El Rancho Grande

Fantastic time there AGAIN tonight. Always great food, great service. & it was mariachi band night. Extra special

There are some very good authentic Mexican dishes mixed in with your typical Tex-​Mex fare.
The help is inviting and attentive. The mole and fish dishes are very good. Great décor and we like the alcoves scattered around the restaurant.
Consistent and inexpensive, worth visiting.

This place is a hidden gem for authentic mexican food. I’ve always been a fan of their sister restaurant ‘el bandido’ in spring valley NY. If you’re looking for pure authentic mexican food that hasn’t been diluted to appease the commercial crowd then this is the place for you. I’m honestly surprised of the other bad reviews and would suspect they’re coming from competitors. The service and food here is great. The waiters are very attentive as well. The sangria is really good as well as must compliment to your meal especially if you’re in the mood to drink. The only complaint I have about this place is that it seems relatively quiet at times and they don’t seem to have a mariachi band like the other location does but other than that this place is still an ace!

First and foremost the décor is fabulous and this location, has been a frequent spot for mexican meals over the past 2 decades. Ive been coming here since i was a little girl and even though the portions of food have changed and the staff, but the atmosphere hasnt its a very relaxed slow pace spend all day here environment. You get warped into the music and forget about the world outside these walls. The flavor in the food on my recent visit hasnt met my expectations but i feel its because ive placed this establishment on a higher level of judgement. They need a better parking lot repaved fenced in and have the fence decorated. They appear closed leave the front door open to appear open and welcoming.

On Main Street, just over the West Orange border in Orange NJ, this local neighborhood gem has a huge and varied menu. The service is always great, as is the food. It is a fun place for families or couples on date night. Been coming here
for years.
I love their chicken enchiladas and chile rellenos on their combo plates. I’ve had good veggie combo plates too! They have a lot of fresh seafood as well. Their margaritas are decent and they have a good choice of Mexican cervezas. There is live music on the weekends, a nice Mariachi duo will serenade you, as you try the complimentary cheese enchilida app and delish fried banana chimichanga with vanilla ice cream for dessert that I always make room for. Have never had a bad meal here yet and I’ve been here dozens of times.
The restaurant has ample parking in its back lot. As you enter through the back door of the restaurant for a minute you feel as if you are in in the Southwest, as the outside stucco is colorful. Ask to sit in the little room for four that has bright murals of Mexican history painted on its walls. You won’t be disappointed.

Decent margaritas!

We were looking for a place that offered better than the local Mexican food in our area, and El Rancho Grande proved to be just the ticket. The building and the murals inside are hokey Mexicana, but the food was really a surprise: plain, unsalted chips that clearly weren’t from the Doritos bag, with a thin, spicy salsa that wasn’t from a ketchup bottle. We got small complimentary quesedillas, and the house margarita tasted of potent tequila with a strong lime kick to it. I ordered a combination platter to get an overall feel for the food: tamale, burrito, and taco; rice and frijoles. A good contrast of flavors rather than the mushed-​around feel of these dishes elsewhere. My wife ordered the fajitas, which featured real chicken breast rather than Chinese restaurant chickenoid, and was accompanied by a taco shell full of the marinated vegetable equivalent of ceviche. Dessert was a chimichanga wrapped around a honeyed banana slice, with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream on the side. By that time, we were rather full but ate it anyway: delicious.
The service was quite attentive, with the waitress, the busboy, and the proprietor all coming by to ask how our food was. Maybe they recognized me as the restaurant critic for the Star-​Ledger (just kidding), but in any event, it was a really good Mexican meal, and we intend to go back soon.

Amazzzzing! I love this cozy, high amp, Mexican restaurant. Been coming here for hot, awesome bites since I was a little bandito myself. I love bringing freinds and always have a great time. The enchiladas with salsa verde are what I love to order. bit there’s sooo much on that menu it’s fantastic. VIVA FOREVER!

Margarita was sad, weak & all Roses Lime syrup! Salsa & chips was good, guacamole was bland. Food was just OK, more like Tex-​Mex, along the lines of Torro Loco. We had the enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos & the combo with chicken tamale, chicken mole enchilada & beef chile relleno. Service was OK. I won’t be back anytime soon!

This is by far my favorite restaurant! The food is always delicious and the service is amazing. The atmosphere is also awesome from the murals to the authentic Mexican feel.
There are a lot of tex mex restaurants in the area that claim to be authentic, but El Rancho Grande is truly authentic! Nothing tex mex here! About a block away from 280 it is so convenient!

