Mi Ranchito Mexican

Went into this place for the first time in many years to pick up an order to take home. The gentleman who greeted us and took our order was so helpful and nice. The food was prepared quickly and was very tasty, particularly for the very fair price. Would definitely return on a more regular basis.

This was my first and last time visiting here. Following the great reviews I gave this place a try. Tried the chimichanga and as soon as I poked it with a fork, a huge mound of grease poured from the top. I immediately lost my appetite and couldn’t take another bite. I will not return here to try anything else because they still charged me for food that I didn’t eat and was highly dissatisfied with. For what its worth, the refried beans were good and well seasoned.

This is my absolute FAVORITE Mexican restaurant of all time. It’s absolutely delicious. I get the Cheese enchiladas with the fajita meat on top every time. I can’t really explain how bomb it is. You have to see for your yourself!

Cheese tacos and shrimp cocktail blow my mind. The best Tex Mex in denton. Cheap prices. Not the nicest atmosphere but I don’t really care. Wait staff are really nice as well

This restaurant is good and worth going to. We will be back, but it is super close to our house so that’s part of the reason.
The building is fun. It has bright colors and interesting, loud decorations on the walls. It is what I picture little restaurants in Mexico looking like. Not a huge restaurant and was busy at 7:30 on a Tuesday night.
The owner greeted us at the door and was extremely friendly. He was super nice and seemed like he was really happy that we were there.
Our waitress was ok but didn’t check on us very often. She was very nice and friendly but we had to wave her down to get more salsa, silverware, and refills.
The menu is large and has lots of different options. We ordered the 3 guacamole tostada plate. It just has Guac on it so we added lettuce and tomatoes. We also ordered a side of rice and beans since it didn’t come with it. The food was good. I liked the chips and salsa a lot. Tasted fresh and flavorful. The tostadas were large and really good. The tostada was crunchy and had a lot of guacamole on it. The rice was really good and the refried beans were ok. Everything was decently priced.
Overall it was good. Would come back for the food.

It isn’t very often that we feel misled by Unilocal but this was definitely one of those times. I don’t get how this place is so well reviewed. We had dinner here on a weekday a few weeks back. We pulled up and my husband asked if I was sure about the place (I had found it on Unilocal). I reminded him of the amazing reviews and we soldiered on. There were a few other tables seated when we got there. Our drink order was taken pretty much immediately. We ordered queso with chorizo at the same time. Our drinks came out quickly, then the queso showed up with tortillas. Chips and salsa eventually made their way over. The queso… no. It wasn’t like a dip, more like melted shredded cheese that had to be broken apart with our fingers or even scooped with a fork… then separated with our fingers. It wasn’t good. To the point of me not being able to eat any of it. The chips and salsa were decent though. I ordered the cheese enchiladas and thought I was good to go but then after a few bites I realized how overly greasy the dish was and had a hard time stomaching it. What was strange was that, while greasy, the enchiladas seemed to be lacking any flavor whatsoever. So all in all, a fail for us. I guess they are a local institution and we are the weird outsiders. Fine by us, lol.

It’s been awhile since I’ve been here. Much too long. I was hungry for some of the bean soup they serve along with the chips and salsa before the meal. They both were amazing and the salsa almost perfect. I like it just a tad hotter, but I think the best in town.
I got the lunch taco special that came with refried beans and rice, both good, and the chicken tacos. The chicken meat was all white meat, and large chunks. Loved every bite.

Little hole in the wall place, I end up passing it almost every time! Lol it has very good food. Not a big selection of bar drinks, but really good specials. They serve a tiny bowl of beans before your meal w/​the salsa and chips. I LOVE THOSE SILLY BEANS!

I love this place! Service isn’t the best but the chicken fajitas are so effin’ good! If you get a soda be prepared to pay per can.

You will find the best shrimp cocktail in Texas at Mi Ranchita! Served only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday!

Qualifier… I don’t mind terrible service if the food makes up for it. With that said, it’s been a good while since I’ve had poor service here. It seems they used to be under-​staffed but everything seems good at this point.
Now for the good stuff. The salsa is fresh and is a far cry from the usual Pace-​like stuff a lot of places throw in front of their patrons. Nice amount of bite and a good amount of cilantro and onions. Sometimes it needs a bit of salt added but we’ve all got hands and salt shakers on every table so you can salt to taste. I’m not a big salt lover anyway. They also bring a side of what I like to call borracho beans but it’s not really that. They’re just good, so eat em up.
Chicken fajitas are great with a good deal of bell pepper and onions for flavor. My favorite thing to order is the beef fajita nachos with no refried beans. They do not skimp on the fajita meat and it is flavored perfectly. The chimichanga is great as well. I go for chicken fajita meat on that one too.
The one thing I don’t like is their pico. The flavor is very flat is the only way I can describe it. I think it needs lime juice.
It’s been the only restaurant that has remained in rotation the entirety of my 8 years in Denton. It will be missed. I bet I’ll end up making my way back to town just to eat here though. Time will tell

I’ve had enchiladas at Chuy’s, El Guapos, and La Milpa and Mi Ranchito’s is the best.
The restaurant is a little rinky dink with weird décor but wo cares because the food is so good!
I usually find myself adding salt and pepper to my Mexican-​restaurant dishes because they lack flavor, but I didn’t have to do that here. The beans, the rice and the enchiladas were not lacking in any department and so much cheese! They don’t just top it off with a few sprinkles of shredded cheese as a garnish, they really throw a handful on top of the finished product.
The chips were alright. They tasted a little stale but the great salsa masked it.
Cheap prices – so I have no reason not to return. My new favorite mexican restaurant in Denton. My search can finally come to an end.

