DO NOT BUY A CAKE FROM THERE Went in and ordered a dinosaur cake for my son based on what they had on the display. They sent me a video the morning of my sons party and the cake looked messy, nothing like the display, just done poorly and with lack of care. Called to ask them to get my money back and they refused. The baker got offended and the costumer service was terrible when I ordered the cake the first day. Absolutely terrible. Refused to take responsibility for the cake not looking like the one in the picture in the book. LOS PASTELES NO SALEN COMO TE LOS PROMETEN. read more

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Mexican pastries used to be really good here. Not anymore!! These empanadas are not empanadas! They are nothing but bread!! And it looks like whomever made them doesn't know how to bake! Very disappointed! Will not be coming back for pan dulce here! read more

El Rancho Supermercado - This is apparently a Mexican empanada! Nothing close to it! - Grocery Near Me - Austin, Texas

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El Rancho Supermercado we are done with prejudgments on skin color or bias based on assumption. Today I was refused to be waited at the meat department counter at the carnaceria at Mercado I have shopped at your store for over 5 years where I have order my meat in spanish for the last 5 years here in Austin Texas off Research Blvd. Your meat service department Carnaceria purposely chose to ignore the presumable white woman with glasses and serve 4 other hispanic customers who walked up to the counter after, and yet they were served before. I normally wait patiently and quietly but today my husband a full blooded mexican man came inside and bore witness to your treatment of me and he was not happy! With out any acknowledgement or apology for the over sight on your employees part. I want you an your employees to know today you lost a faithful customer who shopped at your store at least once a week for 5 years. Yes my husband yelled! And we walked out. I will not apologize for being half white and half mexican and shame on you and your employees for treating me or any one else like me like this. I am proud to be who I am and comfortable with who I am and if you can't accept me that's your problem not mine but from this point on I shall not waist another dime from my income in your store! You lost out on a good customers today! read more

I bought ceviche, it was really old, and it stunk. had to throw it away. and now, they've sold me old smelly marinaded fajita. again, had to throw it away. not buying anything from here again. I live around the corner but I don't mind driving 10 mins to Cameron Rd. read more

Los carniceros en este supermercado son muy groseros con los clientes, el encargado necesita hablar con ellos!!!

"Lencho" if that was even his real name but anyways him and his buddys in the meat section need to learn how to have respect for women and how to sale meat/chicken in a respectful way. Throwing your hands in the air and refusing to repeat your specials again just because we did not understand the first time is not a good reason for you to throw a bitch fit lol. We could literally see all 5 guys laughing at us and refusing to bag our 10lbs of chicken. Go to the Michoacán instead, they're way nicer and respectful and have cheaper prices. :)) read more

What the hell el rancho? You and I, we were bonded. I was psyched about your cheap prices and close proximity. This weekend we needed some items for fish tacos. Mainly fish, tortillas, crema, onions. A quick trip to ERS was JUST the thang but then the whole experience was highly unfortunate. The fish seemed fine, tasted okay... until we couldn't get the smell off the countertops. I don't know what happened -- but that stuff was stankful. Though they've got tortillas... you'd think a place like that would make them homemade instead of pawning off crappy quality tortillas. My friend waited for service in the back to get the fresh crema... and the folks behind the counter refused to help her. And the onions... the piece de resistance. I walked by and the stench was unbelievable. There were flies all over the onions and a number of them were soft. They smelled like a dirty corner on sixth street. Seriously, I thought "Did someone pee in here?" Anyhow, I hate to ding em but the fact that so many things were so wrong means I can't let my previous review stand sans update. read more

Plenty of options with a lot of items that you cannot find at most super markets. Recommend this store if you are looking for any ethnic food that you cannot find at a H-E-B or other location. Competitively priced. Plenty of parking out front, just off 183. read more

This rating is strictly on customer service and covid precautions, or lack there of. I approached the store and immediately saw that carts weren't being cleaned. I asked the employee that was pushing the carts, in Spanish, and he just stared at me. I used my own gel to clean the handle. As I walked in the store, I had to unfold the huge black mat that people were tripping over. Said previous employee walked right by it and couldn't be bothered. Did my shopping and proceeded to pay. A plexiglass shield has been installed but it is useless. It has become a place to hang more merchandise and therefore you have to step around to communicate with cashier, which rendered shield useless. The only friendly people in this store were the people selling tamales. read more

muy buenos los trabajadores te atienden espectacular pero hoy fui a comprar y me quedé sorprendida al ver que solo venden cinco lb de mariscos por persona y solo 10 lb de carne por persona y eso me parece injusto porque si yo quiero comprar 20 lb de carne o de marisco no puedo porque no me dejan y yo con mi dinero compro lo que quiera y la cantidad que quiera muy mal ese servicio read more

