El Rancho Grande - West Chester

We had dinner at El Rancho Grande in West Chester with a group, and it was a fun spot for a birthday celebration. The atmosphere was lively and worked well for a group gathering, with plenty of seating and an energetic vibe. The food was flavorful and arrived in good portions, and everyone found something they enjoyed. Service was friendly overall, though a bit slower at times given the size of our group. Still, it didn’t take away from the evening. A solid place for casual group dinners and celebrations.

Amarelis was our server, and she said it was her second day. We asked for mild salsa, and she said it wasn’t an option. But, another server brought out a mild salsa for us. Also, we wondered why our margaritas were taking so long, and it turns out that Amarelis was making them behind the bar- maybe the restaurant was short on staff that day and they were training her on bartending, too? The entree’s were delicious, and the portions were generous. When the check came, there was some confusion about the Happy Hour pricing, but we just paid the bill and left it at that. We were on our way to catch a movie, and we didn’t have time to debate.

Service was very slow. We saw our waiter 3 times in an hour and a half. Traditional Guac was a neat experience but wasn’t seasoned. We added a ton of salt and pepper. We shared the lunch chicken loco and it was also very bland!! Chips were nice and crispy and salsa was good.

Not a great experience. The start of any great Mexican dining experience is the chips and salsa. These...not great. The chips were okay but the salsa was really not okay. Tasted like canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Very little flavor. The next issue was the margarita. Hardly a hint of tequila and strawberry garnish that is way past it's prime (see pictures). Everyone who got a margarita got a off color soggy strawberry. The main courses were good and there was plenty of meat in a serving but the birria was seriously lacking. A birria should be a rich and flavorful broth that enhances the flavor of the food. This birria was not that at all. The final issue was waiting for our check. We were clearly done and even tidied up our table and stacked plates but the server was sitting at the bar

Awesome place...... Surface exceptional food is good atmosphere okay.... Drinks are awesome...... Great for a party of two one or 50..,