It was conveniently located near our stay. The restaurant was crowded on Sunday evening. We waited around 5 mins to be seated. We were given chips and salsa. The waiter was very knowledgeable and guided us to order according to our preferences. The food arrived pretty fast and it tasted Hot and Fresh. The waiter checked us frequently which was good. Overall we enjoyed the meal!!! read more

Ranchero's Mexican Restaurant - Pollo el Chipotle - Mexican Near Me - Pineola, North Carolina

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sitting outside Ranchero's in the middle of summer on a saturday afternoon waiting for the notary to arrive because it's northern carolina and I just got a car... I get inside eventually and after washing up get sat at the first booth right by the door which I suppose makes things easier for the lone server, so sure... I get chips and a fair rendition of salsa - mildly zippy yet flavoury - and ask about coffee (YES!!) and icy waters for while I figure this out. I opt on the Vegetarian A and an app while revisiting a host of other life choices. bowl of street corn burried under about an ephah measure of dried grated cheese arrives before my fresh black slightly bitter coffee... the corn is a little sweet for my taste and citrus forward rather than chiles but otherwise inoffensive. my plate arrives screaming hot so I don't dare even wag a finger at it, I use the rolled flatware to nudge it around on the table instead and ask for a refill on the coffee... beans and rice represent well but I could stand some chile-warmth here too. bean taco is mostly fun, a little soft from hanging out next to the rice but it eats pretty good. the cheese burrito is sweeter than hotter but nothing to complain about and agreeable as a counterpoint to one last cup of coffee :-) all totaled I'm not going out of my way to get here but I'm not running away either AND it rates very well with the locals who have been coming and going with take out the whole time. BTW: its Ranchero's now read more

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It isn't awful... but, it is pretty bad. This restaurant used to be Los Arcoiris, and it was good... not great, but good. At least, the food had discernable flavor and was reasonably priced. Now, the food is just flavorless. Even the salsa has no taste. The only seasoning in anything seems to be salt. The prices are about double what they were before the change in ownership. I paid $23 and ended up giving most of the meal to my dog. I will say that the chili rellenos was decent and the rice and beans were okay. But, I would sooner suck on a sock than eat most of their menu items. read more

My friends and I stopped by for a quick meal after hiking. We enjoyed some beers and burritos. Our table ordered the Guacamole Mexicano dip, which had chopped avocado, tomato, onions, cilantro, jalapeño and lime. It was pretty good. The chips were warm, so it was very tasty. My friend ordered a build your own carnitas burrito with pineapple, rice and beans, and cilantro. She and her husband shared it, and said it was great. I ordered the 12" burrito Panfilo. It has sliced steak, refried beans and pico de gallo. It was decent and filling. I could only eat half of it. My husband ordered the fajitas Parillada. The meats included chicken, steak, shrimp, chorizo and zucchini. He said the flavor was nice, but the meats were very dry. The menu prices were as expected. The staff was friendly. read more

Excellent food and service. We stopped after hiking up Rough Ridge and we were famished. The prices were so great for the amount of food! I had the chili relleno & taco with rice & beans. Hubby had beef and cheese enchiladas with rice. Both of us really enjoyed our meals. The chips and salsa were also very good. We will definitely return if in the area and recommend eating here. We didn't get photos of our meals, as we devoured them without thinking! read more

Ranchero's Mexican Restaurant - Chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Pineola, North Carolina

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One of the best Mexican restaurants I have ever eaten at. Server was so nice. This was real authentic Mexican food. The portions were huge and the flavor even bigger. Loved everything! read more

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Great food every time. Plus believe it or not some of the chicken wings around. Great staff. Drink glasses never empty.

Consistency is an A+. Always can count a great meal, with fast service and a good value. Our "go to" place!

