Ranchero Cantina
“The drinks are great, the bar is fun, the service is friendly and the live music is terrific.”
“For appetizers the table ordered guacamole and the cowboy shrimp.”
“The manager is so kind and accommodating and they have amazing bands playing regularly!”
Ranchero Cantina
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Took one of my employees here after she won a scholarship. I want to love this place and rave about it, but the food (while plentiful) left me underwhelmed. However, the service was beyond excellent the afternoon that we were there.
We both ordered enchiladas for lunch. She had beef, I had chicken, and it was rather bland, a bit too tomato-ey. I have some favorites for pretty good Tex Mex, like Senorita's in Bloomfield, and this didn't come close.
The place was empty. We'd just left a very large meeting and I was thinking "wow, they could have accommodated all of us" because the place is large.
I checked in but didn't claim the free cocktail because I was driving. Nice enough place, very large, could accommodate a group easily, but I'd have to try something else to update my food review.
This review is based on my bar experience only, not dining in. I'd like to come back and try their food so I can update my review.
If you check in, you get a free cocktail. I got a strawberry/mango margarita and it was excellent.
This place is pretty spacious. Large bar with seating around it and an open area for a band with a dance floor. People were dancing and having a good time. The atmosphere was really fun. The bathrooms were clean. The bartender was really sweet.
This place has piqued my interest because I've never even heard of it before and it's very close to my home. I definitely need to come back for the dining in experience. As a bar though, it's fun, reasonably priced and has good drinks. I'll be back for sure.
I am a HORRIBLE meat snob.
Really.
I am.
We sat at the bar before the busy band crowd came in.
Bartender was overly attentive as we were her only customer.
We ordered.
Bar filled up.
We receive our meals, and within seconds I realized my "rare" steak was something other than "rare"
Told the bartender.
She told her manager, who then came over – apologized profusely and bought us a round of drinks.
The 2nd steak was PERFECT, seasoned just right. It was delicious.
Be advised – the drinks are sneaky and strong. Especially the margarita.
I'd go back!
Let's get right down to business:
Food is mediocre at best!
Free salsa and chips. Not bad, but both were bland. Chips were hot and crispy tho! It scares me when a restaurant serves stale chips. If you can't even move enough chips to always have fresh ones, what else in the kitchen is sitting there for too long?
Guacamole. Bland. Wasn't impressed.
Pulled pork sliders. At least the pork wasn't dry. BBQ sauce tasted like it had curry powder in it. Cole slaw was a big meh.
Tacos al pastor. Sauteed small pieces of pork tossed in sauce. Definitely not cut from a vertical spit. And they added pineapple to it. BLEH!!!
Fish tacos. Meh.
Mahi mahi tacos. Another meh.
Jalapeno margarita. I was so excited to see they had this, I was ecstatic to find out I could use my free check-in cocktail on this. However, it was too sweet and nowhere near spicy enough.
I went when there were only 5 other ppl there. Bartender/server was very good in explaining things and finding out other things – such as my check-in bonus. Overall, the staff was excellent.
I just wish the food was up to their level.
PS None of the taps were working. I wasn't able to get any draft beer at the time.
PPS If you're looking to fill up, their Happy Hour menu has potential. Maybe the wings or the nachos would be good, esp at $3-4. Proceed at your own risk.
Nice place to come for a drink and listen to some live music but not too crazy about the food. I wanted to try some empanadas but they were all out at 6:30pm. So I just ordered the 2/2 BBQ entree. I chose the zesty ribs and BBQ chicken with a side of Mac and cheese and collard greens. The ribs were a little dry but the chicken was moist and flavorful. The Mac and cheese was bland but the collards were just spicy enough and very tasty. I ordered a side of corn bread but my entree came with corn bread. It would have been nice if bartender who took my order told me that. The corn bread was way too crumbly and sweet for my taste. Overall I would come back but try something else next time.
I like this place. The atmosphere is warm & inviting & I love the decor. The bar chairs are nice & comfortable & there is nice spacing between the chairs. The menu has a lot of great things on it – too many – so hard for me to decide what to get! The place is large – much larger than you realize – there are two bars. There are bands on the weekends. The wine was good. We enjoyed the rib appetizer – meat fell right off the bones – just the way they should & the flavor was tasty – loved the accompanying sauce! We tried the taco's as well. They were good. Everyone was very friendly & accommodating. If you have not tried this place yet you should give it a try! I will definitely come back.
Just got an email notification that my picture of my terrible meal was removed. Sucks that the owners have to stoop so low as to remove bad PR on here as opposed to try to make their dishes better. Welp.
In the past I gave it a 3.5 for food. I have to update to a solid 4. They never disappoint the food is definitely tasty. They atmosphere is great. The bar is great. I love that it is a great family place early in the evening and a fun adult place at night. Again the management was great, they deserve a 5. Learned a valuable lesson tonight, if you really love a restaurant then do the owner a favor and skip the Groupon. I had no idea how much it costs the owner, especially if you used an expired Groupon for face value.