I've been waiting for like a year and a half for this place to open! See, I live in an area in which my only HEB is the one at Lamar and Rundburg. If you've ever been there, you know why I NEVER go there. Otherwise, I have to get on the freeway and drive to Braker or Far West. This makes me not want to go grocery shopping as much, and I end up eating out more than I should. But now, I can walk to an asian market, a couple of mercados, and now a SUPERmercado! Now, this ain't Fiesta, so don't go expecting that. This is geared solely toward latin foods, for the most part. Heck, I even had a rough time finding lemons. Lemons! The selection isn't awesome, but it's a sight better than the other, smaller mercados in the area, and I can convince myself that I'm actually "going shopping" for food as opposed to "picking something up that I need right now." The giant quinceñera cake at the door and cardboard cutouts of cows and cacti in the produce area are worth going just on their own. Prices are average, but not as good as Fiesta (or HEB, in some cases). However, their seafood area smells a lot better than Fiesta's does. And they make pre-made ceviche, which I'm intrigued and frightened by. Fresh fish, crawdads, and crabs swim and crawl around the area, which makes me happy. They have a Panderia wall full of pastries and a separate area of tres leches cakes that I'd love to try sometime. Oddly though, they have installed misters in the cake area. Why do you need to mist your cakes? Especially if they're in boxes? Beats me. Maybe they're sensitive to humidity. It's a little cramped to walk through, especially now when it's busy, but if you can drive through campus, you can wield a shopping cart here. I'm happy I have another reason to avoid getting on the freeway for my grocery needs. read more

Is it fair for me to compare El Rancho to Fiesta? No, probably not- but I am and there is nothing anyone can do about it. I was hoping that El Rancho would rise to fill the void that Fiesta filled with ease. Right now it's still sort of a novel place to shop. Breakdown: -Affordable -Stuff in bulk -Speak Spanish to you first, then english when you look confused or if you respond in norwegian (still looking confused) -Decent veg and meats if you are in a pinch -No sandwich bread (why is there a bakery inside?) -No Beer/Wine What's the point of being walking distance to a grocery store if you can't pick up beer and bread? read more

The smell is hard to tolerate sometimes and it's entirely too crowded!! However, they have really good desserts that are usually fresh and ready to take home. I'm also glad that they carry a wide variety of GOYA products! Compared to most "Latino Markets" around this area, this one is great! read more

I am obsessed with their corn tortilla chips ($1.99 for a bag) and salsa roja ($2.99/lb). OBSESSED! One bite into one of those salted, crunchy restaurant-style chips dipped in that freakin tasty hot salsa leaves me a happy girl! A happy girl who can't stop eating them b/c I want to stay happy!! It's gonna be the end of me! Though they have a steal of a deal with avocados, tomatoes and limes (hello guacamole!), their produce overall kinda suck. There's a ton of other stuff here as well, from the meat market to baked goods to the ceviche, but I'm writing a review solely for the fact that I'm addicted to their outstanding chips and salsa! read more

Only giving it 3 stars because I been to a way better Mexican grocers, and I been to my share of them. **This one is small, affordable, the tortillas selections are great! I can find what I need to make nice meal. **Their pan dulce selection was ok. looked empty and not fresh. :( *Customer service leaves a little to be desired. Their team members not so friendly, no smiles, no "hi how are you", or "how can I help you". *They have a hot ready case (very small) I was walking by checking it out and the lady working there was helping a customer and correcting her pronunciation for 'carnitas'! REALLY? I Didn't realize Spanish lessons where part of the shopping experience. LOL *Register wait was a little ridiculous, only 2 registers open at 3:30pm with about 10 people in each line. Guess they haven't heard of the "3 is a crowd" expression. In conclusion, would I come back? Sure. I get what I need and leave. Hopefully service will be better. read more

Stopped in here yesterday, because my son freaks out if I pick him up before 5:30. Hey, I might be able to find some guava paste for my guava paste-and-cream cheese-croissants. They only had one selection that I could see, but given the size of the market, and its closeness to my work, I can't complain too much. It's guava paste, and it is good. The meat counter was a bit smelly, and the meat didn't look all that fresh, but the produce looked incredible and plentiful. The store does a brisk business, and I was almost the only Anglo in the store. Which is a GOOD thing when you're talking ethnic food. But what I liked the best were the memories the whole atmosphere of the store invoked: El Rancho, from its size, its focus on food, all the way down to the jacks-and-balls for sale at the checkout counter, is what grocery stores used to be in the US until about the mid 1980s. I was a little girl in the seat of the grocery cart shopping with Mom all over again. read more

