El Rancho Plus — Restaurant in Purcellville

We gave this place a shot one Monday evening when we were thing to decide on someplace different to go than our usual places in Purcellville. While it wasn’t awful (at least some of the food was good) I do wish that we had gone elsewhere.

Granted it was a Monday evening around 8:00 when we came in (they close at 9:00). We walked in and the place was empty except for an elderly gentleman sitting at a table drinking coffee. We stood there for a couple minutes waiting to be seated but nobody came. So we were about to leave when the elderly gentleman noticed us and asked us how many. We had thought he was customer! So he took us to sit down.

The staff seemed surprised by our being there and the whole experience was awkward. Like we were on display or something. Everyone was nice enough… but we got a lot of focused attention since we were the only ones there. So service… friendly… attentive… but awkward.

The food, however was just not good. The chips are like the ones you eat with nachos (hard yellow and crunchy) and the salsa was bland… like plain tomatoes were just crushed up. And we didn’t find out until we paid (never really saw an itemized bill so honestly I don’t even know what we paid for) that the chips and salsa are not free like they are at every other Mexican restaurant I have ever been to. I feel like that should be explained up front since it is not the norm.

Also, it is cheaper to order one taco than it is to order a “kids taco”… which makes no sense?!

Speaking of the taco… the beef taco was just not good. I’m not sure what they do with their meat, but the seasoned beef seemed like it was saturated in some red sauce. My daughter loves beef tacos but she took one bite and didn’t want anymore. I agreed with her once I took a bite from my taco salad…. Which was a whole lot of lettuce and very little else.

The enchiladas at least, were good… according to my husband and son. So it wasn’t all bad.

But I have to say, we will probably never go there again and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Especially when there is another decent Mexican...

The quality of food is equivalent to a middle school cafeteria. The refried beans are tasteless paste from a can, the rice is bad in every way (not sure why there were carrots and peas in it), the meat could be actual beef jerky from a gas station, and I'm assuming that the thin tomato sauce was supposed to be salsa. Cheapest cheese I've ever tasted applied to all food items, almost brown lettuce and pale tomato chunks topped off my meal. Even the tortilla chips were cheap Doritos knock offs. The taste I was left with was card board. Carne asada tacos are only supposed to come with onions, cilantro, limes and maybe one other pepper. My order was something other worldly and the laws of normal Mexican food did not apply. The price point was triple what it should be and at current rates are an insulting joke. Nice people though, but...

El Rancho Plus has been my favorite Mexican authentic restaraunt since I was a tiny little girl. I have never been to a restaurant where every single item is good on the menu down to the homemade lemonade. I am able to try something new every-time and I am amazed at the variety dishes, from savory tacos to rich enchiladas, all bursting with favor! Don’t miss out on their homemade salsa and guacamole—they're truly standout items.

The vibrant atmosphere instantly sets the mood, and the staff are so friendly and attentive, ensuring a great dining experience. Whether you're visiting for a casual lunch or a festive dinner, El Rancho Plus delivers consistently delicious food and a warm, welcoming environment. Highly recommended for anyone looking to enjoy a...