Avila’s El Ranchito
182 S Orange St, Orange, CA, 92866
Avila’s El Ranchito Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Orange for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Orange for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Orange for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
182 S Orange St
Orange, CA, 92866 - Phone (714) 516-1000
- Website https://www.avilaselranchito.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Steve T.
We've been there twice now. I have four kids so they six of us basically move in. The service has been very good. They handle the kids well. The food has arrived quickly and the food has beeen very solid. It also looks to have pretty good seating alternatives - bar area is nice with sports playing or you can go on the quiter patio or the main dining area. We've gone during lunch on Saturday both times and we were seated immediately. Restrooms are clean and the owner came over and chatted a bit. The price is competitive for what you get, so not cheap and not brass door know pricy either. Love the location and old landmark building too. But most importantly I think you'll get a good meal there on a consitent basis.
(4)Kim C.
I am sure glad that I have friends in the OC, because Riverside SUCKS for cool restaurants! I do NOT consider chains cool restaurants and Riverside has SO much potential but you just can't find a restaurant like this family owned mexican restaurant, while they have many locations throughout OC, they are still ALL family owned! We went on a rainy saturday at a time the seniors eat, so we thought that we wouldn't have a wait, but we did, maybe about 10 minutes, but we did request a booth, that might have increased the wait time. However, there is plenty to observe while waiting, this restaurant is located in a very very old building, which is cool, there are residences all around and that fascinates me! the menu is extensive with soo many choices it really is hard to decide, they have GREAT vegetarian options, which is always good. They bring fresh chips and the best salsa to the table as soon as you are seated. The salsa has a very very nice bite to it, fresh cilantro and green onions i could have made a meal of chips and salsa. I finally decide on a two item combo, cheese enchilada, which i have to try at every mexican restaurant, and a potato taco! how cool is it they have a potato taco to choose from? I thought it was cool, they also have several choices of beans to get with your meal. The cheese enchilada was superb, very good enchilada sauce. The potato taco did not disappoint, different and delicious. While I thought a little on the expensive side for mexican food, the 2 item combo was $10.99, once the food arrived and was tasted it really was worth it! I had enough to bring home for another meal! If you like mexican food and are looking for a new place to try...make sure it is this one!
(5)Jim P.
Consistently good food. Outstanding service. We always enjoy the patio seating.
(5)Kristy B.
Love this place! Living so close, we're able to frequent the restaurant often. Margaritas are great, and the happy hour prices even better. The chips and salsa are awesome. One of the most important things here, is that the food is always consistent, you know you're going to get something good!
(5)Roxanne P.
I love this El Ranchito. They have only been open a week and already I have been there twice. When you eat here it is really hard to believe that they just opened. It is running like a well oiled machine and obviously word has gotten out because the place was packed on Friday night when I was there. The mexican food is authentic and well presented. The thing that amazed me the most is the staff. They hustle around and are very attentive. The building is a must see and the patio looks great (although it was full when we were there). Highly recommend.
(5)Lori H.
Was super excited when I found out the Avila family opened another El Ranchito and that it would be in the city of Orange. I live in Palm Desert so everytime I get to OC I go out of my way to eat at one of my favorite locations. One being Costa Mesa, the other Santa Ana. Last Saturday was the day I finally made it to the Orange location. Beautiful! Our server Hector was amazing. A server that genuinely cared about your dining experience. I asked his opinion on a certain menu item and he said I wouldn't be disappointed. I believed him and ordered. WOW!!!! One of the best meals I've ever had! Just baffles me on how some peoples' comments are "not so nice" on here. As a Mexican, I find the Avila family to know and serve authenic Mexican Cuisine. I guess not all of us are blessed w/great taste buds to know what fine Mexican Cuisine tastes like. The Camarones Al Mojo de Ajo is just about the best thing that could to happen to you. Like I always say, "They mess me up in a good way!"
(5)Matt H.
I will make this short and sweet. The second best Mexican restaurant in Orange. Great location, great servers, great guacamole, great food, good drinks. Downsides include parking (whoever designed that little lot out back owns a Smartcar), Carne Asada chopped a bit big for the taco application, and a sticky front door that made me look like a dork when I tried to open it. BTW, their Chile Relleno isn't one of my favorites. It seems to be a smallish Anaheim chile and wasn't thoroughly cooked. The breading also exceeded the size of the chile by about 50%.
(5)Brad H.
Served my daughter a rotten taquito. The food is very bland. Typical chain Mexican joint. FYI, the manager was nice and went the extra mile to take it off our bill. Wait, now I remember, they could care less.
(1)E H.
I really liked it. The food came out fast and the atmosphere was good. I ordered something off the specials menu (steak, chicken enchilada, rice, beans, and guacamole...all my favorites on one plate). I've been out of California for a few years so my taste buds for authentic mexican food might be less discriminating than other reviewers but it was a perfect meal for me and made my time with my friend very enjoyable. We both loved our meals and the berry lemonade was also tasty! The waiter was fast and not shy about recommending a vegetarian dish unlike other places that are waffly with their opinions. Overall, this was a great experience for a few out of towners (but I grew up in So Cal so I know authentic mexican)
(5)Turtle D.
The Salsa and chips are always fresh when I come here. Service is fast and friendly, there a couple of cute girls working here, they always put a smile on my face. Chilly Verde is always good.
(4)Jamie M.
My husband and I come here somewhat frequently. The food is good and consistant, the margaritas are yummy and the staff is super friendly. Come for happy hour. It's missing the handmade tortillas that the other locations have, however, the service more than makes up for it. It's better than most Mexican places in the area and it's not expensive.
(4)Joni W.
The chicken soup is delicious! Great service too!
(5)Jennifer W.
Finally got a chance to try out the new Avila's in Orange last night, and I've gotta say, I was mighty impressed. The hubs' brother was in town from DC, and he was craving serious Mexican food. Generally, we like El Farolito. It's closer and cheap. But this was sort of a special occasion, and we wanted to for something a bit nicer. Avila's hit the nail on the head. I LOVED PJ's Abbey, and I was sad to see it go, but I've gotta say that I love the feel of this place as a Mexican restaurant now. The ambiance is great. I've been to the Avila's in Lake Forest once before, so I figured this would be just as good. First, the chips and salsa are fresh. The salsa has a kick to it that a lot of places are scared to offer. We started out with some guacamole, and that was a fab choice. They even topped it off with a little bit of cheese and tomatoes. Mmmmm. We all ordered something different. The hubs got the lobster/steak plate. Bro-in-law ordered the carnitas. Mother-in-law went with the enchiladas de camarones, and i went with the green chile pork. Not one of us was disappointed. The green chile pork was incredibly tender and flavorful. The meat fell apart like good chile verde should. The rice and beans were definitely delish. Their tortillas are very fresh as well. REALLY good quality. After dinner, we topped the night off with some fried ice cream. Definitely enough for the four of us. The vanilla ice cream was VERY tasty, as was the fried part. The service was also fab! Our waitress was VERY attentive. She kept the chips and salsa flowing, and she came back to check on us about 3 times. I'm really glad there's another choice for Mexican in Old Towne besides Gabbi's. While Avila's is a bit more expensive than El Farolito, if you're looking for somewhere nice with great food, this will totally hit the mark!
(5)K J.
My first clue should have been the ability to easily get a table at 7 PM on a Friday night. Bland, tasteless overpriced food. Needed gobs of watered down salsa in order to impart any flavor. Ordered the shrimp tacos with rice and beans. Got 2 flour tortillas with 1 tablespoon of chopped (yes chopped) fishy smelling shrimp pieces and a few tablespoons of finely diced cabbage. Flour tortillas were cold, as were the beans. Yuk. Not worth the $15.99 price tag. I almost sent them back but didn't want to upset hubby. Drank ice tea, which was the only good thing. Chips and salsa were fair. Not great. Salsa is mostly tomato juice with chopped green onions. Service was very good and attentive though. But the food came out almost immediately after ordering, which tells me they are pre-cooking all the food (yuk, pre-cooked shrimp), hence the reason the beans were cold? Would not return. Would not recommend.
(1)will h.
This place really is quite something. Housed in an amazing building in Old Town Orange, this El Ranchito has all the charm of its surroundings. The Avila Tortilla soup is one of my favorites. It's healthy, and has generous portions of chicken, rice, and soup. If you're lucky, a man resembling the most interesting man alive from the Dos Equis commercials will appear and entertain you and you guest without fail. This man is actually Mr. Avila himself.
(5)Lynn J.
Yeah! A new place for Taco Tuesdays with crunchy tacos!...but only if you are sitting in the one of the 12 seats in their bar area or the 6 tables on the patio :-( Came here with the Tuesday night dinner group and I must say we were all pleasantly content with our food. Our server was on top of it and the bus boys were constantly filling our glasses, almost to the point of stalker material...I take a drink, he's there to fill it up...I take another drink and he's over my shoulder filling it up again...but in a way, I was happy :-) I ordered Pepe's Grill Platter and it was tasty. The beef was tender and the onions and chilies smothered with the tomatillo salsa were delish. Almost reminiscent of the fajitas but with way more flavor. Smoky=Yum! The rice was pretty good too, nothing too fancy. Scooped it all up into a corn tortilla with a smidgen more salsa and it made my mouth sing. Hubby ordered the Aztec Burrito and from the clean plate and the very few words muttered out of his mouth after it was set in front of him, it had to be good. He requested "the hot stuff" salsa from the waiter and smeared that all over the top of his burrito and he said it was just what it needed. The chips and salsa were addicting and I can't say no to any form of chips and dip so I ended up taking home half my dinner. Hubby had the leftovers and he said it tasted just as good as it did last night. We will definitely be back for Taco Tuesday but maybe try to snag a seat on the patio next time to take advantage of their specials. No Taco Tuesday specials offered in the dining room. :-(
(4)Bob M.
I let the beautiful building fool me... Set in a beautiful Victorian Church this place looks awesome, reading the menu, I was touched by nostalgia , as the original location was in my hometown of Huntington Park. Chips and water arrive on the quaint patio setting promptly. After deciding on the Taco Tuesday menu or the regular, I picked A Nacho special appetizer and for my main course Mama Avilas special Chicken soup. The Nachos: Chips with cheese and canned (?) shredded beef, top with cold runny enchilada sauce...horrible, The " special soup" lots of chicken breast with chopped tomatoes ,avocado and onion in hot water, well maybe not hot water..Luke warm water..really really flavorless, I resorted to dropping my Nacho chips into the soup for flavor. The warm corn tortillas are no longer hand made. Good service, beautiful location , but oddly dull and drab for a festive taco Tuesday. pretty poison...
(2)Yisel F.
Lets see, where do I start off? Well, this place opened about a month ago and I have to give it a big smile for the cute establishment :) I ordered the cheese enchilada plate and it was JUST okay! The beans and rice were kinda gross. I guess I expected the food to be a little more authentic but it wasn't.... major disappointment! I'm giving them 2 stars for the food but gotta admit that the margarita was pretty darn tasty. The food failed to impress and the waitress wasn't attentive.... I wouldn't go back!
(2)S. A. W.
I really like this place for several reasons. The place is an awesome old Church converted into a restaurant. Avila's did a great remodel from PJ Abbey....it is beautiful. The food is tasty but comes out so quick and hot. The Cadillac Margaritas are great. The waiters are friendly and excellent with the service. I like the old town ambiance. One writer mentioned Gabbi's but you cannot compare the two as they are completely different types of Mexican food.
(5)TheDude M.
Not only is the food really good, the service is EXCELLENT at this location. Since there are so many different styles of Mexican food, I can't say it's my absolute favorite. But, it is definitely GREAT and the staff makes the experience awesome.
(4)Vicki M.
We came here with a party of 7 on a Sunday afternoon. Super fast service and very attentive! The food was good; everyone was happy with their order and left full. Atmosphere was great, but I must say I was most impressed with the efficiency and attentiveness of the service! I've never reviewed a restaurant before, and I wanted to be sure to give this one a good review. Will be visiting again :)
(4)John H.
In case you do not read any further this was the worst Mexican food I have ever tasted. We went to try out the Taco Tuesday, the chips were good, nice and fresh. The salsa was alright, it had lots of the green ends of green onions rather than cilantro, not a good replacement. The Margaritas were everything you expect a discounted taco Tuesday drink to be $3.50 small and watered down, but not bad. One person at the table ordered Sangria that was again just ok, but this time not $3.50, it was $7.25 for cheap wine with some fruit and 7-up. That's it for the good part of the review now on to the food. We ordered two tacos a person. The portions would have been ok if any of us managed to get down more than one or two bites. The shrimp was so fishy I could smell it from my friends plate. The fish was a glorified fish stick with a bland sour white sauce, I actually spit the fish taco out. The "crispy" beef taco tasted like grease, I understand they are fried but this was more slow cooked in oil than fried and had no meat flavor to back up the grease. Both the soft and crispy shredded beef were grey and dry, they looked like the meat was cooked in a microwave. All of us lost our appetites by then and did not even try the shredded chicken or asada. If you want Mexican food i would recommend absolutely anywhere but Avila's
(1)Josie H.
Brought a friend here for dinner for her birthday and raved about the food and service we had the first time we were here, but was very disappointed the second time around... To start off, the waitress never introduced herself. She came to get our order and we told her we needed a few minutes. Ten minutes later she comes to take our order. During our whole meal she only came around once to see if we were okay. At the end of our meal she brings out our check without even asking if we wanted to see the dessert menu or another drink. She left so quickly I couldn't even ask for anything. Then, twenty minutes later she comes to take the check. This experience reminds me of that show on Food Network where they investigate restaurants and their workers (Restaurant Stakeout). Where was she for twenty minutes? Never once did we see her out on the floor helping other customers. Was she in the back eating other peoples food, drinking, flirting with other workers, on a smoke break? It's people like her (oh by the way our waitresses name was Ellen) that makes what could be a good experience go bad..... So disappointing to have such bad service from a decent restaurant. Oh well, you won't see me around anytime soon.....Or just refuse to have service from her if she is our waitress ever again.....
(2)Brian P.
So being a fan of the local options that are in the Old Town Orange vicinity it was time to finally try Avila's El Ranchito. I was familiar with the previous restaurant that had occupied this location, but hadn't made it back to try this place. Well Monday night was offering a craving for Mexican food. We walked in and the dining room didn't seem overly crowded. We waited a few minutes as the hostess was gathering a To-Go order. We were greeted and shown to a table. The atmosphere still remnant of the previous business. We were approached by our server who took our drink order, as well as asked if we would like chips and salsa. Who passes on chips and salsa. So our drinks came as well as the chips and salsa, however the amount of salsa was maybe enough for 1/3 of the basket, and it was mediocre at best. We then gave our order. I opted for the Mayan Burrito and my partner ordered the Carnitas. This is where my opinion of this establishment takes a turn for the worse. Two minutes later we get our food. TWO MINUTES?!? Please tell me the chef's name isn't "MIC"... short for MICROWAVE. What tips me off to that is I'm told that my plate is "VERY HOT!!!" Why? So my burrito had sour cream served on the side, but due to the plate being "HOT" it more or less had melted, if that's a fair description. Cutting into the burrito and taking a bite, and it was very lack luster. If any of you have ever purchased a burrito from the ready case at Fresh & Easy, that's pretty much what it seemed like. My partner said that his Carnitas were just "OK" He was also put off by the timing of placing the order to it arriving to our table. We were asked if we needed refills, we both said yes. I had ordered a coke which I wasn't completely empty on, however what was poured into my glass was Diet Coke and it was flat which didn't help with the taste at all. At that point we were pretty much done with our meals. I honestly wanted the check and wanted to go home. The server comes over and gives us the check. I honestly had to really push myself to give a tip, but I did nonetheless. For the price and then for the quality, you won't find us returning back. It's Old Town Orange's second offering to Mexican food, and like the other on Glassell this is definitely a miss. I'd rather go to the Spectrum or to Laguna Beach to Javier's and pay for better tasting food.
(2)Amanda B.
I like this place. I can walk here from my house, so it makes for a nice casual evening. Wait staff is for the most part attentive. Food is good. What you'd expect. If you're craving Mexican, I would suggest it!
(4)Brad G.
New favorite mexican food place in the Circle! Fair prices, very strong drinks, good service, cool location and decent happy hour. Food has constantly come out extremely fast, take that as it you will. Always leave satisfied, kudos to El Ranchito!
(4)Rhonda R.
Good food... Kinda slow service
(4)Bianca V.
This particular location is not the best when it comes to the food. It's not really Mexican food. I mean, after having experienced the Costa Mesa location with their hand-made tortillas and they wonderful aguas frescas, I really left wanting more. The location is clean, new and service is excellent. When it came down to the food it was a bit Americanized for my taste. In terms of flavors it was very "meh" on note and not impressive really. The chilaquiles I ordered were chips and salsa, I felt this needed to be cooked longer to absorb the flavors and cook the tortilla down a bit. The eggs, no where to be found on my plate. I found myself fishing for bits of scrambled egg :/ the beans are smothered in cheese so you don't taste the beans...except I did once I pushed the cheese away and found the ones at the other location to be much more complex in flavors and yes! they are just beans (it's very possible). The rice, dry. I really felt like I was having nachos for breakfast, not chilaquiles. I should have go to Anepalco's! Perhaps one of these days when I feel like having american breakfast like an omelet or some pancakes I will go back, maybe they'll get it right then. Note: also, just an observation: the tvs at this location were playing Nascar and Golf!! Where was the soccer game?!
