El Ranchito Taco Shop — Restaurant in La Quinta

How in the world are people rating the atmosphere 5 stars here... I wouldn't trust anyone's opinion when they throw around 5 stars like they're nothing, particularly when the atmosphere is old tile floors with old tables and chairs from 40 years ago... slightly dirty and very unorganized.. to me, atmosphere means nothing, I rated it accurately and it wouldn't keep me from coming here. The prices however will absolutely keep me from coming back.

The food is very good. Executed as expected, nothing special but very quality made old school style Mexican food. Their beans are on point, so is their rice. The hard shell tacos have plenty of shredded beef, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. The shell is crispy and delicious. We'll above average here.

The cheese enchilda was good. The cheese could have been less coagulated though.. melted cheese is much better. This cheese was all lumped up and as exactly as I described above, coagulated. Really a let down. It's worth mentioning that their sauce is the savory type. I really hate when I go to a new Mexican place and the sauce is either sweet style, or smokey style. Savory style is the only way I prefer enchiladas, and this place does a decent job. Not bad, not great either. The a la carte price for each at the time of this writing was just under $5 which is one of their better values. If the cheese was melted, I would actually come back for these.

Their street tacos are 3.89. Quite high for tiny street tacos. They do pile on the shredded carnitas but honestly it too much... I'd rather have 2 tacos with the same amount of meat for a little more money even. The ratio was off. Sure you could pull it off and eat it with other things (I did) but I definitely didn't prefer that.

Their salsa bar was limited but I did come late at night so that could be it. One green, and one red. The red was very nicely spicy. The green was mild and flavorful. Not my favorite green sauce but still decent.

I have a pastor taco for tomorrow I'm eager to try. It looked very dry unfortunately and probably really will be by tomorrow but I'll try to account for that when I edit this review...

I had been there before, the food is good and not to pricey. My wife and I stopped by for dinner on 5/20/15 because she loves the flautas. Anyways, I ordered a tostada of ceviche and she ordered her flautas. When our order was up I went to the counter to pick it up and took it to our table. I started to put tapatio chili sauce on the tostada and noticed a hair on it. I attempted to pull the hair out to take to the counter. As I pulled it, it turned out to be a really long hair and was tangled in with the shrimp. I took the plate to the counter to show the associate she looked as disgusted as I did. She asked if I wanted a new tostada. Being that the hair looked like if it had been mixed with the ceviche and not accidentally fell on the tostada, I declined a new one. She adjusted it of my bill and asked for my name and phone number so that management could call me the next morning. It's 5/22 and still waiting for that call. Well I guess they really don't care. It was a horrible experience with no resolution. Not planning...

Well what can be said here. The owners of this particular location need to understand what the term customer service really means. When you walk in the first thing you were greeted by is signs telling you no no no no you can't do this can't have that can't have refills can't have your food returned for money or a new plate of food if you dislike it. It's hysterical it's like it's a comedy skit for how not to run a restaurant. I spent $26 and got two flautas and two carne asada tacos and some terrible rice and beans. Please folks stay away save your money and go to the one in Palm Desert out by the Walmart by the highway I don't know how these two stores are in the same company but I'm told it is. In a day where there is a Mexican Taqueria or Taco Shop on every block how this place stays open...