El Ranchito Taco Shop

This place used to be one of my favorite taco shops. Since they changed owners it has gown down hill. The food is completely different and not good. Nothing is worth eating. Pains me to say this, i wont be coming back. :/

El Ranchito USED to be one of the best taco shops in santee. Since they changed ownership, this place is downright awful. Carne asada quesadilla had no flavor, little cheese, the rolled tacos were soggy, and the salsa bar was a joke. Current owners better change their ways or this place will be belly up soon. I will not be back anytime soon.

Not the same as it used to be. It was take out so we didn’t know until we got to the picnic. The rolled tacos tasted stale. The cheese quesadilla had the bare minimum amount of cheese, and what was supposed to be a California burrito was more like a bean burrito. The flying saucer we ordered had a token sample of chicken and beef in the bottom. And to pay with a credit card they added a surcharge. We asked for extra cups and they wanted to charge for them. The only reason we give 1 star is that the quacamole was not that bad and the salsa was ok. As many years as we have enjoyed this restaurant, it’s a real shame to see what has happened to it. We will not be going back.

I’ve been here before but it didn’t wow me like I hoped but this time I got the call burrito it was really good it had flavor and was huge first cal that I had to have beans so that’s a plus in my book… we will be back

The ladies were very nice, but the carne asada burrito I ordered wasn’t as good as I’d hoped it be. Meat had no flavor. Something I’ve been seeing often when it comes to Mexican food in San Diego.

Really really good carne asada. And really good guacamole. Score! This place is now added among my top taco shops. Oh, and their bean and cheeses are the best, and I’m a connoisseur of bean and cheeses.

Used to love this place but after owners sold to new people this place has gone down hill !!! No fresh food. Meat taste oldish and has a funky tainted thing going on ??? Cashier was rude and the flavor is not there like it used to be. I was raised eating here at least once a week for the last 25 years. If you looking for great SoCal fresh food in Santee, go across the street to Estradas. Thier what El Ranchito used to be with much better food, awesome and great service (Family owned /​operated).

Just order a breakfast burrito asking for extra egg and meat paying 7 $ for it and when home I realized the egg and meat I asked and pay extra was barely there not even close the extra charges. When I call in to explain my frustration the owner she just said that is what they add for extra and she compare her value and quality to other Mexican location better than anyone else. I don’t agree since for $ 7 breakfast burrito I would expect much more for my money.
Done business with you guys!

I’ve been coming to this place since I was a kid and the service the people here a great. But as of recently it seems the quality of the food has been slowly going down hill.

I have lived down the street from them for the past 3 years and just recently discovered this hidden gem of Mexican food. I love their shrimp burrito, adding cheese and sour cream, it is amazing! That’s usually the only thing I order, but my boyfriend has tried a number of different items and all were good. They also have some of the best hot carrots around, they are similar to the restaurant Casa Picante which unfortunately closed down years ago. So all in all, there are many Mexican taco shops in the area, but this one is worth trying!

Not sure what happened to this place. I moved to Santee in 1991 and El Ranchito was awesome! On speed dial awesome. Hadn’t been for quite a while. Went tonight. Awful. Asked for my money back awful. And I’m not that guy. Phoned in my order. Shrimp diablo and my wife’s carnitas plate. Went to pick up, that’s when I was told no diablo. So I chose garlic shrimp. While it was being prepared my wife’s carnitas was getting cold on the counter. Still charged me full price ($ 9.49) for a meal I didn’t want. Salsa bar was nearly empty too. Got home, my rice was under cooked, shrimp over cooked and chewy and my corn tortillas were glued together. Couldn’t separate them. Glad I got my money back, but even free I feel like I over paid. Estrada’s from now on.

Breakfast burrito on the road can be tough, they made it easy. Friendly and accommodating. I will be back!

