El Rancho Restaurant & Bar

Simply the best Mexican food restaurant for 1,000 square miles.

No wonder they can exist on being open only from 11am - 2 pm daily and add dinner on Thursday and Friday from 5 pm - 8 pm.

My friends from Trinidad, born and raised here, said that their parents used to come here to dance and party in the 1940's and 1950's. The roots go deep here. Within 15 minutes of the 11 am opening, the restaurant was packed with locals and many folks who met their relatives or friends unexpectedly. It's that kind of legacy establishment.

Fantastic food and service! Thank you Marissa and Gina! We visited from Florida which has little to no good Mexican food. At the El Rancho it's awesome authentic homemade Mexican food! We will be back!!

Authentic and unpretentious. You can have a conversation without having to raise your voice. Locals know this place and love it. The BEST!!

Loved everything about the place. Had the Flaco Tacos. Delicious and plenty! 🤤

So this is my go to Mexican restaurant in Trinidad Colorado... they are always busy.. but they get to you fairly quickly. The food is not pre prep so they cook it all when you order so make sure and go with enough time. Love the service they are there on the point of your entry and they're on the point of your exit. If you are ever in the vicinity please please do visit them. They only serve lunch on certain days but on Friday and Saturday they serve dinner as well. Enjoy!!!

Excellent portions and the combination plate Chile relleno, chicken chimichanga and cheese enchiladas were spot-on!

Some of the best food and some of the best service i've had Since leaving Las Vegas Nevada.

Super friendly fast service and great food

The best green chili enchiladas anywhere in southern Colo El Rancho Restaurant, Trinidad Co.

Green Chile cheese enchiladas are excellent, the taco shells are between hard and soft and delectable. Sopapillas are also a great mix of crispy/chewy.

Great food and the service was awesome.

My family have been coming to the El Rancho Restaurant for quite some time, food is always fantastic, reminds me of my Mom's cooking. Service is great, the staff is always friendly. Meal portions are very generous and served warm.

It's an old place (building) lots to look at, the staff is super friendly and the food was really good. But do yourself and the staff a favor, don't come in at 10 til 8 hoping to be served. They close at 8. We arrived just about 7 and had plenty of time to order eat and relax, not rushed at all.

Wonderful variety of delicious meals available

The food here is exceptional. Gina and her staff take pride in every dish and the taste is delicious. Authentic Mexican food is hard to come by and this restaurant nailed it! We travel through Trinidad several times a year and this is one of our must stops.
The review listed below from the out of town table is completely inaccurate. My family just so happened to be in here on the same evening ( a very busy night) and this women was flat out rude and demanding. The poor staff had to deal with more than I could have. For the food being so bad in her opinion, they all ate more than half of their plates. She refused to pay and made a huge scene. I believe she was just looking for a free meal. This is a small family owned business who work their tales off and provide this small town with wonderful food. It is hard enough during this time for small business to survive but then to walk into a place of business and cause a disruption to this extent is sad and uncalled for. If you want Gorden Ramsey go to Las Vegas and stay out of Trinidad because you do not belong here.
Please keep in mind small business is trying to survive right now and it is extremely hard to find people to work so be a little kinder and patient when eating out. They are all doing the best they can!

I came here in July because it was very close to the hotel I was staying at. I was just hungry, looking for a good dinner. I didn't know what a real treat I was in for. I haven't been able to stop thinking about the sopapillas since...Best I ever had. Don't come in here in a rush. It's slow food at its finest. Your patience will pay off.

Best and hottest chili in town. Great food with great taste options on the menu for every age.

Most delicious Mexican food I have ever had!

If you are craving great Mexican food and hot green chili this is the place for you. Many items to choose from on the menu.

Their food is all absolutely delicious and I love both are green and red chili.