My husband and I were looking for authentic Mexican food in the area. This place was warm and inviting and the food was delicious. Definitely will be going back read more

The food, service, and value were amazing. Really good vegetarian options. I had a burrito and the plantains.

Excellent food. Warm atmosphere. Kind and attentive service! I Will come again! Cannot believe i hadn't heard of it beforehand. read more

La Rancherita - Some of the Restaurant tables - Mexican Near Me - West Chester, Pennsylvania

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One of the most underrated spots in the area. Super casual atmosphere, but the service is attentive and accomodating. Portions are SUPER generous, entrees are $20 and you get two full meals worth of food. The food feels homemade in a good way. We got the barbacoa entree and quesabirria tacos, and everything on the plate felt like it had effort put into it, including the rice and beans. The red and green salsas were fantastic, though you have to ask for them. Only critiques: the barbacoa could've been a little more fall-apart tender, and I wish they gave you something with the tortillas to cut through the richness--onions, salsa, radishes, cilantro, etc. read more

favorite mexican food spot in town! service is always very welcoming and quick. my favorite thing to order is the Quesabirria! read more

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I just had the most fantastic lunch at La Rancherita! I'm originally from California so I have pretty high standards for Mexican food. I ordered chips and salsa and the chips came straight from the fryer so I had to wait for a minute for them to cool off. This salsa was very flavorful with just the right balance of heat and freshness. I had carnitas tacos with their handmade tortillas which were excellent. The meat was really flavorful, tender, and juicy. The Mexican rice was just the way I like it as well. The restaurant is so bright and cheerful and the gentleman who served me was friendly and very helpful. Can't wait to go again! read more

I grew up in Mexico eating the best food that the world has to offer. This restaurant is on par with the restaurants back in Mexico. Couldn't recommend it more. Service is always amazing and the environment is so cool and welcoming. read more

This place is as delicious Mexican as I have been able To find on the east coast. I had a steak Gordita which was incredible. My husband had a carnitas platter which was also yummy. And our daughter had a chicken taco with beans and rice. The meat was all so well done and flavorful. And the service was so wonderful. The you g man serving us even brought our daughter a sucker at the end of our meal. So thoughtful. We will definitely come back! read more

I'm an out of towner but was craving something authentic and this hit the spot. There's no reason why lil ole me should have ordered all this food but I put a big dent in it all. The tacos were amazing (pastor); plenty of meat that was very juicy and larger than the street taco I'm used to back home. The Quesadilla Frita was PACKED full of juicy, flavorful chicken and although the dough was a little underdone to my liking, I still enjoyed it throughly. read more

La Rancherita - Tacos Al pastor y quesadilla frita con pollo - Mexican Near Me - West Chester, Pennsylvania

Wow! First time here and loving it! It has a fun, authentic atmosphere and our waitress was friendly. We ordered some simple nachos while we waited for our takeout and even they were amazing. Honestly the best nachos I've ever had and there wasn't even much to them! I'm definitely coming back when I get another craving for Mexican food. read more

Top two not two, in west Chester, very authentic food and made fresh go her, service is good aswell

When we walked in there were no other customers and we couldn't even tell if they were open for dine in or not. An employee stepped behind the counter and saw us but gave us no greeting at all. We approached and asked if they were doing dine in. She said yes but didn't tell us if it was seat yourself or not until we awkwardly started moving to a table. The salsa was not bad but the chips were almost stale. They still had a good flavor but they weren't crispy at all. The Torta Cubana was a huge portion for the price. I would have liked a sauce of some sort for it as it was a bit dry, but other than that it was very good and I would get it again. The Cucumber salad did not come with a dressing, other than that it was an average salad. Masks are required, but they don't serve fountain drinks, you pick the drinks you want out of a cooler and at least 1 person got up and got a drink without putting on their mask, and no one said anything to them while they were walking through pretty much the whole dining area. Another gentleman had a mask but did not have it up for almost 5 minutes. I couldn't tell if someone told him to put it on or if he noticed himself it wasn't up, but he was in direct line of site of one of the employees who didn't say anything. read more

Fresh and delicious! Quick service and helpful staff. Can't wait to go back. Had a chicken burrito and was so big I ate it over 3 meals.

