TACO DAY 496/1000:

EL RANCHITO OF LAKE ELSINORE

The other day my race car building buddy told me about a killer mexican restaurant his customer runs in the city of Lake Elsinore. Now Elsinore is right down the street from me in wildomar and I needed to go check it. As it turns out this same restaurant has been recommended to me several times over by my local high school friends. These friends have been dining at this killer taco spot for years and now with the family’s 3rd generation now at the helm, thing’s have been revamped and he’s reintroducing El ranchito to their city.

30+ years ago Raymond Moon’s parents opened this store in a small single unit of the Lake Elsinore mission trail shopping plaza. While the blockbuster turned into a starbucks and the thrifty’s has been turned to a stater brothers, El Ranchito has taken over both of its neigboring suites and expanded its presence. Under Ray’s management he’s added in a sports bar, additional seating, a few arcade games, and when we dropped in a gentleman was finishing an epic wall mural of aztec legends Popo & Itza that Ray just had commissioned.

As for the food, Ray told me about an off the menu taco he wanted me to try. He knows I’m a fan of bacon and al pastor so he brought me out one of the tastiest tacos I’ve ever encountered and an incredible michelada to wash it down with.

Not only were the tacos killer but the burritos are also off the hinge according to my wife. And if you’re into flaming hot cheetos you can take any item off the menu and make it “Elsinore style” and they will add sour cream, nacho cheese and flaming hot cheetos to it.

So, if you’re driving on the 15 freeway passing railroad canyon road, I highly suggest you take the exit and B-line it to @ranchitoelsinore and tell them the TacoSlayers sent you.

#1000daysoftacos