(2)Sarah O.
Tasty, good service. Their soup is great. As are the passion fruit margaritas.
(4)Rob T.
Love love love it never disappointed! The owner Marco is awesome
(5)Celia G.
Being Mexican, I can honestly say this place does not sell Mexican food at all! This food is the worst I have ever tasted!
(1)Frank S.
Food not too bad, but not great! Mexican and have tasted much better. Guacamole is not good. We doctored it with the salsa. What really bothered me was the bill! I went in with my family (8). When I received the bill, I has the service fee (tip) already added. That was not the problem. Although I don't like this practice I accept it. What I did nor like was being taxed on the service fee. Tip is not a taxable item. I was not aware until I got home and calculated it out. I sent the company several emails on their website and never got a response. If your going to offer a website that asks for feedback, at least have the decency to respond. Since the food is not much better than the service, I won't be back. Try Tacos Adobe around the corner on lemon. Way better! And more affordable with much better quality Mexican food
(1)Will W.
I love the location in an old church. The bar is small, but perfect for couples. Of all the things I have tried on the menu, the potato tacos are my favorite. The chips sometimes taste like meat, which is gross. The margaritas are weakly poured.
(3)Karen R.
You have to try the Chicken Soup! Cures everything....My favorite soup. It's going to be hard to stop eating the salsa it's Sooo fresh and tasty !
(4)Jennie B.
The restaurant is beautiful but it should have stayed as PJ Abbys!!! I am only giving this place 2 stars simply for the service. Food was super bland!!! I ordered chilequiles...WORST EVER!!! I rarely ever add salt to my meals and i found myself putting tons on...HELLO i don't need a salt lick on my food! My dude got a chicken burrito...with 2 pieces of chicken in it...again there was no taste to it! Although when we asked the waiter for spicier salsa he did deliver and it was spicy! So far the only thing good on the menu were the chips and spicy salsa!
(2)Allie A.
Love this restaurant! Me and my boyfriend come every Tuesday night for taco tuesday and the food is always consistently good. They are very attentive and staff is friendly. Chips and salsa are amazing and fresh and if you order a side of guacamole prepare you're self for an incredibly large portion! Games are always on in the bar, which to my boyfriend is amazing because he gets to take me to dinner and watch his basketball games ;). All in all this is a great establishment and I will continue to be a repeat customer.
(5)Christine R.
Very hot and cold. When it's good, it's great! But when it's bad it's almost laughable. Be aware that any requests will be charged to you, even requesting pico de gallo as an alternative to their spicy salsa!
(3)Tony C.
Excellent service! I don't know why some people were complaining about the service here but when I went on Friday night it was excellent! Food came out super quick and they were very friendly. We order guacamole and it came in a huge bowl all four of us barely made a dent in it. The chips are awesome because they taste like they were just cooked. The atmosphere of this location makes you feel like you are in a church (because it actually used to be one). The best thing about this place was the service though. Great Mexican restaurant in old town orange.
(4)Katie A.
This place was pretty good, the plates came out really quick, which kinda makes me thinlk it want fresh??! Te salsa is so good, just spicy enough. The server was really nice and replenished our chips and salsa when needed without being asked.
(4)Jeannie F.
Yummy! Tried this restaurant and was pleased. Very pretty inside with all the stained glass. Food very good, had the Botella plate with steak. Large portions and very flavorful. Salsa and chips very good. Not the cheapest Mexican food but still good value for all you get.
(4)Colleen W.
Went to Avila's for fathers day dinner and a birthday! We were not disappointed in the least. Tostadas, carnitas plate, burritos, taquitos....all were enjoyed without any complaints. Skinny margarita was very good and the strawberry margarita was quite smooth and strong. This place is really a beautiful building with stained glass windows and lots of character.
(4)Sandy K.
Avila's makes the best chicken soup. Sounds weird for a Mexican place but it's true. Their salsa is perfect as are their chips. This renovated church is such a unique place for a restaurant. Also the cilantro salad dressing begs to be tried.
(5)Erik S.
The food is good don't get me wrong but to me is was just average. I just felt that I could have got the same food for a much cheaper price at a little Mom-n-Pop hole in the wall. Sorry, I wanted to like it!! I really, really did.!!
(3)Kat S.
The Avila restaurants are definitely on my list of good Mexican restaurants. The food is terrific and the service is always top notch. If I had a negative, it would be that the salsa bowls are too small (C'mon, there are some great chunks of yumminess there that I need to be able to dig out!!). The food is consistently good. I love the tacos, enchiladas and their chile verde is pretty tasty! At this location there is indoor and outdoor seating. I liked the atmosphere, and the concept of putting a restaurant in a former church. It did seem a little cramped, and difficult for servers and customers to get through without bumping into someone or something.
(4)Wes E.
This place is awesome and the service I get is great and always welcoming, I don't know why some of the reviews are bad, maybe because the people writing them are rude to the staff and expect them to be nice. The chilaquiles for breakfast was to die for and the chicken enchilada was also just as great with red sauce, I am a big fan of a good red sauce and they nailed it. We also watched our football game there since they have sunday ticket and even though we did not drink, they re filled our waters for 2 hours after we ate with a smile, so we finished off with a fried ice cream before our game ended and I am no big fan of sweets but damn that was good!
(4)Tina M.
Love the unique venue of the Orange location, inside this former church! The bar area gets busy during game days/nights but the bar/happy hour menu is excellent. Tacos are the best, with their fresh made guacamole and warm chips. Started on the Santa Ana location on 1st street, and I've been to two other locations since. They rarely disappoint me on food choices and the service is excellent. Brought my folks to the HB location and they loved it.
(4)Ray H.
I have gone to this location 4 times and have not been disappointed, the facility is clean and cool, parking is easy, especially being near the Orange circle. The food is very fair to good and not too expensive. I recommended that my family have a birthday brunch there and everybody was very happy (we had the banquet room in the back) Service has always been great even in the banquet room. Hey, it's not the most authentic or absolute best food, but it is without any drawbacks, like location, cleanliness or price.
(5)Jenny W.
Loved it! Great service, good food and margaritas. Nice patio and very fun music playing. Manager even offered to buy our appetizers if we didn't like what we tried. We liked the chingalinga's! So happy we have a new place to frequent in our neighborhood! Oh, and the decor and ambience is beautiful.
(4)David G.
Loving this place should be easy. I love good Mexican food. I love that they have Bootleggers beer on tap. I love that PJ's Abbey is gone. I live within a quarter mile in Old Towne Orange. I can see it from my front door. It should be a perfect storm of gastronomical and proximity satisfaction. Unfortunately, it's not. Last weekend, on the first night of Street Fair, my wife and I thought it would be fun to order Avila's and chow down on the porch while watching the people walk by on their way to the Plaza. I got the phone number and made a quick call. I am not going to get into the details of the order, but I asked for something specific, but not difficult at all for the first item. It was my wife's and she confirmed it as I was saying it, nodding in affirmation, and the word back from the lady who took my order was what I had said, verbatim. When my wife got there, they not only screwed up the order, but they refused to make it correct, furthermore, they wanted to charge us $8 additional and gave a load of attitude, telling her, get this, that she was "wrong." Dear Avila's - the customer may not always be right, few are stupid or naive enough to believe that, but the best thing to do in this situation is avoid having a pissed off customer and correct the order; whether or not you think you made a mistake is irrelevant. This is business, it's not a battle of will and pride against regular customers. We dine out locally 4-6 times a month, have lived here in 10+ years, aren't going anywhere, and between all the birthday parties (our families go out for a sizable meal for -everyone's- birthday) take-away orders and everything else, the 8 bucks and arrogance you refused to swallow just removed any possibility of liberating money from our wallets. Now, when my in-laws, my parents, her grandmother, our friends, people in our neighborhood ask if we want to go for dinner, it unfortunately won't be Avila's. Too bad. You had usurped El Farolito in Placentia as the Mexican spot for us to go, but I am certain we'll be rethinking this. Service always trumps quality of food in the minds of 90% of your patrons. Never forget this.
(1)Graham L.
Im shocked anyone would repeat this place. Save yourself some money and go to taco bell...
(1)Tom S.
Sucks. Pre-made food and expensive.
(1)Veronica T.
Tried the place out after we were told that the wait at Felix's would be about an hour...shoulda waited!!! First, I had to ask for a menu after waiting around for about 10 minutes, sure, we had chips and salsa...but that was it. No one came around to take our drink order or for that matter, make sure we had been attended to. Once we finally ordered, our food was either overcooked or undercooked. The hard shell tacos were anything but, they were chewy and greasy! My lobster was way undercooked...such a shame since I had heard wonderful things about this place. May give it another shot, but will order something different.
(2)John P.
Best chips and salsa! And they serve breakfast all day long. Great service and the food is always fast and fresh. And don't forgot to try taco Tuesday.
(5)flo c.
This place deserves at least 5 stars for its service alone. It was phenomenal and probably as attentive as much more expensive, fine dining establishments. Water glasses as well as sodas were refilled before they were even half way consumed and chips came with liberal refills of salsa before we even ask! Further, everything we asked for, including extra green sauce to a side of rice, was brought promptly and with an enthusiastic "of course!" When we would thank him, he even said "you're welcome!" Fantastic! The complimentary chips are both white and red. The chips are well seasoned and not too greasy or thick. The salsa was fine and mild, though most of the people at our table added a bit more salt to the salsa. I went with the vegetarian chile relleno, which confused me because most chile rellenos I've had are vegetarian, containing cheese and maybe egg. That said, I told the server I didn't want any cheese on it. I have to applaud the server because he didn't bat an eyelash when I asked him for a cheeseless chile relleno. The vegetarian one looks like a saucy vegetarian fajita when it arrives and the chile is split open and flat and covered with tons of zucchini, onion, bell peppers and tomatoes in sauce, which is probably just some spices mixed with the liquid from the vegetables. This is served with fresca beans and mexican rice. The black and fresca (pinto?) beans do not contain lard but the refried beans do contain lard. Overall, I really enjoyed my *likely* vegan meal, though I did add a liberal sprinkling of salt over everything. However, I would rather the food be a little less salty than my liking than having it too salty. Other vegetarian selections include fried potato tacos and sizzling fajitas. It's nice that it's not just taking an existing taco/enchilada and eliminating meat from it. The rest of my table enjoyed their meals greatly as well and their selections spanned the gamut from enchiladas to sizzling fajitas. The selections from the light section of the menu arrive with salad instead of rice. My fiance has the pomegranate margarita and he said it was very good and about the same size as other similar Mexican food establishments, such as Taco Rosa. The prices are fairly reasonable for this type of establishment. The location, which is formerly The Abbey (I believe), is really quite nice and not your average hole-in-the-wall. Further, the service is impeccable. The prices seem to average from $10 to $20, depending on whether you're getting shrimp fajitas or a taco combination plate. I don't necessarily think the food is super authentic, but there are many hole-in-the-wall Mexican food establishments in neighboring areas that offers just that and for less. The only thing that's kind of a bummer is that happy hour ends at 6:00 p.m. I supposed it is fine for people in the area but I would seriously have to hustle to get there before happy hour ends.
(5)Ryan J.
Chips and salsa is amazing! Don't order any of the omelets...stick to the 2 item combination plates. The chicken tacos are a must have. Prices are reasonable and you'll definitely get plenty of food
(4)c s.
Love el ranchito! Went tonight and had the soup, so good!!! They were packed tonight so I was glad it was just me and my son tonight. We were seated right away but parties of 6 and more had to wait. Salsa was spicier than normal tonight but that's not a bad thing! Chips were still hot in the basket which made them even more irresistible! I like this location better than the Santa Ana one. The Santa Ana location a couple weeks ago wouldn't let me swap Taquitos for tacos in my order for tacos y caldo, which I almost always do, at both locations. But she was a weird waitress. I think they were too busy at that location for a Friday night. I like crispy tacos too, but I wanted something smaller. I still ate it and loved it but was craving Taquitos.
(4)Michelle A.
As a frequent visitor at El Ranchito, I've noticed a serious downward spiral. I would have given them 4 stars 2 years ago but after this weekend, it's over. We live just down the street so it would be ideal to walk here on a hot summer's night for a margarita and taco. However, after several of, "We'll give them one more try, we are done". The drinks (Margaritas) suck. Is it the pre-made crappy mix and tequila or just watering the stuff down? Maybe the bartender? I will say it was great when Henry was working the bar. If you are going for just shots, they do offer Don Julio 1942 and El Familia Tequila. That they cannot ruin. Food is just so so and the chips/salsa deal is hit and miss. I won't hammer them completely, the guacamole is always fresh. . If the bar matched the cool ambiance I wouldn't be able to pick any seat on a Saturday night during the Laker's game. Maybe they should hook up with Adobe across the street that offers killer food and get back on track with the bar. Stop scrimping and make a "real" margarita. Add some flavor to the food and get your regulars back in the bar.
(2)J G.
The atmosphere is nice, but it was really busy the night we went so service was so-so. The food was good, but nothing spectacular. I would come back if someone else decided on the restaurant, but it isn't one of my top picks.
(3)Mike C.
Can't beat Avila's El Ranchito for good, creative Mexican food. Their 'ritas are stiff and their tacos to die for! Have been here 4 times in the last 2 months and the food and service remain consistently good.
(4)John G.
This place is amazing. The food is amazing and the price is simply affordable. It's definitely authentic Mexican food. The owner is very polite and will come to your table to make sure everything is well. I take my G.F here and we both love it. Ideal date atmosphere.
(5)Theresa Z.
love el ranchito. i usually go to the one in corona del mar by my office. was happily surprised to find this one down the street from my church after sunday service a couple months ago. service can be a little slow when they're busy but the chips and salsa are great and i've never had a problem with my food coming out wrong. i am a happy customer that will continue to come here!
(4)Mike M.
Wife and I were looking for a new place for happy hour. We've had good experience at the Avila's on 1st street in Tustin, so I thought that the Avila's at the new location (formerly PJ's Abbey) in Orange would be as good. I was disappointed. The wine at happy hour prices was still $5 for a modest glass. It was a decent wine, but I expected more, perhaps similar to Macaroni Grill's wine glasses during their happy hour. Wife had a chicken quesadilla which she said was quite good. I ordered beef nachos, and was pretty disappointed with that. The beef / cheese / onion / potato topping was good, but the chips had an undercurrent of being on the verge of rancid. The same was true of the basket of chips that came with the initial salsa - an "off" taste that could not be ignored. We told the waitress about this. She went into the kitchen, tasted the chips, came out and told us that she could taste the same thing. I understand that there was nothing she could do about it, but that experience soured me for any further visits to the downtown Orange location of Avila's. $35 for a mediocre happy hour is not something I intend to repeat. I hope the Tustin location isn't going the same direction.
(2)P M.
The place was clean and friendly service. The chip and salsa was good. My Margarita suck, it didnt taste like a real margarita. My tacos was ok. I came and saw and dont think I would be going back unless if it was a party or dinner I had to go to.
(2)J R.
I loved the character of the old church with the original hardwood floors and the stain glass. It was a nice day so we sat on the patio. The salsa is fresh, flavorful and mild enough to appeal to even most light weights. I had a flauta & chili rellano combo. Both were very tasty. The refried beans were very good. There are also nice alternatives for those who want a "skinny" option. The staff were nice and attentive. I will definitely be visiting here again!
(4)Jason V.
This is the second Avila's I have been to, the first being the original Huntington Park location. I ordered a classic mojito and the chingolingas (mini chicken flautas) which were pretty filling with the rice and beans. The mojito wasn't the best I have ever tasted. Maybe it was the rum they used, but I don't think I'll be ordering it again. The best part about this location is the fact that it's in a historic church, which for the most part has been preserved historically. I love the pews that line the entrance. The oddest part was the idea of a bar in what used to be a church. Pretty clever idea though and a very lovely place with beautiful stained glass windows. If you like historic buildings and you're in the area I recommend dining here.
(3)Brooke D.
LOVE THIS PLACE, AND I LOVE IT EVEN BETTER NOW THAT THERE IS ONE IN ORANGE. My coworkers and I like to come here for lunch, we get an hour long lunch and we are always in and out of there within an hour. Service is great and efficient.. I love the El Ranchito chicken salad, but everything is awesome.
(5)Dave B.
"Love this place. My local hangout. Come check it out. Manager and staff make you feel like your at home."
(5)Star I.
Great food! I have eaten at the one in Lake Forest and loved it so much but was sad that there wasn't one closer to home. The food was fresh and everything was very flavorful. The cost was great for the food we ordered. Very very happy over all and plan on coming back soon! I miss PJ Mead, but I do not miss their prices! Found a new favorite spot, in the same spot as my old favorite spot but I get to save some money too! Yea!!!
(5)John C.
