El Rancho Restaurant

Loved the Route 66 historic old western charm, and stories of the western movie stars from the 30' and 40's who stayed there. Each room is named after a star who stayed in that room at some time. Be sure to take a few moments to speak with the docent in the lobby in the evenings for many more interesting accounts about the stars and hotel. All of the staff were very accommodating and pleasant. Rooms were clean and acceptable. A nice stay altogether.

Visited for the first time in my life. When I first walked in the front entrance all I could smell was cigarette smoke. Being a past smoker I recognized it right off. Kinda a turn down if out of town folks come through that don't smoke or don't smoke anymore. We ate in the back bar area had chicken tacos the snapshot shows more. Good thing we didn't pay because it was dry chicken and beans were slightly undercooked. But everything had a good flavor and taste.Expensive for a hotel restaurant. I think since we did not tour the lobby we may go back but as a holiday and split an appetizer or share a soda.

Mikayla was our server both times we visited and she was very fun and very attentive to our group. The food was spectacular and the aesthetics were awesome! We loved our meal and had a great time as a group. I highly encourage you to peek in the lodge as it has wonderful decor. It is cool to see all the movies filmed near there and the movie stars that visited. We highly recommend you visit when in Gallup! A must see and a great meal.

While staying at El Rancho Hotel we enjoyed dinner and drinks here. It’s large and very convenient, just down a hallway from the lobby. We were seated quickly, but service was slow. The waitresses bussing their tables, which took their attention away from the customers. Perhaps they were short staffed that night. Anyhow, the food was delicious and worth waiting for. Hot and tasty! The drinks were good.

If there was a place that could use Gordon Ramsey, it's El Rancho. The hotel is fabulous. The restaurant is a dump. My sister's beef tacos had uncooked/pink ground beef. The lighting was terrible, but you can see the pink in the photo. It turned her stomach so she asked the waitress to take it away and didn't want anything back. I had ordered beef enchiladas. When I checked my enchiladas, they were also uncooked. Then a server/ someone came back with new tacos for my sister. She told the woman she didn't want them and the woman got angry about it and then said they could offer her a free dessert - in a mad voice. Huh. You're better off going to Sizzler.

If i could give the restaurant a zero, i would. I love the motel, but the restaurant is horrible. I ordered the crispy beef tacos. My dad and sister were going to split a combo mexican plate. My taco shells were worse than getting a store bought shell and super stale. I bit into my taco, and it was so bland, no seasonings at all. I also realized the meat was not even cooked. I had to open it up to see if it was seasoning, making it appear red or if it was raw! I told the watress to take it back, and i did not want a replacement. Meanwhile, the other plate shows up. The beef enchilada had the same raw meat! Then, the kitchen assistant comes out with a replacement taco plate. Rudely states we made you another one. I told her I specifically said I didn't want another. We then spoke to the waitress and told her that we wanted to just leave. She goes to talk to her manager. She comes back and states the manager said yall can just go. Honestly, the manager should have come to apologize for all of this. It was probably one of my worst restaurant experiences. The pic attached is from the enchilada . If you zoom in, you can see the redness of the ground beef.

Took a minute for the wait staff to warm up to us. I pride myself on being very gregarious accommodating and gracious. It wasn't long and it rubbed off on everyone there. So I would say say the wait staff needs encouragement and understanding. It's a hard job and they needed consideration and frivolity. I appreciate it that they followed our lead. We ate breakfast ; the pancake - to die for. Maybe people don't tip well.

Great nostalgic place for delicious Mexican dinner! Chips & salsa fresh & delicious. House margarita on point, we ordered The Leo & The Rita, not fresh, hot, flavorful made homemade with good quality ingredients. Service was top notch h. Highly recommend!

The restaurants is part of the El Rancho hotel. It holds about 40 people, there are also two bars affiliated. Dinners are steaks, burgers, salads and a mishmash of other stuff. The beer menu is OK, dessert menu is good. I tried the churros with ice cream, definitely recommend it. My dinner was the Lana burger, which is a half pound burger to order with onions on marble rye bread. Perfectly medium rare, came out hot, everything was done correctly and it tasted great. The best burger I've had in quite a while. I did not have fries or potatoes as a side rather just some fruit. Ambience is old Western. The hotel has hosted several Western movie groups from the past. The hotel lobby you'll have to take a look at, lots of pictures, great old western style, lots of fun. Service was quick, everything I ordered came out correctly and I got the check when I wanted it. Sabrina-great waitress. Yes, I recommend it and next time I come through Gallup, I will be sure to stop here. Note, it serves breakfast lunch and dinner.