We've dined at this quaint restaurant quite a few times and it's always been a great experience. The food is tasty, plentiful and always hot. The employees are extremely friendly and professional. Highly recommend !!! read more

Not fancy, but food is very good, lots of menu choices. Your food comes out hot and quickly with good friendly service

I love this restaurant. Whenever we visit the Banner Elk area, this is a staple visit. We originally stumbled upon this place randomly, only to be super surprised with the quality of the dishes and amazing quick service. It's a little quaint and rough around the edges like a diner, but it's great in everything that matters. We ordered some usual dishes and they were superb. We have been here 3 times now, and will surely return with every visit to the mountains. It's only a few miles from Linville falls and grandfather mountain. Thanks for the memories! read more

This place is GREAT! We decided to stop at this restaurant after a hike at Linville Falls. The food is authentic and plentiful. My fajita quesadilla was filled with chicken and pepper! All of the quesadillas were fried to perfection on the outside. The salsa was perfect (didn't have any heat if that's what you like). If we get back up to this area, we will be back!! read more

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Best Mexican food in the area. Great staff and prices are fair. Their lunch specials are enjoyed be the working folks and it's always a good sign when locals are having filling the place up for lunch. read more

I really liked this place! It seems like reviewers of Mexican restaurants always feel the need to flex that they know what's "authentic" because they used to live in San Diego or they went to Cancun for spring break or their cousin's husband's roommate was from Mexico City or whatever. Well personally, I just care about the food. My chimichanga was tasty and the price was reasonable. The guy at the table next to me seemed to be enjoying the beer selection a lot, which was OK since the restaurant is walking distance to the RV park. Anyway, I'll go back next time I am in town. read more

Ranchero's Mexican Restaurant - So authentic the booth is from Mexico - Mexican Near Me - Pineola, North Carolina

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Stopped here with four hungry kids after hiking Linville Falls. Drinks and chips with cheese sauce & salsa were delivered quickly to quell the hangry children (and adults!) Our group ordered chicken tacos, quesadillas, Alfredo burrito, and enchiladas. Rice and beans were fantastic. Everything was excellent and hit the spot for these hungry hikers. read more

We came into this restaurant very close to closing, and they did not make us feel unwelcome or rushed! Large typical Mexican menu...lots of choices. Salsa and chips for starters...chips were hot and crisp, and salsa was very flavorful. Sweet frozen margaritas. Everything we had was fresh and very good. We definitely plan on returning! read more

This is the best Mexican restaurant I have visited anywhere in NC or north Georgia. The chili relleno was spicier than expected. Tacos were great, enchiladas were great. Beef in the tacos was extraordinarily good. I consume a fair amount of authentic Mexican food. This place is authentic. I was missing having good Mexican food (other than my own) since I moved away from family. This was a pleasant surprise and filled that need. Service was excellent. read more

Wish we had Mexican like this in Asheville. The cheese stuffed chili rellanos and chorizo and pork burrito was absolute fire! They are structured similarly to a diner where you get up and pay at a register when you are done with your meal. read more

We picked this restaurant since we were starving and it was right on Highway 181 which we were taking to Beech Mountain. My family LOVES Tex-mex and we eat out at many restaurants of this cuisine. Now it looks pretty basic in the outside, but that ends when you walk in. It's festively decorated without being overbearing. The staff is nice and friendly and you can see into the kitchen in some areas; it was clean and well organized. The bathrooms were clean as were all of the tables/floors. We were greeted, seated and asked about drinks in one encounter. Appetizers were offered when the drinks were brought along with chips and salsa. Our waiter, I wish I remembered his name, was so sweet and kind. Now, onto the food. Oh. My. GOOD. This is the BEST Tex-mex we have ever had. Everything was generous, fresh, plated in unique and decorative ways. The proteins were so flavorful and their vegetable and pico were crisp and robust. Everything about the meal was perfectly on point. My kids asked if we can come back to these mountains every summer and make eating here on the way in a tradition. I agreed! read more

Food is always great tasting and served hot. Service is always spot on. Great place to go eat anytime! Always enough seating. Easy parking and easy in and out. read more

