returning as it has been over a year since there has been decent service. Sad to see something that was once so great take a turn. read more

My wife was raised in the area so while visiting, we brought the family to this restaurant. From what we've heard from her parents, the restaurant went downhill for a while but have made some recent improvements. We were hopeful to get some authentic NW Mexican Food. We were disappointed. I understand that the restaurant is family-owned but when your waiters and waitresses are a bunch of younger people, you are going to run into problems. Our waiter was a young man in his late teens. I can't even begin to tell you how many things he forgot while trying to serve 5 people in our party. We had to ask several times for refills. The chips and salsa were decent though a little on the hot side (and I like hot salsa). It was mostly inedible by the rest of our party. I ordered the Chili Rellenos. It was mostly bland and lukewarm. Most of our food were lukewarm. I glanced over to the kitchen and realized that they do not make their food to order. Some, if not most, of the food were pre-made and put together when orders are placed. The rice and beans were actually cold. Their prices were average. We were definitely disappointed. read more

Very good chicken fajitas... with all the peppers. Salsa was HOT and guacamole was perfect as were the rice and beans. The sopapilla was a nice addition - add honey. Came back next night... Chile chicken was delish and veggies and rice were a nice change. Sopapilla is the best. Enjoy! read more

Excellent smothered burrito at lunch. Both the red and the green sauces were solid. Friendly service and fair price.

Great food! Service is super. Always full so go early!

They don't serve alcohol and the food was okay. I had the chile relleno, rice and beans. BUT my group got seated promptly on a Friday night. They have honey on all the tables for these amazing things called sopapillas. It comes after dinner and you drizzle honey all over it. It's so good. Def the highlight of the night. read more

First off let me share my credibility! I was born and raised in Espanola,NM and taught the old ways of from scratch New Mexican food. So I know my food. Second, my feedback on the red and green chile enchiladas. The chile very much a tex-mex taste versus a New Mexican taste. Red chile needs more of a kick. I think maybe some garlic. The green did have an alight taste just no kick of some finely roasted New Mexican chile as I just recently had in my part of NM. Last, I do recommend for people to try if you have no experience with NM food. The staff is nice and the building is decent. I know I have high standards but while I have to live here I may stop by again. read more

Stopped in here for dinner during a business trip. Atmosphere: the restaurant is far larger than I expected. It was nicely decorated, though it looks like it could use a major upgrade. It was very clean and the seats were comfortable. There were a variety of different sized tables/booths for variable parties. Parking is a little bit tight near the front, but there is parking along the sides which provide more space. Staff: the staff was very polite and friendly. My glass never reached empty and they were always around to ensure that everything was okay. Food: there is a large selection of food from the menu. I ordered enchiladas and they tasted fine. The rice was not all that great though as it was pretty dry and tasteless. The sopapilla was very good. Overall, this is a decent restaurant, but it wouldn't be my first choice should I return to the area. read more

I actually don't mind El Rancho at all its a good place to eat. Unfortunately or Fortunately for me or them I was raised further away from the Texas boarder and I honestly find it so hard to find true New Mexican food in this area. But have to say this has come the closest. I have had fajitas they are good but missing something I'm just not exactly sure what, if I figure it out I'll be sure to leave a comment! I've had their enchiladas and usually they are good but again just so close to tex Mex or even Mexican food it's a hard blend to explain. I'll have to say their enchiladas would be much much better if the corn tortilla wasn't over cooked, however, saying that I have to give it to them they do strain a lot of grease off of everything! I am going to try to give them a huge benefit of the doubt with the corn tortillas maybe just maybe with this corona virus going on and such them putting it in the to go box makes it cook a bit more it's just so soggy. The reason for the 4 out of 5 is that plus the type of cheese I personally prefer the Mexican blend of cheese and I don't get but 1 taste with this cheese again it's not horrible and the closest I can find to new Mexican food without driving 4 hours to Alb and hitting up Macs La Sierra over on Central in-between coors and new coors. (A must have steak in the rough and enchiladas! Heaven!) Or Jerry's in Gallup but I guess they don't claim to be authentic New Mexican food. So if you want a cross between new mex and tex Mexican or Mexican food then try it out maybe just ask for less cooking on the corn tort. It's not horrible I think I am just missing my authentic NM food:( read more