Came here for dinner after we checked in. The restaurant doesn't really have the same old school vibe as the hotel. It was kind of a surprise. The place was relatively empty but we came late. An hour before closing so we were seated right away. The staff were friendly and the waitress was attentive. I ordered the Ronald Reagan burger and wife got the pancho villa salad. The food took a while to come out which isn't necessarily a bad thing but it was longer than expected. My burger and fries were good. Nothing exceptional but decent. The wife said her salad was good and they put a decent amount of chicken on the salad. I tried a few bites and the salad was good. The chicken was well seasoned. If I stayed here again I would definitely eat here. Don't know if I'd go out of my way to dine here though. Also drinks were good. I had the old fashioned and wife had Chardonnay. Also reasonably priced.

Love the place. Great hotel and fantastic restaurant. Loved the green chili and everything else they offered. We've stayed here twice and plan to stay again on our trip home.

Incredible. This place is the same price for breakfast as the fast food burrito places including taco bell. Unlimited refill on hot coffee if you order it. Leave off the coffee and all the menu items are ~10$. Food quality is excellent. Everything hand made. Pinto beans boiled from dry. Not from a can. Tortillas with grill marks. Chili sauce handmade from green or red chilis. Not the hot sauce from a jar or bottle. Incredible amount of labor to prep. This isn't reflected in the other reviews about poor food experiences. Everything meticiously maintained. Neon lighting. Nobody does that only see LEDs these days. Hotel built before air conditioning so they incorporated stone and evaporative cooling from water falls to keep the place cool. The rooms are named after individual actresses and actors. The females are stunning. Different body type back then without obesity. The Navajo blanket hanging on the wall are high quality. About the same as what is in the Chihuly Exhibit in Seattle. Countless hours to make by hand. Priceless. Nobody sells these of this quality. Cihiquiles everything prepared with astounding attention to detail including grill marks on the flour tortilla. Not going to see this in a fast food burrito place. Chili sauce hand made from local hatch chilis. This place cant be profitable because of the labor and maintinence costs. Enjoy it while it lasts. The low star reviews dont understand the difficulty of maintaining such an operation and the high labor costs. A 10$ sit down menu for breakfast is rare.

If you're in a hurry and get put out by inattentive staff, move on to another restaurant. However, if you don't mind a long lunch, enjoy perusing the heyday of Hollywood, and want a fantastic burger... this is your place!

We were staying in the El Rancho Hotel and the convenience of this restaurant couldn't be beat. We embarked on the journey down the stairs and through the small hallway to the restaurant. We were seated immediately and soon after, greeted by our server who was friendly and prompt. I was appreciative of the vegetarian options. They have some vegetarian starters, a veggie burger, and the option to select cheese or beans instead of the meat for some of their entrees. I was surprised by the lack of salad option without a meat but I'm grateful for what I can get. We pretty much always order queso if it's on the menu and this one comes with the most delicious corn chips. They are thin, crispy, salted to perfection, and I would probably gold belly them if that was an option. They should sell these in the store. They were amazing on their own. The queso was more of a sauce, similar to a thin pudding. It was spiced up with some chopped jalapeno and diced tomato. Tasty. To wet the whistle, we both ordered a margarita. GF ordered the one with the orange juice and I ordered the spicy one. The spicy one was like pouring a bottle of hot sauce in your mouth. It was, without a doubt, the spiciest margarita I've ever had. This shit is no joke. It also didn't taste like that fake mixer garbage, totally fresh and delicious. Unfortunately, it was a little bit too spicy for me so GF (who is more of a tank than I, as it turns out) and I switched. Hers wasn't quite as good as mine but very enjoyable and better than your average marg. For our entrees, I ordered the burrito with beans. GF ordered the cheese enchiladas. Per our server's suggestion, we selected the green chili. Both entrees were spectacular. Nothing fancy here, just good, authentic food. Great portions. The price was the best part, super reasonable. No regrets whatsoever eating at the hotel restaurant. You can't go wrong here.

Not great mexican food. Kind of expensive. But open on Sunday. Cool historical hotel for old movie buffs

We went for dinner after a long day of driving on I-40, and we were looking forward to trying Mexican food in New Mexico. The ambiance was cute, there was a lot of decoration and memorabilia. Unfortunately the food was disappointing. Our queso fundito reminded us of Tostito's queso dip from a jar at the grocery store. We shared the Ricardo Montalban, which included two enchiladas, a tamale, a tostada, and a hard shell taco that was comparable to a fast food taco. The green and red chile sauces were flavorful. Our waitress was cheerful and nice, but we only saw her twice throughout the meal and didn't receive any refills on our beverages.