Casual, tasty Mexican for a great price. We had ACP and burrito a la diabla, both of which were very yummy and nicely flavored. Portions were nicely sized. Chips and salsa were also very good. Salsa was flavorful and not the watery stuff you get at some other places. Wait staff was courteous and attentive. Overall very good Mexican in a part of the state I wouldn't expect to find great Mexican. I'll be back for sure. read more

1-star review for both service and food. The food was bland and lacked seasoning, requiring sauce to add flavor. The waitress had an unpleasant attitude and rushed the meal, asking about the to-go box in the first 10 min of us getting our meal. The waitress also neglected to offer refills or inquire about the meal's satisfaction. If you're not a local from the area. I repeat do not go here. You will get the same treatment. read more

Decent food at rock bottom prices. If this restaurant wasn't in the middle of nowhere with practically zero competition, I think they'd be in trouble. However, they have a lock on the "Mexican food" market in Jonas Ridge and are the closest restaurant serving dinner 7-nights a week by about 10-15 miles (of curvy, mountain roads). At first glance, I thought their prices were a typo. $4 for lunch combinations? $6 for dinner combos? $2 for kids meals?!? Not sure how they do it. I'm learning my favorites on their extensive menu -- burritos and tamales are good -- and what I don't love/to stay away from -- guacamole, enchiladas. read more

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Was visiting the area for a summer trip. Food was good and great portions. Service was excellent. A great option for big or small groups. Large menu so something for everyone. read more

Excellent food and incredible service! We had a group and everyone was satisfied. Quick to fill orders. Quality of the food... quantity of food... GREAT! Highly recommend! read more

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There are not many restaurants in teh area, and I did not expect anything too crazy, but the overall experience was mediocre. The hostess/staff were quiet and not friendly, not a single person ever smiled the entire time we were there. The chips we got were cold, the salsa was bland, almost like it was pureed tomatoes or something. I ordered a $5 margarita and it came in a small glass and was as basic as it comes; no lime, no triple-sec, just low quality margarita mix with a small portion of tequila. We ordered dinner and the "beef and cheese" appetizer came out with the food. It was a heaping, greasy mess of low-quality ground beef and some liquid cheese mixed in. Very yucky. My son's taco, rice and beans were good. My burrito was okay, the meat was really overcooked and chewy, but overall it was good. I ordered rice and beans with my burrito and they never came out, and no staff came to check on us so I was not able to ask for it. No sour cream, no guac, no lettuce with burritos, just overall a very below-average experience. Our bill was $28 and there was no way to tell what they were charging us for, as the "bill" is hand-written abbreviations. The restaurant got pretty busy as we left (6pm on Wednesday), and this place must do well by location alone. There are so many good reviews, I cannot imagine how anyone could rate this place 5-stars. read more

Ranchero's Mexican Restaurant - "beef and cheese" - this was so gross. How can a cook serve this? - Mexican Near Me - Pineola, North Carolina

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Great food, great (and fast) service! Family friendly. We ate for lunch with 20 people and the staff handled us quickly. Great overall experience! read more

Food here was tasty! Ordered the enchiladas banderas, which is great if you want chicken but can't decide what kind of sauce. My partner got the 10" burrito texano. It was SO GOOD! Highly recommend that, and you're sure to have leftovers :) Our server kept calling us "friends", and I have to admit I liked it! Very welcoming place and plenty of food choices from appetizers to main entrees, to combination meals if you want to try it all. Very reasonably priced too. read more

Well prepared, fresh Mexican food. Service was on point. Loved the chicken enchiladas!

