Avila’s El Ranchito

I love going to Avila’s El Ranchito on Saturday for breakfast! I get the Machacha eggs. Yummmmmmmm! They are so big I eat them for breakfast then I have leftovers for breakfast burritos all week!!! Try this, you won’t be dissappointed.

I have never had a problem with the food here. It has always been good and left happy in that aspect. What I am not happy with is the overall service. We had to constantly flag down a different server for refills. It seems as though the staff also uses this place as social hour. We were there for about an hour and a half. There were two servers in our area, however neither bothered to ask us for anything. They were busy talking endlessly to another customer, sharing photos on their phone, and texting.
While I do enjoy the food, the lack of service is enough to ruin the entire experience. So if you are compelled to go here, know the food is good, but the service is far from acceptable.

This location is great, I live near the aliso viejo location and its not as good. Cool atmosphere and the best margarita I’ve ever had.

The best margaritas in town. Amazing food! Have been going to this location for many years!

We really enjoy coming to this place as a way to unwind after a long day or to just hang out with friends. There are so many items on the menu that we still find new things to order that we somehow missed the time before.
The staff are always so friendly and wait on us without pressuring us to hurry or finish quickly. They greet us like friends everytime we come even if it isn’t a wait staff we’ve had before. The Cadillac Margarita is by far the best margarita I’ve had. It definitely gets a good buzz going and is large in size. At $ 11 bucks it gets the job done! Only once have I stayed long enough for two and it was a good thing I wasn’t driving.
The favorite menu item I’ve had so far is the Fresco Style Relleno. It has an open face poblano pepper with grilled veggies in it and it’s also topped with cheese. Everything was so fresh and my left overs were just as amazing the next day.
You’ve also gotta love the wild and busy décor. There are things every where and the vibe is fun that you can almost forget you aren’t really on vacation while dining here. A must eat at place for our family. Be sure to add Avila’s El Ranchitos as one of your favorites!

One of the last places you can get a real margarita in a REAL margarita glass. The plastic animal garnish always makes my day! The ambiance is casual and fun. The food and service are always consistent.

Great spot for good Mexican food! Prices are fair, portions are large and the restaurant has a great atmosphere. Have been several times, even during the busy Taco Tuesday and our service is always good. Staff members are very friendly!

IT SEEMS THE BAD REVIEWS EVENTUALLY SOMEHOW GET DELETED. I have already left a review and it’s gone.
Went here on a Fri night. Terrible SLOW service. Unfriendly staff. Food is cold– hot plates, cold food. We couldn’t even eat half of our food it was gross. Tasted like it was frozen before they cooked it and didn’t heat it up enough or something. So weird.

I’ve dined at every Avila’s in Orange County and this location is my favorite. The ambiance and décor is one of the main reasons, but also because Sal goes out of his way to make sure guests are happy.
Their caddy margs are on point and their food is delicious! I love their Avila’s chicken soup and have ordered it many times for a quick lunch.
I am also a loyal Avila’s customer because they are always willing to help the community with local fundraisers. They are exceptional business owners and there is a reason they have been around as long as they have :)

Fabulous food. Great ambiance and knowledgable and friendly staff. Luv that these restaurants are family owned corporate eateries have no personality!
Go to any Avila El Ranchitos and enjoy! We love it.

We walked in and were seated. However we were not given any menus and no soda orders were taken. About 20 minutes later we got menus and a drink order was taken.
An hour later we had food after eating too many chips and guacamole.
My cheese was not thoroughly melted in the enchiladas and the food was cold.
The portions are large for those who like an abundance of food. I’m not one of those people but I considered that a plus as I rather have too much food than not enough.
Even though my food wasn’t hot, I liked the flavor. The very Americanized somewhat tasteless Mexican food.
My husband didn’t like it as he prefers heat (spicy) and lots of flavor.
Our server however — Jesus gets 10 stars from me. He was fast moving, very attentive, customer orientated and polite! I believe that is a reflection of him and his experience. I liked him a lot.
The place as a whole, no.

Avila’s is by far the most authentic Mexican food you will find in so cal. The customer service is great and the menu has an exellent variety of options. My favorite dishes are the Avila’s soup, cheese enchilada’s, and of course the freshly made table side guac. Go to Avila’s, you won’t be disappointed!

Just get margaritas and chips & guac
Their drinks are worth the money
Not the entrées.
Trust me…

This is my all time favorite Mexican restaurant! I’ve been coming here since I was a kid! I’ve tried lots of Mexican restaurants, and this one is always my #1. People are friendly, food is the BEST, price is average and the decorations are so fun! There’s always something to look at.
My favorite is the 1 item combo with a crispy beef taco. Taco shells are perfect and ingredients are so tasty! And I love to get the table side guacamole!
I travel out of the country a lot, and whenever I return home, this is the first place I go!

I used to come to this place all the time.
The food is good…
But oh, the service… Tsc tsc tsc
They are not good and if you complain they just dont care… Too bad

Went here for Taco Tuesday yesterday. Place was packed. Food was great and the 5 of us had a great time. The portions are large and the cost is reasonable. If you haven’t been here yet you should check it out.

I love this place! That atmosphere is super fun and vibrant and they have the best salsa. The service is super good and they do awesome specials. They also have a great veggie plate which is rare for Mexican food

Hmm okay sooo I have some reservations about this place that stem from when it was a Taco Bell about 20 years ago.
The layout hasn’t changed too much from then and thus the layout of the tables is really strange and not very well situated at all. It feels a bit dicey and the food isn’t anything too special either.
Like most Mexican places, they do a variety of margaritas and tacos and a few are on special on Taco Tuesday but again, not really anything to write home about.
I came with some coworkers on Cinco de mayo and they put some cute little Mexican flags in my Skinny Cucumber marg but the food was just not at all appetizing, presentation is seriously lacking and service is slow…
Did I mention there is no real bar? I mean there kind of is but it’s stuck in a corner so there about 2 stools and a bench along the wall to sit… Boooooooooo.
Unfortunately there are just too many other awesome Mexican places to choose from locally so although this place looks cute and festive from the outside, it’s meh on all other fronts.

Great service, great margarita selection and taste. Ordered the chicken enchiladas with mole sauce.
The best chicken enchiladas I ever had! The chicken was super moist and lots of it. Most places crumble the chicken with sauce and chili’s. Big hunks of juicy white meat.
Great atmosphere and a must try if your around.

The best guac (I don’t like spicy however I do enjoy flavorful spices)! The guac is made with fresh ingredients right in front of you as you choose what goes in it!
The service was good. Great ambiance. Good daily deals. I’ll be back! :-D

La comida esta rica pero el servicio que me dieron no es tan bueno, me trajeron la comida fría y la mesera no fue muy amigable.