I love everything about this place but the food. The staff was so kind and friendly. The place was nostalgic without being self conscious. Plenty of cozy booths and fun locals. But we didn't enjoy any of the food or beverages. We are 3 hours into our 3 weeks in New Mexico and hope it hasn't colored our desires for Mexican food or chilies. I'd I were closer I can see coming back for beers or simple cocktails maybe.

Old school Hollywood movie star hotel , not to be missed if you are in the Gallup area . The cocktails were strong enough to justify the price . What can I say ? I like a Cadillac. Margarita. With nachos . I really hate how modern the bars area looks now . The remodel is hideous but the Lobby area is a Time Capsule & a TREASURE!

Historic hotel and restaurant that was a Hollywood favorite at one time. The eats are good and standard from Mexican to hamburgers named after Hollywood starlets. Get the house green Chile soup, it's really good and a staple here!

Just by chance I followed a Yelp review and landed here for the 1st time. The Food was good, service was good, the history and ambiance was EXCELLENT.

Food was fine. Mexican food wasn't as bad as stated on other reviews. Hamburger was loaded and salad was good. Restaurant is a bit loud and has a cafeteria feel. Alcoholic drinks were good and some good draft beers... get the lifted kilt. Server was nice. Open late which is nice. Cloth napkins! And they have 4 large booths.

The place is 5 stars, food 3 stars so 4 stars overall it be. The building is a charming lodge. There are movie memorabilia galore everywhere dedicated to stars from yesteryears who made Westerns locally when the genre was popular in the 1940's and 50's. Food is fair. Not as good as many other local places and more expensive but you come here for the atmosphere which is quite unique.

They don't make them like this anyone - and they should! Skip Santa Fe. The pork & green chile stew is perfect. Try it get a bowl to go. A classic 30s hotel in pristine condition.

Bland and dry food that was way overpriced. Waitress was nice but did not take our orders down correctly. Would not recommend

Service is great! Atmosphere authentic! Food was delicious! Try the green chili! The beans are very flavorful. Only issue is they have no outdoor seating as advertised. We had to leave our dog in the car. But the lobby is amazing! I highly recommend!

Best omelette I've ever had! It was a combo and very loaded! The hashbrowns were also fantastic! great service and the place is beautiful!! Best breakfast I've had!

We were delighted to find that El Rancho hotel has a restaurant attached! We had a meal that was so flavorful and en point that it was the perfect end to a good day. Do have to warn that it is spicy, but it's the perfect level of spice even for someone with a low spice tolerance because of the well rounded flavor. The waitstaff was so friendly and so fast to help us with anything we wanted. And overall the restaurant has the feel of old western Hollywood. I would highly recommend this to anyone in the area if you get a chance.

Good food but kind of bland. Needs salt. Service is great and the hotel is really nice.

After a tiring 300+ mile drive in our RV, we decided to eat out instead of fixing something at camp. We decided on the El Rancho restaurant mainly because of its history among the Hollywood elites. I have no idea about what kind of restaurant it was in 1937 but today it's a Mexican cantina. We started with two margaritas on the rocks and they were delicious. We then ordered a three dip with tortilla chips. The dips were queso, salsa, and guacamole. Again outstanding. For our entrée, my wife had the cheese quesadilla and I had the stuffed Chile relleños . Oh my gosh both of the entrées were so delicious.!!! The quesadilla was bursting at the seam with chicken and cheese at least a half inch in thickness. My chili relleños we're so beautifully plated and the taste did not disappoint. It was a mouth watering platter of deliciousness. The amount of food was enough that we had a to go box which we had for breakfast the next morning

I'm not sure why this place isn't getting across the board stellar reviews. I'll admit - I was hesitant - the decor is very basic; utilitarian even. There's a saying in my business: "put the money in front of the camera". And that's what these folks have done - the money isn't in the curtains; it's on the plate. Don't let the unassuming nature of this place fool you - the proof is in the pudding...and the burger...and the fries...and the salads - nailed it

The food was excellent! I had the "Rita Moreno" with chicken-amazing. Great portions, friendly service.

Even though it was in an historical hotel....Food was cold, short staff...maybe. We could not recommend it!

