Celia's Rancho Restaurante — Restaurant in Burbank

I live next to this place and I used to go to Viva. We were all a little concerned when a new restaurant was coming in and we feared this huge change. That said- This new restaurant is the breath of fresh air that we needed! It isn't your run of the mill menu (who wants a new place with the same old food?!) But it is incredibly flavorful and fresh, nice variety, and the menu is being constantly updated based on the clientele. The atmosphere preserves some of Viva and honors the Rancho, but it's now clean and in good repair. The new bar is stunning and the drinks are top quality - meant to be savored not pounded. I keep hearing the neighborhood bar flies complaining but the truth is, if you appreciate a high end cocktail that is crafted carefully and made fresh, you're going to be happy! Now let's talk food - there is something truly delicious for everyone here. Steaks, seafood, chicken, pork, and several vegetarian options. While you don't get to gorge on free chips and salsa, if you order the molé chips you'll have plenty to share and they will bring you some very flavorful salsa if one of their 5 very different molé sauces doesn't fully satisfy. We did the green with pepitas 💚We also tried the queso which was fabulous (happy hour!). For dinner, I had the chicken tinga enchiladas with Oaxaca molé (more traditional molé with a little spice and huge flavor!!), Cilantro rice, and beans. OMG I can't even tell you how good it was because there are no words!! My companion had the vegetarian tacos and they were so huge she could only finish one and the cilantro rice. (She doesn't usually eat her leftovers but in this case, oh yes she did!) And next was dessert because why wouldn't we?! I had a light Mexican cocoa tasting mousse that was served with fresh berries & cream and it was out of this world! My other half had the best, creamiest flan EVER also beautifully plated with fresh berries and cream. Verdict: don't skip dessert!!! Everything we put in our mouths was fresh and made from scratch. Huge improvement over what we were used to!! Also notable, you don't have to chase down the staff to get drink refills or your check. They are so polite and attentive but never pesty. A little note for everyone who is upset over Viva -I know many people are talking trash out there because they were so loyal to Viva. But Viva is never coming back. These folks had nothing to do with it and their restaurant is phenomenal. They are truly interested in giving you a nice dining experience in a place that still feels like home. Give them a chance and they'll show you.

Parking - they have a small lot and there is parking across the street...

Celia's is open! The menu has a great selection of creative Mexican style dishes to choose from. It's not like an El Torito's or Don Cuco kind of place where you get a huge plate of food with a mound of cheese beans and rice. Celia's is different, plates are crafted, fresh made to order and favor packed. Its like the kind of Mexican food you’d find in a nice restaurant in Mexico City or Guadalajara.

They don't start you off with chips/salsa, you can order chips, ours we got drizzled with mole, really flavorful. They have 4 different types of mole, we tried 2, so good (and I am not usually a mole fan). My favorite dish of the night, the green mole chicken with cilantro rice. It was slow cooked and delicious. The sea bass was amazing too, with the cauliflower mash, ok that may have been my favorite dish! Both ceviches we tried were fresh and delicious. The citrus bok choy salad was light and fresh. The Caesar was a heavier salad, presentation was really cool, they stack the leaves, so easy too cut and share, but the dressing was a little heavy on the anchovy for my taste. Both of the ceviche dishes we tried were light and the fish so fresh. We had to try the angel hair soup, it was really good! The nopales salad, unique and tasty! The cauliflower tacos were good, but I'd choose the chicken or fish next time, both were outstanding.

The service was really good. Everyone was super nice. Waiter was patient with all my inquiries and made good recommendations.

They spent a lot of time and money and put a lot of thought into redoing the place. Its beautiful, walls lined with art and really cool old photos. They kept the overall feel of the old place, there are still 2 really cool bars, one even has a margarita alter. The spicy margarita was good!

Can't wait to go back to try a beef or pork dish. Portion size is perfect. Yet I still somehow over ate. Glad to have another good restaurant around town! One thing I was a little disappointed, the old place had 2 stages, they went away with the remodel. But maybe sometime in the future, music will return to this awesome little spot in the Rancho...

My husband & I came here based on the good reviews... we should've listened to the bad! We started with the chips & salsa. If you want to try flavorless food, order these! By the looks, it looked like the salsa was from a can and literally had zero flavor. We did send this back & the waitress was kind enough to take it off our bill.

Well, we debated on leaving then, but decided to give it a shot since we had already placed our order. My husband ordered the chile relleno & I ordered 2 Steaks tacos & a grilled shrimp taco. My food came out first & it was a lot of food! My husband ended up eating one of the steak tacos, which at first tasted ok. But the more you ate, the more you tasted only a smoky flavor. The shrimp tacos I actually enjoyed, although it was mostly filled with cabbage... but at least there was some flavor! My husband's relleno was just terrible... and let me tell you, he will eat anything! He couldn't finish his dish. It was huge, but also bland. The red sauce was from a can The beans & rice served with it were also lacking any flavor. Overall, we'd suggest you stay away... unless you don't mind giving your money away. P.S. now reading reviews, we wish we weren't in such a hurry to get out of there & looked at the bill. If there was an optional kitchen fee that we were charged for without being asked about the option, we would have said something. The tipping is getting...