The building is situated in a peaceful street near old town Orange, we were told it used to be an old church and was made into a restaurant. We were treated by a nice young hostess who immediately seated us. The atmosphere was nice and dimly lit. The waiter immediately attended us. We were served tortilla chips and salsa. The salsa was very thick but the bad thing about the salsa was it was mostly thick chopped up pieces of white and green onions. Mabey that was a bad batch. I ordered the carne asada and shrimp plate which came extremely hot. There were 3 large pieces of shrimp and 3 fried shells that were set next to the shrimps disguised to look like 3 additional pieces of shrimp.now that made me laugh. The shrimps were covered in a garlic butter sauce and were extremely oily. The carne asada could have been more tender but was pretty good. My wife had the enchilada plate and rated it a 4 out of 10 . My kids had the kids burrito plates which was a very small amount of food. They were still hungry afterwards and said they didn't like it very much. My daughter did love the rice and so dId I. I also had the abondigas soup (meatball soup) that had a little to much salt. The bill came out to 60 dollars which I thought was a bit high for the quality and quantity of food. My wife told me we should not have charged for the kids drinks at 2.50 a piece and that she remembered the menu reading they were free for kids under 12, but we didnt have the menu anymore.I asked the waiter if the kids drinks were included with their meals he said no i told him what my wife read on the menu they were included he once again said no they were not. As we drove home my wife found a take home menu showed it to me which read the drinks should have been included in the price of the kids meals but were not. Oh well It was a nice experience being there but the food just not that good. Ive had some good mexican food from my mexican mom and hundreds of other Mexican food spots but twas food was really not that good. The only way I would go back is if the food was better.
(2)Becky C.
Just went here for lunch and it was GREAT! I had the Mayan Burrito with tomatillo sauce on it, the tomatillo was delicious! Everyone in our party had something different and all of it was great! We will definitely come back here!
(5)Rick C.
I'm bummed... Orange is my neck of the woods... the "Mama Avila's" soup is one of my favorites at El Ranchito. In my book... I think probably world famous! My 2nd trip to Avila's in Orange... I must say, I have had this soup many times before at other locations and the soup taste, color, off... tiny pieces of chicken. Soup was luke warm lacked flavor. Also, crispy beef taco, another favorite... disappointed. Beef a bit bland. Service... awesome again! Not sure it's enough to bring me back through. If I'm paying for a $12 soup... should be great and served hot. I think worth a drive to Corona Del Mar, Costa Mesa, Newport or Long Beach... good stuff! Might give Orange one more try neighbor... won't be having the soup though.
(2)Ken C.
We visited the bar to enjoy margaritas for Cinco de Mayo. I've dined here before, and the food is good for a chain however there are better places for Mexican food in the area. Anyways, we order the house margaritas and enjoy the chips and salsa brought to our table. The chips and salsa were great. It took a while for our drinks , so we look towards the bar to see if the margies were on their way. We watched, repeatedly, as the bartender made margaritas. He never mixed enough to fill the cheap plastic cups to the top. So what was the fix??? Not add more liquor or mix, but rather fill the cup up with more ice. This happened at least six times including our margaritas which was filled with ice from bottom to top. Rather than get ripped off anymore, we paid our bill and headed down the street to Gabbi's. One star for chips, one star for salsa, and no stars for the short pouring fountain drink jockey. A real bartender would have done the margarita right from the start.
(2)Sasha C.
The veggie chile relleno was soo good. My boyfriend was pleased with the generous portions. The atmosphere is upscale casual. Set in a beautiful old chapel with stained glass, the place is worth returning to.
(5)Jim P.
The Orange Avilia's El Ranchito is great. The staff is friendly and keeps your table re-filled. The food servings are large. The flavors are delicious. The Avila's soup is especially good. It has avocado, chicken, rice, tomatoes, cilantro, and onions in a chicken broth. Yum. The inside of the restaurant is roomy and relaxing. They have TV screens (no sound) that for us is a nice touch. Definitely would recommend.
(5)Lynn S.
Yummy margaritas and mojitos! We didn't stay for dinner, but did indulge in some chips, salsa and guacamole. The salsa is a bit on the spicy side and has large chunks of tomato, jalapeno and onion in it. The guacamole was good, but not completely mashed up, so we kept breaking chips on the large, un-scoopable chunks. Service was attentive and we hope to go back for dinner soon!
(3)Lydia G.
This place has become a weekly thing for my husband and I as we are within walking distance. Tacos and caldo is what I always get but my husband has tried several things and they have all been great!
(5)Rose W.
Came here with some friends and we were all very happy with the place! The food was really good. Service was fast. Never had an empty glass, chips/dip and the manager checked our table a few times during the course of our meal. It was a great experience and I can't wait to go back!!
(4)Mr B.
This is my new favorite Avila's. The costa mesa location has been a family tradition for over 20 years. This is a great location with a nice patio and extremely attentive staff. Food is great. I love their salsa. I always eat so much chips and salsa that I have to take part of my dinner home. I could drink it, its so good. My favorites are the carnitas, avila's soup and tostada salad. Good grand margaritas. Check out taco tuesday until 10pm.
(5)Kelly H.
Cute hidden restaurant in the residential area of the the old town orange circle area. I came here for the first time with my roomie, her bf, and a bunch of his guy friends (of course we are going to wipe the place out), haha. We came for taco tuesdays which was a pretty decently priced deal. The tacos deal is two for $5...I know that may sound a lil steep for a taco tuesday price but these tacos were GIANT DINOS, they were twice if not two and a half times as big as those puny pattys you usually get during a taco tuesday, or any taco you would get on a normal day. the deal made you pick between chicken and beef. I usually like the beef but the chicken was soo much better than the beef. They also had mouthwatering carne asada and fish tacos but unfortunately they were not on the taco tuesday menu. On to the margaritas...interesting story, when the waiter says $1 that means $4 margaritas, sad story. We were super stoaked when we thought they were $1 until the bill came...We kinda suspected it because the whole convo w our waiter regarding the pricing was confusing but just be warned, they are $4 NOT $1. Other than our confusing waiter the service was excellent! They continually refilled our water glasses and our chip bowl was NEVER EMPTY!!!! Yey i loved the chips and salsa so nom nom nom, and they kept replenishing the stock with fresh batches of C&S, uggg so yummy but such ENABLERS of my bad eating habits!!! Overall I would definitely come back for taco tuesdays, but if you are looking for a cheaper place rather than quality tacos i would not recommend coming here.
(4)Jim H.
my wife finally convinced me to eat here last saturday eve. She and friends have been visiting for years and rave about it constantly. Tell you what, service was the standard for any business, especially restaurants. Sat us in five minutes, waiter asking us for our drink order in the next 3 minutes. Chips and salsa were the freshest I have ever had. Food is traditional hand made, fresh, hot when served. This is the best value for mexican food I have ever eaten. Forget the others, especially the chains like El Torito, get better food, great service at the same or better prices.
(5)Dougie T.
Great Location. Great Service. Great Cosmetics. Food was ok :( i ordered the sizzling fajita (steak) way too salty!! i would rather gone to a smaller place for half the price and better food.
(3)inez n.
Myself and a friend were cruising the downtown orange circle and were hungry one of the business owners suggested it and even gave us a small menu! The place was in a church and very beautiful stained glass windows! The service was great we were seated right away and the food was served fast! Drinks were ok but food was delish! I ordered the chile relleno and enchilada with rice and beans it was yummy! Definetely would recommend!
(5)Sarah K.
This restaurant is fairly new and let me tell you they have everything perfect. The reason I give it four stars is because it is a little noisy for me but I have pretty sound sensitive ears. The chips, salsa, beans and rice all have very different tastes which is nice when you want spicy, salty, and sweet. I highly recommend the carnitas which is a serving big enough for two and is slightly crunchy which is the best part. And if you choose to eat it alone there is enough usually left over two take home heat up and enjoy for round two!!!
(4)Mike E.
PJ's Abbey was one of our favorite places and we were happy to see that, beyond the menu, the place hasn't been changed much. We found the converted church charming and the changes to furniture and art on the walls have not detracted at all. We were sorry to see that two flatscreen TV's had been added to the main dining room. Prices are reasonable and the food was very good. Hot chips and spicy salsa to start, a nice selection of beers including an India Pale Ale, one of my wife's favotires. We ordered carnitas and carne asada and both were delivered piping hot within minutes. The roasted chilis on both dishes added a lot of flavor and the portions were generous. Service was attentive and prompt but not pushy. The manager came by twice to see how we were enjoying our meals. I would not, however, order the fried ice cream for dessert again. The serving was large enough for three or four people but the fried coating was soft and soggy. It was obviously fried and frozen well before our meal.
(4)Amy F.
People have different experiences for sure at restaurants but it is more important to me to know how those experiences are treated by the owner and his staff. I was a first-time customer at this restaurant today. I was charmed by the exterior and interior of the once-Church, now turned restaurant, but unfortunately, my experience is one that will prevent me from EVER returning there again. I was taken here by my aunt and cousin for lunch. I am 9 months pregnant and politely asked the waiter if I could order off the kids' menu due to the fact that I cannot physically eat large quantities of food this late in my pregnancy. The other members of my party ordered off the regular menu so it wasn't as if we were asking to "rob" them in any way of profits, merely allow me to order a smaller meal. The waiter and the manager both said no that this was not possible for them to accommodate due to company policy. We asked if they could make an exception and the manager placed his hand on my shoulder and patronizingly tsked me for asking. I ordered an a la carte taco instead and let the matter go but it didn't end there for our party. While the food was great, the waiter got my one measly taco wrong (I ordered a beef one and he brought chicken). REALLY? But the kicker for me came at the end of our lunch when my aunt, a military vet, asked for the military discount and was told that they don't give one. I don't have words to express my outrage over this because I think all AMERICANS should honor the men and women who fight/fought for our country's freedom. The reason that this business is in business is because of the freedoms we enjoy thanks to the sacrifices of the military men and women who serve. Land of the free because of the brave. Now, if you're one that doesn't stop and salute the flag during professional games or feel that the military doesn't really do much for you, then by all means, continue to eat at restaurants that treat our military this way. But if you are bothered by this review even one small bit, then spread the word. When we contacted the owner of this establishment, he was polite but stood by his beliefs that the military should receive no further discount because he donates to his local city. WHAT?? So he obviously doesn't care and now neither do I. I hope all military personnel and anyone with military family members NEVER eat at this restaurant again. There are better restaurants out there that have better ethics and patriotic beliefs.
(1)Melissa A.
Great location in the Orange Circle. Love the food and the service is always quick and friendly. Love Taco Tuesdays here also!
(5)Patti A.
We love this spot!!! We come at least twice a month. I ALWAYS order the cameron mojo de ajo. With extra ajo. Soooooo delicious. The ambiance is great with it being an old church..big beautiful stained glass windows. My husband ordered carne asada with cameron mojo de ajo..and sometimes chile colorado. He loved both. Great place
(5)Fernando D.
Avilas is a good mexican family owned restaurant. The food is good and the customer service is good. The only thing i am not a fan of is their pricing and their portion serving seems to be inconsistent. They really dont always give you the same portions which bugs me. A little consistency goes a long way. The atmosphere is very cool and the venue itself use to be an old church so the decorum is even cooler. Their margaritas are very good, and i am fan of their carnitas plate. They always refill are drinks and check in on us for to see how were doing. Their albondigas soup is very good as well if your a soup person. I cant remember of a time that i ordered something i didnt like.
(4)Andrea G.
The food is so good. Love it! No microwaves as early commenter had said. They don't have one here. Plates are hot because of ovens.
(5)Matt S.
Love this place for the food and location. I have never been disappointed here. Typical good well made great portions mexican food not overpriced and the location is supreme. Especially the breakfast/brunch menu... Enchiladas Nortena, Chilaquiles, Enchiladas Divorciados... Machaca con huevos etc. All with eggs any style!
(5)Jake G.
I have been here a few times, and the service is always great and the people are very friendly. I have ordered the Chilaquiles every time and they are delish! I always add carnitas with the tamatillo sauce and they end up almost as good as my abuela used to make them! Strong work!
(5)Donny P.
Did they change ownership/management? The food sucks now! Even the salsa is gross....
(1)Patty M.
We hosted our daughter's Bridal Shower here back in October 2012, they did an awesome job from serving our party...cutting the cake and pouring champagne! From start to finish , a class act! We now come here every couple of weeks to eat because it is do good!
(5)Brande G.
Went here yesterday with my family. I loved the interior of the place, it's beautiful. The customer service was really good, everyone was really helpful and friendly. I ordered the Baja bowl with white fish, it was okay. As far as the pricing it is a little on the high side depending on what you choose to order. All in all this place is pretty good.
(3)Susan C.
Recently had dinner here and we were a party of four. Went to the bar to get drinks while waiting for our table. The bartender just laughed and fiddled around and by the time our buzzer went off, we never did order drinks. Not very good waiter. My friend was very unhappy with his service. The complaint I had is that this place is too loud. Best to come in a group. Not on a date where a conversation would not be heard. Food was good though.
(3)Jacob P.
I have been coming here sense they opened. The owners know what their doing. The staff are all amazing and so friendly. The bar tender Benjermin is the best. He always makes sure drinks are full and asks if we need anything. I have been to many many restaurants and the one to go to if you are in the Old Town Orange area is Avila's El Ranch I to 100% for sure. Thanks everyone.
(5)Katherine E.
We ate here last night. We've eaten at the Lake Forest location and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately the service was less than friendly and not very efficient. I was also disappointed with my fish tacos which were kind of on the bland side. The environment is cool though...looks like an old church with stained glass windows. And they had a wicked skinny margarita. Yum! This was our date night where we had the kids with a sitter and we only get to do once a month if we're lucky, so I was slightly disappointed.
(3)Rachel V.
The bf and I came here by default. Our first choice was packed and had a nearly 2 hour wait. Uhh...no! This hungry girl ain't waiting THAT long. I had no idea this place existed. Just a smidge away from the Orange Circle lies Avila's El Ranchito. From the outside it looks nothing like a restaurant but used to be an old church with wooden interiors and stained glass windows. Not exactly the kind of Mexican restaurant you'd expect to see. We had gone on a Friday night around 8pm. Again--from the outside it didn't look that packed but as soon as we walked in it was loud, crowded and quite busy. Luckily we were able to get a table with no wait. We sat in the main dining area but our table was beside the second level so when we were eating I saw a copious amount of feet marching back and forth--inches from our table. I personally don't want to see stomping feet on the corner of my eye AND at the same level as my food. It took awhile to get our chips and salsa. The salsa was pretty good. Had a nice kick to it. Wasn't too runny nor chunky but the chips tasted a bit stale. Must have been a bad batch. Either way who wants to eat a chip without the crunch?? No bueno. After the complimentary chips and salsa were bestowed upon us it then took awhile for someone to get our drinks, but by the time our server came we pretty much knew what to order. I had the mahi mahi fish tacos with a side of black beans and rice. I was expecting two soft tacos with a substantially good amount of cabbage, white sauce and thick cuts of fish--not skinny fish stick sized pieces of mahi mahi with a few shreds of greens. Though the fish had a reasonable amount of flavor, it was nothing near breathtaking and the rice and beans were completely bland. The bf ordered the shredded beef chimichanga with a side of rice and re-fried beans. The burrito was HUGE and messy. Unlike me, he actually enjoyed his platter. He preferred the taste of this chimichanga over another Mexican restaurant that we often go to and highly praise. He didn't really care for the sides but he finished that whole burrito like it was no tomorrow. I would've given this place a 1 or 1.5 just for my experience alone but lucky the bf brought it up a bit. I still hate stale chips and the service could have been a little more attentive. Fortunately there was a Laker game on to kill the time spent waiting.
(2)Ivy T.
I went to Avila's for a banquet and had a buffet style meal of their Mexican food. If you're interested in renting out a small room for about 50 people (maximum), they have the Almond Room which is pretty cozy. I think the most appealing thing about Avila's is the location and the building itself. It looks like a little church that fits in with the environment around Old Town Orange. The high ceilings give it an old fashioned feel that is very relaxing and comforting. There is also a bar where you can munch on snacks and order some drinks. The food itself was okay. I had some cheese enchiladas which were good but not very special. The steak fajitas were a little better. The steak was surprisingly not too dry and was mixed with your usual vegetables. For dessert, there were apple empanadas, churros, and tortilla chips dusted with sugar and cinnamon (simple, but pretty tasty). The jist of Avila's is that it is average Mexican food in a unique building in Old Town Orange. If you're feeling simple and non-adventurous, I would try Avila's and enjoy the rest of Old Town Orange while you're there.
(3)Maria P.
I went here with my best friend and was pleasantly surprised. The service was outstanding from the minute we sat down in the converted former church. There was no wait for bar seating, but they have a lot of room and a nice outdoor porch and patio dining area. The food was tasty, fresh, and quick. The cocktails were delicious. We got various margaritas which had a kick to them! Our server Simeon took great care of us and the manager made sure and asked how our meal was in a non invasive way. Restrooms were clean and parking is free in the lot behind the restaurant. I am thinking of taking my parents back because my mother loves antiques and there are some cute stores within walking distance in Old Town. $ 37 for an entree and 2 cocktails including tip. Not bad compared to LA prices.
(4)Ryan C.
