El Rancherito

Best Mexican restaurant in town! I love this place so much I could eat here for every meal! Such a friendly atmosphere and food is always good and fast.

Nice clean place with good food and service. Not very spicy but pepped it up with hot sauce. We would go back if in the area again.

The service here is impeccable, maybe that’s because the staff has come to know us. They start our dish when we come in the door (not really). Our favorite dish is the Lava Bowl – seafood – though they have a beef option.

One of our favorite places to eat in Galesburg! Fast, courteous service, and excellent food. We really liked the enchiladas and the tacos. The restaurant is very clean. The prices are more than reasonable. We couldn’t believe that the food arrived just as we were taking the first sip of our margaritas!

Really good surprise. we were traveling through Illinois and went looking for a Mexican restaurant for our friday night date night. I had a Colorado burrito and chili relleno which is what I always get as a first meal at a restaurant I’ve not been to before. both were good, but the relleno was surprisingly good. The staff could have been a bit more pleasant and the men’s room was out of paper towels. otherwise they would have got a 5 star…

Visited 25.May. 2013 while in Galesburg to take care of family business (I’m from Galesburg, but have been gone 30+ years).
Our party of 6 came in just before closing, and they accommodated us without any fuss. Had two of my favorite dishes, braised tongue and carnitas. The tongue was meltingly tender. The carnitas had a full pork flavor, tender with just the right amount of fat, and nicely crisped before serving. I asked for a margarita, not too sweet. When our waiter said they could not alter the sweetness, I asked for tequila on the rocks with the juice of ½ a lime. He gave me the best tequila they had, and it was just perfect.
And to top it all off, I left my smartphone at the restaurant, and did not notice until midnight. We needed to get on the road the next morning far before they opened, so I called back from the road. Miguel Gutierrez texted back, and said he had found the phone, and would be glad to send it UPS. It arrived Wednesday, safe and sound (and even packaged in a cool SpongeBob Squarepants Yoplait GoGurt yougurt box! Cool!). Thanks so much Miguel! You saved the day. .. and fed us well. Give them a try. .. but remember not to leave your smartphone!

Unfortunately, I’m a horrible judge when it comes to Mexican. I’ve traveled quite a bit and have had some of the best. This place, not even close.
I started with a glass of Sangria. It was tasty; however, it tasted as if it was poured from a bottle. Unfortunately, I wasn’t even offered a glass of water…
I ordered Tacos Mexican Style. As it was prepared that way, the quality was lacking; chicken was dry, salsa was extremely mild and even the tossed salad didn’t come with any offerings of a dressing…
Be very wary when you dine here!

I love tacos the mexican way. We always come here for mexican food when in Galesburg

GOOD STUFF! I have been to countless Mexican places like this all over the USA. Sort of dumpy but colorful. Run by a family. This was no different but I thought the food was above average. The salsa was great but could have had more spicy in it. Margaritas were good but a little on the small side, Served in a glass the size of a martini glass. The guac was good and the fajitas rocked. I’d go back here anytime.

Yet another restaurant review based on a trip I had to take for my bro. Okay on another night of nothing to do or nothing to eat we decided to stop by here and eat. Tired of American greasy food we had to have something culturally different and we found El Rancherito. Let’s just say we were surprised by the prices, the taste, and the service.
Again, our waiters could see we were not from around here so they helped us out with where to go and what to do around the area. The salsa was pretty good, it seemed like it was made fresh, and the chips were hot. The margaritas we ordered were so-​so. I ordered the fajita nachos, and even though the presentation wasn’t good, the taste was. The fajita seasoning wasn’t overpowering, the chicken was juicy, the chips remained crisp, the cheesy was oozing and gooey, and it was topped with the usual suspects.
Plenty of parking the night we came in, so there is nothing to worry about.

cheap margaritas, friendly service, and more food than you can ever hope to eat for around $ 7 a plate.

Leagues better than the more popular mexican restaurant in town, Jaliscos… not like that’s anything to brag about. The margaritas here are great, especially on specials night cause they’re cheap. The food isn’t the best Mexican you’ll ever have, but it does taste homemade, and not like it’s just been microwaved. I went here probably 3 – 4 times during college and enjoyed it.