Rancho del Zocalo is a Mexican food restaurant located in the Frontierland area of Disneyland in Anaheim, California. TouringPlans readers give this eatery an 91% thumbs up rating. Southern California is home to some of the best and most authentic Mexican food in the world, can this simple theme park restaurant come anywhere close to that pedigree? Keep reading to find out.
Food at Rancho del Zocalo is served buffeteria-style. You grab a tray and head to the stations where Disney cast members prepare and hand over your items. Once you have everything you need, you wait in a separate line at a cash register to pay. Most of the menu is served from two stations on the right and center of the room, while specialty drinks and desserts are available at a counter at the far left of the room. Several bays of self-serve soda fountains are on the opposite wall.
Seating is all outdoors in a large patio. The majority of tables are covered so you probably wont have to eat your meal in direct sunlight. This area is especially pretty at night thanks to some nice lighting.
On to the food. The headliner entree most people go for is the Burrito Sonora. Chicken ($12.99) or beef ($13.99) are your two protein options. They’re served wet (covered in chile sauce), and include chips and salsa. Rice and beans be ordered on the side for $2.79 each (they used to be included with the burrito). Rancho’s burritos have shrank considerably over the years (while going up in price, of course) but the serving size is still plentiful.
What’s inside the burrito besides chicken or beef? It’s the same rice and beans you can order as sides. The burrito is decent, which is all I can hope for since it’s a hard dish to screw up. It’s nowhere near the quality (or price) of your favorite local hole-in-the-wall Mexican food spot, but it’s does the job.
The Duo Tacos with Carne Asada ($14.49) two carne asada tacos served in corn tortillas with tomatillo sauce, and garnished with onions and cilantro. While the tacos included in this entree are good, this is probably the worst value at Rancho. It’s hard to justify the price when compared to the amount of food you get with the other entrees. This dish used to include three tacos, but Disney removed one while still charging the same price. Duo Tacos with Chicken is also available for $14.49.
The Zocalo Fries for $14.49 are seasoned fries topped with beans, queso sauce, carne asada, chipotle crema and pickled onion-habanero. At the end of the day you can’t really go wrong with a bunch of meat thrown on top of some fries and cheese sauce, but this dish has been downgraded in recent years with lower quality fries and toppings.
The Pollo Asado is marinated with achiote and served with Mexican rice and refried beans. The chicken was perfectly cooked, juicy and flavorful, and overall this was a very filling dish for $17.99.
Two tortillas are included with the half chicken entree. You can make yourself a couple tacos if you want. Or don’t, I’m not your dad.
Rancho del Zocalo usually has some sort of seasonal dessert. Such as this Fresas Con Crema for $7.29 and includes strawberries with sweet cream and cheesecake bites. Usually these desserts are good and unique to this location.
Overall Rancho del Zocalo has a decent menu that will fill your belly for an acceptable price. It’s a bit like Taco Bell; Americanized Mexican food where every entree uses the same four or five ingredients. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If you’re from a state where authentic Mexican food isn’t as prevalent as Southern California you may find it to be the highlight of your Disneyland visit. For everyone else you’ll find nothing on the menu that is outright bad, but it probably won’t blow you away.
TouringPlans can help you plan the perfect day at Disneyland. Be sure to check out our Disneyland Crowd Calendar, which rates every day of the year on a scale of 1 to 10 so you can see how busy Disneyland and DCA will be during your visit. Also check out our Disneyland Touring Plans which show you how to beat the crowds and spend less time in line at your favorite rides.
Let me know your thoughts about Rancho del Zocalo and where it ranks with other Disneyland Resort dining options. Leave your thoughts in the comments.
You May Also Like…
Located in Disneyland, across the walkway from Haunted Mansion, and on the boarder of New Orleans Square and Bayou Country sits…
Royal Street Veranda is a quick service restaurant in the New Orleans Square area of Disneyland in Anaheim, California. For decades…
