El Ranchito Mexican Cuban Restaurant — Restaurant in Leesburg

Initially entering the restaurant the smell was good & it appeared nice & clean. We were seated & it took a few minutes to get our drink orders in. I’m from California & their idea of a California burrito is all wrong. It took over 10 minutes for our server to come back to get our food orders. I asked about the birria because I wanted to know if it was authentic & it wasn’t, they use beef. I ended up ordering the carnitas plate & we asked if they fry their own shells there to which they responded that they do. So we also ordered the fried shell tacos with shredded beef. We got two baskets of chips with salsa & guac. The salsa had huge chunks of tomato which obviously wasn’t blended very well & way too much onion in the salsa & guac, it overpowered the flavor. I think we received the food after being there an hour. The restaurant itself wasn’t very busy to justify the time it took. When the waiter brought the tacos the shells were clearly pre made from a grocery store & had ground beef, not the shredded beef we asked for. We told him it was incorrect & that we were okay just skipping that entree, that we would share the carnitas plate. I then looked at my carnitas plate which had a hair very visibly in the beans so I immediately asked for a new plate. He said he would get me another one & a few minutes later he ended up bringing a taco plate with shredded beef which he said, “oh the carnitas are going to take a while to get remade,” but he didn’t say it was on the house or anything & we had asked for it to be omitted anyway so we didn’t end up taking the tacos plate. After another 10-15 mins we got the carnitas plate. The rice & beans were bland & cold. The carnitas was okay, it had a lot of fatty pieces in it. We were not offered new tortillas either from the first plate so they were not hot either. Not once were we asked if the food was okay or offered any refills on any drinks. The service was slow & unfriendly. We were not apologized to for the hair in the food & he only gave us 50% off the carnitas entree. It was a awkward experience & kind of...

I have been in the hospitality industry for 30 years from a server right on up to a manager. I could not imagine the stress of putting your employee now a days in charge of being professional or even Nice to new guests or clients coming into the restaurant. I had come once before when they first opened it back up to try the food I brought a friend the hostess was very friendly and smiled and was very nice when she took us to the table our server although you could tell was new was very sweet did a good job our meal was exactly the way it should be and it went fine but I walked in today after a long day at work and I did not feel like cooking and thought you know what I'll treat myself to a meal out and I came to have a sit down meal I walked in the door there was nobody at the front there was one server near the back of the restaurant that saw me standing there and she said have you been helped and I said no ma'am I just walked in the door and she called to someone else that was in another area the girl came up to the front she didn't have the most friendly look on her face I don't really know what her problem was her approach was just off ,it kind of put me off but I told her that I would like to dine in for one and when she walked me down to the table she threw the menu and the silverware on the table and walked away I will not pay money to be served from the beginning in that manner worst employees I have witnessed in a little bit not really surprised but definitely put me off so I decided that I changed my mind and I don't think I will be coming back in here and I don't think I will be suggesting it to my guests or all the people I know. It is your guests who make your money people . Make more money with honey than all that full of yourself...

My family and I dined here tonight, and overall the experience was average at best. I’ve eaten at dozens of Mexican restaurants, and while I really wanted to like this one, especially since it’s a Cuban/Mexican fusion spot, it just didn’t meet expectations.

The highlight of our meal was the fajitas. The meat was flavorful and well-seasoned, and everyone at the table agreed that it was the best dish we ordered. Unfortunately, the rest of the food fell short. The quesadilla tortillas tasted stale, almost like ground-up saltine crackers, and the Cuban sandwich had an odd off-flavor that just didn’t work. The black beans were too thick, almost as if they’d been sitting too long.

One of the biggest disappointments was the water, it had a strong, unpleasant taste that made it difficult to drink. Installing a reverse osmosis or carbon filtration system would make a huge difference. The chips were another letdown: dark, lacking flavor, and missing the crisp, fresh texture you’d expect. On the bright side, the salsa was solid and paired well with the meal.

The restaurant itself is clean, nicely decorated, and appears fairly new. Service was friendly and attentive, and our food came out within about 15–20 minutes. Portion sizes were generous, but pricing felt about $15 too high for the overall quality.

This was my first visit, and likely my last, simply because there are so many other Mexican restaurants that offer better quality at a better value. I know this place has many positive reviews, but as someone who eats Mexican food often and has experienced it at many restaurants, I just don’t feel this one...