FIVE star little market with a fantastic fish dept. read more

El Rancho Supermercado - Grocery Near Me - Austin, Texas

My mom makes me come shop with her here but I NEVER regret it , it's like a Hispanic HEB but better & cheaper. You can get a big bag if takis a large soda and bred for like 5$ ! The carnitas,Barbacoa,Tortaas, UMM... DELICIOUS ! read more

Over all I really like this store except for one thing, they never ever have any of thier sale items in stock. Went in for some paper towels and they were wiped out of the ones i wanted and had no plans to re-stock until after my coupon expired. Other than that, this is a great store. read more

I LOVE EL RANCHO!!! It makes total sense for me to shop here and have been doing so for my produce. I mean really... while HEB and Walmart charge juuuust under $2 a pound for the cheapest tomatoes, that AREN'T ripe; you can go to El Rancho and get the same tomato fully ripe and not so ripe depending on what you want for less than a $1 a pound!!! The VARIETY of FRESH pastries is amazing and they keep coming out fresh THROUGHOUT THE DAY!!! I'm going to check on the El Rancho here on Berkman here in just a few minutes as My brother tells me it's larger and has more to offer. I'm already happy and amazed my the Research location... can't wait. read more

HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE this place is right next to my house and ive always loved going here but today was a complete disappointment. i was waiting for about 5 mins to order something from the meat market, i didn't grab a ticket because at the moment there was only one person being helped and they WERE NOT CALLING NUMBERS. an older woman walks up (late 50s maybe) grabs a ticket and when the butcher asks who's next i step up but instead of helping me she YELLS AT ME saying i was not next even tho i was the only one there for the last 5 mins. the lady who grabbed a ticket yells at me that shes next because she has a ticket, hello lady, they weren't calling out numbers. other people were watching and it was a little embarrassing, as if i were doing something wrong. i walked away and put my things away. i wont be going back to this location even tho its next door. this happened June 3rd Sunday around 11:20 :( :( there is a better way to handle things and yelling at customers is not it. read more

We have a Love-Hate relationship with this Location, so there's no question as to how many stars to give this place at the moment: It's not a big-box super national chain, so supporting them does help the community... to an extent... ...by that I mean, the HR Manager, herself a Cuban Immigrant, only seems to want to hire OTHER Cuban Immigrants. If you are Caucasian, or Black ...or even Central American, you can pretty much forget about your job chances here. ...but that being said... we understand the store is under new management by a family of brothers, the oldest of whom is a no-nonsense kind of guy who won't take no for an answer, and we have very recently seen what we believe (we being the wife and I) a valiant effort to end the shenanigans that have been going on at this location for some time because of the above person's actions and those like it who are no long with the company. : ) We are following this closely because, despite the 3 stars, this location is perhaps the best close location to purchase groceries in our neighborhood. One of the positives that I feel I must mention is that despite the fact that this is a "South-Of-The-Border" themed Grocery Store, they still have an ample selection of regular American groceries. Their Produce, while not the best, is quite cheap in many cases, and if you take the time to look you can actually find some bargains. Their Sea Food & Bakery are recommended, unless you're a wealthy elitist with high expectations like sprinkled gold dust on your pre-cut meats. (No seriously, look into it - some places in California actually DO that...). The one area we recommend you stay away from - ANY OF THEIR MEATS. Bottom line - if you're an average joe with financial limitations, a need to fill the Pantry, and live nearby, shop here. But the Waldorf Astoria of Supermarkets this place isn't. read more

This little Mexican market has great tortilla chips!!! The real deal ones you can only get at a good Mexican restaurant. They are cheap too, think queso, salsa, dips... read more

Gross! Expensive! Produce is not fresh. The place smells like rotting meat. I opened a container of orange juice and despite the expiration being a month away it was spoiled. Some of the cashiers can't speak english. I mean literally no english. read more