I come to Orange quite often, but had no idea there was an El Ranchito near the circle. The place is beautiful. It used to be an old church- so it has vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows. The owners of the place made a great decision because I thought it was absolutely gorgeous inside. Since it was a Tuesday, we thought they would for sure have a Taco Tuesday menu- however, they only serve that in the bar. Boo. We didn't feel like waiting, so we just took a table. Service was prompt and quick. As soon as we sat down, we were greeted with warm chips and salsa. Between the three of us, we consumed three baskets- it was pretty tasty. The pico de gallo salsa that accompanies it was good, too. It had good chunks and a good amount of spice. A huge plus- they serve breakfast all day, so I went with the machaca and eggs. I just about fell over when she asked me if I wanted beef or chicken. I didn't even know that was ever an option. I opted for chicken since I had never had it before. To help wash down the food, I paired it with the Avila's Amber which was super refreshing after gorging on chips. During happy hour it was only $3.50. A great deal. The food came out quick and piping hot, and the machaca was surrounded by beans and rice. The meat was definitely breast as it was almost perfect cubes wrapped up in the fluffy eggs. With my giant flour tortilla (you can get corn if you want), I wrapped up breakfast mixture and added a little of the pico de gallo salsa, and it was incredible. I would definitely come back for this. The food was good, but I really think the ambiance made it a lot better. For a Tuesday night, the place was packed. Because there are vaulted ceilings, it can get quite loud in there if people are talking and laughing. Just don't expect a quiet dinner, because it probably wont happen. It was good quality food for the price. We got a margarita, three beers and three entrees and it came out to $42 and we were all stuffed. Again, a great deal!
(4)Sheri B.
I am sorry the food is good but our waiter obviously had better things to do, to spend over $100 to get get treated like we were a nuisance not sure we will go back.
(1)Matthew J.
Steer clear of this Avila's. My girlfriend and her friend ate there and brought me back a burrito (we all got a shredded chicken burrito) and all three of us got food poisoning. This place needs to be inspected ASAP before others get sick.
(1)Janell M.
We had been coming here since it opened because we enjoyed the food but just recently we experienced horrible service. Some server/busboy named John was rude, disoriented, and tacky. John made us get up from our table because we were not a large enough party after we had already been seated by the hostess and ordered drinks. Plus, he didn't even communicate with his team members. He is such an ASSet to the restaurant, I'm sure! ;)
(1)Chelsea C.
My friend and I both got food poisoning from two different dishes here. We both were a little concerned after our food came out about 3 minutes after we ordered it, however we still ate it and deeply regretted it. After sharing with my friends about my food poisoning I got feedback from them that they themselves or others they knew had also had bad food poisoning from this place. You couldn't pay me to go back or order anything from here ever again!
(1)Sally E.
No idea where all these complaints about service and food came from! I've been to the Huntington park location and now this one and it is amazing! Appetizer platter - delicious although everything tastes kind of similar to each other (tacos, taquitos, etc) Avila soup: delicious and hearty but definitely a meal on its own I also highly recommend the steak and shrimp plate as well as the shrimp enchiladas. All delicious and some excellent service to boot! Will be back :)
(4)Randi B.
Went to a birthday dinner for my dad here on Friday night. We were a party of 8 and we had reservations, so we were seated right away. As the evening went on, it got pretty packed and people were waiting. It's pretty in here, if you're into the church look. Huge stained glass windows, cool architecture, historical building that was built in 1891. The food though, was just okay. I started with a Chambord Margarita. Super salty! It tasted like they poured tablespoons of salt in the actual drink. Not so good. The chips and salsa were good, the salsa is on the spicier side. We also ordered guacamole for the table, and I found that to be kind of bland. They should have put less salt in my margarita and more in the guac. I ordered a two item combo plate (only $10.99) with a steak soft taco and a chicken enchilada with tomatillo sauce. The rice was practically flavorless and pretty dry. The steak taco was not good. The meat was really overcooked and it was hard to chew and swallow. The pico de gallo did not provide any sort of moisture, so it was just dry, dry, dry. I gave it two bites and called it quits. My enchilada on the other hand, was delicious. Very flavorful, very moist, very yummy. I should have gotten two of those instead of the taco. My BF ordered an item off the breakfast menu, the Quesadilla Egg-celente. It was alright. The flavors were nice, but way too mild. Maybe at breakfast, this would be good, but for dinner, it was too bland. The green chilis were way too mild and the cheese they used was also a very mild cheddar. Can't say I will be back here again. There are other places in the area that are better to eat at. But, if I do go back, I am definitely getting that tomatillo enchilada.
(3)Amanda M.
Bartender was great, drinks were okay but Mexican food is NOT authentic! We had the nachos and tacos and they taste like they came from a can, straight tomato sauce!
(3)Tina W.
Great tasting Mexican food. I have been going to the location in Huntington park for many years. But now that they opened up this new location it's much closer for me. I normally like to order the carne asada and garlic shrimp combo. The meat is real soft flavorful as well as the shrimp. Awesome customer service you they always making sure you never run out of your beverage.
(5)Kim P.
A friend and I went there today for Cinco De Mayo. It took ten minutes for our server to greet us. We both ordered the Mayan burrito. Mine came with a dead gnat on the garnish lettuce and beans in the burrito instead of rice. My friends burrito had shredded beef and rice. It's suppose to have chicken and rice. They brought me a new plate and barely apologized. Really? That gnat is disgusting. When I finally got my new plate, I took it to go. We'd run out of lunch time. I brought it home and three bites into it, there was a chicken bone in it. Very disappointing, which is sad because we love the actual location.
(1)Michael T.
There are a lot of Mexican food places around Chapman University in Orange - but this place is probably the best. You just can't beat it for lunch, if you have time for a traditional "sit down" style restaurant. Fast service, chips and salsa, reasonably priced and tasty menu options - what else do you need? This is my go-to choice in the area.
(5)Daniel H.
People give four stars and have an amazing review with everything being great. C'mon people what did you want, them to wipe it for you when you went to the restroom? Get real folks. Chips and salsa... Super bomb! Great way to start. Service was excellent. My drink was never empty, staff was pleasant and happy, and no cash missing out of my pocket or my wive's purse. I think some people tip the sauce a little too hard and have a hard time counting their drink to cash ratio. Camarones ala Diabla were unreal. I've had them a lot of places including many spots in Mexico and these hang with the best of them. My gringo shredded beef burrito was decent but not everybody has the same palate and I could tell it wasn't for me but would fit even the most discriminate diner. All in all this place rocks. I usually have a hard time sitting down in a nice place with a bunch of americans expecting to eat "Mexican" food because most times we are a tad disappointed, but not here!
(5)Jill B.
I love this place. The husband and I go there pretty regularly and have never had a bad meal or experience. Very friendly staff, good drinks and delicious food. We have been to two of their other locations as well but this location is closest to home. Once or twice the husband was less than satisfied with something and they fixed it immediately and the manager made it right. The manager always stops by our table to say hello too, nice touch.
(5)Christine N.
A few words...YUCK YUCK YUCK.... I didn't give them a 1 Star becuz our server Ben was nice. The rating is solely for the food alone at this LOCATION. This location is one of their newest ones and I've been to a few of them for many years so I can tell when something is OFF, very OFF! They took over this location months ago and it used to be PJ Abbey Restaurant which I was surprised went out of Biz. Hmm...then one day we were going to lunch we saw their banner. The ones I've been going to is the Santa Ana and the Costa Mesa one. Those 2 locations have been consistent for me thru all these years. We ordered the following: 01. Chips & Salsa (Complimentary) You can tell that the chips were just fried in the kitchen and had the sheen to it. Looked crispy and yummy. As soon as we bit into them...you AUTOMATICALLY taste the pork fat (LARD). The smell and taste was very vivid. It's a good thing that I do like PORK but just not that much, especially if the item is not PORK that I'm biting and chewing on. That weirded us out a bit. Good thing it was FREE... 01. Carne Asada & Bean Burrito ($6.99) - 2 Stars - I always add Onions & Cilantro becuz when ordering any of their burritos...it comes as Plain as PLAIN JANE! I also ask for limes & their green salsa on the side. I season my own food becuz I know it will be super BLAH! The portion is HUGE though but then again...you are paying a lot for a simple burrito. The steak was grayish and not charred like I normally would like it to be. It was served in big chunks and I prefer it in tiny chunks. I didn't tell you it was chewy. Not too good of beef for sure! I added Salt, Lime and Salsa with each bite. 02. Crispy Tacos & Bowl Soup ($9.99) - 1 Stars Chicken & Carne Asada Tacos and their Mexican Chicken Soup - Soup was lacking so so much flavors, Looking at it, you will think it's full of flavors with all that chicken, cilantro, rice, avocado chunks and onions but NOPE it tasted like water. We added Salt, salsa and anything on the table to give it some LIFE. The taco shells were very oily. Even though we order a Carne Asada and Chicken, we got both Chicken. Hmm...that should've been the indicator right there! Bottom Line: FOOD - had a lardy taste to everything...NO BUENO!!!! When you leave the restaurant you can smell it strongly outside! I totally felt like I need a shower ASAP!!! LOCATION - Used to be the old PJ Abbey Restaurant. PARKING - The ONLY good thing about them...They have their one parking so you don't have to hunt one down with the rest of the Circle's Drivers. It was so convenient to NOT have to worry about that. This is the BEST part of our whole experience. Anyways...it make me sad to have to resort to writing a bad review but even at this point...I'm being way too nice. Thank you Ben for bringing us a smile but I am aware you're NOT the cook.
(2)Alison W.
Omg love this place! So yummy, such a cute ambiance, and fun place for a night out. We've eaten inside, in the bar, and on the patio and all are great options. The food is delicious (try anything with shrimp- yum!) and the margaritas are awesome! Love!!
(5)Tiffany S.
Excellent for taco tuesdays, but when i came here, the service was TERRIBLE. When our party mentioned that we came specifically for taco tuesday, they sat us in the very back room, where the servers were negligent and kept getting our orders wrong. Not even that, but it took them FOREVER to take our orders, waited for an equally long time, while being constantly fed a tortilla chip dinner, and even waiting for the bill was painstakingly long. When we came out of the room, the entire restaurant was basically empty! There were a few customers scattered throughout the two main rooms, but not enough to be considered "busy" . The tacos were delicious, but I'd be reluctant to dine-in because of the service.
(2)Travis W.
Growing up in Orange this place has gone through a few changes. My aunt got married here when it was a church. It then became PJ Abby's and is now El Ranchito. But enough on the history lesson and lets get to it. El Ranchito is a chain that has places all over So Cal. Although the menu varies a little bit for each spot. This location has a beautiful decor inside and out. Stain glass windows and wood floor gives it a old school vibe. Open spacing and TVs for watching sports are scattered about for easy viewing. The food is ok here, good chips and salsa. The chicken enchiladas are pretty good. (its tough to mess these up) I have tried the carnitas tacos and just feel they could use a little more flavor. The real hidden gem here is the shredded beef quesadilla. They add potatoes which I have not seem before, if your here give it a try. They have your normal domestics on tap but they do a house brew that is a really good amber. Belly up to the bar and get yourself one NOW!!! CHEERS!!!!
(3)John T.
I have been here a few times. Most have been for meetings. They are very accommodating to group meetings. The service was good. Food was decent. Parking is tight.
(3)Jessica M.
So good! Fantastic service. Great atmosphere. Seriously yummy food. I will be back for you, Avila's. Soon. Don't worry, Avila's Soup; you'll be in my tummy again sooner rather than later. You too, freshly made tortillas. I love you.
(5)Marc L.
Always a pleasant experience here at Avila's El Ranchito.Set in an old remodeled church in old towne Orange, this restaurant is casual and relaxing.The food is very good.I ordered a side salad with cilantro lime dressing and shared an appetizer platter that featured chimichangas, toquito's, quesadilla's and sour cream and guacamole.Always happy here!
(4)Neil D.
Great atmosphere. It was once a church and it adds to the ambiance. The drinks are really good as is the service. Love the food. Always get the asada. Got to go there for Taco Tuesdays.
(4)Bear B.
Great food and they even have their own amber beer which was really good for the price. Went with a friend and when we asked for separate bills we got a little attitude at first but eventually the waiter did it. Would have got 5 stars if it wasn't for that.
(4)Ryan S.
Good service and good food and really good michalads. I've only tried a few different food items. The shrimp tacos are prolly in my top 5 for shrimp tacos. Make sure to try them out if your there, also there chicken quesadilla is really good. I really enjoy there salsa although the chips could definitely use improvement but with their really good michalads you start to forget about the chips and just enjoy your drink and your main meal. Bottoms up
(5)Thomas F.
Service is always great, and the food has been exceptional. Last time did the steak fajitas lunch special was excellent. Today had a chile rellano and shredded beef enchilada two item combo. Excellent lunch again
(5)Marliz G.
Haters are going to hate, but this actually is an authentic Mexican food joint. Family owned restaurant that started up in my home town of Huntington Park. I've been eating at their restaurants since I was a kid, and will continue to eat at their many restaurants as an adult. I do agree that the service could use some work, more waitresses and what not because it is constantly busy. For the people who disliked the food... go back to eating at taco bell, because you obviously don't know what good food is.
(5)Lindsey R.
definitely my favorite restaurant in old towne, despite it being a chain. i LOVE the building, it is very cool that they converted an old church into a restaurant, and it really does something for the ambience- its super cozy in there- a good vibe. we have always sat in the bar, because they have a lot of seating and we have never had to wait. the food is delicious! i love that they actually offer healthier options- that is SO rare for a mexican restaurant to cater to that. i always get the chicken fajita bowl- it is sliced grilled chicken, peppers and onions, and black beans. it is so flavorful, and it is plenty enough for 2 meals! especially coupled with their delicious chips and salsa.... I have also tasted many other things on the menu because we always bring people here when they come to orange to visit- it is definitely a crowd pleaser! and the staff is very attentive and friendly. what more can you ask for?
(4)Amber O.
Love the Avila's soup! They also make the best skinny margaritas. Menudo is very fresh and clean. If you are a menudo fan then you will love the fresh taste. Micheladas are very good and friendly staff.
(4)Mike F.
Love the location! This Avila's El Ranchito is an old church! It's definetely got the feel of Old Town Orange. When you eneter the restaurant you immediately notice the church architecture with the nice stained windows! The bar area is average, seats about 7 people at the bar itself and has other seating arrangements in the bar area. There are several smaller televisons to catch sports. We sat at the bar itself although there is a full service dining room. They have about 6 beers on tap from Dos Equis, Modelo, Pacifico , Budlight etc... along with your typical margaritas. I ordered the Azteca burrito where you had your choice of meat. I chose shredded beef as my main filling, along with beans, cheese, sour cream and guacamole. The shredded beef was tender-onie! Perfect! My friend ordered the chicken fajitas which were cooked to perfection. We ordered a side of guacamole with our chips. Guacamole was pretty good but wasn't tableside where they make it fresh in front of you. Maybe they have that option but the bartender didnt offer it to us. Service here was pretty good. The parking lot is kind of small but so are all parking lots on Old town Orange.
(4)Margaret H.
We finally came in to experience happy hour. Sitting at the bar the people next to us were delivered a big platter of shrimp. It looked so great we ordered the shrimp Botana too. Best dish ever!! Cooked with an Ajo (garlic) oil and served with fresh avacado, tomato and pickled jalapeños. Beans and rice come on a separate plate w/tortillas. I have to say this is our "go to" meal from now on. Tacos were good too!
(5)Amber L.
Located amongst the beauty of Old Town Orange, Avilas Mexican Restaurant is just off the beaten path. It's basically located in the neighborhood behind the main thoroughfare in an old craftsman-style church. The property is beautiful with a nice patio area, off-street parking, and beautiful landscaping and a fountain. Walking in, it does echo, like an old church should. They have beautiful hardwood floors and it's nicely organized inside. Though it was bigger than I thought it would be in there, they do have tiered seating, which makes it appears larger. We were seated in the middle of the restaurant and the way that the tables are, it felt like we were on display. I didn't initially care for the seating, but as it filled up with other parties, it seemed to grow on me. The chips and salsa was pretty good. The chips were hot and I definitely appreciated that. The salsa was chunky and we absolutely love chunky salsa, but we did have to salt and pepper it, as it was a little bland. My hunny ordered the chicken taco and enchiladas combination plate. We are cheese lovers, so when we saw all the cheese from the pics that other Yelpers posted, he immediately went for that one. I was having a real struggle between the chicken molé and the shrimp fajitas. I LOVE veggies, so the fajitas were really calling to me, but I also love some good molé and I was anxious to try theirs. However, I went with the fajitas and I was glad that I did. It was delivered on a half-moon fajita plate. They were absolutely delicious and there was some kind of sauce in it that so damn good, I wanted more! It was seasoned well, but I did sprinkle a little salt and pepper on it and it was even better. The beans and rice were seriously delicious; better than I ever thought they would be. It tasted more on the authentic side and not on the commercialized side. That speaks volumes to me, because I love the authentic taste of food, especially Mexican, which is my favorite. Of course, I didn't finish all of my food, which speaks to their generous portion sizes. I happily packed it up to take home. I was shocked when our server brought out a reusable Tupperware container for my leftovers! I thought that was very eco-friendly of them! Had we not been going elsewhere for dessert, we would have totally tried the fried ice cream, because it was definitely screaming at us! However, we were able to keep our strength through that struggle! In all, we really enjoyed the food and will definitely be back. The service was awesome! Everyone worked as a team and checked on us consistently and the food came out within 10-15 minutes of us ordering.
(4)Bread Man S.
The place located in an old church, super nice looking. The challenge is the food was not good really, I ordered the Mahi fish Tacos and was very under whelming and not exciting at all, I ate some of kids food, the bowl was good though. Server was good and the place is nice. The salsa was awesome really. Might come back.
(3)Adriana L.
The customer service was great, very attentive and made sure everything was okay. The restaurant used to be a church so it has really nice windows as decor. The food was tasty but my tacos were cold. When I give my ratings it's from an overall experience. The restaurant gets a 3 due to the women's restrooms and the Cadillac margarita. The restrooms were not clean at all. There was toilet paper all over the place. The Cadillac margarita was way too sweet and the margarita mix have an overwhelming taste of pure sugar. I would return again to try a new dish and a new drink.