La Rancherita has been consistently good for years now. I haven't had anything I don't like from here. The rice and beans are my favorite, the tortillas are always so fresh, warm and flavorful. I'm a huge fan of their steak and cactus burrito, it's always huge and very filling and the price is on point. Another favorite of mine is the fajitas mixtas. I will continue to come here for a long time. read more

This is by far the best Mexican restaurant in the area. It looks homey and the people are very friendly. The tacos al Pastor are the best tacos i tried in my life since they go for the real recipes and not a texmex copy As it is a family restaurant the food is quite delicious i tried the pozole and it surprised me how good it was. Truly the most authentic restaurant if you want Real Mexican food. And don't forget you green salsa read more

Sick Mexican ambiance in here, you just know you're about to get some real Mexican grub when you walk in. My steak gordita and chicken tamale were amazing full of flavor. Chips were pretty mid, kinda disappointing, guac was sick though. Love this place read more

La Rancharita is a great place to get food in west chester. If you are looking for the traditional taste of Mexican rices, meats and sauces this is the place to be! Inside is a beautiful and comfortable setting for friends or family! Beautiful decoration and the colorful environment makes you feel en la casa! I ordered the sincronizada with tinga pollo and mole on the side. I received a healthy portion of beans and rice which were delicious. The sincronizada was packed with tinga, sour cream and cheese. The tortilla was perfectly crunchy and the tinga was marinated deliciously. The mole is a dry and sweet sauce. This mole in particular was earthy and complimented the tinga. A side tamale was ordered and was one of the best I've had. The presentation was appetizing and when coupled with a perfect consistency and balanced flavor it makes a great side dish. I would definitely recommend this restaurant it is amazing! read more

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This place has won my heart. I feel conflicted because I love Don Gabriel's so much...but La Rancherita's pastor tacos are so mouth-watering, it leaves me sopping up every last bit from my plate. Chilaquiles have to be my favorite Mexican food. The battle is ON between these two authentic places. I go back & forth, but I have to say that Rancherita gives more for the $$. Both taste GREAT though. BYOB, cash only. The menu features all the entrees, but the tacos/tortas/burritos are not in the menu. They are on a little list that's taped to the counter. They add a lot of cilantro, which I love. And? My kid LOVES this place. The spanish music channel on TV, the self serve fridge, and tinga tacos keep her asking to return. read more

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Finally had a chance to check this place out after almost a year of wanting to go. I cannot say it lived up to Yelp's hype. The food was OK. We started with complimentary chips and salsa. The salsa was decent, far better than store brand but still didn't pack any really interesting flavor. The chips were not good. They tasted a bit like fried paper and had just an odd mild chalky grit to them. They also lacked adequate seasoning and residual oil. As for my main dish, I ordered Chicken Enchiladas with rice and refried beans. The beans and rice were excellent together. The beans had a complex garlicky flavor profile was was nicely absorbed by the short grain yellow rice. The rice was perfectly cooked and had a well developed savoury flavor. The enchiladas came topped with lettuce and avocado, neither of which shown with freshness. In fact, the avocados has some significant visible oxidation signs (dark spots.) The enchiladas themselves were really just alright. The chicken inside was just a but dry and lack a complex flavor profile. This could have been enhanced with additional chiles, seasoning, and aromatics within the enchiladas themselves. I believe the fat content of the enchiladas was to low, likely because of an off-balanced ratio of thigh to breast. This place was OK for me. I won't seek out another meal here, but I wouldn't turn down an offer to come back if the opportunity presented itself. Dona Linda, to the west of town, has significantly better Mexican food based upon the limited experience I've had with both. Check them out before to seek out La Rancherita. read more

