Casa Ranchero is always crowded, which typically indicates a restaurant with quality food and a great atmosphere.
In this case, I beg to differ.
Their "Taco Tuesdays" are only offered in the bar/patio area, which would be fine if you didn't have to navigate through their overly crowded patio area to get to the tiny cart in the back offering $1.50 "street tacos" containing about 35 cents worth of meat.
The typical atmosphere at Casa Ranchero seems to be 30-45 year old divorcees and the occasional group of 20-something girls meeting up after work for a drink. Everyone seems a bit pretentious.
Service is just alright, definitely not good in the bar area on Taco Tuesdays, but it's a little better in the restaurant area.
Since it's one of few sit-down restaurants in Ladera Ranch, I'm sure I'll be back, but I definitely would never recommend Casa Ranchero or consider bringing out-of-town guests.
I'm new to Ladera and love to find a place with a fun environment and good food. Casa Ranchero fit the bill for me. Â Jason is an excellent waiter and is always been so sweet to my mom and I. The entire staff is very congenial. Â The chips are to die for and I have to make them take the basket away before I OD. Overall a very good menu.
Review Source:About a week ago someone on Yelp messaged me about my review on Casa Ranchero. Basically stating, how dare I give a negative review on what maybe the only decent eatery in Ladera Ranch ! My review could put them out of business, etc... Obviously this is a loyal customer or investor. Like I said later in my review, I didn't care for the conservatives who hang out at this less than average eatery. When it comes to the 1st amendment ..."They wish YOU to shut up" !! Â I tell it like it is & sometimes...that hurts !! Bring it !!.............. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â PS: "Don't Look Back In Anger' ...but YOU just got another 1-star !!
Review Source:This is a nice local spot to go to if you don't feel like driving to Javier's (and paying those Javier prices). You can sit outside and enjoy a margarita. Â They have a nice happy hour menu as well. Â The guacamole is not delish but most of their other food items I have had are good. They have a fun taco Tuesday as well.
Review Source:We had dinner here last night, it was so crowded and had a long line outside. So I automatically had high expectations.
The house margarita was very good, but the jalapeño margarita didn't live up to its reputation. The taste was too artificial and had an almost slimy after taste. Everyone in our group seemed to like their food...but the service was SO slow. Salad was missing the dressing and it took forever for them to bring it out. No one came to refill our water glasses. Not enough ice either.
Overall experience was so so. I will probably go again since there is no other good Mexican restaurants nearby, but I will definitely go with a lowered expectation.
Impossible to get service and thanks for the schooner of beer served in a piping hot glass. Even if you don't have any cold glasses or even a room temperature glass, let me know and I will take a bottle instead...but don't give me your already questionably "cold" tap beer in a fresh out of the dishwasher oven glass. Ridiculous.
Review Source:I really wish I could give a lower rating....but maybe the health department will. We used to love going to this place for chips and margaritas.
However, we literally just left because there was a cooked bandaid in our chips!!!! See the attached photos. And yes, the Orange County Health Department will be hearing from me soon!
The bandaid was used, and means that employees are allowed to prepare patrons food with open wounds/sores! If this doesn't gross you out, nothing will!
When we showed the wait staff, they were also grossed out and understood why we were leaving.
If you want a great outdoor patio, and your health is not a concern....then I highly recommend it!
UPDATE - While filling out my complaint for health reasons with the county, I ran across this little tidbit of information from the county website.
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffoodinspections.ocgov.com%2Ffoodinspections%2Finsp.aspx%3Frecord_id%3DPR0055029%26agency%3DOCH%26violsortfield%3DTB_CORE_INSPECTION_VIOL.ENTERED_BY%26violsortorder%3Ddesc&s=7e6712fe72a666c28713e613caf7fa947258a4ff3e7387121ffd9e45922f9626" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://foodinspections.o…</a>
So.....needless to say, I'm not too surprised about what I found, or that other posts people talk of being sick after eating there.
The food was bland, the service was incredibly slow and the atmosphere was tacky, but this is South Orange County so what do you expect? The bill came in a CABO WABO sleeve, (even though Cabo San Lucas is not in the Mexican state of Tequila.) But the worst part was after we ate. Both my sister and I got sick off the food, and I had to leave a party early to lay around holding my stomach. Not the best way to spend an evening, or the morning after for that matter.
