Eighteen minutes.

That’s how long it took for the mouthwatering food to arrive with care at Don Ramon’s in Mayfield Heights, despite the large crowd.

I was immediately met with a pleasant first impression when I entered Don Ramon’s, as I was welcomed by a kind hostess.

I was surprised by the unexpected packed house for a Sunday night. The crowded seating was inferior to the pepper, onion, and chicken smell that filled the seating area that proved to offer an exceptional night of distinguished food and service that I would absolutely recommend. 

From the melodic tunes to the happy workers singing “Happy Birthday”, to the fresh hot chips waiting at my table, I felt good vibes from Don Ramon’s as soon as my foot touched the floor.

A familiar couple from the neighborhood was also sitting next to my table; they exclaimed how they love the food at Don Ramon’s before I even got to dig in. It was an encouraging thought that was supported as the night continued.

Despite not being given the name of our waiter due to the lack of name tags, his service provided an array of benefits from his recommendations when ordering our food, to his attentive refills on drinks. The waiter even took the time to help us find a specific meal for a cheaper price. He was very considerate and consistently helpful throughout the evening.

Our kind waiter also offered us a VIP card to redeem discounts for our current visit as well as future ones.

A picky eater like myself finds it daunting to trust restaurants to make orders to a specific liking, but Don Ramon’s relieved my stress. When I asked for my water without lemon, it came nice and cold, sans lemon, and when I asked to leave the guacamole on the side for my burrito, it came in a side cup for me to share with my family. It is the attention to detail like this that made my experience so amazing.   

Again, an even more impressive stat, the fantastic service yielded only 18 minutes of wait time, and the busy room played no negative factor.

The top-tier service was only complemented by the fantastic food.

Starting with a $3.99 appetizer of Cheese Dip to have with the chips, along with the complementary salsa gave a delicious savory taste with a little spice that was not overwhelming and in fact, very flavorful. 

I ordered the Burrito California, which is a burrito with chicken or steak, rice, guacamole, and the savory cheese drizzled on top. This dish is loved by sophomore Luke Schofield, who claims it to be his favorite dish there.

He said, “[I would have to say my favorite is] the Burrito California because of that really good cheesy sauce they put on it, and it’s a really good amount of food. It’s a lot.”

Burrito California was priced at $13.99 and consisted of well spiced, tender shredded chicken combined with a colorful rice mix inside of a tortilla. This luscious combination had no shortage of flavor.

The fantastic meal was capped off with a beautiful looking  $4.49 Sopapilla With Ice Cream. This was also topped with Chocolate syrup. Its great presentation matched the taste. 

The warmed, sweet cinnamon chips paired with nectar-like chocolate syrup and chilled ice cream made for the perfect combination.

Don Ramon’s offered no shortage of options; a sure sign of being a great restaurant. Among other things that looked appealing, the Cheese Quesadillas and Burrito Loco with chicken, sour cream, and lettuce looked to be very viable options if I had not chosen the Burrito California.

Beyond its diverse food options, there were also all sorts of drinks ranging from lemonade, to Coke, to many other drink specials.

While eating and taking in my surroundings, I couldn’t help but feel more and more comfortable while noticing what they had to offer. As I looked across the seating area and noticed the bar and TV’s, I realized the dim lights and music added a calm, yet upbeat feel.

Schofield loves the food at Don Ramon’s but recognizes that the restaurant has other exceptional qualities like the atmosphere. “Well other than the quality of the food, I just like the environment. They’re just really nice people and are always welcoming,” he said. 

Eating at Don Ramon’s reminded me of a similar restaurant, Senorita Bonitas in Solon. Both are Mexican style restaurants that offer free chips and salsa, and create a friendly atmosphere with their Mexican music.

However, Don Ramon’s is different in their excellent, quick service as well as food that is unrivaled in quality. Schofield loves the restaurant as a whole. “I would say it’s great Mexican food for a fair price,” he said.

My experience permitted almost no critiques of the restaurant,but if I were forced to come up with some criticism, I might suggest that they offer dinner specials to create seasonal varieties or give discounts outside of just drinks.

Don Ramon’s is a fantastic restaurant; it’s simple. They easily earn 5/5 burritos for their excellent service, great food, and for offering an all around amazing experience for casual or fancy dining at a quality price.