El Ranchero Petoskey review, pics, hours, and menu info – El Ranchero is located off Anderson Rd in Petoskey, conveniently nestled among the highly-trafficked in the Anderson Rd area of all the local favorite stores…Lowe’s, Bed Bath and Beyond, Walmart, Meijer, etc.
El Ranchero in Petoskey is one of the few Mexican Restaurants around. So, if you’re in town, you might be looking hard to find some good Mexican food. We’ve done the research for you…we’ve visited La Senorita (NOW CLOSED), Jose’s, Mi Lindo Cancun (run by the same owners as El Ranchero) and El Ranchero…the top three (and pretty much the only three) in the immediate area.
El Ranchero Petoskey Pics
Here’s the honest breakdown. La Senorita is a very Americanized Mexican restaurant with decent food. This is your top option when you prefer the bar scene and drinks over quality food. Jose’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant in downtown Petoskey is not a sit-down restaurant, but the food is good. So, this is a good option when all you’re looking for is tasty and fast (order at the counter) Mexican Food in the downtown Petoskey area. You can read more about Jose’s in our full review here… Finally, we have El Ranchero…
El Ranchero is a sit down style Mexican restaurant. The interior is garishly, over the top festive with Mexican decor from floor to ceiling and Mexican music playing non-stop (and at a pretty loud volume). The menu is very full and extensive…nearly complicated. You will pretty much find anything and everything on this menu… Terrific Tacos in many varieties (stuffed with chorizo, chunks of pork, skirt steak, etc), fajitas, burritos, chimichangas, huervos, chalupas, enchiladas, quesadillas, special plates, combination meals, veggie plates, shrimp plates, chicken plates, lunch specials, a la carte items… There is so much to choose from. The drink menu is also extensive, affordable, and the margaritas are tasty and pack a wallop!
After searching through the menu for a bit, we decided on our orders. I wanted to try this awesome shrimp dish but they ran out of shrimp…I guess it must be good! Can’t wait to try it on my next trip. We ordered a burrito/taco combination plate, a chimichanga, and steak/chicken fajitas. Everything tasted great, was authentic, fresh and great quality.
That said, my complaints would be that the salsa and chips that are served before the meal are not unlimited. The salsa – a nice smooth blended mild salsa – would have been even better if we could have had more than the two small bowls to share among the three of us. The chips were unlimited, however, I’ve had better so I wouldn’t mind passing on those refills. Really, the chips aren’t very good at all. I like a lot of salsa because I typically use it with my meal as well.
Additionally, the service was probably one of the worst experiences I have ever had dining out. I’m not saying anyone was mean or rude, but it was by far the slowest service I have ever had. You get the feeling not one person on the waitstaff wanted to be there at all. We literally had to get up at the end and head over to the cash register to even get a bill! And, I stress, the restaurant was not busy! One of the biggest gripes of restaurant as a whole with everyone we have spoken with has been the service. You’ll often get responses like “yeah, the food was good… but man, the service?!”.
So, basically, El Ranchero in Petoskey is a decent option when you’re looking for the best quality Mexican Food around the area, but you’re not in a rush and can deal with the service.
El Ranchero has two locations.
El Ranchero Petoskey
2160 Anderson Rd, Petoskey MI 49770
231-487-1022
El Ranchero Petoskey Hours
Monday through Thursday 11a-10p
Friday and Saturday 11a-10:30p
Sunday 11a-9p
and
El Rancho Gaylord
1241 W Main Street, Gaylord, MI 49735
989-732-0307
See REVIEWS / TRAVEL for more Indian River, Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Pellston Michigan travel reviews and pics.
For more info on El Ranchero Petoskey, call 231-487-1022 or visit elrancheropetoskeymi.com