On the plus side, the chips were good and they allow kids.
There's a Taco Mesa only 14 minutes away in Mission Viejo. Go there instead.
I really like their carnitas here, and always order it with fajita vegetables only (no rice, beans or tortillas). I also like their margaritas, and their cocktails in general are pretty good. And their chips and salsa? Phenomenal. I would have to say that the real downfall of this place is the service. Waiting 30 minutes for a cocktail, and an additional 30-40 minutes on top of that for food is not my ideal. The wait staff is all pretty young, so my assumption is that they are also oblivious.
Review Source:Sat Night, Bar inside was not to packed and the out door bar and patio was hopping, it appeared that the dinning part was full. Â
My wife and I have been several times, all visits have been in the bar. Â
The Chips and salsa are up in the best in the area... we ordered taco dinners.
I had a 2 taco combo and my wife had the taco plate, both with beans and rice.
The waitress was super nice, the food was super bad. Â My chicken taco was dry and chewy and the carnitas was tough and stringy. Â My wife's beef taco was even worse the meat was all burned. Â We both ordered flour tortillas instead of corn and they got that wrong. Â The beer I ordered took for ever to get, should have had the water.
To top off the bad food and so so service, they had a beggar in the restaurant. Â The staff let the guy make his rounds in the dinning, in the bar and then it was not till he had gotten to the out side bar and seating did the staff show him the door.
Not sure what happened to this place but it just keeps going down. Â Maybe I will just stick to the taco Tues day night, the expectations are a lot lower, than when your having a 2 taco plate for $14.
An A-OK Mexican place in SOC.
A friend of mine and I met here for Happy Hour (3-6pm M-F, excluding Taco Tuesday specials) this past Friday for a late lunch/early dinner at around 3pm. Casa Ranchero did have some decent HH drinks and I had a couple of them -- the House Margarita ($5) was decent sized and semi strong and a Pacifico ($3) was a good way to finish off my meal.
We were told there were a few food items on special, including Street Tacos. I ended up ordering the three Street Tacos -- all three with steak. The tacos were really good and flavorful. What disappointed me was I didn't specify that I wanted the HH Street Tacos (which were $5) and the server brought out the regular priced Street Tacos (where were basically the same as the HH ones, Â but it included rice and beans (that I didn't eat) and a hefty price tag of $10.95). I learned my lesson and next time I'll ask for the HH special. Overall, though, the food was decent. We did have chips and salsa -- but, to me, the chips were way too greasy and not that great.
Service was A++ and included the bar tender hitting on us. Can't beat a little bit of flirting!
All in all, an A-Ok place! Would I come back?! Sure, but only for HH and if I was in the area.
Cheers!
Nice atmosphere. Â Comp chips n salsa like most others. Â Happy hour margarita was decent. Â However...
Worst, yes, worst Mexican food ever!! Â Attempts at traditional mex like carnitas was a fail. Â Attempts at mex fusion also a fail. Their "Mexican pizza" didn't even measure up to taco bell's version. Sad when you have to look to taco bell for ideas. Â Ceviche was fishy and just tasted like lime juice. Â Their "homemade" tortillas were nothing special. No better than nuking some Guerrero or Mission ones. Â And I cannot believe I paid South OC restaurant prices for this food. Â Ladera Ranch has so few good places as it is. This was a sad disappointment. We even went in starving, which makes even mediocre taste good.
The only redeeming part of the experience was spending some well deserved "alone" time with wife on a date night. Â Our lil infant stayed relatively quiet. Â
Don't go here...
I stopped here after a round of golf. Â I was looking for good Mexican food and margaritas. Â The chips and salsa were fantastic, I could have just eaten that for lunch. Â The guacamole made at the table was a bit bland and I would not recommend it. Â They had just added some new items to the menu and I tried the blackened salmon burrito and it was delicious. Â My lunch partner ordered the fish tacos and was disappointed. Â The margaritas were good overall but stay away from some of the crazy combinations. Â
Overall the service was good but we sat in the bar area and it was not very busy.
