Ruiz Mexican Restaurant

08/23/2026

My family and I have been eating at Ruiz for nearly 40 years. My parents were regular customers before I was born, and they began bringing me there when I was a baby. Over the years, four generations of my family have enjoyed the delicious food at Ruiz and celebrated countless birthdays and special occasions there.

Growing up, my mom and I ate at Ruiz every week or two. Rocio or Juan were often our servers and they remained familiar faces throughout my childhood. Rocio would encourage me to practice my Spanish by ordering my meal in Spanish, and because she knew how much I loved maraschino cherries, she would often bring me a small bowl to snack on while I waited for my food. My tastes were pretty simple back then, so I always ordered two beef tacos, while my mom's favorite meal was a beef enchilada and a beef tostada. When my grandmother moved to St. Louis, she frequently joined us at Ruiz. Although Mexican food wasn't her favorite, she was always happy to come along and would order a hamburger instead.

As the years have passed, I've been able to introduce new generations of my family to Ruiz. My husband and I even chose Ruiz as the location for our wedding rehearsal dinner in 2018. During the pandemic, we continued supporting the restaurant through takeout orders. And now our 5-year-old daughter loves it just as much as we do. She can't get enough of the arroz y frijoles.

I've sampled many items on the menu over the years, but my usual order is a beef pepito (I'm a huge fan of the beef recipe), a beef enchilada and street corn. My husband loves the pollo adobado tacos. We've both eaten at many Mexican restaurants and we agree Ruiz has the best food along with the freshest chips and salsa anywhere.

Beyond the food, what makes Ruiz truly special is the people. The service has always been exceptional, and I still enjoy seeing Rocio and Juan whenever we visit. Rocio knew me when I was 5 years old, and now she is getting to know my own 5-year-old daughter.

I am so happy that Ruiz has remained such a successful and beloved staple of the Florissant community. It has been a constant throughout my life, and it means so much to be able to share my favorite restaurant with new generations of my family.

Happy 60th anniversary, Ruiz! Thank you for the amazing food and hospitality. Wishing you many more anniversaries ahead!

-Karen Nygaard

08/23/2026

FINAL CALL! This is our LAST in batch of 60th anniversary shirts, and preorders CLOSE TUESDAY!Quantities are limited, and these will be available for online order only. (We also added a new super nostalgic shirt commemorating our Ruiz Folklorico Dance group, with the original art!)

🛍️ Order yours now here:
dineruiz.com/s/order

📍 Pickup dates: August 29th or August 30th
4pm-8:30pm

08/12/2026

FINAL CALL! This is our LAST in batch of 60th anniversary shirts, and preorders are open now! Quantities are limited, and these will be available for online order only. (We also added a new super nostalgic shirt commemorating our Ruiz Folklorico Dance group, with the original art!)

🛍️ Order yours now here:
dineruiz.com/s/order

📍 Pickup dates: August 29th or August 30th
4pm-8:30pm

08/05/2026

Good luck to Zach on his first year away at college.
We will have a fried ice cream waiting for you when you visit ❤️ Thank you for always celebrating with us, we love you guys!!

07/25/2026

Today we had perfect patio weather! Thanks to all who came to eat yummy food and sip on a Ruiz margarita with us today!

07/13/2026

Our dose of happy for today ❤️

Thank you to Te Asia for sharing this beautiful story with us!

“One of my favorite Ruiz memories isn’t just a single visit—it’s a tradition that spans generations.

My foster mom, whom I lovingly call “Maw,” has been going to Ruiz since she was 18 years old. Today, she’s 70, which means Ruiz has been part of her life for over five decades. Long before I became her daughter, Ruiz was already woven into her story.

When I became her Daw on February 5, 2010, she shared that tradition with me. Since then, some of our favorite moments together have been sitting across from each other at Ruiz, catching up on life, laughing, and enjoying the food we’ve come to love.

If there is one thing we absolutely live for, it’s the homemade guacamole. No matter how many times we’ve had it, it never disappoints. It’s become part of our ritual—one of those simple things that instantly feels like home.

What makes Ruiz special isn’t just the food. It’s the memories created around the table. It’s a place that has connected generations, celebrated milestones, and given us a space to spend meaningful time together.

As Ruiz celebrates 60 years, I can’t help but think about how many memories have been made within those walls—including ours. Thank you for being part of Maw’s story for more than 50 years and part of mine for the last 16.

Congratulations on 60 incredible years. Here’s to many more generations discovering their own Ruiz traditions.”

07/09/2026

“The first time I visited Ruiz was in 1970 with my Spanish Club at McCluer High School. Our sponsor wanted us to have an authentic Mexican meal and I fell in love with the food that day. The restaurant was still in its tiny stage in those days and our little club filled the place. I remember someone walking among the tables strumming a guitar.

In 1971 on our way home from having my senior pictures taken, I talked my mom into stopping there for lunch, and she became a fan, too.

