What's a girl to do on her day off, in between shopping for a lawnmower and running errands? Eat Mexican, of course! We stopped in at La Rancherita, by Crabtree Valley Mall.
First, the lunch prices are a deal - our total tab for 2 was around $10. And don't think that cheap prices means cheap quality. The salsa was impressive -- still not that chunky, but exceptionally fresh, with a good taste and fresh cilantro. The chips were not as memorable as the salsa, though - kind of stale.
The atmosphere wasn't too bad for a strip mall restaurant, with bright colors on the walls and festive pictures. But the plastic booths made it look a bit like a renovated Denny's.
Allison ordered the "Speedy Gonzales," with a taco and enchilada. The beef in the taco was very well seasoned. If the taco had come with tomatoes and onions, it might have been perfect. The chicken in Diane's enchiladas was really tasty, but was overpowered by the thick mole sauce the enchiladas were drowning in. Both meals had yummy, fresh cheese shredded over them.
Overall, while we're still searching for our perfect Mexican meal, this one was a meal we'd go back for - both for the freshness and the price.
La Rancherita gets extra points for the waitress who chased Allison down in the parking lot to return her cell phone she left in the booth.
The Ratings:
Chips & Salsa - 6
Margaritas - It was lunch. We love margaritas, but it was not that kind of day.
Atmosphere - 4
Meals - 6
Overall - 6
Monday, May 31, 2010
El Rodeo: Downtown
The first stop on our quest happened, coincidentally, on Allison's birthday. We ventured to downtown Raleigh, to the El Rodeo at Blount Square. We weren't especially impressed with the atmosphere, but with a small location in the middle of downtown, we assume they didn't have much to work with.
The litumus test for any Mexican restaurant and the first taste of its quality is, of course, the chips and salsa. Was it ketchup or salsa? We're not really sure. It was not nearly chunky enough for Diane, or fresh and spicy enough for Allison. The chips were good, though, and we were happy to hear that on your birthday you get a free shot of tequila (which Allison did not drink, as she was driving and of course had to sample a margarita instead -- for research purposes ;) ).
We both got different varieties of shrimp quesadillas. Allison's could have more aptly been called shrimp tacos. The shrimp was amazing - well grilled and spicy. The black beans were also lovely. Diane wished her quesadilla had more queso, but otherwise it was delicious.
The margaritas came in beatiful, gigantic glasses, heaping with creamy frozen lime goodness. They tasted as good as they looked.
After dinner, we headed to our next stop, a middle school choir concert to watch some teenagers we work with perform. Half-way through the first act, the person behind us whispered, "It smells like burritos in here." Apparently the food stuck with us longer than we expected!
Overall, we enjoyed our meal, but don't have plans to go back anytime soon. Check it out if you're downtown, but be sure to bring gum. Or perfume. Or a hose.
The Ratings (1-lowest/10-highest):
Chips & Salsa - 3
Atmosphere - 2
Margaritas - 7
Meals - 6
Overall - 4
The litumus test for any Mexican restaurant and the first taste of its quality is, of course, the chips and salsa. Was it ketchup or salsa? We're not really sure. It was not nearly chunky enough for Diane, or fresh and spicy enough for Allison. The chips were good, though, and we were happy to hear that on your birthday you get a free shot of tequila (which Allison did not drink, as she was driving and of course had to sample a margarita instead -- for research purposes ;) ).
We both got different varieties of shrimp quesadillas. Allison's could have more aptly been called shrimp tacos. The shrimp was amazing - well grilled and spicy. The black beans were also lovely. Diane wished her quesadilla had more queso, but otherwise it was delicious.
The margaritas came in beatiful, gigantic glasses, heaping with creamy frozen lime goodness. They tasted as good as they looked.
After dinner, we headed to our next stop, a middle school choir concert to watch some teenagers we work with perform. Half-way through the first act, the person behind us whispered, "It smells like burritos in here." Apparently the food stuck with us longer than we expected!
Overall, we enjoyed our meal, but don't have plans to go back anytime soon. Check it out if you're downtown, but be sure to bring gum. Or perfume. Or a hose.
The Ratings (1-lowest/10-highest):
Chips & Salsa - 3
Atmosphere - 2
Margaritas - 7
Meals - 6
Overall - 4
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)