Such amazing Mexican food and it's owned by a super nice family. I'm obsessed with their sopes, tamales, fried plantains, and horchata (it's homemade!). The prices are very affordable for such great quality food. read more

I loved this place! Good and fresh food. Before your order the waiter brings to you a sample meats they have, there'r more than five kinds. We was in 7 girls nad everybody liked the food. To choose your drink, there'r a big fridge and you can go and grab your on drink, no sales alcoholic drinks. There're a lot of different Mexican drinks. I loved the jalapeños extras, guacamole and the apple soda. read more

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Wow. Such a find. Thank you yelp for your culinary prowess in finding this very authentic mexican restaurant near home. If you are looking for mexican american food look elsewhere. However if your looking for food that you may find emanating from a Mexican household then La Rancherita is the place to go. We had the dos gorditas and the chicken mole platters and we were not disaapointed. I look forward to the other menu choices. Ps the restsurant was filled with mexican families dining , which only validates its authenticity. Again. Yelpers its a must try. read more

La Rancherita - dos gorditas. Yummy. Try the carnitas - Mexican Near Me - West Chester, Pennsylvania

This is our top choice for Mexican food. We are from Arizona & while it's not Sonoran Mexican food, it's authentic Mexican family cooking. Prices are reasonable, food is super tasty-I'd say the only draw back is that they might need a bigger space! read more

Quite possibly the best Mexican food I've had since moving from Chicago to the east coast. Comfortable, friendly, delicious... very impressed. read more

My husband and I headed out to West Chester after seeing the Yelp reviews for La Rancherita. We were immediately seated upon arrival and served fresh chips and three types of salsa: a mild red, a hot red, and a medium green. The hot red one had a smokey chipotle pepper flavor and packed some heat. The green tomatillo one had amazing flavor and was slightly tart. The mild one was rather boring, but my husband, who isn't much into heat, was happy with it. The chips were piping hot and nice and crisp. This was an excellent start. Sadly, the rest of the meal didn't live up to our expectations. I ordered the gorditas with chicken since it said it was made with homemade tortillas. My husband ordered the chicken enchiladas with mole. Everything came out within ten minutes. The texture of the tortillas used to make my gorditas was excellent as they were chewy inside and crisp outside. However, the filling inside (chicken, iceberg lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sour cream) was just not memorable flavor wise. It was just okay. I put salsa on it which helped to add flavor. My husband said his enchiladas were typical of any American Mexican restaurant you'd walk into. Everything was good, but it wasn't something I we would drive 40 minutes for again. The drinks are self-serve from a fridge on the left wall. They are a lot of Jarritos sodas. I always go for tamarind. It took us a minute to find it, but there is a bottle opener in the middle of the restaurant connected to a post. The service was good, and you get a very large amount of food. I couldn't finish all mine. However, there are no prices on the menu which is a bit frustrating. Our bill was around $26 for two people with Jarritos sodas. They do take cards, which is good because it's hard to know how much cash you'd need up front. I would go back if I was in the area. However, I don't think I would travel more than ten or fifteen minutes for this. read more

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Best Mexican restaurant in the area. Barbacoa and steak tacos are the best. Always fresh and the price can't be beat for the quality. Do it

Wow. 5 times now & no disappointment. Lived in Chicago for 20 yrs where taco joints were on every corner & this satisfies my every craving. Good service, cheap, fast & filling. I believe it's byob too. read more

Came here with a group of friends after working out and we were extremely hungry. We had to wait one whole hour for our food to come out (meanwhile they were bringing many plates of food out to other guests who came in AFTER us, and even giving out pickup orders. Considering one of our friends spoke fluent Español, there should have been no miscommunication.. The waiter would come up every 10 minutes just to tell us that they don't have Chips, avocados, salsa, or guacamole.... Which my friend ordered chorizo and they put two little rabbit size pellets of chorizo and they REPLACED the rest with bottom of the barrel pieces of skirt steak. They could have simply just said we are out of everything and we would have left. But no. They simply let us sit there, not even with drinks for 30 minutes. The restaurant and the bathroom are dirty and gross. I noticed they have party lasers and lights, so it seems they just run this place to throw parties. This isn't a restaurant. This place needs to be shut down. Absolutely terrible and will definitely not be coming back here ever again. Listen to me, there are much better Mexican restaurants in the area than this garbage. If you're reading this, do not support them. Thank me later. read more

