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    Rancho Viejo

    4.4 (227 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 8:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Fish tacos. Yum!!
    Andy R.

    Went in for food and spoke with the owner. She said the credit card machine was the cause of the problem, and she had a new one. As I cannot dispute what she is telling me, and she has no reason to lie, I will accept this explanation. BTW, the lunch we had was awesome!

    Chips and Salsa
    Janet Z.

    As first timers, my boyfriend and I both had menudo on a Friday morning. It was so authentic and really good to say the least. We both also had horchata which could have been a little less sweet. The service was quick and I appreciate that when they only have one server doing everything! They could use more help in the front [my opinion]. The restaurant was on the smaller size so I suggest you call if you have a big party dining. I will come back to try different plates.

    Chilaquiles and hashbrowns
    Lizzy M.

    On our anual trip to get our Christmas tree, we stopped here to eat before our day ahead. Inside seating are is small but the way the tables are organized made it possible for 10 of us to seat together without feeling crammed. Our waitress was very attentive and on top of her game getting all our different orders just right. Kept the chips and salsa coming without having to ask her. I ordered the chile verde burrito and it was a very generous order. I could only eat half so I saved the second half for the ride back home. The sauce in the chile verde tasted very nice on the beans, rice and pork. My sister loved her albóndigas and my husband enjoyed his chilaquiles. Everyone else seemed happy with their order. My son was the happiest with this fish tacos. He said they were very nicely seasoned and cook perfectly without tasting greasy. Parking right outside and nearby. Easy directions from Yelp and just 8 mins from our destination.

    Pozole, fresh tostadas & toppings, & complimentary fresh chips & salsa

    I absolutely LOVE this place. Along side the neighborhood deli market next to it that serves delicious burritos, Rancho Viejo has delicious authentic & flavorful Mexican food. The aroma & service makes you feel like you're at home, they never fail to disappoint. I got the pozole today because I was feeling sick and it's just what I needed. 10/10 you can't find any better than Rancho Viejo :)

    Jim P.

    Recently came towards closing time. The only waitress, I suspect she is tied to the owning family, waived us in. We were. Larger party of 14, but it didn't seem to faze her. The food was fantastic and the service was Amazing! Good authentic Mexican food! I highly recommend! Cheers!

    Wet burrito de asada

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    2 months ago

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    12 days ago

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    9 days ago

    Great food. Great service. Fantastic chile verde. Friendly staff. Always leave with a smile.

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    2 months ago

    This is our go to every week. Love the food and love the staff . The food never disappoints.

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    2 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    5 months ago

    This parking lot has two'good' resturaunts but the service sucks! Got seated then immediately ignored.

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    4 months ago

    Always have a good experience eating at Rancho Viejo. Love the chips and salsa, can't go wrong with any of the combinations.

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    6 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Small restaurant but great tasting food. Been here twice. This time I ordered a Tamale and it was full of meat and very delicious.

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    11 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Casual restaurant. Very good food. This was a friend's favorite place when she lived in the area as well.

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Excellent food. Try the Pozole! Excellent service. Feels like home. Staff couldn't be nicer.

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Best green chili Verdi!!! Just the right amount of spicy. Service is always fast friendly and efficient.

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Amazing authentic Mexican food. Great service with friendly staff. Highly recommend this restaurant.

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    2 years ago

    Go to Mexican food here in Nipomo. Combos and burritos on point. Chile Colorado so tender and flavorful.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Good Mexican food. Servers are great food is always hot and made to order. Salsa is great and chips are warm.

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    1 year ago

    The food and service was good and the price was nice I would come back for sure not a large place but nice and clean

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    3 years ago

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    Page 1 of 6

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    Beso Cocina - Sopas dinner.