We really enjoyed ourselves here tonight. We were there at approximately the same time as the yelper who just left a 2 star review, complaining about the lack of music. I have no idea what she thought was happening in the other room, but they were seating dining guests there. Service, food, and ambiance were all great, in our opinion. My mom is very fussy with beef, and found her meal delicious. I enjoyed my first ever wedge salad, named "Katherine Hepburn." They let us old people order the tiny kids sundae!

It's a nice place with years of history, very interesting hotel! The restaurant is a good place to go get food. We think 3.5 stars for the food. Nice smiling friendly service, historical environment. The John Wayne burger is very good, you've got to try it! We enjoyed walking around the hotel.

So the hotel was good, but as far as the restaurant? Meh. I get it that this place is always busy, as people who probably don't stay here eat at the place. I went on a Wednesday night and it was probably the slowest experience ever. Be it from the time that I was sat to the time I got my food which was a duration of about 45 minutes. But the waitstaff sympathized as they gave me free chips and salsa. All I ordered was nachos. I wasn't that hungry for a sandwich, salad or entree. They had a lot of drink specials but I wasn't in the mood for an alcoholic bev. The nachos were okay, but apparently the nationwide employee shortage definitely has hit the area as well as many others. Lame.

This is a small restaurant in a historic hotel, 14 tables as mentioned by others. They are resting on their laurels, food- wise, but we probably didn't choose the best menu items. I had the pork and green chili stew and really liked it. The Katherine Hepburn wedge salad was ok, i didn't hate it. RRR had the tamale plate which he liked but last night's tamales are a hard act to follow. Our waitress was wonderful! The hit of the meal was dessert. We shared the churros with caramel sauce and ice cream. Worth the price of admission! Next time, a burger and dessert!

Resturant was in an old Hotel that was on the National Historical Records. The restaurant was clean, service excellent and staff were groomed very well and professional and helpful. The food was very nice and refreshing. Just a great experience.

Loved just reading all the names on the menu. Had to try the Desi Arnez with Christmas sauce (red and green chili) thanks for the recommendation

Enchiladas were pretty good. Definitely not Tex-Mex but still good. Atmosphere in the bar and lobby is kinda old school Hollywood cool. Restaurant not so much. The only disappointment was you had to pay $5 for chips and salsa and we're kinda used to that being free.

Breakfast was pancakes and ham with maple syrup. Classic Mexican eggs with beans and Hashbrowns. Server was pleasant and came to check if there was anything else we needed

Poor service and lousy Mexican food. Had better tacos at Taco Bell. Beans and rice were Luke warm and didn't taste good either. Server omitted the salsa and sour cream that was supposed to accompany our orders. Hard to get their attention. No one seemed to care. I expected better at a restaurant in New Mexico. Tourist trap! Steer clear of this place.

I ate here the other day with a large group of people. We were well taken care of. The hospitality was good. I also enjoyed my food very much. I recommend this place to anyone.

Visited the Lounge a few months ago and Gallup is our stop over a couple of times a year.We decided to try the restaurant as the menu descriptions sounded so good. We anticipated a little higher end meal with dinner house atmosphere and cocktails. This place is not that. Honestly it could be a treasure but the restaurant fails on every level. A beautiful hotel lobby, great gift shop and nice lounge..creative sounding fun themed menu. When traveling we don't hesitate to spend money on a great meal in a nice restaurant..came in got seated in a small room with 14 tables crammed together..not a problem except NO atmosphere, no music and the little room to the side feels like a break room. People who work there coming and going in and out of this room and because there is no music you have to hear all of their personal conversations. You feel like you are in there space..we were wanting to have our own private conversation but it was not happening. I asked if they had music to put on as there were 4 or 5 speakers hanging from ceiling. Server brought out her phone and put on music... had anything but dinner or themed music on..thought since menu was themed to early Hollywood, western and rat pack they would have such music on. At least she tried though. Ordered southwestern plates and margaritas and food came in 5 minutes. Boxed taco shells..very mediocre food. I had to go ask to order salsa and guacamole as the servers were in the room discussing their schedules and weeks activities. We both were looking for a nice dinner house for a different kind of experience after 10 hrs on the road..this one is not it. I do recommend the lounge for cocktails..much cozier atmosphere.

The hotel is BEAUTIFUL lobby at the least. Then I went in and ate dinner at the 49er lounge. Had the Ronald Reagan burger and it was AMAZING. Had it cook medium and was cooked to PERFECTION. So glad I ate here.