I took my boyfriend (who became my husband) there on a date and that became one of our places. We both lived in North County so it wasn’t far for us. We continued enjoying meals at Ruiz after we were married (in 1976) and living in Florissant and had our daughters. In those days, the bar was to the left when you walked in with the restaurant on the right. My toddler daughter left a precious stuffed kitty there after a meal and was devastated. I called the restaurant and fortunately the kind staff had rescued kitty and told us we could pick him up at the bar. Of course, my husband made a frantic trip back to Ruiz since little Katie couldn’t sleep without her kitty. That became a favorite story about the night kitty spent at the bar at Ruiz. 😁

My parents would sometimes go with us to Ruiz through the years, and I always loved the way our servers were so kind to my dad who wasn’t a huge fan of Mexican food. They would make him a cheeseburger every time and then my mom could enjoy the fabulous Mexican food with us while pop had his burger.

After both my parents passed in 2010, we siblings got together to clear out the house, attend to paperwork, etc. We ended our day at Ruiz and were understandably sad. I told our server some of my history with Ruiz and then how we had just spent our day. She came back with one of the plastic cups I knew so well with the Ruiz name on it and gave it to me. It’s one of my treasures and, in a way, a connection to my parents.

So now our girls are grown. One is still in the area and has been to the restaurant with her family, the other now lives in the U.K. My husband Bruce and I live in Wildwood but we go to Ruiz every chance we get. It’s a little bit of a trip but always worth it. We’ve sampled lots of Mexican restaurants but haven’t found a single one that compares to Ruiz as far as the quality of the food. And, of course, there’s also the fact that it’s ’our place.’ We just had our 50th wedding anniversary and so had to make the jaunt to Ruiz. As always, we loved the food (we are both HUGE fans of the enchiladas and guacamole) and our server was wonderful.

Thanks, Ruiz family and staff, for being part of our family story for over 56 years!”
Gail Barth

07/02/2026

Thank you to Te Asia for sharing this beautiful story with us!

“One of my favorite Ruiz memories isn’t just a single visit—it’s a tradition that spans generations.

My foster mom, whom I lovingly call “Maw,” has been going to Ruiz since she was 18 years old. Today, she’s 70, which means Ruiz has been part of her life for over five decades. Long before I became her daughter, Ruiz was already woven into her story.

When I became her Daw on February 5, 2010, she shared that tradition with me. Since then, some of our favorite moments together have been sitting across from each other at Ruiz, catching up on life, laughing, and enjoying the food we’ve come to love.

If there is one thing we absolutely live for, it’s the homemade guacamole. No matter how many times we’ve had it, it never disappoints. It’s become part of our ritual—one of those simple things that instantly feels like home.

What makes Ruiz special isn’t just the food. It’s the memories created around the table. It’s a place that has connected generations, celebrated milestones, and given us a space to spend meaningful time together.

As Ruiz celebrates 60 years, I can’t help but think about how many memories have been made within those walls—including ours. Thank you for being part of Maw’s story for more than 50 years and part of mine for the last 16.

Congratulations on 60 incredible years. Here’s to many more generations discovering their own Ruiz traditions.”

06/24/2026

Back by popular demand! Our first batch of 60th anniversary shirts sold out quickly, and we’re excited to open a second round of pre‑orders. Quantities are limited, and these will be available for online order only. (We also added a new super nostalgic shirt commemorating our Ruiz Folklorico Dance group, with the original art!)

🛍️ Order yours now here:
dineruiz.com/s/order

📍 Pickup dates: July 24th or July 25th
4pm-8:30pm

06/21/2026

“There will mever be enough words to express what Ruiz means to my family. The history that we have with the family and the restaurant goes back almost to when it first opened.

My father worked there many years ago and sat and had drinks with Jose. My wife and I have both worked there in our younger years and have had our own family grow up on the best Mexican Restaurant around.

Beyond just the history of my family working there is a deep rooted love for Ruiz. I have been dining there since I was so very young. My wife and I have raised our children on the incredible meals at Ruiz but the most important part for us is the memories we have shared dining with our family. My parents, my brother and his family, Aunts, Uncles, cousins and more have shared in many meals over the years.

Let's face it, there is no other that can compare to the food at Ruiz and no one even comes close to what it means to be a part of the Ruiz family.

This place will forever be a staple to my family's history. My father passed away in 2018 and when I reached out to Ruiz to let them know they came to his services and provided us with a delicious array of tamales. My brother passed recently and again the Ruiz family provided meals and support during a difficult time. This past year I lost my mother and instead of having services my mother would have wanted a celebration of life. There was no question where it would be held. I reached out to Rachel and she said for me to just let her know the day and time and we will make it happen. They closed the restaurant for our private gathering so we could all gather to celebrate Mama Q.

I cant express enough to all of you my gratitude and love for you and Ruiz. It goes beyond a restaurant for my family. Its a place where we go to sit and enjoy time with family and friends and to be able to reflect on the memories of my parents and brother who I know are always there in spirit with us.

Thank you so much for the years we have been able to be a part of your family at Ruiz, because thats what you all are to my family.....and what Ruiz is about.....FAMILY!”

Sincerely,
Chris Quinones