I love this place! AVOCADOS: It seems that every time I go, the avocados are on sale! The first time I went they were 3/$1, second time - 4/$1; third time - 5/$1!!!; fourth time back to 3/$1 - which is still AMAZING! These prices are for the smaller avocados, but still! Its a great price! SALSA: Last time I was there I bought some of their salsa and some of their chimmichurri roja. Holy crap! The salsa was good, but really spicy. The woman behind the counter warned me that the chimmichurri was spicy and I should have taken that as a hint. Holy crap! It could have burned me a new one if I had any more than I did! lol not for me I guess. I'll stick to the regular salsa. BAKERY: I do try some of their pan dulces (sweet breads) each time I go in. Not a fan of their pineapple upside down cake (mine is better). However their bread pudding (which is labeled something funny like "buddin") is out of this world! A huge square of it for super cheap (3/1.59 or something). I don't know the exact price...whatever it is, it's worth it! mmm.... OVERALL: Overall this place has a great selection, friendly staff, and great prices. I love it! Anyway, I'm going back today. This is the best place I've found to get avocados and the roommate and i are making sushi today :) read more

This place is just fun! As soon as you walk in, you go through their bakery area. It will put a smile on your face right away. Everything there looked wonderful. Their produce section has very reasonable prices and items are fresh. They have a large selection of meat. There was a lady at a table in the front of it passing out samples of their fajita meat and various salsas and guacamole. It was all good so we ended up picking up some of their fajita meat. We will definitely go back. The place is clean and their prices are very reasonable. The people that work there were friendly and helpful. I usually consider going to the grocery store a chore, but going here seemed more like an outing! read more

If you want excellent Meat for grilling (see: Pechuga de Pollo Marinada) this is the place! Combine that with great deals on fresh produce, and a huge variety of breads and meats, and you have an excellent place to get some delicious Mexican-inspired food. Always a great shopping experience! read more

Which is worse? Moldy produce or wild birds in the store? The answer is both, they're equally disgusting either way. I wish I could say something good but there's nothing redeemable about this store. It's gross, the prices are higher than HEB... Please, save yourself the trouble. Do Not Go Here. read more

So my boyfriend's mom thought she was keeping a secret from me when she would come back with bags full of mexican pastries. Turns out I know how to read MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I just had to look at the grocery bag to find the name and location. So NOW! I can get the pastries that I want when I want them. How did I not know about this place? It is right next to the other Mexican bakery, Chuy's Panderia. But guess what.... I like this place better. I like the live Tilapia and Catfish that are swimming in the tanks, and the bin full of cherries next to the bin full of yogurt.... huh.... yeah that back section is pretty freaky lol. Not at all like HEB. I decided to deduct a star because I did not find the fresh salsa that was raved about.... that and the meat did look a little off, or maybe that's the way its supposed to look without the added colors and chemicals? Well I don't know any better. So I will say it looked off. HA! I did find the tortilla chips though and they had fresh flour tortillas that were calling my name because I put my hand on it and it was still warm Omagosh! I went to this place, because boyfriend's mom had brought home a bag full of pan dulce and one of them was like a cookie cup filled with cream cheese OMAGOSH!!! I can't believe there were as many there as there was lol. They are what I went there for and I got three lol, also 3 pumpkin empanadas and 1 strawberry empanada, 3 conchas (that's the big bun with the cookie crumbs on top resembling a seashell print) I guess thats all. I got the tortilla chips......... OH! and 3 large bollios, the ones that they make tortas out of. Mmmmm.... because what's her face brought home avocados and tomatoes the other day. that's all you need for a sandwich, avacado and tomato. I wanted to take a picture of the fishes swimming in the tanks. they were cute. lol read more

Came to he store at 9 when they open and they would not let us in because there was not a manager onsite. Not sure what that means? I've worked in a few jobs where we we've had to step it up ! Get with it El Rancho read more

Went for some marinated beef fajitas and riblets and ended up with just fat. Half a pound in fajta and riblets (dinner for 2) and ended up with just one fajita taco. I understand some meat contains fat but wow....this purchase was horrible. I should have suspected something when he grabbed the meat from somewhere behind the counter and not from the display case up front. This was the first time I visited this market so could have been a fluke. Next time I will request from the display case. Oh and take a clothes pin for your nose.....it smelled horrible. read more

This store has the best meat sales. Just bought some lovely chicken breasts for only 98 cents a pound. Bought some large shrimp for $2.98/lb the other day. I regularly buy their family packs of basa swai fish for only $2.98/lb (I believe it is.) I mean, HEB's fish is often in the $5-6/lb range, and basa swai is usually a tastier fish than catfish or tilapia. Now, most of their general merchandise is overpriced, although they do often have cheaper options on their off brands for some items. Oh, and their tacos de queso in their bakery is so good, although they are a bit inconsistent in how much queso is in them. The first time I bought them they were full of cream cheese, and the second time there was almost none. In that sense, I think they are a bit erratic, but I still am recommending them to my friends. All in all, I think one has to shop around to get the best deals, but this chain is definitely worth putting on ones grocery short list. Like last year I remember HEB had a "sale" on mahi mahi for like $5-6/lb, and at the same time it was on at El Rancho for less than half that. There are a few things where HEB is cheaper. Like I think their LouAna coconut oil is cheaper and their seltzer water is cheaper. Their giant generic containers of peanut oil. But on the whole, they are a ripoff, and I wish people in Austin would figure that out and give chains like El Rancho their business instead. read more