After a long day of driving and then several hours of snow tubing the family was very hungry. We popped open yelp and started looking for something yummy as soon as we had signal. Mexican and bbq were the only things close and the kids love chips and queso and so do we! So off to the Mexican restaurant we went. Nice open parking lot and pleasant outside appearance. Created as soon as we walked in and offered our choice of seating. We all wanted to wash up before eating and as I walked past the kitchen noticed the 91.5 health score. It had been rated just 4 days prior to our visit. With years in the restaurant business I know that the week after a health score a good restaurant/owner will be on top of the issues and have them fixed. The kitchen was open and looked clean. The chef was wearing a brand new hair net and gloves. My hungry stomach pushed away my concerns and seeing the clean kitchen I felt good about the meal I was about to eat and offer my family. The wait staff was very friendly and attentive. Our order was taken correctly and quickly. The food was soon at the table and looked and smelled amazing. The salsa was fresh and spiced just right, they brought a low/no spice version for the kids and a large bowl of queso with chips. Everyone enjoyed the meal and we were back on the road for the next adventure! read more

Ranchero's Mexican Restaurant - Yummy veggie options on the menu - Mexican Near Me - Pineola, North Carolina

Service always great, they treat you like an old friend and happy to see you. food is good, always busy says it all. I'm a big fan of their fajitas, especially the Del Mar with fresh scallops and shrimps. But, skip the Marguerites, have a Modelo instead. read more

The food is really good here. We've never gotten a bad meal here. Service is good, we eat here weekly.

While visiting the area we had the pleasure of eating dinner at the Los Arcoiris Mexican Restaurant. My husband had the Pollo Tropical consisting of Grilled chicken breast, grilled pineapple, mushrooms and cheese sauce on top. Served with rice, lettuce, guacamole, tomatoes and tortillas and he really enjoyed his meal. I had the Chicken Chimichangas (two flour tortillas, soft or deep fried, filled with beef tips and fried beans, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, nacho cheese and guacamole) and it was outstanding. We ended our delicious meal by sharing the fried ice cream. This meal is in my top ten best Mexican Meals ever! To top off a great dinner out, the restaurant was very convenient to our campground - Down By the River. read more

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Excellent food and friendly, helpful service - consistently! I've been more times than I can count and always look forward to going back. My favorite is probably the mushroom quesadillas, but honestly, I've been happy with every dish I've had. read more

Found this place accidentally when we drove by and had to stop. My wife's from Arizona and is a connoisseur of sorts with Mexican foods and says this is about the best she ever had (and I agree 100%!!). Food, atmosphere and staff was excellent (as were their Texas Margaritas). We were staying on Beech Mountain and the drive to get there took about 40 minutes. Food was so good, we made the drive a few more times to get more. AND, serving sizes were generous and priced very fairly! HIGHLY RECOMMEND and can't wait to visit next time we are in town! read more

Our first visit here and we were not disappointed. Our waiter made some suggestions, and we ordered Burrito Alfredo and APC w/steak and pineapple. Both dishes were served quickly and were delicious. Great neighborhood restaurant with good service & prices. We will definitely return here when we visit the Linville area. read more

Very delicious, loved the sauces. Very friendly employees, clean restaurant, authentic meals. We're happy we came here! read more

Ranchero's Mexican Restaurant - Burrito Bandera & Burrito Texano (right) - Mexican Near Me - Pineola, North Carolina

I have always loved this place. But today the corn tortillas were so hard we couldn't eat them. The chips and salsa were bad the salsa tasted bad. The chips were stale and so were the replacements. Like I said, I love this restaurant and I go here often, but lately they've been a little bit slack, I still go. read more

I didn't have the guts to try the oysters, but the shrimp were surprisingly good. Pretty solid Mexican place out in the middle of no where. I run around with a group of people every Tuesday. We find waterfalls, swimming holes, and other types of adventures. The local area is great for this, and I love the fact that we got to eat some real food without having to try and prepare it on the side of a mountain. This place seems to stay pretty busy(at least during tourist season), but there is plenty of seating. The menu is HUGE, as it is at a lot of Mexican places. Prices are reasonable. Food was above average. All in all it did what it was supposed to do. Although, I don't think they have a liquor license, which means no margarita's. Oh yeah, they have french fries!?! read more

Note that the hours listed for this restaurant are not correct, as with most places in this area on this app. Best to call first. Gave it four stars as this is the average but we could not eat here as we showed up at 9pm and they were closed where the app says they are open til 11pm. Just wanted to avoid this happening to someone else. read more