Of Course El Ranchito Is a Historic Landmark. The City Is About to Make it Official

A historic Oak Cliff institution featuring tableside mariachi got a formal nod from city officials recently.

Dallas’ planning commission approved a historic overlay (distinction) for the eccentric El Ranchito building, tentatively designating it as a historic landmark, pending council approval. The designation will protect the structure from demolition and heavily restrict renovation incompatible with its existing character.

What’s that character?

El Ranchito is an upbeat community institution in Oak Cliff and a gathering point for Charles Dilbeck enthusiasts, dozens of whom gathered at the restaurant in 2023 to celebrate what would have been the renowned Dallas architect’s 116th birthday.

First home to Red Bryan’s Smokehouse, the building El Ranchito occupies was designed by Dilbeck ahead of the barbecue joint’s 1947 opening. Laura and Oscar Sanchez, originally from Monterrey, bought the building in 1983 after success at La Calle Dolce and brought authentic Northern Mexican cuisine to the space. Spanish tile has replaced the original wooden shake roof, but aside from the addition of a few small rooms on the western side, it still largely looks the same from Jefferson Boulevard as when they bought it.

A Dilbeck Special

While driving up for a marg or three, you might notice the exterior looks anything but master-planned. Distinctively wavy “drunken” red brickwork collides with limestone veneer, randomly under heavy timber rafters. From one angle, the restaurant appears to be a patchwork of structures anchored by a two-story limestone frame topped with a bell tower. 

That’s the Dilbeck influence, who meant to give the impression that his buildings evolved organically over time, adding to the feeling that El Ranchito could have been ripped right out of the Old Southwest.

As you walk in, it’s easy to drift to family portraits on the timber rafters or a taxidermy bull hung over the original Red Bryan firepit. If you go for dinner, mariachis advertised on the red LED sign outside kick the atmosphere while soliciting their way from table to Mexican-painted-tile table.

And those mariachis? All yours (for a song) at $25 per. 

Due to the hodgepodge layout of Dilbeck’s design, the restaurant honeycombs into warmly lit, tile-floored rooms decorated with no shortage of art, mementos and some Cowboys memorabilia. Like El Ranchito, a lot of the wall ornaments predate the Boys’ last trip to Disneyland.

The Food

The center of the action is the main room, where disco lights add to the party vibe as mariachis play. Toward the back, homemade tortillas plop on a flat-top grill in an open-side kitchen.

Those tortillas make for fresh chips, which come warm alongside a respectable portion of bright red salsa. Additional starter choices include guacamole and elote, which comes with crema, cayenne and Parmesan cheese.

If mariachis aren’t your vibe, there’s another form of tableside entertainment. Queso asadero topped with chorizo is plenty to look forward to by itself, but what if you could see a waiter melt it before your eyes? El Ranchito.

Tex-Mex loyalists can find enchiladas and fajita nachos on the menu, but Northern-style cuisine takes the spotlight. 

Small parillas, cast-iron grills sometimes featured in Northern culinary traditions, are left on tables with burners still firing to keep fajitas, ribs and sausage sizzling. Cabrito al horno, a whole baby goat (don’t knock it till you try it) served with vegetables, is a house speciality and also comes on a parilla.

Other protein-centric dishes Tex-Mex lovers might be unfamiliar with include ribeye smothered in chipotle salsa, a brandy-marinated half chicken and cheese-topped guiso, a tomato-braised stew of beef and vegetables.

There’s also seafood on hand, including Camarones Enchipotlados, a dish of shrimp sauteed in chipotle sauce and served over rice, and whole fried tilapia. 

The bar, housed in one of the building’s rare additions, pours generously with margaritas, not to mention tequila riffs on old-fashioneds and Moscow mules. 

A Show of Solidarity

Pay the check, get a mint on the counter, then head out. To the right, you might see a ‘Save Dallas City Hall Sign’ like when we popped in. In a town where buildings and restaurants alike can be known to have a short fuse, it’s fitting for an institution like El Ranchito to show some solidarity.

Oak Cliff resident and Landmark Commissioner David Preziosi says the building is already a local landmark and is confident the city will confirm that with a council vote.

“It’s so unique in style from what we have on the rest of Jefferson,” Preziosi says. “And I think it really stands out. And I think it’s really important that we save buildings like that, because they are very unique to our community here in Oak Cliff. And really, it’s something that you don’t see even in the rest of Dallas.”