(3)Tami D.
We came here the other day before shopping at a local antique store. The building was so beautiful and the food was good. We really had a nice, relaxing meal here. The stained glass windows are wonderful here. Once an old Baptist church, the restaurant has a cool nostalgic feel. We liked the history behind the restaurant and thought the building was truly lovely. The food was really good and arrived fairly quickly as well. I ordered the Seafood Enchiladas and my son ordered the kid's Chicken Taco meal (with rice and curly fries). We were pleasantly surprised by how delicious our meals were. We also liked how fresh and tasty the chips and salsa were too. Although our meals were brought out quickly, the service was a bit slow at times. What impressed us was when the gentleman who worked in the bar rushed over to us (in the restaurant side) to refill our soda and lemonade. We thought he really went out of his way. For a nice meal in this great old restaurant, El Ranchito is a great place to grab lunch while shopping in Old Towne Orange!
(4)Jennifer W.
I've been back three times since my last review, and I've had a different server every time. The.service.sucks.at .Avila's. Plain and simple. Say goodbye to your server and give him/her a hug once your order is taken, because someone else brings your food (a half hour later) and you won't see a soul employed with this place for a good hour when they show up with your bill. WHAT'S THE DEAL, MANAGEMENT? Are you reading the endless reviews here about your awful service? Why is a quick meal for two a 90-120 minute ordeal? Why do all of your employees ignore their tables?
(2)Gus G.
I love the building...an old.church with stained glass windows and high ceilings. Totally a great place. Went there on a business lunch (though have been there a few times before) I had the "tampiquena" on the lunch menu. Comes with carne asada, chicken enchilada, rice and beans. Though I switched the chicken enchilada for a cheese one. Everything was as delicious as the picture looks. My client also ordered the same and was equally impressed. It's an great place to eat aesthetically and for the food. Definitely come back here more and more...
(5)Domenic L.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS PLACE!!!! Great atmosphere, Awesome AUTHENTIC Mexican Food, and awesome staff! We eat here at least once a month!!!!! 5 Stars is not enough!!!!
(5)Yvonne D.
Our favorite Mexican restaurant, great place to go before & after the orange street fair. The porch is the best!
(5)JasonYadiz D.
I enjoy coming here every time. Staff is very helpful, pleasant, and everyone is very well taken care of. Love their chips and salsa so delicious!
(5)Catherine R.
My beer was cold. And the service was very friendly and fast. I had the Avila soup. It is a meal in itself Chicken, rice, avocado and whole lot of yummieness That alone filled me up and I still took some home. The chips and salsa are excellent. The salsa was not too spicy. And the flavor was excellent. I can see how parking may be an issue. I found a spot easily.
(4)Zach F.
This place was thoroughly disappointing. I was pretty baffled by the lack of service here, the lack of quality food, and the exorbitant prices for what you're being offered. Altogether, this is just one more bland, Americanized, only-white-people-actually-like-it-here Mexican food joint. First off, my wife and I are vegetarian. Coming here, we had already accepted that the options would be few, but we had to come for a work party. Turns out, the options really are few. Their rice is made with chicken broth and there is no option to substitute it. Their beans are made with lard, and they have a black bean substitute. Furthermore, there are virtually no menu items that do not contain meat. Thus, we ended up ordering the avocado tacos with black beans, and we asked our waiter to give us a double portion of black beans in place of the rice that we wouldn't be getting either. The food came and it was literally two cold tortillas with some shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, and a little bit of avocado. That's it for the tacos. Oh, and some intensely bland black beans that were pretty much just poured out of a can and perhaps not seasoned at all. But wait, there's more. They only gave us one serving of black beans, and still charged us for the full amount. What a scam this place is. I literally paid $10 for some boring black beans and cold tortillas with two slices of avocado. This is the height of a Mexican restaurant serving horrible food to people who they think don't know any better. Well, I know better. I won't be back here anytime soon, and I would hope that you would not make the same mistake that I did by taking your business here. Take your business to a place that serves real Mexican food, that doesn't lie about your order, and that doesn't charge you $10 for horrible food.
(1)Gabriel F.
Stopped in for a late dinner one night. First visit to this location, but a big fan of the chain - I've been to the Laguna Niguel and Corona Del Mar restaurants as well. This one is located in a remodeled chruch in Old Towne Orange - very nice inside, still has the stained glass windows and some added modern touches like a full bar and flat screen TV's so we could watch the Angels game. Parking was actually a breeze, it has its own lot and it's about 2 blocks southeast of the circle, so you're not dealing with the usual hassle of street parking or the public lots. Food did not disappoint as usual, and although I expected to not get excellent service since they were close to closing time and the place was empty, our server was attentive and very nice. The upside being our food came out nearly right away - we didn't even have time to ask for another basket of chips! Will definitely visit this location again, glad it's so close to home and has such great ambience. And being open until 10pm on weeknights makes it a great option for a late meal.
(5)Cynthia J.
Beautiful interior. We settled in, ordered and then were asked to order again, when our server "got busy" at 4 pm on a Saturday and tried to hand us off to another server. (We weren't having it.) Our order of flour tortillas (in my opinion) took too long to arrive at the table. But the fresh salsa was excellent and the Bloody Mary's rocked. We shared the entree chicken mole which was excellent. We supplemented with a large order of guacamole, which was truly huge -- if a bit bland. It needed more Adobo seasoning! This was actually too much food. Service improved as the meal went on, and all in all, this turned out to be a great choice! Glad we came!
(4)Ryan H.
Anybody who thinks that this place is anything less than a 5 star rating needs to have their head examined. Kate does a wonderful job and Marcus runs a great show. Thanks from a real regular customer.
(5)Ray C.
I went there on Monday with my son, who is three. They gave him cranes and paper. They had Apple juice! We had good service and good food. Looked at the bill, they gave my son his food for FREE! Monday is FREE for kids!
(5)Vanessa V.
Decided to take my husband out for a date night at this place. The food was good, the service was good, but it took forever to get the check! The food did come pretty fast though but I feel the quality of the food vs the price was not decent. The food was overpriced for what we got. Im mexican, ive been to many mexican restaurants and I can easily say that they are overpriced. The place was also extremely loud, i dont know if the high ceilings had anything to do with it but definitely had to raise my voice so my husband could hear me. Place is probably good for a happy hour for the drinks, but probably wouldnt come here again, Id rather go to Gabbys next time.
(3)Glen N.
Great atmosphere: it's an old church. Which is coincidental because the quesadilla is made with three different Jesus. We only went to the bar, but the chips/salsa were yummy and skinny margaritas were fat on tequila. Tequila in a church makes a lot of sense, for in Genesis 18:25 it says, "Tequila the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike."
(4)Lisa D.
Excellent margaritas, both tequila and vodka-based. The environment is a little unique, seeing as the building used to be a church, but the outdoor seating is spectacular. They have flame heaters and a vibrant outdoor atmosphere that makes dining here a pleasant experience. The food itself isn't exceptional and may be a tad overpriced, but I would still recommend giving this place a try, if only for the drinks.
(4)Claudia U.
They're trying for fine mexican dining. With that said the chicken mole at 15.99 wasn't all that great.. there was nothing exciting to it. You're paying for the atmosphere. Simple, nice and great service. Be prepared for tortillas and chips being stale. It's loud. It's college kids crowded. And simple .. the decor can use a huge boost. I get it ... they're going for the simple ranch house look, it's in their name ... but even at simple I've seen a hell of a lot better. I'd like to say we'll give them another chance, but doubtful. Lots of potential here.
(3)Ami F.
Don't sit in the bar! No one ever asked us if we wanted a 2nd drink. Food boring, no flavor, unless you like fishy shrimp, traded it for chicken. Still cost over $50.00
(2)Kaylee F.
El Ranchito is one of my favorite restaurants. I grew up going to the one in San Clemente and now orange is my new go to location. They make great margaritas! The salsa, guacamole and chips are always fresh. I have to say my favorite dishes at el Ranchito are anything with shredded beef. Their shredded beef is always on point and so full of flavor. I also love mama avilas soup and the taco salad... With shredded beef of course! In addition to the yummy food the staff is always friendly and accommodating to my many food allergies.
(5)Wherez_Andy T.
WHAT??? Can't hear you. Why? This place is fricken' noisy. Unbearably so. Stressfully so. We started out with drinks at the bar. Good drinks. Good bartender. Decent enough ambiance. Buzzer went off and we moved into the dining room. Worst move I ever made. The service went down the tubes and the decibels went way up. I'm not a nervous or anxious person but I immediately felt uncomfortable when I relocated to the dining room. Not only did I have to endure loud and screaming kids and adults trying to communicate over them, but I also had to deal with miserable service. We asked the waiter 3 times for a beer. 15 minutes later - it came. No spoon with the fajitas so good luck picking up items one by one iwith a fork. Never got water. Needed napkins. And had a pounding head. Buen provecho people.
(1)Kevin L.
If I had the choice between chain Mexican joints and stand-alone restaurants, I'd go with the latter. While this technically is a chain, it's small enough to feel like a stand-alone. I love that they took a church and modified it into a restaurant. It's such a cool space! To drink, I went with the jalapeño margarita. It was spicy enough to be enjoyable, but not so much that the drink wasn't still refreshing. I liked that you got the heat but also the pepper taste too. I'd order it again! I had the shrimp tacos for lunch and they were delicious. You get two pretty big tacos full of shrimp and veggies. I got my friend's guacamole and added that as well. The tacos were rather tasty and definitely filled me up. The chips and salsa were delicious and plentiful. I really liked their salsa, it's obvious that it was home made and not out of a bottle.
(5)Cassy D.
The ambiance is nice in Orange. I believe that is the initial draw to this establishment. I've visited other El Ranchito's, particularly Laguna Beach and the portions at the other locations seem to be larger elsewhere. I usually go with a couple friends and we all share the Botana Platter. We ordered this same item at the Orange location and the portion was so much less! I couldn't believe we would have had to order another one. When we go back to eat at the Laguna Beach location we feel like the Orange location rips people off. The food is okay, but nothing to rave about. I'm assuming this one is all about location, location, location.
(2)Max P.
I come here with my mom, dad, brother, niece, nephew and wife. We all order food. We all eat it. We all like it.
(5)Lena H.
Avila's El Ranchito is located just off the "circle of death" (named so because people seem to have no clue what to do and literally drive in circles before abruptly cutting someone else off and almost causing and accident). The building that El Ranchito resides in is an old 1950's style Baptist Church. From the outside it still looks like a church and if not for the sign one would walk past the restaurant without giving it a second look. When you enter the beautiful wood working is still present and breath taking. The two stained glass windows are just some of the many things that grab your attention and subconsciously put a smile on your face along side the high cathedral ceiling. The owner did an amazing job of preserving the integrity and allure of the church design. In my opinion this is one of the best restoration jobs and creative uses for a restaurant. Just be careful because if you're anything like me you start taking pictures not paying attention to where you're going and then you get a close appreciation of the wooden floors. The rear of the church that used to be the clergy's quarters and outside the view of the congregation has been turned into a full bar with a couple of booths and high table and stool seating; and is visible upon entry. So for beauty alone I give the restaurant 5 stars. Now, for the food on today's visit my husband and I ended up ordering: **side note I don't know if perhaps the cook was having an off day but it seemed that he/she was going a bit heavy handed on the salt...hope this isn't a daily phenomena -Menudo-nice and hearty, a bit think on the broth just as we like it...but a little less salt would be just perfect. -Albondiga soup (meatball soup)-mediocre at best, too salty -Carne Asada-I've always known carne asada to be a skirt steak, El Ranchito uses beef cutlets used for milanesa, not the carne asada we are used to. The meat itself was bland and overcooked. and -Chicken mole-I liked that they used only chicken breast but the mole is not "homemade" I venture to say that they use Mole Dona Maria that you can buy at your local supermarket. It was good but don't advertise something as homemade when clearly it taste exactly like the store bought mole. As for the service, it was not busy at all we were one of maybe 3 tables. Our server was not very attentive and my husband had to ask more than 3 times for water and additional items we needed. I can understand long gaps in service when you have a full house but what is the excuse when the restaurant isn't even at 5% capacity??? I give the service 2 stars.
(3)Eve F.
A colorful, unique restaurant for breakfast. They are also open for lunch and dinner. I had the soft taco breakfast with chorizo, rice and beans. Pretty good. Also, their salsa is better than some. Service was excellent. We were there at 11:30am and there was plenty of seating. I thought it would be crowded with the after church crowd but not the case. Was hoping we would get something extra with brunch but everything is just off the menu. Overall, a good meal. I do like eating in church. A choir on Sundays would be a treat!
(4)Laura S.
Great food and service! The food is always served quickly and the drinks are strong. I've been to a few of the restaurants including the original in Huntington Park. The family is at that location daily and the service is on point. Anything you order is going to be delicious!
(5)Marco C.
Good food, good service, some items are over priced ( cucumber margarita ). Restrooms need help, upgrade, at least put a curtain under the sink so we don't see the yuck and grime , turns ones stomach, hand towels seem to be scarce in the men's restroom, but available in the woman's restroom, environmental reasons is what management said. I will dine here again and give it another go.
(3)Rachel K.
Their nacho and salsa are probably better than any entrees.
(3)Cynthia M.
I'm pretty disappointed with my meal this time around. I really love this location. Its beautiful but the food did not meet up to it's expectation. Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing. I had soup and salad. The soup had no favor and the salad was just lettuce and some tomato. I have been here before for dinner and it was amazing. I will say that their skinny cucumber margarita was great!
(3)Robert. A.
Bland Mexican food, no flavor or seasoning. You can get better Mexican at many other places.
(2)Liz L.
Way impressed by the friendly service, fast delivery, and tasty selection of food. Salsa is the #1 reason for this 4-star review. It's hot with the perfect balance of no chunks/onion ratio. Fast, friendly service is #2. Sitting at a table of about 25 people, the servers managed to get everyone's order out correctly and promptly. All other positive feelings are thanks to the cute atmosphere (an old church) and the filling, delicious food. They offer a great selection of traditional and "light" dishes and margaritas. The next time I find myself in Orange, I will certainly return for a seamless experience.
(4)Jess S.
Food is expensive and NOT GOOD. Ordered the Mayan Burrito. I'd say 75% of it was rice and only 25% chicken. bland. This is food for white folks/pochos. Burrito was 9.99 + tax + tip. total = 13.00 por un burrito que sabia a nada. I will probably never go back.
(1)Garrett G.
With Kate as manager and Alfredo behind the bar making killer cocktails you can't go wrong with the amazing service that they provide as myself and my family come here weekly. The food is always hot and appetizing, and the location is perfect!
(5)Alex F.
We had a party of nine last-minute 10 o'clock on Saturday night , they took such great care of us the food was outstanding , service was even better , great drinks great beers on draft . I had chicken Mole outstanding , we were pleasantly surprised !
(5)James U.
Avila's El rancho is like stepping through Abuelitas door. This is a classic old town orange house turned into a great Mexican food stop. Shrimp, fajitas and tacos are great. If you are a fan of albondigas soup you will like this soup. Major sized meatballs and oversized cut veggies. Try the chicken and rice soup too. It's great to share and easily a meal on its own. FYI: Hard floors make it a little loud. Service is very good. Ale is totally cool. Stopped in for lunch today and the service was lightning fast. The lunch combos are nice sized. Wife had tacos with salad. Daughter had tacos with soup. I went with the burrito with chile verde. YUMMY! Meats are just a little salty but that comes from the perpetration. If you want a fancier Mexican style meal hit Gabby's around the corner but for a family atmosphere this is the place.
(4)Gabriel K.
I am rating this place 5 stars because it has some wonderful ambiance and friendly staff. The coffee could be upgraded to something better but the breakfast burrito is delicious!
(5)Tanya P.
Love this place. We walk down here as a family all the time. Met the owner once, VERY nice guy. He Sent dessert to our table which was delicious (the churros) sitting on the porch is very comfortable and relaxing! I always get the grande tostada salad which I love (and often crave) my husband gets the skirt steak with shrimp which he loves and often craves. We've never had a bad time here.
(5)Ivan R.
Two thumps up. I had the combination plate,Chile relleno chicken enchilada. The dinning area was very nice and the food was given to us very quickly. Restrooms were clean and the staff was fast with refills.
(5)Steph S.
Nice service , weird setting but good food . Got the avocado tacos , plain yet still good but the beans were delicious / rice balanced out the dish . The place used to he a church if Im not misinformed , which gave a weird vibe but brings interest.. nice waitress & good but could be better food :-) , okay prices. try at least once !
(4)Dianne H.
I came here for the first time with my boyfriend on the first Friday night of the Orange International Street Fair. It's a beautiful building in a lovely area. It wasn't packed so we were able to sit at the bar in their special booths. Our server (I forgot her name) was so sweet and friendly. We never had to wait for chips and salsa, drink refills or the check. She was very attentive and knew the menu when I asked about the happy hour items. Oh, and happy hour was great! We had the chingolinga bites (it's really a flauta cut in multiple places on the diagonal), house Amber and House Margarita. I loved everything we ate. The noise level was fine and I don't recall any loud music.
(5)Marie W.