This is our go to spot for Mexican food. We are new to the area and are from the San Antonio area where awesome Mexican food places abound. This place fits the bill for satisfying our cravings. :)

We stopped in on our way to Missouri. The inside of the place could use a facelift, but I was hungry, so I just cared about the food. The salsa was good. A little spicy, but not hot since I’m a whiney butt where it comes to hot, and I ate it without problems LOL
The portion size was great, and most of us still had food left on our plates, but were too full to finish. The sodas were from a can. They brought a glass of ice, and a can of soda. I personally prefer fountain drinks, but its not a deal breaker.
The flavor of the meals were good. I’d eat there again without hesitation if we were in the area again.

If you’re looking for an old-​school Tex-​Mex joint that offers up cheesy gooey goodness, this is the place. I was in town to pick up my son from UNT and was jonesing for some Tex-​Mex. Between reviews on Unilocal and Urban Spoon, Mi Ranchito ended up being the spot.
Atmosphere
This place is a true dive. A clean and comfortable dive, but a dive nonetheless. (And I like that.) The exterior of the building isn’t much. In fact, without the small sign you might have to look twice or three times to know Mi Ranchito is there. The interior is clean, with mismatched accoutrements on the walls — everything from handcrafted bowls to Tecate posters. The chairs: Vinyl.
Service
We were taken care of from the moment we walked in the door until the time we left. Everyone was friendly and our orders came out within a reasonable time. So many people offered us service, I wasn’t sure whom to tip.
Food
The real reason we came (as should you). ~ Mi Ranchito serves a cup of delicious seasoned pinto beans with the chips and salsa (I’m assuming they do this all the time). Don’t hold back. They’re simple but worth the real estate in your stomach. The chips were … meh. They didn’t taste like house-​made chips, but they weren’t bad. Just not fantastic. The house salsa on the other hand is some of the best I’ve had in years. It’s classic Texas-​style smooth, with onion and a touch of cilantro. Not too spicy, but neither is it ultra-​mild. Excellent stuff!
(Take note other Tex-​Mex restaurants: The folks at Mi Ranchito know better than to add cumin to the salsa!)
As with any other Tex-​Mex joint, my first visit always includes a plate of tamales. They were on special Tuesday night ($ 5.95 I think), which made it all that much better. I ordered it with double rice (no beans) and a bean and cheese chalupa on the side. All were delicious. I’m not sure who makes their tamales, but the masa/​meat ratio is perfect and they are served firm, compared to mushy tamales in so many other restaurants. The chili ‘gravy’ is very nicely spiced. The rice is anything but an afterthought. Instead of loading it down with frozen peas and carrots, like so many other places, they actually work to provide nice firm and lightly seasoned rice. It was divine. And, as you can see in the photo, Mi Ranchito wasn’t stingy with the cheese. The chalupa was good. Really not much different than any other place, but an excellent way to eat more of the house salsa.
Bottom Line
If you are a chain Tex-​Mex/​Mexican restaurant eater, chances are you go for the neon, pretty drinks and 20-​somethings who say «My name is XXX and I’ll be taking care of you tonight.» The fact that everything on your plate comes from Con Agra (via Sysco) is a non-​factor. — You shouldn’t bother eating here.
If you like food. And you also happen to be among those Texas 40-​somethings (or older) whose families left church on Sundays for the nearest mom & pop Mexican joint, this is your place in Denton. I know that I’ll be back.

Cheap food, fast service, free chips, salsa, and some sort of tasty bean soup.

I usually come before the dinner hour. When I come there is only one or two tables so the only noise is the servers. The servers are talking to each other while changing shifts but they are all friendly and attentive to the customers. I bring my studies and stay a bit longer than just to eat and leave. They never show that they mind, and continue to check on me. I leave as the dinner crowd shows up so they can have the table.
The food is good and you get a small bowl of charro beans when you sit, along with the chips and salsa. My husband loves the beans and ask for a bigger bowl, they don’t seem to mind and bring him one. The beans do have good flavor and I wouldn’t mind having the recipe. I have not ordered anything I did not like, and I like to try different things. We bring our out of town guest here and we have never been disappointed.
Atmosphere reminds me of old Mexico. Bright colors and decorations. The benches are old style, not good for long term studying but good for short term. They have table and chairs but when I come by myself I like the booths. They give the appearance of more private.
They have alcohol but I have not tried any so no details on that topic.
You must try this place at least once.

My husband and I go to Mi Ranchito as often as we can. It’s by far our favorite Mexican food restaurant in the area– and I love Mexican food, so we have tried several around town. Each time we eat Mexican at another restaurant we end up disappointed that we didn’t go to Mi Ranchito right up the road instead. The food is delicious and made from real ingredients, the service is always friendly and great, and the prices are reasonable.
We have never had a dish there that wasn’t enjoyable. The enchiladas are excellent, the rice is always perfect, and they have a few seafood dishes on the weekends that are awesome too. Weekend evenings are busy, but we’ve never had to wait, and the service is still great when they’re packed. Closed Mondays, I believe.

The place is cozy, not commercial or mainstream at all, which is great.
Pros:
$ 5.95 lunch specials
All the meals come with TONS of cheese!
Decent prices
Rice is amazing
Very friendly
$ 2 beers on Saturdays and Wednesdays
Salsa was great
Cons:
No margaritas
Charge for tortillas
Queso was basically cheeze whiz, had to add salsa and salt to make it tasty
Soda only comes in the can, so obviously no refills (booooooooo)

It was alright.
If you want some better Mexican food in Denton try out Mazatlan.