We ordered food to go, told the staff we read positive reviews. They happily said you will enjoy our food. And boy did we, each of us got something different: from beef tacos, to chicken enchiladas, and fajitas! All were excellent, nothing left over. Make it a point to seek this establishment. read more

By far the best Mexican food in West Chester. Authentic and delicious!!! Family owned and run with love, the food is flavorful and out of this world. Their barbacoa is BOMB. Seriously, just eat here. read more

Frequent this place often because the food is always great and prices are amazing. I would recommend it. Chips and Salsa! read more

O. M. Gosh! I am from Texas (home of authentic Mex food) and here visiting my honey. The food is fabu! The setting is what you should expect: very authentic as well! Honey had carne asana and I had the previously raved about chilaquiles. Not disappointed! Everything so fresh and wonderful. Tips: bring cash and booze, speak Spanish, and ask for a chilled glass for your beer (un vaso para mi cerveza, por favor). Visit! Eat! Enjoy! And yelp your review!! read more

Admittedly, I went to West Chester last Sunday to visit my favorite Mexican spot--Senora's--however I was saddened to read a sign posted in the window that, due to the tragic death of one of their cooks, the restaurant will be closed on Sundays indefinitely. I immediately felt guilty as my first thoughts were not condolences but whiny little Lucille Ball-like bitch fits. "Waaaaaaaaaah...whyyyyyyy Ricky?" Once I pulled myself together--after some mild hypervenilation in the car and frantic Yelping in a desperate attempt to find decent Mexican food--I stumbled upon La Rancherita which was, literally, a block away from my beloved Senora's. I pulled into the parking lot and felt like a cheating spouse as I looked around guiltily as if an employee of Senora's was secretly watching me. If your idea of good Mexican fare is a gordita from Taco Bell, stay far, far away from this place! This tiny Mexican grocery store/cantina/discoteca is the real deal--serving both goat and nopales (cactus) on its menu. I had the mixed fajitas--nicely seasoned chicken, shrimp, and bistec (steak) served with sliced avocado, refried beans (with queso fresco), rice, and a basket of piping hot tortillas. I asked for nopales on the side as well and washed it all down with a bottle of tamarind juice. It was a nice way to spend a Sunday evening while watching World Cup coverage. However, I can't say that I'll be abandoning Senora's any time soon. read more

I realized as soon as I tasted my first bite that I had never had delicious Mexican food before today. La Rancherita is casual & very brightly colored (bring your sunglasses bright,) but is so incredibly charming. When you walk in, there are numbered meals reminiscent of a generic chinese restaurant & a Spanish soap on the tele. I went around lunch time and went to the counter to order. A lot of people seem to call in for take out since there was a somewhat steady stream of people in and out. As mentioned in another review, you can't see the prices, but they are reasonable. I paid $11 for an enchilada meal with beans and rice. The portions lasted me for two meals instead of one & the taste was just wow. Most of the time I do not really enjoy Mexican faire, but today I really did. Everything tasted warm and rich. You should try it yourself! It's kind of hard to spot if you're not looking for it since it's at the back of the parking lot by Rita's water ice. Look carefully next time & you'll be happy you stopped in CONCLUSION: Authentic from the food to the soaps Quality: swoon Price: thumbs up read more