Kind of a awkward location. You have to look for the sign but I saw so many not know to look up. The restaurant is okay. Drinks overpriced for what they are. You do not get chips and salsa. If you want them you have to pay. My food was okay. Hubby agreed. It does have more of a kick then other Mexican restaurants. I would tell someone to not eat there but I would tell them to not expect much.

Good steak salad with extra ripe tomatoes, fresh greens and quality meat. Decoros old time and fun. Service was good.

GREAT food and service! We read lots of mixed reviews. But we are here last night (and enjoyed a great night in the adjacent historic hotel). We were in the 49er Lounge. Love the ambiance. Fantastic burgers. Really! All around fabulous!

So, very small restaurant inside of a kitschy hotel. The hotel sits on the scenic and nostalgic route 66, which runs from Los Angeles, California to Chicago, Illinois. On the night I went to the restaurant they were very understaffed, with only 2 servers. The restaurant only has about 14 tables and I'm told that every so often they get very busy. I decided to have the Leo Carillo, which was a plate with three tacos, a small dish of air cream and a small serving of beans and rice. The tacos were sad. The menu said the beef was seasoned, and sadly it was not. I could have had a better meal at taco bell. The only thing saving this from getting one star is that the server was great and the prickly pear margarita was refreshing, delightful, and full of tequila. So, do I recommend eating here, no, but I can recommend stopping by, getting a drink, and hanging out in the

Totally solid restaurant! We are staying at the hotel and needed to go to bed before 11pm for activities the next day so we chose to eat here (around 9pm. They're open late!). We sat in the front patio to eat and received table service. Menus were paper and they had menus under plastic and glass in displays too. We got the John Wayne Burger (half pound ground beef, American cheese, tomato, lettuce, guacamole, toasted bun, and medium-well done burger with a hint of spices) and French Dip (super well seasoned shredded beef, very good au jus dip, Swiss cheese, and toasted roll). We got both with the shoestring fries. Our group of four women shared the two meals and are full, so servings are solid. Water was given automatically in individual styrofoam cups with straws. We ordered two Turquoise and Silver margaritas and one the John Wayne margarita. All condiments were offered too in individual servings which was nice! Tables seemed very clean. Burger: 4/5 Fries: 5/5 (classic salted fries that were crispy) French dip: 5/5 John Wayne margarita: 5/5 Turquoise and silver: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Service was friendly, nice, and quick! They wore gloves and masks. :)

We stop here every time we drive to & from Oklahoma. The service is good. The decor is cute & the restaurant is clean. I had really delicious Chile rellanos & cheese enchiladas with green sauce. Really exceptional. My only complaint would be the rice & beans are a little blah. The salsa was spicy & yum. It's a definite stop for us every time.

Got in relatively late to the hotel one night recently and opted for the restaurant instead of trying find a different place after driving all day. Should've found a different place. This is what I would call "Old People Mexican Food." The margaritas were simple, classic and tasty. I had the tamale plate. Wife had a taco plate. The tamales looked like they sat under a heat lamp for too long. I liked the beans. Wife's tacos had straight up unseasoned ground beef, and store bought corn taco shells. Skip it next time you're stopping in Gallup.

Food is a 5, service is a 3. The restaurant is cool, we love the decor. My wife said the enchilada plate was great with the green sauce and beef filled. I had the brisket sliders, they were delicious. The server would go to get something for us and get sidetracked and forget so we would have to ask again. We will stay at the hotel again and eat here again.

Staying at the El Rancho and starving after our long road trip, they seated us within 15 mins or so which was appreciated. The restaurant menu has lots of choices from steaks to Mexican favorites, salads and sandwiches. We ordered the green chili mac n cheese, which was a bit bland and dry and a top sirloin steak we shared. Steak was good, and roasted fresh squash served with the steak was fab. We ordered drinks and a queso fundido dip, but they brought just queso which was a disappointment. Overall was fair, but not bad.

They serve beer and wine on Sunday! The lobby and the resturant are very festive. The big booths can accommodate a large family of 6! It isn't very busy for lunch, and the staff is very attentive. There aren't many good options in Gallup, this looked like the best option.

Food is not very good and expensive. Service is slow and also not good. It's an interesting place to visit as it's like a museum but the restaurant is poor

The El Rancho Restaurant is located in the El Ranch hotel. The hotel is beautiful and so full of history! The hotel is well worth the stop! If seeking sustenance, I would save my money and go to one of the many other restaurants available. The prices are WAY too high for the quality and amount of food you receive.

The food here use to be great. I'm not sure what happened. I think there might be new cooks here. My food was over salted. The flavor wasn't amazing. The menu has definitely been downgraded.