    Beso Cocina

    3.7(177 reviews)
    2.8 mi

    Please please do away with the consistently egregiously sh** music. For the love of all that is…read moreholy, Stop! Food is delightful. Beautifully presented and always wonderful. Service is great and we love this place. We would be here a lot more as we live less than1m away, if it were not for the god awful 'country music'. Please just shut it off. Your chef clearly has attention to detail and is a prodigy. We loved the tortillas and butter you previously served, but the freshly fried tortilla chips, fresh homemade salsa and sauces were delightful and a much appreciated prelude to our lovely meal. We love the speakeasy. The bartender is absolutely wonderful. Best cocktails I've ever had. I would argue he is the best in the county. Frankly I love to just request 'dealers choice' and he makes the most amazing drinks I've ever had. Fun way to spend a weekend evening. Can I please just say one more time, get rid of this horrific noise. We love the DJ in the speakeasy! So cool, and great music in there. Even if we are not completely vibing with it, it's curated and inoffensive. Can I say, what a joy to have Beso in our neighborhood. We love this place (just NOT this 'music'). We come in for breakfast/brunch or dinner and the music is so annoying/uncomfortable/noxious, that we leave before ordering desert, etc. would hang out longer, would be in more frequently if not for that one big adversity. It takes a month or more to extinct the unpleasantness of the 'music' , we come in and there it is, all over again and we are reminded of why we don't visit more. Please fix this!!

    If I'm being honest - Would not recommend, and will not go back again. It's not anything special…read moreand most of the food has no flavor at all. Service is really meh, had to ask for more water a couple times, and asked for a straw various times from different people and never ended up getting one from anyone. We ordered the jalapeño poppers, steak bites and the shrimp which were all very bland. When we asked the server what kind of cut the steak was, he said it was "just steak" and looked annoyed (or utterly confused, who could really tell). We ordered one of the cocktails and it was fine but also had no flavor. We ordered a few pizzas as our entrees and they were similarly very bland, and tasted like cheap take-out pizza. Again, would not recommend this restaurant to my friends or family.

    Photos
    Beso Cocina - The decorations are fun!

    The decorations are fun!

    Beso Cocina - Ceviche

    Ceviche

    Beso Cocina - Welcome to Beso!

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    Welcome to Beso!

    Rancho Nipomo Deli & BBQ - Watered down nacho cheese sauce with hard straps of over cooked tri tip

    Rancho Nipomo Deli & BBQ

    4.3(972 reviews)
    3.4 mi
    $$

    If you're driving near Nipomo, you have to stop at this place. They offer a large menu of BBQ…read moreoptions, including the area‑famous tri‑tip sandwich. There's also a full bar where you can order local brews, plus a self‑serve condiment bar to customize your meal. The staff was friendly and quick to bring out our food. Seating is plentiful both indoors and outside, with umbrellas for shade. Parking is easy, with spots on the street and in the lot next door. The architecture and décor give the whole place a charming old‑Spanish feel. The food was incredible and will definitely bring us back. The Emmit BBQ Bacon Burger was our favorite. The thick bacon was cooked perfectly, and the onion ring added a great crunch. The patty was cooked medium‑well and packed with flavor. This is one of the best burgers we've ever had. The tri‑tip sandwich was also great. We loved its simplicity and the moist, tender meat with very little fat. The locally made bun really elevated it. They serve BBQ sauce on the side, which paired nicely with the tri‑tip. The 50/50 basket is huge--we didn't expect so much food, but we weren't complaining. The onion rings were excellent. This will be a must‑stop on every trip down to SoCal from now on.