Very simple setting. One side is a Mexican grocery, the other is a restaurant with tables. Outdoor seating as well. Traditional dishes, big portions. Knowing a little Spanish may help the ordering process. Ask for salsa verde y roja to go with your meal. I had breakfast before going to Pete's to wash my car. Ordered the huevos al gusto which comes with eggs, rice, refried beans, a little greenery, tortillas, and avocado. The menu showed it as eggs sunny side up but it came scrambled with chorizo sausage. Something lost in my ordering process. Regardless it was a great breakfast. Not super cheap at $9, but filling and healthy (cereal for breakfast, boo). Cash only please. read more

At first I was skeptical based on the looks of it on the outside/inside..kind of looks like it used to be a 7-11. We walked in and there were a bunch of multicolored tables, we weren't sure if we just sit down or if we wait to be seated. We eventually sat down and ordered from the menu- upon looking through the menu I noticed a lot of it was in spanish and the other customers were all spanish, latino, etc so i figured that had to be a good sign. The prices were very affordable. I ordered the guacamole and the gorditas. The guacamole was homemade and the cheapest I have ever paid for guacamole at a restaurant. The chips were nice and hot.The gorditas came and it was very authentic. The shell was made from scratch and the meat (seasoned pork) was delicious. Im not usually a fan of mexican food however this was really authentic and not your average mexican chain restaurant. I would recommend this to anyone who wants authentic food, just be prepared it is not your average restaurant service wise, just 1 person around to bring the food out. read more

La Rancherita - Guacamole - Mexican Near Me - West Chester, Pennsylvania

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Me gusta!! This place lacks any sort of ambiance whatsoever. There are about 6 or 7 tables and what looks like a cell phone store attached. But when you take a bite of your food none of that will matter. You'll be transported to another place. This was some of the best Mexican food I've ever had, hands down. Odd that there are no prices on the menu (there is both an English and Spanish version btw), but a friend and I split an enchiladas (4) platter and tacos al pastor (2) for about $8 each. Excellent price for the amount and quality of food. To add to the charm, on one of the tables is a large tv that is tuned to one of the wackiest and most entertaining news shows ever created. Can't wait to go back! read more

Great Mexican food. This is the real deal, not some Americanized flavor profile. Don't let the decor fool you. Bring cash and eat to your heart's content. So far this month, i've enjoyed Enchiladas Verdes, Tacos (Lengua, Pollo and Bistec), and Huaraches. Even the Menudo soup was out of this world. Better half had Chilaquiles and couldn't finish the portion . . . don't be afraid to challenge your boundaries. Cabrito would be awesome, and if it's available, that's my next order. The salsas and sauces are all perfectly balanced condiments. The chips are sturdy and fulfilling. Come hungry, bring your own beverage if you want alcohol or diet, and leave sated. Muy bien. read more

No frills, just solid, delicious Mexican food!! Pozole de pollo was wonderful! Nothing better than a huge bowl of chicken stew on a cold day, plus the tostadas that it came with were also perfectly crunchy and savory. My meal was $11, and it was a big portion. All of the vegetables were fresh, and the chips were also freshly made. This place is a gem! read more

Rancherita always pops up at the top of the Yelp restaurant list when we find ourselves in West Chester, noonish and so hungry that we're ready to eat our elbows. So, with no will and no energy, generally, to look further afield, we go. That's a mistake. The food isn't really remarkable, although some reviews credit it with being the best and most authentic Mexican in West Chester. That's scary, given the number of alternatives in the immediate area that I've since discovered, but not yet tried. I've also read that it's reasonable, even cheap, which it isn't. Either space aliens with no good frame of reference are landing in the back of Rancherita's shared parking lot and practicing English composition via Yelp, or WC Mexican food is generally abysmal. On our last trip, I had bistec encebollado adobado. The beef was tough and thin, almost like slices from a low quality roast of Florsheim. My wife had milanesa de pollo, although that wasn't their name for it. Again, sort of meh. We were both stranged out by the refritos, the color and flavor of which suggested the adaptation of butter beans to Mexican cuisine. Maybe it's a regional thing? Who knows? I suppose that we're spoiled by Norristown options in both quality and level of service, but this last trip was enough. We'll be trying another place next time. read more