The only thing good here is the carnitas platter. Â The chips aren't half bad but make sure to ask for the dark 'spicy' salsa as the standard pico de gallo is bland. Â The dark salsa is their hottest salsa but has absolutely no kick to it. Â Service is a hit-or-miss at this place but I have had more terrible dining experiences as of late. Â I would generally give this place a 3 star (and possible 4) just on the carnitas platter but the portion size of the platter has significantly reduced over the past 12 month with pricing staying the same. Â Lastly, don't come here for Taco Tuesday... overpriced/watered down drinks and TERRIBLE tacos.
Review Source:I had to write an update after our last visit to CR because our server, Brittany, was amazing. Â She was sweet, she was friendly, and she was QUICK. Â We never had to wait for our drinks to be refilled once and we were served chips immediately and our food came out within 7 minutes of ordering it. Â We sat in the bar area at the high top tables and really enjoyed ourselves. Â We shared guacamole and the chicken fajita salad. Â Both were amazing and tasted fresh! Â I had 2 watermelon jalapeno margaritas and thoroughly enjoyed both. Â It was SO tempting to order another because they were that good! Â But I had to cut myself off at two :)
After seeing so many businesses close down in this shopping center, I am thankful Casa Ranchero is still standing! Â I really love the food, the drinks, and the decor. Â It is one of the few friendly neighborhood places we have left here in Ladera!
Being from the Bay Area where Chili's is about as adventurous as it gets, I appreciate a restaurant with a neighborhood vibe and a general uniqueness. The first thing I noticed was how modern and well-decorated Casa Ranchero was. The second thing I noticed was how crowded and loud it was inside and out, and the onslaught of unruly children desperately in need of arcade games and a ball pit.
We opted for the patio which was wide open except for one noisy table, which they decided to seat us right next to. The staff compensated by bringing three heat lamps to our table and offered us blankets since it was a bit chilly. That was really cool.
The food was all right, but I feel like it was pretty run-of-the-mill. I've been to some janky looking Mexican restaurants with food that was ten times better.
Basically, remember that this is a family environment and despite the fact it looks like a quiet, yuppie hangout, you will be bombarded by antzy kids and possibly served by a jittery waiter who overfills your water and accidentally dumps an avalanche of ice on the table. Classy.
Family dinner on the patio. Perfect weather.
Ok. I have been here four times now and this is just not working out. Great patio and huge potential but the drinks are just terrible, the food is really not that great, the prices are too high for the quality. Worst of all is this place is totally inconsistent with the food quality and flavor.
Life is too short to work this one into the rotation.
The salsa is no bueno! Being a California girl, I love salsa and this was not good! The tostada, on the other hand was good, and they even accommodated my request for carnitas with it. The carnitas, yummy!
My coke was a little watery. The place could have been a little cleaner but the staff were friendly. It's it worth a try!
The chips and salsa here are AMAZING. Speaking as someone who is obsessed with crunchy and delicious foods, they are good. They are really thick and extra crunchy and warm. Like come on. My friend and I literally ODed on them. They come in these big tins that you would see clams or seafood in and just keep refilling them and refilling them and refilling them... you get the picture. And the worst part about it was I did not have the power to say "No I'm sorry I do not want any more delicious chip because I am afraid I am slowly turning into one." Or something like that.
ANYWAY. I also had the chocolate bread pudding. Let me tell you... I am addicted to chocolate and this thing was so damn good. It was a big portion, warm and had chocolate syrup on top and ice cream on the side. GET THIS.
The place is cute and had a lot of big, comfy chairs to sit in, but I was with a big party so there wasn't room. The waitress we had was awesome. She was so funny and very helpful. There is also a live band on Friday and Saturday I know for sure. I'm not sure what other nights they have them, but they were good and fun to listen to.
So just to reiterate my time here, I came with a big group of people, ate about 2 1/2 tins of chips myself then my friend and I split the chocolate bread pudding for dinner. So I can't really rate the food or drinks because I didn't have any this time (hence the 4 stars just for chips and dessert). You better believe I am coming back to do that.