I Love this restaurant ! I have eaten at many Mexican Restaurants and the food here is as authentic and is so delicious and service is excellent. I took my 2 sons here for for their College Graduation Dinner and some other family came as well. And the restaurant itself is in a nice area in Old Town of Orange in a residential area. Love the area plus the restaurant is so beautiful with the Big stained Glass windows and there is even a patio area with fire torch lighting. My sons loved this place as well as the other dinner guests. It is my favorite Mexican Restaurant and I highly recommend this place !
(5)Ryan A.
I really like this place. I love the hard shell beef taco and chicken enchilada with green sauce combo. Staff at the bar is great and very attentive. I haven't ever sat in the dining room but it looks nice. Probably been here about 40 times and never had anything I didn't like. Great place for solid Mexican food.
(4)Dante S.
DO NOT EAT HERE my experience at this restaurant was horrible although the service was good the food was NOT I was in the worst condition ever I had a very bad food poisoning and all day I was throwing up their beef DO NOT GET THE BEEF ENCHILADAS
(1)Joe P.
I came here to help my co-workers send off one of our team. Good for him: He found a better job. I'mma be next since work started blocking Yelp - jk - but only on the reason why I'll be leaving next. Avila's is a small chain. There are a 1/2 dozen locations in OC that I know of. I have been to this location in Orange, DT Huntington Beach and Corona del Mar in Newport Beach. All of the locations I have visited have been consistently OK. But I don't come here for the food, just Happy Hour. It was Taco Tuesday and we ordered hard tacos ($3 each or 2 for $5), nachos ($4) and taquitos ($4 for 2). Lets start off w/ the chips and salsa. They were pretty good. The chips were warm, thick and large pieces: Perfect for dipping. The salsa had a bit of kick to it from the jalapenos: 3.5 Stars. On the other hand, the remainder of the food was so-so. This is not an authentic place so we managed our expectations (the bulk of my co-workers are Mexican). The tacos were LOL: LOTS OF LETTUCE. The taquitos were a bit hard and the nachos were too wet. However, it was good for drinking type food: 3 Stars. The ambiance is typical chain Mexican restaurant. I don't care for the layout inside because you can't watch the TV from the big TV from the larger table. However, there is outdoor seating for nice weather: 3 Stars. Service is friendly and efficient. I arrived a 1/2 hour early than the remainder of my co-workers, and Bree the waitress kept checking on me although I was nursing a soda. After my co-workers arrived she took very good care of us to ensure we received Happy Hour prices (Oh yeah, did I mention she is hawt too): 4 Stars. Overall rating: 3.5 Stars. When it is my turn to change jobs (soon), I wouldn't mind coming back here. However, Javiers is still my fave place to go for obvious reasons - LOL!!!
(3)Nelda R.
Nice ambiance, yummy appetizer platter and the food was delicious! Ordered the carne asada with shrimp al mojo de ajo and it was perfect. Order extra garlic butter sauce.
(4)Shari M.
Avila's is legit. Back in August I had plan to have my birthday dinner at Gabbi's because of their high star count. I got there around 6 and it was a two hour wait. I called prior and they said no more reservations but the wait would be like 30-45 min. Thats why I came at 6 or so because I told my family 6:30 I think. Anyway, this birthday girl was not dealing with the wait and it looked super cramped inside. Seeing my birthday tradition is usually Mexican food, I was seriously about to go to an El Torito until my sister said she's been to Avila's and its just walking distance around the corner. Boom, done. My party of six was seated in about five minutes. The staff was friendly and our food came out super quick. It was nice and hot too. I thought my food was really good. Very authentic. Not tex mex style and not all fancy type. I'm glad my idea of Gabbi's fell through because Avila's represented for my birthday.
(4)Jordan T.
Ugh. The food here is so gross. Last time I got the chile relleno and the batter was completely soggy. Margaritas are terrible. Service was just okay. The taco Tuesday deals aren't really deals.
(1)Kristin H.
My boyfriend and I have walked here a few times and it's awesome. First is the decor. The restaurant is in an old church building with beautiful colored glass and high ceilings. Definitely nice inside and the outside patio is great for when the weather is right. We made it just in time for happy hour and the pink Cadillac margarita is my favorite. I'd recommend the happy hour tacos also based on the amount given. These aren't your small El Torito size tacos, there's plenty of meat and the carnitas tacos we got had so much flavor. Toppings came on the side so we could add what we liked. As an entree we split the chicken enchiladas with green sauce which were good, but felt they were lacking a little something. Not sure if they needed more cheese or spice but they weren't bad. Also service was fast! We didn't have to wait long for our food or drinks which was a major plus. Literally felt like minutes after we ordered, the plates were at our table! The staff was super friendly and attentive and just by sitting in the bar we could tell this restaurant had many frequent visitors since they knew the severs by name. We will definitely be back again and I look forward to trying more things.
(5)David Q.
When you enter here, you stand on holy ground. As in, holy crap this place is good. Restaurant is within the skeleton of an old church. The decor was very pleasant, as was the young woman who greeted us. Had a bloody maria per my request, and the server had no problem with the special request. Got an enchilada and chile relleno plate. This is my go-to for new Mexican places, and they were spot on. Relleno was perfect. Beans were amazing. Salsa was good, just wish they had a hotter version. Can't wait to try this place again!
(5)Mark B.
We stopped by here this evening on the recommendation of someone I work with. Checking it out online I was more influenced by the photos of the place then his recommendation. The food was awesome and they had the best margaritas I've had in sometime. Very cool eating in what was once a church. The stained glass windows were cool. Felt like we were eating God approved food. LOL
(4)Josephine P.
The place is beautiful. I love the stained windows and the whole vintage look of it. Parking was a breeze. We got there on a slow Sunday. There was probably about 3-4 tables that were filled and some people at the bar.... No one was at the front to sit us when we got there so we waited a few minutes and I had to give one of the staff the "we're here, standing, waiting" look. We finally got sitted and a few moments after we were served chips and salsa which was pretty good. Now on to the main course. Food was... Mediocre. Nothing really special. I guess when in stepped in the restaurant and saw how cool the place looked, I kind of set my expectations higher than I should've had. I decided to go for the 2 item combinaciones plate and chose chile rellenos and a soft steak taco which came with beans and rice. The beans were surprisingly good (I rarely eat beans because I don't like it) but this one I liked. The steak on my taco was dry. Like really dry. I have tasted a variety of steak tacos in a variety of places in Orange County and this is not anywhere near my top 10. The chile rellenos was good... I'd order it again if I ever come back to this place. My husband got the white fish burrito. Also a good portion on the plate. There was more rice than fish it should've been called rice burrito with white fish. He said it tasted good though. Service was fast. Then again it was a slow day. Our server was nice and courteous.
(3)Andrew G.
Fill up on chips! My brother and I ordered the chingalingas after the waitress told us how good they were (and how do you not order something that fun to say). My wife loves flautas so she ordered the one item combo with a flauta, which comes with rice and beans. When they set the food down in front on my brother in law and I we both made the same face which prompted the server to ask, "how is everything looking so far?" I held myself back from replying with, "is the rest still on its way?" Then they set down my wife's plate and I just started laughing. Imagine a frozen Costco taquito next to a 2" diameter bowl of black beans and maybe two table spoons full of rice. (I'll try and post the pic, this is in no way an exaggeration). My wife was in the bathroom at the time so she got back to the table with all of us still laughing, so that was a plus. We talked to the server who said that is the normal portion but she could get her another flauta. My wife then talked to the manager (she never does this) who was super unapologetic even after we asked to make sure they didn't accidentally bring her a kids meal. (A couple of dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets and a side of apple sauce would have looked right at home on that plate). The manager seemed super annoyed by us. The server came back and said they actually gave you two more flautas! Well wasn't that nice! Oh, but they still charged us extra for them! Well done! They certainly gave us a memorable evening, maybe not for the expected reasons.
(2)Kamron B.
The ambiance was very nice. Outside was beautiful and serene. Not so good: 1) the music was very loud and makes it hard to enjoy your food and listen to others 2) the salsa... 3) the food. I ordered a burrito and it was so detailed that it didn't turn out as well as it could have.
(2)Jeff Y.
I was meeting up with an old high school friend and a former math teacher. We planned to have lunch at Felix's Continental Cafe, but it was closed for New Year's Day. We came to Avila's instead, since I felt like I ought to get Mexican food while in CA. Since it was such a nice day, we sat outside. From my quick peek of the restaurant interior, it seemed quite nice inside with lots of space. But our outside table was great too. Our server was very prompt and waited on us diligently through the course of the entire meal. I ordered the Tacos y Caldo, but chose two chicken flautas to accompany my cup of soup instead of tacos. The flautas were okay, although somewhat more reminiscent of taquitos. The soup was good, although the cup wasn't too big. I ended up stuffing myself on a lot of chips and salsa to fill me up. On the other hand, the breakfast quesadilla that my friend ordered was HUGE! Overall, good food and service, but nothing mindblowingly delicious or special. The restaurant is located in a former church though, so there is some nice stained glass in front of which I took a group photo after our meal.
(4)Melissa D.
The restaurant was once a church and not being familiar with the area, we had to look out for its signage. Ordered the shrimp and carne Asada combo. My husband ordered the chicken taco and salad. Food was good and not too salty. Like other yelpers had said, the chip and salsa was spicy and loaded with green onions to our liking. We ordered the flan which was just ok.. Too thick and sweet for my taste but another couple at our table ordered the fried ice cream that was huge!! I think it was enough for 4 people at least . Heard it was yummy. Btw the music was a bit loud like we were in a Latin club. Ears are still ringing.
(3)Malachi S.
Sitting outside on a Sunday afternoon with draft Pacifico and good Mexican food - does life get any better !! We frequent Avila's when we take the kids for Mexican. It's a small chain that does a great job. If you want yuppie Mexican food and want to pay a little more then Gabbies is nearby but Avila's feels more like a family meal. We've had the fajitas and love them, they do a great carnitas burrito but to be fair I've had better carnitas. The chips (all important with Mexican food!) are decent. Kids menu is good and reasonable.
(4)Tatiana M.
Came with a coworker and e/a one had 3 tacos from the taco Tuesday menu, and a soda. We paid 30 bucks. Not a really good deal, but decent. Is full on Tuesdays so be patient. Tacos were ok. I had one chicken soft taco, one carne Asada and one fish. They were all OK. Oh! They charged us $0.57 for a side order of tomatillo salsa LOL! WTH? It's OK- 3 stars.
(3)Chris R.
Had to give this place a try because it looked so cute from the outside. Tuesday night place was packed, yet the service was fast and the food was good. Other reviews complain about the noise... It is noisy because of the space and birthday celebrations and happy people.....so if you are looking for a spot for a serious conversation this may not be the dining establishment for you.
(4)Chris L.
This location is right near Chapman University where my colleagues and I often meet to have a drink and chat. We had a large group on Taco Tuesday and luckily got a nice table outside on the patio. The prices are great for the happy hour specials and thankfully you don't have to be in the bar. I ordered two chicken tacos that were really tasty. The endless salsa and chips always fills me up. And we ordered to guac, which was okay. Definitely needed a little salt. There were too many people at our table for me to review everyone's dish. But the service is great and the food is mediocre. Not the best mexican food I have ever eaten - but not disappointing.
(3)J. D.
I heard it was really good, so a while back my honey and i decide not to go to our usually spot at the circle "gabbis" and try Avilas.... ummm i was a little sad. My caddilac was good. The food was homestyle for sure, but not what i was looking for that day. I love flavor in food. Not just salt and pepper. There are many other great spices and herbs that can be used. I don't think ill ever go back.
(2)Heather T.
I have been to a few of their locations, but not for some time. I love this location, close to old Town, close to home, parking available and the staff was so nice. We went for a late lunch the other day and were promptly greeted by a very friendly staff, fabulous chips and salsa, and some of the best food I have had in a very long time. I would eat here every day if I could. The bar was a bit small but inviting and well stocked. Layout was great, looks like an old church, with real wooden floors and stained glass windows. There was a separate back room that had a baby shower going on while we were there. Have to keep that in mind. Highly recommend the chimichanga, but I have never had a bad meal here.
(4)Terrence F.
Worst take out ever!!!!! I paid 18 dollars expecting a nice take out dinner and all I received in return was a glorified TV dinner. There is really no excuse for skimping on my plate if you are gonna charge me full price for appetizer portions. I will be sure to avoid this place in the future.
(1)A O.
We were looking forward to a nice evening of conversation and great food. However, that was the exact opposite at this restaurant. We were a party of five and they seated us in a downstairs room with no ambiance and with one other table with 20 people that obviously had too much to drink. We had to yell over each other and still could not be heard. The room was hot, even though we asked the to turn down the air. The food came out cold and the waiter was so busy with the large party he never came to our table. Also, the food was terrible!!! Will NEVER go back. The only thing about this place is that the building is quaint. Don't waste your time or money!!!!!
(1)Brittnie A.
Tried the Baja Bowl... Pretty damn good. Big portion :) Topped with avocado !!
(4)Emily D.
The chips and salsa were great. My skinny margarita was good. We had to add pepper and lime to the guac to make it better. And I'm pretty sure its not cooked to order since 6 of us ordered and our food was out literally 5 minutes later. Was good but could use more seasoning.
(4)Danielle F.
Last night my friend and I went here on a whim. Our usual go to in the circle is Citrus City for their never ending happy hour, but we wanted to try something new. Mexican is what we were craving and didn't want the pretentious atmosphere at Gabbi's. Avila's is not directly on the circle so for a Friday night, it wasn't crowded at all. The inside is really cool and decorated nicely, as it is an old church. We sat in the bar and ordered a couple of drinks. I wasn't really super hungry so I didn't want to order a full plate of food. I thought the prices were a little above average for Mexican, but oh well. Luckily they have an a la carte menu on the back, which was reasonably priced. I ordered the veggie and rice a la carte burrito, knowing full well I wasn't going to come close to finishing it. In the a la carte section, they don't list the full ingredients so I was unaware that there'd be mushrooms in the burrito... Not a fan. I should've asked so I wasn't constantly picking them out. The burrito was ok and for $6 it seemed fair. They have the option for skinny margaritas. The menu said it's made with their signature skinny mix, but when I asked, they said it's the Skinny brand, which I'm not a fan of. I opted for the house margarita, which was tasty and fair at $6. Overall, the experience was ok, but here are 100 other Mexican restaurants I'd go to first.
(3)Matthew F.
Taco Tuesday here is just lame. $4 for a street taco that you can get off a food truck for a buck.
(3)Pam R.
Nothing really special to write home about. Service is good though. I don't recommend the chicken quesadilla.
(3)Rose H.
This place is amazing! They have AUTHENTIC Mexican food at affordable prices. They have all the traditional dishes like tacos, burritos, fajitas etc but they also have some specialty dishes that you won't find in most places. My favorite is avila's chicken soup served with tortillas. It is delicious!
(5)Felicity B.
We tried to eat here last night for dinner, but quickly changed our mind and went to the Santa Ana location. The food is excellent, and if were reviewing the food it would have 5 stars. It was a friday night, and so a long wait was to be expected. What I did not expect was an attitude from the hostess. We asked if we could order it to go after having put our name in, and she kind of rolled her eyes and said "Sure I guess, I mean I dont know how backed up the kitchen is." My thought on that was, that it didn't really matter we just wanted to know if we could order it to go. Needless to say, she put a bad taste in our mouths so we decided to drive over to the other location in Santa Ana. We were met with a friendly staff, and great service. The food... top notch as always. Advice? Go to the other location if you have the time. It is worth it!
(2)Chris S.
Came here for Taco Tuesday, we opted to sit at the bar. While walking through the dining room, I noticed how large the building is and the ambience is nice as well. The service is friendly. The food for Taco Tuesday isn't that great of a deal but the tacos were good and decently portioned as far as meat is concerned. We ordered cadillac margaritas, which came out of the gun to our dismay. In my opinion, a cadillac margarita should NEVER come from a gun. I can appreciate the need to keep up with volume but no part of top shelf margarita, like a cadillac, resonates with automatically dispensed libation. Kudos for $2 off any tequila shot for Taco Tuesday. Not certain if I'd go back, even if it is walking distance.
(3)John M.
Let me start by saying that I love all of the Avila's restaurants around OC, except this one.... The management at this location is out of touch with customer service, the staff is friendly, but generally seem to under-trained and unable to make minor decisions that would make BIG customer service impact. Short story: Taco Tuesday several weeks back - Wife, 3 yr old daughter, and I came in for dinner, which was generally average (and generally over priced for taco tuesday on a patio bar), but whatever - they have great chips and salsa, so we purchased 4 "promo" tacos and 4 "premium" tacos, as well as 2 beers and 2 margaritas. All good, right? Wrong.... My kid is 3, she had about 2 bites of her "premium" shrimp taco, and then she was too busy with crayons to eat the rest. Asked for a box for her taco, and was told "Taco tuesday is dine in only - you can't take leftovers with you. it's a special price and if we let people take food home we'll lose money". This was a $5.00 a la carte taco, which i had already paid for - how exactly are you losing money if i take home the leftovers after I spent $40.00+tip on food and drink for 2.5 people? I understand a dine-in only policy for tacoTuesday, that makes perfect sense - but to prohibit taking leftovers that have already been paid for is just plain insulting. I'm not even annoyed about the taco - it was the condescending "manager" that needed to come out and "authorize" me to take home a buck and half worth of taco. Last word here - I LOVE the other Avila's locations, and eat there all the time. This location needs a management and food quality tune up.