Ok so you definitely seat yourself and then someone will bring you a menu. Never caught my waitresses name but then again she never gave it although she was quite pleasant so I didn't bother to ask. You're started off wth a basket of nachos and salsa that has a little kick to it. Ok the food...my boyfriend describes his food as bland. For me ummmm I found it interesting that my burrito had only chicken and cheese and everything else that would be in the burrito was on the plate. I was looking for some type of seasoning as I'm assuming this is "authentic" Mexican food (although I'm praying it isn't). It's ok if you're starving but I'm thanking goodness I'm from out of town and this isn't the only restaurant in town to eat from. Hands down our waitress and the service she provided is 5-stars compared to the food I ate which is what this review will rate and reflect. read more

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Love El rancho and the hometown feel it has. It's our go-to spot around town for Mexican food.

We are on a cross-country trip and this was our first meal in New Mexico. I ordered the enchilada special and tried all three sauces. Red was my favorite. The sopapillas at the end were a nice addition. Chips were fresh and warm, salsa had a nice kick to it, and our server Bianca was very sweet and took great care of us. Give it a shot...good New Mexican food. read more

To me the food's not so great but the service is very good, people friendly. I think they could do a lot better on their food maybe more flavor to it. A little more Mexican food to it, five the place it's name. read more

I have traveled the world and was so impressed with the food and service that I had to write a review!!

While eating lunch, a cockroach crawled over from the wall . We immediately told the server who laughed in our face and told us we had to move ourselves. I asked for the check and was done with my meal. When I went to pay we weren't offered a discount for dining with roaches or an apology. This is completely disgusting! read more

Went for the breakfast buffet. Very very good food and lots of it. You will not regret it!

I've been here on several occasions breakfast lunch and dinner times as well as down-time hours. Pros: variety of food, very little wait time and never had a hard time finding a seat no matter what serving hour it was. Cons: customer service is either average or just a few points below average. Due to this, any refill or question usually takes you getting up to find someone to help you. Unless you are obviously wealthy or a regular it seems to me. Maybe it is just luck, but 50% of the time I have been to this place, I don't realize immediately, but I never am supplied utensils or napkins! I have to go find someone to get them for me. If the moderate level of customer service won't bother you, this could be an okay place for you. Unique note: breakfast is sort of fun, very line-up pick what you want sort of thing. read more

After we were denied access to the hipster-pit called Roosevelt Brewing company, we went to El Rancho! It was AMAZING!! Everything was Super Fresh and tasty. The Fajita Nachos were delectable!! We will definitely be coming back to this plac! So good! read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Fajita Nachos and Combination Plate - Mexican Near Me - Portales, New Mexico

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Wanna know what displaced New Mexicans (in California) do on a rainy day? They sit and reminisce about their favorite local Mexican food restaurants. For Portales, this restaurant is moderately priced ($8 in Portales = $15 in San Francisco) by a college student's standard. The chips and salsa are unlimited for your entire meal. You can buy their salsa at every local grocery store and it's actually better. In fact, it has won 1st place in its category at the Scovie Awards. Now here's the part where locals would rate the food as average. If you ask for enchiladas, enchiladas is what you get - nothing fancy or spectacular. Plain ol' refried beans and spanish rice on the side. Somehow, this signature New Mexican dish gains sentiment with every bite you take. Caliornia enchiladas are not the same. I miss it much! If you're not entire stuffed after your plate of food and basket of chips and salsa, steaming-hot, perfectly fluffed sopaipillas and honey are complimentary (another facet of good Mexican food that is absent in California). On Weekends, their breakfast buffet and omelet bar is the bomb diggity! My guess is that much of the city of Portales would probably give El Rancho anywhere from 2-4 stars; however, it is easy to take for granted when it is one of only a handful (and by handful, I mean you can literally count the number of local restaurants on your fingers) of dining establishments in your town. If being absent from New Mexico has made me learn one thing, it is this: LOVE EL RANCHO AND NEW MEXICO CHILE. There's my short nostalgic story of food from home. Stop by this place if you ever happen to be driving in the neighborhood. read more

The food was pretty darn good! I would definitely come back. I ordered the chile rellenos (I would rate them at an 8.5 out of 10) and she got enchiladas (green chile - one cheese, one chicken) and says she suggests the cheese. Good place. read more