We live in Ladera and love coming here. I would recommend more for dinner/lunch than for Taco Tuesday, since it gets really crowded and the food is not so great on "special" nights. Â On Cinco de Mayo, they had a dip special that was literally like three small bean dips and chips for $15, which was pretty comical, considering this is a really low-key place, but whatever.
Come at the end of happy hour, score a $5 margarita at the bar, and then be seated outside for dinner. The food is really good and the servers are always very courteous.
We also love Infusion next door, but this is more family-style and casual.
We tried this restaurant for the first time yesterday evening. There used to be a very good Spanish restaurant in this location, but I guess they fell victim to the recession.
Casa Ranchero is owned by the Infusion Martini Bar in the same shopping center in Ladera Ranch. Casa Ranchero is a very busy place, at least on this Friday night, appeared people were waiting for 30-45 minutes or longer for a table at 6PM. Fortunately for us, we had arrived for an early dinner at 5.
Very few tables, which may account for the long wait experienced by some. It appears most of the space was dedicated to the bar.
Chips and salsa were quite good. Cadillac Margarita ($11) was excellent, bartender was heavy handed on mine, don't know if that is the norm or an accident.
When we arrived, the dining room was virtually empty, regardless, service was slow and unresponsive, took 20 minutes for cocktails to arrive. Our server had a distinctive odor of poor hygiene about her, so maybe her spotty service was a good thing.
I ordered Chili Rellenos ($13.95), my wife had Chicken Fajita salad ($12) and my daughter the kids' enchilada ($5.95).
Chili Rellenos were very bland, almost flavorless, refried beans were an unappetizing light tan color, they may not have been cooked long enough. My wife's salad was a mountain of lettuce and not much else, my daughter's plate arrived with a quesadilla rather than an enchilada and had to be sent back.
Maybe we ordered the wrong entrees, an adjacent table to us was served a carnitas plate which looked appetizing.
My guess is the restaurant is busy because there is not another Mexican restaurant anywhere around, but again, with so very few tables, it can appear busier than it is.
The tables, few as they are, are right on top of each other, so little privacy is afforded.
There are many better options, Fred's in Laguna Hills, La Siesta in San Clemente, even El Torito anywhere.
I might go back for drinks and chips/salsa in the bar, if I happened to be in the area and wanted a snack, but I will not venture back into the dining room or pick up the menu.
So I have been here 3 times. The first two times the service was terrible...typical of a new restaurant?? Maybe...so I kept coming back because I enjoyed my food and loved the ambiance. The third time our server was actually very attentive and I opted for Taco Tuesday....
However this would be my third and last time since I proceeded to get food poisoning! Need I say more???
I had high hopes for this place. The layout is fabulous. After I got food poisoning I called management to notify them and they never contacted me back or rectified the situation. Not only was I on the pot for 4 days I missed XMAS dinner :(
Poor form.
I'll be taking my business to Beachfire where they now offer Taco Tuesday.
It's a new restaurant, and while complaints about slow and unresponsive service may have been true early on, I can safely say that Casa Ranchero has risen above its early problems and emerged as an excellent dining option in Ladera Ranch.
First, the service. From chips and salsa to paying the bill, the waitress was prompt and extremely friendly. My diet coke was never empty, and the food was served right on time. They've definitely ironed out the kinks.
Next, the food. The carne asada burrito was huge! As were the tacos and just about everything else. The enchilada sauce was very rich, perhaps too rich, and might have overpowered the other flavors in the dish. I've certainly had better carne asada before, but nothing was glaringly wrong with any of the food I ordered. Chips were deep fried and extra salty (amazing) and the salsa was great.
All things considered, Casa Ranchera is worth your time. With it's charming decor, impressive bar, and family friendly atmosphere (although the family next to me was taking shots at 11:30am), this is a pleasant new addition to the South County dining experience.
Service was a disaster. Completely confused and obviously new. I'll cut them a little slack since they are still new operation, but not for long - the owners are experienced so I expect better.
The service staff couldn't figure out which plate went to which table, and I saw more than one setting sit while the figured it out. They brought our entrées, but not the tortillas! Took 10 minutes to get them, by which time the food was cold. At one time, I saw a waiter with very long curly red hear stretching his back, running his fingers through his greasy mop...glad he wasn't serving out food! Just gross...and I don't normally get grossed out like that.