(2)Rhonda C.
Didn't think the service could get any better but it did!! This place should train waitresses, waiters, bus boys and bartenders. All other restaurants fail in comparison.
(5)RoRo P.
Incredible ambiance, authentic food and great drinks. Their pomegranate margarita is excellent. I had their enchiladas en tomatillo and they were as good as my grandmas and that's tough to compete with. My mom had their mole and fell in love with it. My son had baby rice and truly enjoyed it. This called for plenty of napkins which brings me to why I rate it 4 stars. When I asked for napkins, our waitress gave us one each. Tsk tsk. Definitely need more than that.
(4)Amy U.
It's time to come clean. My husband and I have a serious, insatiable chip and salsa problem. These waiters never judge us, just keep filling up the basket and salsa, true loyalty. Their house amber beer is great. The Mama Avila's Chicken Soup is the perfect cold weather or sick soup. The Enchilada Souisas lunch special is always my favorite - the chicken, cheese, and tomatillo green sauce is to die for. If you feel you need to skip their great refried beans and rice, opt for the Baja Bowl or the Fiesta Platter. I'm mortified that I know all the dishes by heart. It's that good.
(5)Marlene S.
Sunday brunch after church in an old converted church, how fun! Huevos con chorizo was wonderful, service was very attentive. I would highly recommend this place! And you need to try the elderflower mimosa!
(4)Rebecca G.
***THIEVES!*** Sorry, but I was just there and had cash stolen out of my purse and the manager on duty doesn't give a rat's ass. I've been coming here for years, I've enjoyed the patio and the overpriced entrees and I've watched more than a few horse races in the bar. ****Again I'll say - THIEVES! I just spent 2 hours at the bar, watching the Preakness, I had between $19 - 22 cash in purse when I walked in, but only $10 cash when I went to pay for my drinks. The manager that I just spoke to on the phone says that the camera on the bar is broken and he doesn't give a shit anyways. ******STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE UNLESS YOU HAVE MONEY TO BURN, IN WHICH CASE EMAIL ME AND GIVE ME YOUR CASH TO HELP MAKE UP FOR WHAT WAS STOLEN FROM ME!****** I don't know if it was staff or a guest and I really don't care. $9 - 11 bucks is pretty small change to a restaurant bar, especially one that can afford to charge off shots to Chapman U graduates (which the Jason Statham look-a-like manager did before he went off duty, just before I left). Give me a sympathetic ear and my money back and investigate the problem on your own time. DO NOT JUST BLOW ME OFF AND SAY THAT SOMEONE WILL CALL ME BACK. If you insist on coming here (the patio is nice) DO NOT BRING CASH WITH YOU and DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON YOUR VALUABLES.
(1)Denny And Denise R.
Great food! Grilled veggies instead of rice and beans is my favorite! A little pricy.
(4)Keith L.
Go for happy hour weekdays 330-630 or else it is expensive. Crunchy tacos, service, and draft beers here are amazing.
(5)L Z.
My review is solely based on their brunch on Sundays. I was a little hesitant based on the 3.5 stars but my coworkers talks about this place as a definitely try in the orange circle. I had the quesadilla egg-célènte and my husband had the enchilada with fried eggs. I really enjoyed my meal. I enjoyed the combination of cheese, eggs, peppers and avocado. My husband liked his plate but didn't care for the beans. The chips were fine and I thought the salsa was light (not hot) and we liked the green onion pieces. Prices were about 10 a plate. After my husbands Bloody Mary, my coffee and two meals it came out to 33. A little steep but would try it again.
(3)Eric L.
I didn't really experience any taste difference between Avila's El Ranchito and, say, El Torito. The food was A-OK, exactly 3 stars. Definitely no more, but probably not less. There was nothing particularly bad about it, but I do not classify it as special. I think they're selling more than just food at this location. It's the ambiance. Old Towne Orange is something special indeed. Not to mention that the restaurant is located in an old abbey. It's like eating inside a church.
(3)Melissa M.
Great place for dinner - just sit in the bar area. Try the shrimp dinners and the house specialties - you won't be disappointed. The margaritas are perfect. Ask for Carmen or Hector - - great servers.
(4)Michelle P.
Came here with a group for the lunch combinations. I was really excited because it sounded like a lot of food, but to my dismay everyone received a lot of food except for moi. A fan of flautas, I ordered the one item combination with the flauta as my item. Now I've had many flautas before, and I would say they're usually about the size of an enchilada right? Wrong. At Avila the flauta is the size of a taquito. If I wanted a taquito sized item I would have gotten the taquitos. You may be thinking, did they get your order wrong? Nope - the skin was definitely flauta skin. The other sides - fresca beans and rice were good. Everyone else had delicious looking meals as well with generous portions of food. I guess I was just the odd one out of the bunch. The venue is an old church with a decent amount of parking in the rear. It's a pretty nice place to catch up for happy hour or lunch with co-workers if you work in the area. Just don't go for the flauta. It's not worth it.
(3)Rob S.
Absolutely Love El Ranchito! The old church building is beautiful, the service is great and the food is always excellent! I can never get enough of the tasty salsa, and always ask for two of three bowls of it. The chips come out warm, and I get the 2-item combos because you can never go wrong. They also have a great lunch menu available as well. My favorite item during lunch is the Autumn burrito, it is super good and a really big portion! They have a great house amber, and I really love that they started carrying Bootleggers beers now! Definitely the best food and service for the money around the Orange Circle hands down!
(5)Staci N.
Always consistent! Great service! And above all love the dog friendly patio! We love coming here every Sunday at any time of the day or night. It very comfortable here. There is no smoking here, we don't have to worry about that. The chicken soup is my favorite. Tomatillo enchiladas and Botana plates are the best. Always get taken care of by Alfredo.
(4)Patrice D.
I've been to their other locations many times, so I was excited when I moved to Orange and found a location here. Unfortunately the level of service doesn't compare to the other locations. Hopefully it's a temporary situation that they will iron out soon. I think it is a little price for what you get, but other than that OK.
(3)Richard P.
My wife and I typically come here once a month. The food is always hot, fresh and delicious. The service is always good to outstanding. On our last visit though, we were stunned at how much the alcohol prices had been raised. My wife enjoys the Skinny Cucumber martini, while I enjoy the Pomegranate Margarita. The prices were raised three dollars on each drink in about a month's time. We will still continue to eat there, but will switch to soft drinks versus alcohol.
(4)Joel L.
A beautiful location that is laid out to make the very most of it. The service is always very good and fast. Guava Margarita was interesting and tasty. Food, in general, is very good.
(4)Will M.
Here, the stained glass building is the most noteworthy thing about this location of Avila's El Ranchito. I've been to their Santa Ana location that looks like a ranch. I remember liking the food better there. This former PJ Abbey restaurant, does look like an English style church. It's relatively new, and I don't think they have their stuff together yet. And the decor seems to highlight the less authentic taste of the food we had at this location. I think the chef who created my "Chingalinga" could've used more salt, heat and oomph, like the song "My Dingaling" by Chuck Berry youtube.com/watch?v=0gWM… . Presentation of the food is fairly nice. The chips came out warm and crispy. The salsa was okay. My chingalinga order consisted of a mushed meat stuffed, rolled up, and deep fried churro-esque shell that is better as an appetizer. It was dry - I didn't finish it. I discovered how important beans and rice are when you're hungry. All those beans could've been deadly to everyone around me, but I just happened to have swallowed some Beanos in my car, LOL . My friend had their carnitas, a much better choice. Parking sucks during busy times everywhere near the circle at Orange. At 7 PM Saturday, the place was only half full, but by 7:20 every table was taken and people started to hang out at the bar. Lots of well dressed professional people along with families, including some Mexican families, usually a good sign about the food. But as I eavesdropped near my table, not a single person was raving about their food. So bottom line, there are lots of other Mexican places around here I'd rather go to. We had a pretty and pretty nice waitress, attentive enough but started to drift off to the many tables she had. The food came out in 15 minutes, not bad considering this was peak hour. Noise level and lighting of the place is high. It's much quieter at their Santa Ana location. And, feeling like I was in church, I did pray that the food will be better soon...though there may not be a next time for me here.
(3)Melanie R.
I really want to give them more stars because the service was amazing and I loved the chips and salsa. But the tampiquenias, chicken enchiladas and shrimp enchiladas weren't very good. The steak had no seasoning, the shrimp had a a seasoning that reminded me of old bay, and the enchilada sauce was less than average.
(3)Kim S.
Love it here!! We come all the time for great and reasonably price dinner or happy hour!
(5)David F.
First time I tired this place I was sold. It is know a must to eat here at least twice a month if not more. Classic Mexican food with flavor. Not like other places that rush food out to feed the masses. Well worth the wait. Don't for get to try the Avila's Amber Beer.
(4)Kimberly S.
By far the best location. Food and service are always excellent. Highly recommend the chingolinga entree.
(5)Lindsay B.
It doesn't take much to make me happy in a restaurant. In fact, I don't even expect the server to smile. I'm just happy to have a margarita and a booth far far away from a screaming baby. The point is, I'm not high maintenance. I ordered two tacos. When my order arrived, I noticed after the server left that I received an enchilada and taco instead. No big deal. I like enchiladas, so I digged in. Five minutes later the server returned and exclaimed, "What are you doing?! Did you eat part of that?" I nodded yes and assured her it was no problem it wasn't exactly my order. She then yanked the plate away while rolling her eyes as it almost hit my face. Another server delivered my correct order. He was delightful. However, my server never once looked me in the eyes. Not even when she brought the bill, then just stood there and said, "I have to go. So you need to tip me now." She then literally just kept standing there and watched my hand sign an intimidated and undeserved tip. The food wasn't the problem. I love Avila's and will continue to frequent their other locations. I've never experienced this kind of service. I don't even have the words to describe how badly I wish I had a different server.
(2)T C.
AMEN! I've been to several of the Avila's El Ranchito Restaurants, but this one takes the cake. I love the fact that it is a renovated Church converted into a restaurant. As you look around you have no choice but to keep looking around and enjoy the windows, and architecture. It's so awesome! Oh yeah the food is amazing as well! I always try the soup and taco combo. It's hard to go wrong with Mama's Chicken Soup! This place is a must see when in town.
(4)David R.
I love this place, this is one of several great locations and the food is awesome.
(5)Bonnie M.
Decent food! Service isn't anything to rave about but I wanted to go to a kid friendly place and sure enough kids eat free Mondays!
(3)Shannon H.
The reason why I give this casual restaurant 5 stars is because it has everything we are looking for. Great fresh food, great atmosphere (with nice contemporary music), location for it's in an old 1880 church and last but not least... smiley servers who ask how you are doing and truly mean it. A must...fiesta botana which is large mazatlan shrimp and chunks o lobster sautéed in garlic butter sauce and accompanied by delicious crispy lean pork. Comes with rice, beans and tortilla's. All this for $19.99 and yes you can split!!! The mama Avila's soup is also a must! It's the grandma's recipe. Chips and salsa are fresh as well. Ice cold beer and the Margie's are one of the best! One of the best things...it's a family owned restaurant! Love it! Sit at the bar and enjoy.
(5)Melissa L.
hostess: "Can you wait?" me: "yea of course how long would the wait be...?" hostess: "Can you wait?" me: *puzzled* "ok?" This is my first impression of this establishment. After coming back the hostess said it would be a 15 minute wait even though there were 3 or so tables empty. She offered us bar seating and we said we'd wait so we waited and finally were seated. Food was mediocre and service was worst. I wanted to like this cute, quaint lil restaurant but damn no. No .NO! Idk what kind of person gives this more than 3 stars.I mean try if you must but I be you'll come to the same conclusion.
(1)Julie L.
The exterior of this place is cute, cute, CUTE! I lovvveeee quaint and historic architecture! It use to be a church, but was converted into a restaurant. But the stain glass windows are still intact and the high open ceilings in the interior makes this place truly lovely on the inside and out. =) During lunch on a weekday, there wasn't much of a crowd. There is ample seating in the restaurant and the waiters are really attentive. Drinks were always promptly refilled and they were super generous with the chips and the salsa. We had a party of 6 and I swear each one of us almost had a basket of chips and salsa all to ourselves. The chips were really warm and fresh! Menu is your standard Mexican fare and is actually quite extensive. They even have low-carb options and they serve breakfast all day! Prices are ok, entrees range between $9 to $14. Ordered the summer fajitas ($9) off their lunch special menu. Opted for chicken instead of steak fajitas and they come with grilled veggies over a green salad. Comes with fresh tortillas and a generous serving of cilantro-lime dressing came on the side. A fajita salad! I was really surprised because usually I don't see this on most menus. The portion size was really good and there was an ample amount of chicken. Chicken was a tad on the dry side, but it was well seasoned without being too salty.The grilled veggies were cooked to perfection and the tortillas on the side were nice and warm. I really liked it. It was heavy and was rather healthy. I liked it. =) Good food and service. Small parking lot in the back. Oh and Happy hour starts at 3pm!
(4)Nancy P.
We walked in at 6pm on Friday night and got a table right away. The restaurant is beautiful and big. We loved the stained glass and the rustic chairs and tables. It was lovely inside and out. We asked if Happy Hour drink specials were allowed in the dining room and we were told yes. Score! I had a house margarita and it was pretty decent for $4. I got a little buzz from it. I had the Shrimp Cocktail and although it was good it wasn't the best. The Costa Mesa location has thee best Shrimp Cocktail ever!. But also I like to have cucumber and more tomatoes and onions than what was given. Still, I enjoyed it. Dan had a combo plate with a chicken enchilada and 1 chicken flaunta. The enchilada was pretty good but the flaunta had no seasoning inside with the chicken. He won't order that here again. But, we had very good service and an enjoyable dinner here.
(4)Kathleen B.
This is the first time I've felt compelled to write a review on Yelp. We've recently moved into the area, coming from south county, and we've had great memories of the Avila's in Laguna Niguel. So we decided to see if we could make this location our new staple for Mexican food. AMBIANCE: The location is beautiful, and rather interesting since it feels like you're eating in a converted church. We were seated quickly and the busboy came by with the chips and salsa. FOOD: The food was the same as Laguna Niguel's, and I was happy to see that it was pretty consistent. My carnitas came with a generous helping of guacamole and my husband's Camarones Rancheros enchiladas was also tasty. SERVICE: Now granted, we came during the World Cup Final, but we came at the end after the game was over and the award ceremony was being shown on the 6 TV's in the restaurant. Most of the servers were very distracted by the World Cup and stood around the bar together, and I noticed only one lady server and our busboy busting their butts to serve the dining room. I observed another patron that had to track down her server to pay her check (red flag!). After 20 mins of looking at the menu, I had to ask our busboy to get our server. Our server came and took our order and then went back to watching the tv after putting in our order in the computer. He came with our drinks but forgot the sweetener for my iced tea. The third and last time we saw our server was when he brought our food. Our busboy David was much more attentive, and made sure our drinks were filled and dirty dishes taken away. No one came to check on us besides him. Finally, when it came time for the check, I saw that our server decided to take his break and sat down to eat lunch. **Tip for the manager - it's the little things! Train your staff to let their tables know they are going on break and someone else will take care of them!!** The lady server came and brought our check and we saw her more in 5 mins than our original server during the entire meal. The rest of the servers grouped up in a corner of the restaurant taking selfies with a replica World Cup trophy. OVERALL: The food was awesome, the location was great, but the service was so unprofessional and bad that I don't think we'll come back anytime soon.
(2)Nancy B.
Food is great and services is nice! Love that they are in an old church building. So beautiful! Prices are a bit high. Their chips & salsa is delish!!
(4)David C.
Steak Picado was excellent! Service was very good and they have an outdoor patio that is pet friendly. Great dining option for the Orange Circle if you are looking for Mexican.
(5)Bri R.
Had been driving by this restaurant for a while and decided to give it a try. Went there yesterday for the first time and had terrible service. We were seated and no one came by our table for 15 minutes. We tried to get the attention of a waiter but no one even looked our way. We were about to leave, then someone came over and asked about drinks. Didn't apologize about the wait, or even state her name. She left and a busser came by and gave us our drinks. Our food came out timely, and while it wasn't spectacular, the taco was very tasty. The enchilada sauce was very tomatoey but still good. I wasn't too impressed with the prices either, being $13 for a 2 item combination. After we were done with our meal, it took them 10 minutes to bring our bill! We will definitely not be coming back. We were pretty disappointed as it was close by, but I would rather take my business else where.
(1)Bill K.
This was my go to place since they opened in Orange, but the quality has gone down hill. The last three meals I've had there were poor. Last nights chili Relleno was terrible and my taco meat was cold. Doubt I'll be back.
(1)Colin F.
Great salsa - it's amazing, especially if you ask for the extra spicy salsa. I have a dog so they let me sit on the patio outside which is super nice. The margaritas are delicious and the food portions were great. We had the fajitas and they were excellent. Really like this place. However it's not one of the less expensive Mexican restaurants that's for sure
(4)Claudia R.
Pretty basic Mexican food. Nothing too flavorful but it does the job! The chips and salsa is really good and they serve breakfast all day so I'm sure I'll be back.
(3)Charlie L.
Our 1st experience in this location and we had to try it because we love Mexican food and we live down the street. Fast and friendly service. The place was packed and they still sat us in less then 3-minutes. Ordered a appetizer and it literally was in front of us in about 5-minutes. Great portion size, everything was fresh, chips and salsa were bomb! We will be eating here very often.
