RICARDOS MEXICAN RESTAURANT — Restaurant in Tulsa

We had planned to go out and share a meal with our friends, and one of them enthusiastically suggested Ricardo's. The way he said it, you’d think I should’ve known all about it. But here’s the kicker: despite living in the area for years, this was the first I’d ever heard of the place. Never seen it, never been there, and honestly, I was shocked—usually, I know all the local spots. Intrigued by this mystery restaurant, I happily swapped out my original choice to give Ricardo's a try.

When we arrived, the sign outside proclaimed it had been open since 1975. How had I missed this for so long? Stepping inside, I liked the warm reception and old-school decor. Our group wasn’t quite complete yet, but the staff was gracious and even accommodated one of our friends who had difficulty walking. Instead of keeping the reserved table downstairs, they cleared a table on the main floor for us without making us wait longer. A great start to the evening.

Once seated, I asked my friends what they’d recommend. The consensus? The chile relleno was a must-try. As I perused the menu, I spotted the combo plate option, which included two items and started with a scoop of guacamole. Perfect—I ordered the chile relleno along with a crispy taco.

While we waited, I took a quick detour to check out the bathrooms. Here’s where things took a turn: the decor, while charming in the dining area, was starting to show its age, especially in the bathrooms. And the carpeted floors? Let’s just say it’s a design choice I strongly disagree with for a restaurant—hygiene, aesthetics, and overall vibe all take a hit. The carpets were dark and dampened the atmosphere, which momentarily dimmed my enthusiasm. The bathrooms themselves were clean but clearly overdue for a remodel.

When the food arrived, it was unmistakably Tex-Mex in style. The chile relleno was decent—flavorful, but I personally wasn’t a fan of the cheese sauce smothered on top. I think the dish would’ve shined more without it. The taco, unfortunately, was pretty basic: a flour tortilla with ground beef and melted cheese. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t memorable either. The menu as a whole could use a fresh update—still Tex-Mex, but with some modern, vibrant twists to breathe new life into the classics. That said, I recognize that this restaurant has been thriving since 1975. Clearly, they’re doing something right to keep loyal customers coming back, and I respect that.

On the bright side, the atmosphere was lively, and our waiter was attentive and friendly. The prices were slightly below average for the area, which was a pleasant surprise. Most importantly, everyone in our group enjoyed their food and had a good time—and that’s what really matters at the end of the day.

As for me? I’ll say Ricardo's has its charm and has earned its long-standing reputation, but personally, I didn’t fall in love with the food. Still, if you’re a fan of nostalgic Tex-Mex and a welcoming vibe, it’s worth a visit. Who knows? You might just find your...

There are a few problems with this place. The first is regarding the chips. They're always burnt or stale. You can pick through and find some good ones, maybe, but plan on working for it. The second problem is the cheese sauce. For their sake, I hope it's straight off the sysco truck. Of course- the next problem is obvious: nearly every menu item contains chips, cheese sauce, or both.

When my nachos were delivered, they looked like trash, but I figured I'd make it work. So I ate four chips off the top. That's when I realized that those were the only four with the refied beans on them. That's when I noticed the globs of cheese here and there. That's when I remembered how inedible the chips here actually are.

I've tried about 20 things off this menu in the last 2 years, and honestly they were all pretty bad. But the service is generally amazing and I was only going because that's where friends had decided we'd meet, against many grumblings by probably a slim majority about the food being, well, as it is.

Tonight, I learn that we're not exactly being welcomed here any longer. We always tip an amount that absolutely covers our camping from 6 to 8pm. And they literally always have open tables- we aren't taking a table they need. The place is never full.

But back to the nachos: I mention to the server that maybe, given the fact that there were four chips with beans, just maybe they charge me for the half order of nachos. It's roughly ONE DOLLAR cheaper.

The manager comes by, takes my plate, says "THIS is what I don't have time for" as she walks off without stopping- just leaves.

She comes back with a new tab, half nachos for $5.95 and a fountian drink for $2.99. I ask what she's upset at me about, and she insists she isn't upset at me, but that I should have said something "sooner". Granted, I said something the next time the server came by, but that wasn't soon enough. I explained that there were literally four chips taken from the plate and she said I shouldn't have eaten any. A DOLLAR is what we're talking about here. Did she apologize? No. Did she offer to just have it remade properly? No.

I ran a report from the bank and it shows 23 Saturday visits since 2022, with a total amount of $506.75. Now, that isn't me and a guest, that's just me. Tonight was $10 but my average is over $20 per visit- usually a 50% tip.

Will I ever be back? I don't think anyone from our group will be. Why would we? We aren't welcome, the manager doesn't understand customer service, and honestly the food isn't fit for consumption.

On The Border is across the street....

If I could give this zero stars, I would. Just need to write a review of a HORRIBLE experience at Ricardo’s. I took my grandma out for her 82nd birthday because Ricardo’s is where she wanted to go. I’ve never had a bad experience at Ricardo’s, but after today I will NEVER be back nor will I ever recommend the place to anyone I know. To start we got chips and salsa. The salsa had no flavor whatsoever and we tried anything to get it to taste better, it was almost like spooning tomato paste into your mouth; couldn’t eat it. Then comes the entrees which were completely flavorless, the ground beef was so dry and bland it wasn’t even funny. My grandma said her chili relleno had no flavor either and the cheese sauces didn’t even taste like cheese. We proceeded to eat the food without complaining to the point we couldn’t stuff it in our mouths anymore. The waitress came by to hand us our check and she asked if everything tasted good, we were honest and said no that it was big deal we just didn’t enjoy it. The waitress said that she was going to get the manager and we oh no it’s no problem we just wanted to be honest with you. She got the manager and when I say I have never been more belittled in my life by someone this tops it. She came over and slammed her arms down on our table and said “I heard you have a problem with the food.” My grandmother then replied “yes we did have a problem with the food not being up to par, she then stated I have been coming here for over 45 years and I have never had food like this before here.” The manager then proceeded to go into a rant of how the food hasn’t changed it’s the “same cooks” and everything since they started. She continued to be extremely rude untill she stomped off away from us. I wasnt even expecting anything out of the conversation except to inform her that the food was not up to par. When I say that was single-handedly the worst meal I have ever had in my life I mean it. I would’ve enjoyed a McDonalds cheeseburger more than that. I feel bad that my grandmas birthday had to go like this. I will never be back to Ricardo’s ever again and I hope everyone thinks twice before going there again. I feel bad for the employees who have to work under the...