The wait was far too long for what we received. Also, they claim to have some sort of agreement with <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fopentable.com&s=897c359bd752b4f5407d5ea86453c82be2d1913c8d0b51b18d81fc58f52a6497" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://opentable.com</a>...almost the entire 1 hour wait, there were many open tables sitting empty. I witnessed many people leave while I was waiting (foolishly). They apparently take reservations, which I would not expect for this caliber of restaurant - make them if you go, because you do not want to wait for more than an hour like we did only to be disappointed.
Chips were good. Best part actually. Standard margarita was good for the price
I had the Carmitas which is my yardstick for this type of food, and they were not even average - actually, probably rate as almost gross. They were crispy, which is nice, but had ZERO seasoning. Â I am frankly surprised that others loved them so much - maybe they just screwed up my order, but they were really awful...
Also, they insist on decorating your plate with lettuce and other vegetables that are no good for the meal you are eating and frankly look ridiculous.
The best part: the outdoor patio is a nice setting for a nice day, especially the bar. Unfortunately, it was not a warm night that night...and there is not enough indoor seating...so it is a double edged sword.
We will wait a couple months more before trying again, if we ever do...they have a lot of kinks to work out.
My friends and I enjoyed a late lunch and we agreed that Casa Rachero's chips which were as thick as we have seen corn tortillas. They are served freshly prepared and are so delicious - food for the soul. Â We ordered the carnitas, guacamole, and blackened fish tacos. Â They were all delicious.
The guacamole is prepared table-side and ok, the carnitas were on the fatty side. Â But the blackened fish tacos were incredible. Â The corn tortillas that the fish, cabbage and the sauce were enveloped in a very thin homemade corn tortilla, so that patrons can enjoy the fish and the vegetables inside the taco.
Just as with Infusion across the way, Claire and Lonnie, the owners of both Infusion and Casa Ranchero, have done it again, creating a classy, yet fun dining experience for the area!
The food was great, drinks were cold, service was spot on!
Casa Ranchero will be yet another hit and hip destination for anybody living in South Orange County, and it's family friendly too!
If you're wanting stuffiness where you are expecting to be waited on hand and foot as if you are at Five Crowns, then go to Five Crowns! Â
Salud!
I don't know what people are thinking to bash the service for a restaurant in its first week of business. Â We've been here a few times already. Â The chips and salsa are really good as is the tableside-prepared guacamole. Â I had a shredded beef crispy taco and the tortilla soup, my husband had the chimichanga and our daughter had a quesadilla. Â All were good. Â
Our service was spotty on the first night (as we expected it would be!) but last night it was terrific. Â The drinks and food all came quickly even though the place was packed for Taco Tuesday night. Â And, you don't have to buy a $14 drink! Â The Casa Margarita for $6 was quite tasty. Â
This is a good family restaurant and a welcome spot to sit outside and enjoy the sun and a few drinks. Â It's a refreshing addition to Ladera Ranch!
$14 for a shot of Don Julio?
That's what the bill said, and multiply that by 6! Â We spent $84 on six shots. Â I'm pretty sure you can buy a whole bottle of Don Julio for that price and perhaps even two. Â Oh well, lesson learned. Â We were already two sheets to the wind anyway, but that bill sure helped us sober up quick.
The food at this new Mexican joint wasn't bad. Â I actually wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was. Â The chips and salsa were tasty as were the carnitas tacos. Â The beans however tasted like they were from a can.
There seem to be some negative comments regarding service, but our server for the evening, Shannon, was very attentive, personable and patient. Â That being said it would've been nice of her to give us the "heads up" on the cost of the shots.
I can forgive the slow service because it is a new restaurant.
The decor is nice and the outdoor patio is a great addition to Ladera Ranch. That said, the food was not great. It wasn't bad either.
We ordered the Chicken Nachos and the Carne Asada plate. The chicken nachos were dry and bland. They would be great nachos for you to order for your kids.  The carne asada was good - not great. The chips that you get at before the meal were  tasty, but the salsa had a strong tomato flavor and not much of a kick.
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