I had been to El Ranchero years ago but there were too many margaritas flowing to remember the food. I decided to venture outside of my Courthouse comfort zone and head into Ballston the other night. I just wanted something different or to go somewhere I hadn't been in awhile and not pay an arm and a leg. Went to El Ranchero with my girlfriend and the food was amazing! Really good. And a huge selection of dishes. I like Guajillo in Courthouse but sometimes the menu gets a little repetitive. I thought El Ranchero was a great little place and I can't believe I waited so many years to go back. They used really fresh ingredients…service was ok. We were seat yourself by the bar so that's always a little touch and go, but our drinks came quick (rule 1 to making me happy) and the food was outstanding. I noticed on Yelp they don't have the highest reviews. But I think it's a great little place and somewhat off the beaten path from the typical Clarendon/Ballston crowd.
i've only been once for an actual meal, and it was just okay — but my boyfriend and i are a huge fans of El Ranchero's margs and nachos. sometimes we'll go just for that, and call it dinner.
service has been consistently good for us; the staff is always very friendly when we come in.
Hmm, good to know. I love Guajillo, and I also like Mexicali which no one seems to like. Weird that reviews for Mexican places are generally so poor around here – I don't know what people are expecting. I grew up in an area with a very large Mexican population, eating Mexican food every week, and thus I'd like to think I know decent Mexican food tastes like…
Never tried it, might have to. I usually just go to Rio but that is Tex-Mex. If I really want authentic Mexican cuisine I just go to Taco Bell.
I've been once. It wasn't good. Apparently it was very good several years ago and then was sold (along with the recipes). Apparently the new owners are persian and never really understood how to cook the recipes properly (and have “improved” on them).
Other than my own firsthand experience, that's what I've been told… so I certainly can only verify that my own experience wasn't good.
We went years ago and thought it was pretty good. Based on this write-up I think we will check it out again.
I made the mistake of going to Café Rio to give it a second chance. That place is awful.
Our favorite Tex-Mex is El Paso in Springfield. It guarantees a food coma.
Never been myself, but friends haven’t enjoyed it. It also gets bad reviews on Yelp, which is somewhat of an indicator. Guajillo's the place to go.
Ugh, I went here once years ago and it was amazing, a true hidden gem in Arlington. I recently moved into the neighborhood near El Ranchero and was excited to go back. We went once. We wont go again. As people here, and on Yelp have stated, it's just not a well run, or good tasting restaurant anymore.
I live near El Ranchero, but never go because I almost never crave Tex-Mex except for nachos, which I get from Uncle Julio’s Rio Grande. When I crave Mexican, it’s either a burrito from Chipotle or tacos from El Chilango. Some may sneer at the mention of Chipotle, but I’m not about to pay $12+ for sit-down restaurant burritos. That just seems wrong.
I'll give it a try one of these days though.
jinushaun said:
I live near El Ranchero, but never go because I almost never crave Tex-Mex except for nachos, which I get from Uncle Julio's Rio Grande. When I crave Mexican, it's either a burrito from Chipotle or tacos from El Chilango. Some may sneer at the mention of Chipotle, but I'm not about to pay $12+ for sit-down restaurant burritos. That just seems wrong.
A friend from Mexico City once swore to me that nothing in the DC metro area is closer to his mom's cooking than the Carnitas at Chipotle. The burrito might not be authentic but they get the braised meat part just right apparently.
If the meal's quality matters more than your perception of authenticity, I'd also recommend dinner at Santa Fe Cafe in Rosslyn (1500 Wilson Blvd). It often annoys me when purists insist that ethnic and ethnic-ish restaurants shouldn't be allowed to innovate, introduce unique or interesting ingredients, or do anything that suggests their cuisine might be capable of evolving.
Their hours now seem to be pretty regular, which was not always the way. Great food, Great drinks, reasonably priced.
It's actually “on” wilson, not “off” wilson…;-)
I live a couple blocks away and before we had kids 7 years ago, we would go frequently. The owner was very nice and she seemed to care about the people that came in. She would come by and chat with us and get to know us. At that time, I think she had recently purchased the restaurant, if memory serves.
However, their high chairs were terrible (straps didn't work) and their tables are so high that their high chairs didn't reach anyway. We found it to be very difficult to take small children, so we stopped going for about five or six years.
We recently returned for their Tuesday dollar taco night and my food was fine, but my daughter didn't like her bean taco. I tried it and the refried beans inside literally tasted like an ash tray. Even after having one bite, my mouth tasted like cigarettes for an hour. I can only imagine they burned the beans and served them anyway, but it truly tasted like someone was smoking in the kitchen and their ashes fell in while stirring the pot.
bleh
That has really put us off and I’m not sure when (or if) we’ll return, which is such a shame, because we used to love that place. Not sure if it’s under new management, but it was not the same.
Aaron said:
jinushaun said:
I live near El Ranchero, but never go because I almost never crave Tex-Mex except for nachos, which I get from Uncle Julio's Rio Grande. When I crave Mexican, it's either a burrito from Chipotle or tacos from El Chilango. Some may sneer at the mention of Chipotle, but I'm not about to pay $12+ for sit-down restaurant burritos. That just seems wrong.
A friend from Mexico City once swore to me that nothing in the DC metro area is closer to his mom's cooking than the Carnitas at Chipotle. The burrito might not be authentic but they get the braised meat part just right apparently.
On a related note, for a restaurant that doesn't even try, Shophouse in DC (also owned by Chipotle) tastes more authentic than most Thai restaurants in the area. Ironic. Hot is actually hot. Mild is even hot. Unapologetic amounts of lemongrass, galangal and cilantro. Tastes like home cooking.
Aaron said:
It often annoys me when purists insist that ethnic and ethnic-ish restaurants shouldn't be allowed to innovate, introduce unique or interesting ingredients, or do anything that suggests their cuisine might be capable of evolving.
You're right, cultures evolve, cuisines evolve. However, my issue is that since it's such a challenge to find good authentic non-Americanised ethnic food in the first place, let's not put the cart before the horse. Serve me a good traditional dish first before getting all modern. Get the basics right first before getting all creative.
I was a regular at El Ranchero with the old owners. Their food was great. We only tried to eat there with the new owners and never went back. Their margaritas were worse and were my favorite dishes: beef/spinach enchiladas and empanadas. I ran into one of the old waiters soon after it changed hands and he said the new owners fired all the waiters and a few months later, fired all the cooks.
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