This was a last minute decision to come here. We have been before but don’t remember the quality from the first time. They have a good selection of combo meals and burritos but the list was lacking a surf ‘n turf option. When asked they seemed more than happy to make one. The surf ‘n turf burrito I had was ok. Not the best but definitely not the worst either. Seemed to be a little on the bland side compared to others I have had. As far as the salsa, there wasn’t much of a difference in how hot they were. Big difference in taste though. One was sweeter than the other two. We will probably be back to try another option on the menu. Be sure to clarify the type of guacamole you want when ordering something that requires it. You might find yourself with the American style guacamole that has sour cream mixed in. Not the best looking or tasting stuff I have had.

I usually come here on a Thursday evening before going to the Open Mic a few doors down at Kaffee Meister. One favorite is the Carne Asada Quesadilla. I also like a carne asada burrito. Sometimes I request cheese instead of quaccomole.

The hubs and I are frequents here for our standard hang over cures:
Him: Menudo
Me: Steak Ranchero Plate
Both of them are so delicious and fresh. We’ve been here a handful of times and it never disappoints. Exactly what you want when you get the craving or need to nurse a hang over.
Keep up the good work, El Ranchito.

Just ordered a breakfast burrito with chorizo. Amazing! Perfect after running some early morning errands. If you want a little spice to your next breakfast Brito I highly recommend adding chorizo to it. Definitely would order that again.

I stopped by this spot for a pleasant sit down experience and some menudo. The menudo was very well prepared and I will definitely be back for it. You can count on that! Yum!

I have been here twice. Both times my appraisal of the place has been a big fat «eh.» I’ve only been to this place when I’ve come to Mast Park (next door) for a walk. I figured, taco shop usually equals tasty food at good prices. «Eh.»
Yesterday I settled on a bean/​cheese/​rice burrito because they didn’t sell potato tacos nor nachos with beans. I either had to get chips w/​cheese, chips w/​guac or full on nachos with meat. At the shop by my house, a bean/​cheese/​rice burrito is under $ 2. Here I had to pay almost $ 5. Too pricey.
Then there is the vibe of the place. No one is ever in there. The woman behind the counter answered my questions, but I can’t say that she was friendly. On top of all that, some contraption in the joint beeped loudly every minute or so. I couldn’t wait to get out of there.
Even if I am in the neighborhood again I won’t eat here. So-​so food. So-​so service. Creepy store vibe. I guess giving it 2 stars is kind of generous.

I visited El Ranchito today to have lunch w an old friend who recommended this place for its…
CHEESEBURGERS???
Every mexican food place has em. It’s just no one really orders em. It’s often a dark and mysterious corner on the menu better left unexplored. Just like ordering steak at a lobster joint, I did the one thing you’re not supposed to do when eating at a mexican food joint in southern california. I ordered a hamburger.
It would seem hamburgers are actually on the rise in popularity in mexican food establishments and after careful reflection it’s not hard to see why:
They are pan fried.
Pan fried, but not cheaply manufactured en mass like at American fast food joints. All those yummy juices that would normally evaporate into the hellfires of a grill are refracted back into the meat, leaving you with a perfectly cooked, buttery juicy burger with a nice crisp char on the top n bottom. This is what u get at El Ranchito. Toasty sesame bun too. Condiments are optional but tasty. Try it with the mexican guacamole (they have american and mexican guac) and I have no idea what the difference is.
And you can count on the fact that they won’t be playing around with the formula for this burger any time soon, and thats probably it’s biggest selling point.

I’m always a big fan of a heaping pile of chicken fajitas, and even better when it comes wrapped in a moist flour tortilla. To top it off, when I can get with a Tuesday special with a drink for $ 5.99, well I am in. (
)
The fajitas burrito came with some chips and offering from their salsa bar. (
) I tried a trio of salsas and my favorite was the darker red one on the top left of the photo. (
) It had the most desirable flavor and packed a little heat. The other two were a little watered down and lacking in flavor.
The burrito was average in size and tasted good. (
) The filling came steaming hot and full of flavor vegetables and chicken thigh meat. The chicken was moist and tasted good. The seasoning was light, so I added some of the dark red salsa and that did the trick. (
) The rest of the burrito I ate with the salsa. Good fajitas burrito.
The food was a 3 star even for me, but that Tuesday any burrito plus a medium drink for $ 5.99 and great service, well I am a fan of that!