The Ranchito

Love this place! I find something I like and I stick with it. Found this place through Unilocal and a picture of Molcajete Jalisco snagged my attention.
Everytime I go through the Dallas/​Austin route I make sure I swing by here for the authentic Mexican food (unlike my experience in OKC last week!). Hubby cannot stop snacking on the chips and WARM salsa. Me? Had to stop because my regular dish has a huge portion and is quite filling!
Authentic tortillas basically forces you to order a second order. Too bad this restaurant is not in my hometown in Dallas!

The food was good, but the service was not up to par. I must have waited 20 minutes to get the check. So, food 4 stars, service 2 stars.

Came down from DFW for a day trip and found this place on Unilocal.Food was wonderful (mixed fajitas and steak ranchero) homemade tortillas are great. Felt like a neighborhood café. Staff was very friendly and helpful. We will come back!

Good food but terrible service. One of the worst service experiences I have had in Waco. They messed up three orders. It took over an hour to get our food and we had to take an order of enchiladas to-​go. Wouldn’t recommend this restaurant for a party over two. Beware of terrible service.

So I visited this place with my mom because she wanted some Mexican food and I told her that I preferred an authentic spot if we were gonna go all the way to Waco. We get here and I noticed the décor in comparison to this other place we visited in Corsicana. This was so much better. Anyway I ordered the Tampiqueña (order of 2 cheese enchiladas, beans, rice, steak, and guacamole) and my mom had the chipotle chicken plate. When I say everything on my plate was good. Everything was super delicious. Even the chips and salsa. It tasted so fresh. The pricing was definitely worth it. I plan on returning when I come back to Waco. Oh oh and the wait staff was also very good as well.

This place is amazing and budget friendly. Great place, great service, and even better food! Four of us came, we all ordered something different and none of us could find fault with anything they brought us!

it is definitely the best restaurant around Waco. the ranch has a great selection plates. breakfast and a variety of drinks go check it yourself

Great Mexican restaurant with a not-​your-​average Tex-​Mex vibe. I ordered the Gringos Burritos and the Horchata and I was wonderfully satisfied. The sauce is full of flavor and the service is on point despite the large party we came with.

This was honestly the best Mexican food I’ve had so far. I ordered the Mexican plate which was just great. My friends ordered the mixed fajitas and the exclaimed that it was delicious. In shock of how good it was. Next time I come down to Waco, I’ll make sure to stop by here again.

Love The Ranchito! I’ve had the cheese enchiladas and chicken fajita mini tacos. The food is delicious, and they give you a lot of it. I have never eaten inside but always gotten take out through the drive thru window, which is so convenient and quick.

On my way back to Austin I decided to stop for a bite in Waco. Found this place. I really like little hole in the wall type places. They’re usually gems. This place does not disappoint. I had the mixed fajita special, and although it wasn’t served like I’m used to in a piping hot skillet but rather on a plate with charro beans, rice and lettuce. They didn’t disappoint.
Served with homemade tortillas (had one of each) and an extra side of guacamole.
While it wasn’t a huge portion it was ample enough that I could not finish it all.
The waitress was super nice and friendly and I must have asked for all sorts of different things (limes, fresh japs, water, extra salsa.) I would be annoyed, but she just smiled and graciously took care of me without attitude. She’s awesome!
If I’m ever back in town. I’ll be back. Check it out. Good food, great service and great prices!

I love being able to write 5 star reviews and this place has many which is why we stopped on our way through Waco. It is a small place that doesn’t look like much from the outside but the food tells a different story. From the moment you get your chips and salsa you know that there is something authentic about it. We ordered corn tortillas ahead of time with chips and I can say with 100% certainty that everything that came out was homemade. We will certainly make the 45 min drive back to Waco every time we have a craving for authentic Mexican food!

Excellent food, very reasonable, very friendly staff. It’s more «autentico» than the standard Tex-​Mex joints. Was fairly noisy the night I went — several large families having lots of fun. You know it’s gonna be great if you’re one of the few gringos in the joint. And I’ve got to put in a plug for my waitress Christina.

Work so close that I’m a regular at lunch time. So close that its dangerous lol. I really enjoy their Tostadas

Visited Waco to see the famous magnolia market and silos. Love hgtv. Was so hungry prior to going… Stopped in at Ranchito. Not disappointed! Service was super fast, hostess and waitress was knowledgeable and friendly. Food was absolutely delicious. I ordered a carne asada taco and cheese enchilada. Yum! My friend ordered the carne asada plate… SO good. Very very cheap prices for such great food.

Don’t let the drive thru dissuade you from stopping here. This is quite good Mexican food. The quality is great and not typical Tex-​Mex. My wife’s beef and shrimp fajitas (#8) had a different flavor than either of us had ever had and a nice change from what we usually have at Mexican restaurants. My three taco plate was good also. The ground meat had more of a chili flavor and you can tell their seasonings are not pre-​packaged.
The salsa is fresh with just the right amount of Cilantro. Chips are thick and hold up up well to salsa and guacamole, which is also fresh made.

Happened across this place because it’s super close to my in-​laws’ house. Very tasty with really good prices and friendly service. We have to restrain ourselves from eating here too often. Great enchiladas, big kids plates, good drink specials, etc. The only thing we haven’t been out and out super fans of were the tacos al carbon plate. It was a little skimpy for them, but still good.
The quality you get for the prices you pay really is as good as it gets. I’ve had more expensive food that wasn’t as good, and I’ve had better Mexican that cost a lot more but this place is really the whole package as far as I’m concerned.

Muy Bueno! The food was EXCELLENT, the service was prompt, friendly and really seemed appreciative of the business… They were even packed wall to wall. When a place is that busy and the service and food is really good you have got to put it in your list. So anytime I’m driving thru Waco I’ll be stopping by.

The food is so delicious! Home-​made Mexican goodness!
Im shamefully full and we’ll be back for more!

Delicious margaritas, Tuesdays are $ 1.99 for house margaritas!
The food is amazing and they have an incredible amount of options.
Go here! Friendly staff and awesome atmosphere!