    For our leisurely drive from San Diego to San Francisco, my wife had plotted several stops of…read morecities she thought would be fun places to stop to break up our almost 8 hour drive. My wife is an amazing trip planner and she chose stops in Santa Barbara, Solvang, Santa Maria, Carmel, and Monterey. I'm a foodie and once my life pahtner told me about Santa Maria being known for their style of BBQ, I was looking forward to our stop in Santa Maria and grubbing on Santa Maria style BBQ. After checking the different BBQ restaurants on Yelp and factoring in our timeline, I selected Rancho Nipomo Deli & BBQ as the joint that we would experience Santa Maria BBQ. Tri-tip BBQ is the preferred meat choice, but Rancho Nipomo's version was okay and tasty. I enjoyed their chicken BBQ chicken and their chili beans were extremely memorable. Eating inside the restaurant was a little frustrating, but the customer service from their staff was much appreciated. Rancho Nipomo is located on the 101 freeway specifically off of Exit 175 and on Cuyama Lane. It's a short distance from the exit off of the 101, so this restaurant is a convenient stop if you're pressed for time. There were other BBQ restaurants in Santa Maria, but the other restaurants didn't open until 4pm and we didn't have the luxury of waiting around. Rancho Nipomo is located across from 805 Barbecue Brand restaurant and it's diagonal from Taqueria Los Quates. There is some parking in front of the restaurant, but it's mainly street parking. Rancho Nipomo is a spacious restaurant with plenty of indoor seating and there's plenty of covered umbrella outdoor seating. We ate inside and had to battle disruptive flies, so I recommend you eat outside. I recommend that management keep their doors closed to keep these pests out. There are large screen televisions to watch sports and there was a stage where bands play music on certain days. I liked the decor inside with a mural of Mexican cowboys, the California Republic homage above the tvs, the faux Gold Rush saloon as the backdrop of the stage, the Indian statues, and the decorative old school chandelier. The young lady behind the register provided exemplary customer service, other staff I interacted with were friendly, and I love that they honor Veterans like me with a free fountain drink. Besides Santa Maria-style BBQ, Rancho Nipomo serves Mexican food that incorporates BBQ; it serves burgers, sandwiches, and hot dogs; it serves munchies; it serves salads, and you can satisfy your sweet tooth with their desserts. I honestly did not know the city of Santa Maria had their own style of BBQ, so I was really looking forward to tasting what that style of BBQ tastes like. After perusing their menu, I decided to order their Central Coast Smokin' Combo because it had two different types of meats. This combo comes with a 1/4 BBQ Chicken, 1/2 lb Smoked Tri-Tip, Spanish Rice, West Coast Chili Beans, and two flour tortillas. It was a good amount of food because I had part of my chicken and tri-tip as leftovers, which was a yummy late night snack on our trip. I was looking forward to eating the tri-tip, but even though it ate well with the tortillas, I thought it was dry and underwhelming. The highlights for me were the chicken, the chili beans, and the rice. The chicken was cooked perfectly, it was tender, seasoned really well, and it tasted great by itself or in a tortilla. The chili beans were mind blowing, savory, addicting, and I wished there was more. Combining either BBQ meat with the chili beans and rice inside a tortilla made for a delectable bite. Make sure to grab all of their complimentary salsas to add some spice to your BBQ. My wife ordered The Cali Cheese Steak Sandwich, which comes with smoked tri-tip ends, Monterey Jack cheese, bell peppers, and grilled onion all encompassed in a fresh toasted Telera bun. Sincerely, one of the best cheese steak sandwiches I've ever eaten and I didn't eat it until I had it as a late night snack. We also ordered their fries, which were seasoned and delicious. Rancho Nipomo Deli & BBQ is a must visit if you want to indulge in Santa Maria-style BBQ. Their tri-tip was okay, but I highly recommend their BBQ chicken and their West Coast chili beans. If you're planning to order a sandwich, a Must Order is their Cali Cheese Steak sandwich.

    Photos
    Rancho Nipomo Deli & BBQ
    Rancho Nipomo Deli & BBQ - Brisket sandwich

    Brisket sandwich

    Rancho Nipomo Deli & BBQ - Catering Set Up

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    Catering Set Up

    El Tapatio - Camarones mojo de ajo.  Very delicious!