Love their bakery so much! They have so many kinds of bakery that I never saw before. I especially love the cake with white sesame on it, so yummy! The bakery is always fresh and the price is good, for $1.49 you get three cakes, why do you wait to get them! read more

Your rating of this store is probably relative to your expectations going in. If you're expecting it to be everything HEB is and more you're going to be disappointed. #1 tip - Read the ad before you go and know what you're looking for. I buy what they put on sale and that's about it. As someone else noted often they are out of stock on the sales by the end of the week so you want to try to get in on Wednesday or Thursday if possible. If you do what awaits you? How about 20-30 limes for $1, Skirt Steak for $3.49/lb, good quality paper towel for $2.99 for 8 rolls - toilet paper 12 rolls for same price - far superior to Hill Country Fare store brand. Assortment of dried peppers for those who like to rehydrate them for marinades and salsa. I also like their smoked pork chops in the deli. Half the price of the Smithfield variety at HEB. The downside? The produce sucks, selection is hit or miss. I've never messed with the seafood so I can't speak to it's quality. You can get better cilantro for a lower price at HEB which is surprising. I use this store the same way I do Costco or Sams Club. To buy the handful of things they sell at a great price in large quantities. I often buy 10-15 pounds of their skirt steak and freeze it individually and it last me months. The workers are nice enough, I don't speak a lick of Spanish and they put up with me, most employees speak enough english to get ya what you want and if they dont they find someone who can. read more

I love this place too! I've lived just north of Research Blvd near Parkfield for over a year, but I only went to El Rancho Supermercado for the first time last week. It's only about a half mile away from my home, and I can't believe I've been going an extra 3 miles to HEB or 4 miles to Central Market all this time for everything, when they have more than 3/4 of what I ordinarily buy right here in the hood at El Rancho. Who knew? I LOVE the produce, the meat market, the Mexican Cremeria, and the aguas frescas and fruit juices for starters. I'm anxious to try their Seafood. And the bakery...OMG! Tres leches cakes all lined up; do you have any idea what a hassle it is to make a tres leches cake? Seriously. I'm going back today to take my family. It's like a mini-trip to Mexico but SO much easier and cheaper. Polite, pleasant service. The only "con" so far- very narrow aisles. read more

I will go here over HEB ANY DAY! It's clean, the staff are friendly and helpful and the produce, meat and bakery departments rock! They have a huge selection of meats and produce- all cheaper and fresher than HEB. The bakery is large and everything I have had from it has been fresh and tasty. There are plenty of english speaking staff to assist people like me- Spanish impaired. I cannot say enough good things about El Rancho. Seriously, if you haven't shopped here, you are missing out. read more

This supermarket is so cute. It's decorated like a theme park, and it makes me happy to shop there. I feel like a little kid... I'm excited to go back! Although, I should mention, you may not be able to find everything you are looking for on your shopping list because it's kind of small as far as stores go, but they have more fresh meats and baked goods than the average supermarket, which is probably just what you need. I had a sweet buttery glazed croissant for breakfast this morning, and it was very good. I can't wait to try the empanadas. You should definitely visit this market if you want fresh seafood or meat or baked goods.... or if you just want to experience the novelty of an upscale Hispanic food market in Austin. read more

The shopping center/area which it's situated in is not the greatest. It looks unimpressive from the outside. But inside, this Dallas-based grocery chain looks really upscale. I wish it would take over the space occupied by the neighboring FAMSA store and get a little bigger. Maybe if it had more space, some of the prices would drop. Then it would be perfect. The 10 second way I can describe it to somebody is Randalls trying to imitate a Fiesta store. They have a really good selection of items from the Hispanic and Latin American community. But I noticed that some items (like pasta from Mexico) that I could find at the HEB on Lamar--were not stocked. It just seemed odd that this super market would not stock this. The staff though is very friendly and the items are written in both English and Spanish. The store is very clean and all of the items I saw appeared very fresh. I'd definitely want to spend time here. And if I had more money, I'd want to do some of my grocery shopping here too! read more

Please do not buy their marinated fajita.. My whole family has been sick for more than a week after eating that. :/

Go straight to the back, grab the marinated chicken legs, head home and grill them up! Their guacamole is amazing as well.