(4)Tara Pualilia H.
I love this place. Now, just to be clear, I haven't tried everything on their menu. This review is for their signature soup, fresh-made tortillas, service & decor. The soup ..... where to begin..... I have dreams about this soup. A very well balanced soup with chicken, onions, cilantro, rice & avocados. I know the location in LA's soup is a little spicier and I do wish this one had a little more heat to it, but all in all, really LOVE it. The tortillas never disappoint, but consensus says the flour are better than corn. As a gluten free diner, (or as close to it as I can) the corn wins out. The decor is beautiful as the setting is a former church. It has been renovated impeccably and the bar has a very cozy feel. On this day, the service was perfect and did not disappoint. I do see from others that they may have had bad experiences here, but my fellow diners whom have frequented Avila's many times have yet to have similar bad experiences; therefore I am going to go with their assessment. Everyone was very nice and service was good. I want to add that I love their coffee as well. I didn't ask the brand or anything, but it certainly wasn't along the 'Folgers' lines, which made me smile. I will be going again and again!
(5)H A.
I really don't have much to say about this place. The Service was prompt and friendly. we were seated right away (but the place was pretty much deserted when we went.) they served us chips and salsa which were pretty good. I ordered their house margarita and it was not that good. It does not compare to margaritas at Acapulco's or El Torito. I ordered the carne asada tacos and It was the first time in my life I had to put salt in a carne asada taco. It was not to my liking obviously. I think I have been spoiled by Taco Rosa or Even El Torito's Taco Tuesday. I don't think I would be coming back here unless I am forced to go to a party or business dinner.
(3)Hun K.
Food was decent at most. Tasted like any other Mexican restaurant. Go to Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen. Wait will be longer but well worth it. We only decided to try Avila because Gabbi's was a hour wait. Should've waited. On top of so so food we had a server who sucked. Slow service. We got more attention from the bussers and host. Management should Definitely focus on service on the floor. Won't be coming back
(2)Heather Z.
Chile Verde chicken is to die for. Beautiful to look at, but noisy due to the high ceiling of a converted church.
(3)Kelly J.
Whenever my friends have a birthday, we tend to come here, Avila's in Orange. Let's face it people...I can CRAWL home from here and have a few times too! We like to sit in the bar and eat off of the happy hour menu while sucking down several margaritas and some shots of ToKillYa. The bartender is usually the same guy and is always really nice, even after you start slurring your words...don't pretend it doesn't happen to you! Be forewarned that they DO NOT allow kids in the bar. Now, I don't have kids, but I did grow up going to very nice restaurants and bars with my parents, they took me everywhere they went. Mind you, I was never allowed to sit AT the bar, but in the bar was never an issue... perhaps that is why I tend to crawl home from here, but I digress! Seriously, why is it a big deal for children to be in the bar if they are A) with their parents and B) not running around annoying the HEDoubleToothpicks out of the other patrons? I don't get it. ANYWAY, I really do enjoy coming here with my friends for a fun evening out. Everyone loves the Chingolingas which are chicken flautas, they are very tasty. My favorite dish is the Azteca Burrito. Drop in but, don't mention my name...JUST SAYIN!
(3)Lola L.
Dang! we loved this location. I have been eating at El Ranchito in Costa Mesa and HB for years. I found the food so-so at both locations. The service I received at both locatons was just so-so. This location, Orange, is situated in a beautiful old building. It is absolutely gorgeous! the service was fast as lightning, not really friendly but SUPER efficient, very quick and i meant it, this food was great. I had a taco salad and the waiter gladly substituted carnitas for the chicken or beef offered on the menu. My partner had a baja bowl..He loved it. Huge portions and delicious taste. We both took half of the food home! I would definitely recommend THIS location of Avila's El Ranchito
(5)Ellenar R.
Tacos & Caldo!!! I love coming here for lunch. It's not too crowded, service is awesome and food is great. Obviously I always order the tacos and caldo. It's hard for me to order something else when I've found a good one. The soup is probably my favorite part about it. That's something you definitely NEED to try. Even on a hot summer day, the restaurant is cold enough to enjoy a delicious chicken soup. Guacamole is tasty too, but not my kind of style. It's not spicy enough for me, but definitely creamy and full of flavor. Minus one star because I wouldn't really wanna drive all the way out to Orange County for this, but it's good...I swear!
(4)Margaux B.
WORST MEXICAN FOOD EVER!!! I went here with my two friends for Taco Tuesday. We each ordered a variety of tacos along with some drinks and guacamole. First they put us in this tiny room in back for "Taco Tuesday" customers which was closed off from the rest of the restaurant and filled with two other families, one of which had 3 screaming/crying children. We asked to sit anywhere else, they said no. The margaritas were mediocre, salty and extremely sour. I ordered sangria thinking I'd get a deal but since our menu had no prices I got stuck paying $7.25 for one small glass of sour fruit wine. I only drank it because I paid so much for it. Their salsa was overly spicy and had the nasty ends of the green onion in it that have zero flavor. We all ordered different tacos, chicken, beef, fish, shrimp and carne asada. My friend took a bite of his beef taco and nearly spit it on the table, he said it tasted like oil and couldn't even tell what kind of meat he was eating (he ordered chicken and beef and couldn't tell which one was in his mouth). My other friend ordered fish and beef and opened them both up. The fish was clearly a frozen pre-battered fish stick with zero flavor and her beef was grey and looked microwaved. I ordered the shrimp taco and after one bite I was worried I might end up with food poisoning (the fishiest tasting/smelling shrimp I've ever eaten). My carne asada was super dry and flavorless. Aka nothing was fresh. The service was fine and they didn't charge us for the food but we ended up paying $21 for 3 drinks on their "discounted" night. Ridiculous! Never going back and never recommending this place to anyone.
(1)Erin H.
Holy gigantic portions! Holy amazing salsa! Holy awesome location! Holy wait... is this a church? I've made one visit to the Avila's in Orange and I have to say, it might be a ritual Sunday or Monday, or one day a week spot for my roommate and I. The two of us adore chips and salsa and pretty much all mexican food in general, and Avila's did not disappoint. She ordered the Baja Bowl and I opted for the Quesadilla Avila so I could get my Mexican-cheesiness on. Both were enough food for 2 people on their own, neither of us were even close to finishing half of our meals, but we were absolutely satisfied. The Baja Bowl was piled high with black beans, rice, salsa, and chicken, served with tortillas. Looked amazing, my roommate had left overs for her next 2 meals and one of the waitresses suggested tossing an egg in to it and scrambling it for breakfast. Perfect left-over breakfast! You can assume what was in my quesadilla, I fathom most people know what a quesadilla is - and if you don't order something else. The guacamole was great, the service was awesome, the food is super authentic (big plus), and the interior is absolutely beautiful. I will definitely be a repeat customer, but maybe from now on, we'll be walking to Avila's - it seems kind of necessary.
(4)Danielle S.
Was just here for taco tuesday! It was delicious. Not too much food that leaves you feeling like you can't move, but just enough that leaves you content. I had the 2 shredded beef soft tacos. Definitely tasty!
(4)Erin J.
Went again and the pomegranate margarita was pretty good. The drink was larger than last time. Loved the chips, salsa and food. Service was excellent and we had a super experience. The restaurant is in a n old church building and is beautiful.
(4)Beneta P.
The food was great and service was real good. I went there with group of coworker for lunch and we ordered ahead of time. our order was ready when we got there. which was nice that lunch did not take forever. I will deffenitly go back here.
(4)Ashton C.
The food here is great! I love the breakfast options! The ambiance is incredible - the place used to be an old church. The service is fast and helpful. My hubby and I have found a great place to eat after church on Sunday!
(4)Marcus P.
This is what I think of when I think Mexican food! Not too many vegetarian options but there were a few. Next time I want to try the avocado tacos.
(5)Scott S.
Being that we live in Orange, I was oh so happy to give it a shot. The place looks awesome. Not much of a change from the old restaurant. Definitely had a buzz going on, and that's always nice to see. The service was prompt and friendly. A friend recomended getting the Avila's house soup. I got a small cup just to give it a try. Yummy!!! The rest of the meal was okay. The margaritas were tasty. How I sum it up is... not the best mexican food I've ever had. But I would definitely come back. And I would definitely order a bowl of that yummy soup.
(3)Jennifer M.
This is a local spot for my husband and I so it is very convenient. The camarones diablo are delish! Super spicy just how I like it!! It's good mexican when you're in the mood. Their chips and salsa are good also the nachos are a pretty decent size. My reasoning behind the 3 stars is this: when I am CRAVING mexican I like a hole in the wall, authentic and inexpensive place like Tacos Jalisco.
(3)Yvonne V.
This was a nice discovery while visiting Old Town. Did not realize that this was a little restaurant chain. Intrigued that the location was a former church. The transformation was well done. We ended up sitting at the bar. Along the way we passed the open dining area with beautiful stained glass windows. Service was prompt, and they had recommended the cucumber margarita which was very refreshing. I prefer my chips to be thinner, but theirs was ok. As usual, ask for the hotter salsa if you prefer. Had the enchiladas which was good. Overall, would definitely bring some friends over next time.
(4)Pamela R.
Really enjoyable place to have lunch or dinner, Beautiful Location, the food is great too! never left this place disappointed. :)
(5)Leah N.
So happy they opened one here in Orange! That soup is to die for!
(4)Joe D.
First time here, and I will be back. Let me start off by saying this place is smack dab in the middle of a vast assortment of architectural history, and the building it is in is no different. They renovated an old church and turned it into a very nice and cozy restaurant. Large open area with stain glass windows still in tact. For being such a large space and a building that is probably a hundred years old they kept the temperature nice and cool, which was a relief because it was close to a hundred degrees outside. They have a nice bar area and an even nicer patio, which on a cooler day would be the prime spot to enjoy. The food is priced close to El Torito, but no where near the quality. I find that there are two kinds of Mexican food. There is the greasy, and the clean Mexican food. This was the good clean type. Do not get me wrong the greasy stuff is good every now and then, but not when your paying thirteen or fourteen dollars a plate. We were seated and then started in our chips and salsa. We were helped by a very friendly waiter, Hector, who checked up on us frequently, but was not badgering. Shortly after ordering our food arrived, and when I say shortly I mean shortly. It took them about eight or so minuets, to bring out two piping hot plates. Now normally I would be cautious about food that comes out that quick, but I ordered it special to ensure that it would be fresh, and it was. Beans and rice were perfect and the steak burrito was large and the meat was cooked perfectly, tender and juicy with lots of flavor. The beans were as authentic and it gets and the rice was absolutely delicious. I ended up taking the meat from my burrito and mixing it in with the rice and beans and mmm mmm good. There are quick bite Mexican food places then there are nice sit down places, this is defiantly on my list for nice sit down where you can admire the surroundings, enjoy the friendly service, and of course the very delicious food. I will be back again and again.
(4)Danielle A.
I come here all the time but tonight was way different. I always get the same thing, creature of habit. The Avilas soup is always satisfying cold or hot out. While I do think the Newport location has the best soup, the service I received tonight beat even my bowl of south of border yumminess. Our server was Hector. He always had a smile, our drinks were never empty. My brother even dropped his napkin he came right over and picked it up and replaced it with 4 new ones. He was speedy and made sure to keep our salsas full. He was such a sweet server and it was such a nice change from the usual female servers in there who have so much attitude. I want to sit in his section every time, thanks Hector for such great service. I will for sure be back.
(5)Sarah D.
They raised their prices and are so over priced! My margarita was $11.00 and fajitas for $16.00. My shrimp was so over done, I couldnt eat it. . I would never go again!
(2)Erika G.
We went to this particular location for a birthday. It's a little hidden near the Orange Circle. It was absolutely amazing. First, you walk into this small, gorgeous restaurant that looks like it used to be a church before. It's got huge stained glass windows and these enormous marble light sconces (?). We were amazed at how beautiful the decor was. Next, the food. We tried the combination plates. They served big portions and the food had great flavor. I had the chile relleno and although I've never really tried one, it was pretty good. I liked the sauce. We had a group of about 8 and the servers were very attentive. Our drinks were always filled as well as our chip basket. It also helped that I joked around in spanish with them. There's a pretty cool little sports bar on one side. We will definitely visit this location again.
(5)Heather C.
Be sure to have Avila's Chicken Soup. It's delicious! The building is beautiful, the food is tasty and the service is spot on- from the friendly hostess, attentive busboys and the gracious waiters! I will make a habit of eating here. Plus, the room is the perfect setting for your special occasions.
(4)Bruce W.
Our favorite Mexican restaurant. Period. You can go fancier at Javier's, but Avila's is the bomb!
(5)shauna m.
Delicious potato tacos- tacos de papas. Great customer service. Love El Ranchito.
(4)Ashley C.
I give it three stars because I had great service. My drink was always full, they checked on me regularly and my food arrived very quickly. My service was top notch. The food, unfortunately, was not. It's not bad Mexican food; I've had much worse and this wasn't greasy food at all. However, it was very one note. I ordered carnitas, a mild dish, but the plate was dressed with rice, beans, pico de gallo, sour cream, an orange slice, and guacamole. I combined the majority of those into a tortilla, and biting into it was bland. No spice, no kick, no nothing. I tried pouring on some of the house salsa from my chips (because it's way too spicy for house salsa) and it still didn't help. So one note. My food was also overcooked. The tortilla chips were over done and the carnitas were dry. I would go back to see if I had a bad food day because I appreciate the service, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. If you're in Old Towne Orange and you want Mexican, go to Gabbi's, Jalepeno's, and Taco Adobe, even the quasi-Mexican Wahoo's. They all win over this.
(3)Chase M.
This restaurant is in a beautiful old church. That's the best thing about it. We went for "Taco Tuesday" to realize that that means you are relegated to the patio or back room. No problem. And the salsa wasn't bad. The margarita tasted like a mix. But then the tacos arrived. It's one thing for food to be greasy. This is not a surprise when you are eating tacos...but bland? And the server got my order wrong. I had been looking forward to eating here for months and I was so disappointed. Now I have that "ew-I-ate-unhealthy-greasy-food-slightly-sick" feeling AND it wasn't even REMOTELY good! (Even my eight year old agrees.) Yes, it's a beautiful building but NO, we will NOT be going back.
(1)Paul L.
Excellent for the best reason, the food. Everything I've ordered has been fresh, hot, and delicious. I highly recommend the tortilla soup with chicken and avocado. The combo dish with a cup of soup and two tacos is perfect for lunch or dinner! Excellent for two servers, Bree and Allie. They are both a breath of fresh air. They don't read a script, they have great personalities, and they know how to treat diners. If they are on duty, request them! Excellent for the manager, Marcus. He talks to everyone in the restaurant with a sincere interest. Very personable.
(5)Tim W.
1st visit = 5 star 2nd visit = 3 star Skip the Quesadilla Egg-celente (breakfast quesadilla). It was not good at all! Huge thick slices of tomato and avocado which was ice cold which made the whole quesadilla cold. Not much cheese or egg. It was pretty much cold tomato, avocado and green chilies in a tortilla. Everyone else really enjoyed their food. I guess I just ordered the 'wrong' thing! Their sangria is yummy, but $7.25 a pop. Service was great again.
(4)Earl S.
Chips are served warm, and the salsa actually had a little heat. So far so good. Service was initially quick, and consistently friendly. But as the meal went on, service seemed more erratic. It reminded me of the previous restaurant at this location: PJ's Abbey. And, like PJ's, the food consists of decent quality ingredients undermined by uncaring preparation. The chili relleno is touted on their menu as a signature item, but the one I got was noticeably undercooked. The ground chicken and beef are ok, but far from inspiring. Like the rest of the food we had they seemed mass-made, even if they did taste ok. And I guess that's where I come out on Avila's - it's just "ok". With Gabbi's 100 feet away, not to mention the even better Bahia and La Casita in the area, I don't see much of a reason to go back to Avila's.
(2)Marion P.
My husband and I went here last night for their taco Tuesday special. We both got the $5 combo, which includes two crispy tacos, one beef, one chicken. The tacos were okay. Definitely tasted healthier than most cripsy tacos, but if you are in the mood for a cripsy taco, you are usually not concerned about the health level. The deal is decent. All drinks are $2 off. The house Margarita was only $4. While I do think they were slightly watered (or seltzered?) down, they did the trick. I have been here before for drinks and they were definitely tastier when it isn't the discount time. Atmosphere: Very nice. The bar area is spacious. They also have a nice outdoor patio. Service: Excellent. Our waitress was very attentive (and we were only in the bar area getting the special!). I would probably visit again for drinks, but I may avoid the tacos next time.
(3)Erendira A.
Came here with my boyfriend last week. I ordered a chimichanga. It was pretty good and the service was excellent!! Definitely looking forward to eating here soon.
(4)Barry P.
Talk about average! Possibly better than a typical El Torito? I don't know. I was underwhelmed by this place, which took over a lovely building that may as well have stayed a church. I had shrimp fajitas. The shrimp was kinda ... weird. Oh, and a co-worker of mine ate here on the following weekend and got food poisoning. Would not return here. Spend a little extra, perhaps wait a little longer (or go at a less busy time) and walk--no, wait--run over to Gabbi's!
(2)Erin L.
The old church facility that you eat in rocks! The food is amazing! The service is serviceable. The parking is awful. Overall real great place because I get to walk there. Go and enjoy!
(5)