    El Tapatio

    4.7(342 reviews)
    6.0 mi
    $$

    Authentic Mexican Experience (might blow a hole in your butt)…read more..... My wife and I went to El Tapatio for lunch in 2023, but hadn't returned until another couple said they'd like to try it. So we went back on a Thursday around noon. Ratings..... - Overall: 5 - Location: 4 - Exterior: 5 - Ambiance: 4 - Menu: 5 - Food Quality: 5 - Food Portion: 5 - Service: 5...unless you're stuck behind a large group - Price and Value: 5 - Parking: 4 - Bathroom: N/A Pros: - Location: Very good for people between Arroyo Grande and Santa Maria. On Highway 1...the main street in the small downtown of Guadalupe. Only 5 minutes from our house in Trilogy at the south end of Nipomo. - Menu: Large. Something for everyone with a bias toward authentic Mexican dishes. - Exterior: Colorful. The bright colors catch your eye from the street. - Ambiance: Casual and colorful. It's fairly small, but comfortable and homey. - Food: Everyone was happy. I and the husband in the other couple had a #44 - Spicy shrimp with rice and beans ($25.50). I like spicy, but it was a notch or 2 higher. My dish gave new meaning to the word "mouthwatering". Maybe I'm more of a "regular guy" these days. Our friend with the same entree literally cleaned his plate. Our server said "I've never seen anyone do that". He probably blew a hole in his butt. My wife had a Chile Relleno ($20) and really enjoyed it. I'm not sure about the order from the wife of the guy with a cast iron stomach. - Service: Great when it was our turn. We arrived a few minutes after a group of 15. Since the only person in the kitchen was the owner, he was naturally just able to make 1 or 2 dishes at a time. It took 45 minutes for the big table to be served...then we got our food during the next 10-15 minutes. The employees we met were friendly and helpful. While we waited, they did keep us well stocked with tortilla chips which were homemade and warm. - Price and Value: Good portions of tasty food at a fair price. - Parking: No problem. On the street either in front or around the corner. - Bathroom: We didn't try it. El Tapatio is a great choice for authentic Mexican food, but remember 2 things. It's only open 11 AM to 4 PM and they'll be a looooong wait for food if lots of people arrive just before you do.

    Gave this place a try based on reviews of n different platforms and I feel misguided…read more Everything we ordered tasted deep fried and oily. Not much flavor, just oily. Service was friendly, but slow, and we were prepared, hoping the wait would be worth it, but we were disappointed. Not a place I would return to or recommend to others. A block or so away will lead you to a more pleasant experience. (LS) The bathroom is spacious and clean, so thanks for that.

    Photos
    El Tapatio - Look for the yellow building!

    Look for the yellow building!

    El Tapatio - Sauces they serve with their chips.  Beans with verde sauce and cheese, and an avocado cilantro sauce. Wonderful!

    Sauces they serve with their chips. Beans with verde sauce and cheese, and an avocado cilantro sauce. Wonderful!

    El Tapatio

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    La Pasadita Oaxaqueña - Celebrate Tuesday with tacos.  Asada street tacos.

    La Pasadita Oaxaqueña

    4.6(80 reviews)
    6.1 mi
    $

    We saw a yummy post about this place on Instagram and thought we'd check it out when passing…read morethrough Guadalupe. So glad we did! Sparkling clean and full of light, we were greeted by a friendly smile and digital menu boards with photos of the food. Order at the counter with plenty of indoor seating (low tops and high tops). We had the #7 Mole plate (a large chicken leg and a thigh), $18.99, served with creamy refried beans, fluffy rice, and beautiful fresh corn tortillas. The mole sauce was earthy and very dark, not sweet at all -- which was a new version for me. This looks to be proper for the Oaxaca region, where chocolate and raisin are used sparingly for bitterness and savory depth, so I was glad to try a new region's mole. Tortillas were perfect, fresh and light. Beans and rice were excellent. We also ordered the #6 Quesabirria tacos plate ($14.59), with a bowl of dipping consomé big enough to have some left to eat with your spoon. Heaven. Crispy, cheese between the consume-soaked and grilled soft corn tortillas, and fall-off-tender beef with a sprinkling of onion and chopped cilantro. No notes! Dreamy. A half-liter bottle of Mexican (real cane sugar) Coke was a worthwhile splurge at $4.50. Fresh chilled salsas at the counter, you also got a basket of perfectly crisp miga chips (more dense and substantial than average tortilla chips - I usually see them with Chilaquiles) and house salsa roja free at the table. Several flavors of Aqua Fresca were on display as well as a dessert case (empty on the Monday afternoon we visited except for the "Chocoflan" in the refrigerator case), plus a counterside fridge with a big assortment of Mexican soft drinks. We bought a couple of chocoflans ($5 each) to go; they were more like cake than custardy flan but also excellent. Cannot wait to return!

    Loved the salsa and carne asada taco. My husband had the carne asada tostada and enjoyed it with…read morethe spicy red sauce. Taco Tuesday special $8.99 for four small tacos.

    Photos
    La Pasadita Oaxaqueña
    La Pasadita Oaxaqueña - Pollo mole plate

    Pollo mole plate

    La Pasadita Oaxaqueña

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    Rancho Viejo - mexican - Updated May 2026

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