I’ve literally been coming to this restaurant since I was a baby, 22 years ago. When my family moved to the area they discovered it and we’ve been eating there ever since. I often cite it as my favorite restaurant, and I’ve chosen to go there for many birthdays and celebrations.
The staff is friendly and despite the fact that the management has changed several times in the last two decades (I first knew it as «El Bandido»), it still remains an awesome place to go. Occasionally they’ll have musicians walking around. They have plenty of options… from seafood to vegetarian. Great guacamole. Great place overall.

We went around brunch time Saturday. Was very good. I liked that they appear to use less salt than other Mexican places. But then the Magaritas actually had alcohol. There is this other place we love that I once had 10 magaritas at (never felt a buzz&I am a lightweight) during my husband’s birthday party. Later we discussed it, and realized that there is NO ALCOHOL in their drinks. So, we were pleasantly surprised that we each had one and actually felt a buzz…#RARE.
We’ll return soon, cause it is close to our place in South Orange.

I love this place. It’s small but has a fun, authentic vibe to it. Don’t be scared off by the neighborhood. The food is good and plentiful in portions. Love the margaritas, chips/​salsa, complimentary quesadilla and dessert. It’s a nice touch. The Camarones Acapulco is my favorite. Delicious. Occasionally you’ll get a duo singing around the restaurant on guitar (one being the owner). It’s always been a fun time for us and we’re never disappointed by the food. Support smaller restaurants like this one!

Good Mexican food. Gustavo’s service and food suggestions were appropriate and thoughtful. Really enjoyed my first time here. Micheladas were awesome! Normally, I wouldn’t order mole from a restaurant, however, in this case I suggest it. Everyone treated me like I was important. I look forward to coming back, as I really enjoyed my time there.

Walked in on a Sunday no one else was there. Pretty cool looking inside. Food was a bit bland. Service also just ok. Price was a bit high for food level. Nothing very special. Probably wont go back

I was really looking forward to this restaurant based on the reviews and I’m so sorry to say that I was less than impressed. The chips and salsa was good but that was all. I had chimichangas and maybe I don’t know much about Mexican food but it was meat wrapped in fried flour! That’s it that’s all! No sauce (aside from some melted sour cream), barely little to no lettuce on the side. My son had the enchiladas and guess what… THE SAME THING only the flour tortilla was soft… It was only meat wrapped in flour… At least his had some kinda red sauce on top… I definitely will not be back… This was a major disappointment! Over priced with no taste!

I have been coming to this restaurant for many, many years even through their transition in ownership. And there is a reason I keep coming back! It’s local, its authentic and the service is always impeccable. Now most will look at the ‘Orange” address and keep it moving, but you would be selling yourself short! Its a cool casual place to come with friends for drinks at the bar or a family dinner. The food is very yummy and their menu very extensive — my favorites are the Salmon in white sauce and the Rancho Grande Special! The guac is good but could stand to have more finely diced onions!
The servers are always refilling your chips or drinks before you likely notice it needs refilling. The atmosphere is cozy with little alcoves in the dinning area and Mexican hand painted murals throughout. Parking lot in rear and for those still a bit suspect, there are security cameras! Definitely a must try!

This place was crazy inside with trippy murals. Food was tasty and service was outstanding– they offered us complimentary shots and desserts. Can’t argue with that. Great place.

I can cook better, more authentic Mexican myself for a fraction of the price ($ 8 guac???). Head into South Orange and eat at Toro Loco. You’ll save money, better beer selection, and much better food. And better service — I had to wait 20+ minutes just to place my order! And a cuter location with more things to see in walking distance. I don’t get why this place is so hyped, or maybe the quality has finally come way down from where it was as El Bandido. But I’m never going back.

I was a regular when this place was El Bandidos. The atmosphere was fun, and the people were great. The food was awesome! Authentic Mexican food. The place is now under new management, and the happy hour scene is not as lively or late nights during the week. Yet the food is still good and they still make killer sangrias and margaritas. The sangrias are the strongest I have had other than my own.
The salsa is delicious, and the guac is pretty good. I always get enchiladas dishes, and I never had better anywhere else. The shrimp dinners are scrumptious. My only wish is that more people come check this place out so they don’t go out of business. I also miss the cameras they had at the bar so you could see your car in the parking lot. Other than that try it out!!!