EL Ranchero Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Blue Springs

Let's start this off by saying I am appalled. I cannot believe that this happened. Overall, only 2 issues. But the second issue? Oh, that's the worst one. Me and a friend had a little extra money for once, not much but enough to go out to eat at a mediocre dine in establishment that wasn't too expensive as long as we keep the check around $60 or less. This, this plays a major role. So, here we are, Monday night, August 7th of 2023, sitting at a booth inside of El Ranchero. We had a long day, it's 9:14pm and we just wanted a quick dinner because we haven't been able to eat all day because we were nonstop on the go running errands and working. Our server, a male who alpears to be in his early 30s, was quick with helping us. Brings us our drinks and chips and salsa then rushes to put our orders soon as he notices we put our menus down. So far so good, top grade server right there. And then a female staff member comes about, she looks to be around mid 30s at most early 40s, super chipper. She keeps buzzing around our table almost every 5 minutes checking in on us. I wouldn't find this too annoying except our server has already checked in at the correct intervals and has been helping us when needed. Welp, my annoyance grows because there goes bonding time. I no longer feel like I can hold a conversation with my friend because every time I try we get interrupted by the female staff member which just sky rockets my social anxiety because i feel like I'm being watched far too closely for my sanity. Hence issue number one. Me and my friend rush to finish as quickly as we can, leaving maybe 15 minutes after getting our food. Not long at all considering 5 minutes of that was us waiting to get to go boxes and the check. Now, remember what I said?? As long as we keep the check to $60 or less we are good. Our total was $51.56. Now granted I did attend American public schooling, if my math was correct then 15% of that for the tip would be $7.73, because in America the standard tipping is 15%. Well, we were willing to round up to an even $60 so we put down $8.44 for the tip, which isn't much but its what we could afford and still more than 15%. At this time, it's the female staff member who is helping us. So I'm assuming our original server finished his shift? To be honest, I didn't care who was helping us, I just wanted to leave. Closing time hasn't hit yet but I felt like I was being rushed before 30min to close even came around. Me and my friend left thinking 'All is well, we left more than 15% even though this wasn't a good experience'. Imagine our shock when we get notified that the restaurant staff STOLE from us. That's right, THEY STOLE MONEY FROM US. We left leaving our grand total at $60 only to be informed that El Ranchero located in Blue Springs, Mo on 7 Highway stole $10. They added an extra $10 to the tip that don't have the funds for. We have BILLS, we have to pay for GAS, we need to buy GROCERIES, that $8.44 was the most we could spare tip wise at the time and even then I didnt feel like they deserved it but we aren't animals so we left a lil over 15% for the tip, and this is what happens? To whoever the staff member is that did this, are not aware how this could effect society as a whole? You steal money from customers, welp those people will talk. Get enough people talking and you'll lose business. But at that time faith in others will also be shaken, shake it enough and people wont eat out anymore or they will just at places that dont take tips like drive thrus. Next thing you know we now have restaurants closing, innocent people who did no wrong losing jobs, more families struggle, and thanks to that more people signing up for unemployment checks. That then snowballs into all of America struggling more financially because of the amount being paid out to multiple people for unemployment all because you couldn't bother to be a decent human being and not STEAL. What is wrong with you? Have you no shame? Did you think that because we're young females that we don't need our money? The audacity you have...

If I could give a restaurant an F . .this one would get it hands down. For starters, they have shoved so many tables into that place that you couldn't get say a wheelchair through them. They sat myself and some friends at a table that was literally on top of the two tables it was between. When I eat. . I don't like eating in some strangers lap. We moved to a booth, that then took the waitress 30mins to finally get around to getting us our drink orders by then we had already decided what we wanted so we ordered our food. My friend and sister wanted cheese on their rice, they brought that out ahead of time (we assumed). Then we sat and waited. . .and waited. When we finally got our food AN HOUR AND HALF later. The food was luke warm, they put a salad on my friends plate after he specifically asked to NOT have it on his plate, they made my sister's guacamole really spicy when it wasn't supposed to have any spice in it. the cheese they were supposed to put on their rice was now stone cold because for some reason they couldn't put it on the rice in the kitchen, They forgot half the order, we had to wait another 30mins for it (my entree and my sister's a la carte tacos (2), the waitress came back only once to refill drinks and my friend was the only one she refilled, my sister and I didn't get a refill even though our glasses were now empty . There were three table besides who were there before we came in, but by the time we left. . and yes that took another 30mins to even get the dang check after several attempts by the waitress to give us the wrong one . .they STILL hadn't received their food or refills on any of their drinks. When we did get our bill they tried to charge us for several items we didn't order, of course like anyone would, we complained about the service and the bill. . NO CARES WERE GIVEN! No apologies, no trying to make it right. . .nothing. They charged us full price for my meal which had no rice or salad with it (it was just the cheese enchiladas that I had ordered because I wanted the pork on top and they didn't do that with the a la carte enchiladas), full price for 2 orders of three tacos (remember my sister only got 2), they charged us for not only the cheese on top of the rice. . .but an extra side of cheese as well. They even charged us for drinks we didn't even order! After my sister told them about the extra charges (after yet again waiting for someone to help us) they took the drinks off but refused to take any more off the bill regardless what was or wasn't with our meals. Moral. . .GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!. This place isn't worth the time you will be wasting here. I will mention here. . someone said this was "authentic Mexican" that is simply NOT true it is a...

I've eaten at El Ranchero two times now, and both times it has been the exact same experience. Disappointing. Oh, the food is good, but the service is ridiculously slow, inattentive and unfriendly to the point of being rude.

On our first visit it took at least 5 minutes just for the host to show up to seat us. I was ready to walk out the door right then because I was already annoyed, but my father (who had picked the place) suggested we wait a little bit longer. The host didn't apologize for the wait, and didn't offer a single warm greeting. He just grabbed two menus and announced "follow me". It was then, well over 10 minutes before anyone showed up at our table to even ask what we wanted to drink. Then, another 10 minutes before we saw the waiter again with a basket of chips, salsa and our drinks, and to finally ask for our order in a flat tone like he really didn't want to do it. After that it took 20 minutes to get our food while we saw people who came in after us get served. Then, I sat with an empty glass for the majority of the meal because we never saw the waiter again until he brought the check. I was willing to write this pathetic visit off as an anomaly because there was a rather large group dining together at the same time we were in there, and I do recognize that wait staff can get strained with large groups to serve all at once. So I thought I'd give them a second chance. However, my second visit was a similar story and the place was virtually empty at the time! This time the hostess was also our waitress, and she had the same annoyed and rude attitude as the first "host" from the time she "greeted" us (again, a mere "grab two menus, follow me") to the time she brought our check. She even practically threw the basket of chips onto our table as if it was a huge chore that she had to deliver them even though it took her forever just to bring those out. Again, it also took forever just for our drink order to be taken and food to be served even though the same person who seated us was taking our order!

Maybe I'm just so used to the warm and friendly staff at our regular place that no other can apparently compare, but this place just seems like customer satisfaction is not important to them. Even though the food was good the overall experience left a bad taste that has left me deciding I will never return. The only redeeming factor about this place was the food or else it would be a one...