Avila's El Ranchito — Restaurant in Lake Forest

I usually go to the Avilas in Corona Del Mar or San Clemente. Those are consistently good. The one in Lake Forest is horrid, so I didn't know what to expect from the Foothill Ranch location, good or bad. I knew this was a very small hole in the wall location compared to all the others, but it didn't matter as long as the food and service were good. I called before driving over to confirm if they had potato tacos for taco Tuesday. They said they did and gave me the price. I was not advised via phone that you have to buy drinks in order to order taco Tuesday tacos. We would not have gone if we were told that, as we never order alcohol or soda. I sat down and ordered 2 tacos while I waited for my friend to arrive, while looking at the rest of the menu. We also planned to order some enchillada plates. The chips and salsa was pretty awful and tacos were just okay - pretty bland. My friend arrived and we were discussing what other items we were going to order when our server told us we had to order drinks. We told the server if that was the case, we would leave, because we only wanted waters. The server comes back with a manager insisting it's their policy we have to buy drinks to get the tacos. I asked him why they didn't tell me that then when I called and asked about their taco Tuesday right before I drove over. The manager tried to convince me I had called the wrong location, which was BS. He said he would not make us order drinks this time, but don't expect to do it again next time. And he got his wish. There will never be a next time because of how that manager treated us. Instead of ordering more food like we planned to, I paid the check for my 2 tacos, and left. And my friend and I went to a much better Mexican restaurant with better tacos for taco Tuesday along with our Enchilladas, and where we were not treated poorly for only wanting water to drink. That manager is probably the reason why more than half the tables were empty when we went there. If you treat people that way, people aren't going to come back, they are going to share that negative experience with others, and they will spend their money where the customer service is good and they feel appreciated. Would not recommend...

I have visit the restaurant couple times, but this past Sunday was the worse experience I have received as customers, the waiters greeted as we sit and offer me a coffe a minute later she took our order I order Menudo and my wife order green chilaquiles with over easy eggs, 15 minutes later I have wave another waiter to refill my coffe cup because my waiter was so busy with the Manager and a group of people sitting to the other end of the restaurant, when she bring our order my wife's plate was cold I touch the rice, beans and the green salsa it was cold, we wave the waiter and complain she took the plate saying that she will ask the cook to warm the plate, when she bring the plate the over easy eggs were completely cook instead of be over easy, I question her why the leave the eggs and guacamole when they reheated the plate? she couldn't awnser that question, we reject the plate and she never return instead of that the Manager show up asking what was the problem, we explained and she was offer to replaced the plate with something else but my wife rejected, so I start eating my menudo and open the tortilla warmer and I found only 2 tortillas inside I finish my plate and not even o e waiter show up to asking me if I need something else! We ask for our check to paid and the party on the other side of the restaurant was continuously going. I lost a good restaurant closer to my...

Avila's El Ranchito- Foothill Ranch is a smallish-sized sit-down Mexican food restaurant, with excellent food, great service, & a cutely decorated interior, that made me smile.

Service for our table of 7 was impeccable all evening. Our chip & salsa bowls, as well as our drinks were refilled so quickly, when out, I was amazed.

The star of the show, by far, was Avila's most delicious Mexican food. I ordered a 1 Item Combo, which comes with their deliciously mild Spanish rice & their equally amazing refried beans, which were generously-covered, in a lava flow of cheese. My Chile Relleno was so good! The tender egg outer shell, coated with cheese, plus a most 😋 sauce, covered a humongous & tender Chile pepper, which oozed cheese, when my fork pierced it. Cheese Lovers will think they've died & gone to heaven, after biting into this.

All the food items our family ordered, looked incredible, & the true test, all 7 of us eating quietly, was achieved, with flying colors.

Avila's Foothill Ranch, is comparable to each Avila's location I've eaten at: Huntington Beach, Corona Del Mar, & San Clemente, plus I think the service at this one was better than these other...