Diner's Diary - Rancheros Taqueria

Gluten-Free Mom tastes the Chorizo Quesadillas Mexicano.

Still obsessed with chorizo, I was excited to see chorizo quesadillas on Rancheros’ menu. They can be ordered “American”-style (flat and cut into wedges) or “Mexicano” (folded like a taco and fried.) I ordered them Mexican-style, which made the chorizo nice and crispy, but it was too greasy for my taste. Next time, I’ll try them the other way. Our server, Sergio, was attentive to our needs and patiently answered our questions about menu items.

Finicky Foodie tastes the Cactus Salad and Tacos Al Pastor.

I love exotic options at restaurants so I ordered the cactus salad, though having tasted it, I dub it “the green bean of the desert,” kinda smooshy and bland. I also chose tacos al pastor (shepherd-style.) Made with marinated pork and pineapple, the dish provided a new twist to give me something to talk about. My three tacos had enough onions to bring a whole flock to tears but they were caramelized and combined well with the other sweet ingredients. The same generosity was much appreciated in the hearty tequila pour afforded my $3 margarita. Muchas gracias!

The Guac-a-Holic tastes the Chicken Fajita.

This staple of Mexican cuisine is often Americanized by chain restaurants. I was curious to see how this hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint could jazz up a fan favorite. The rice served on the side gets a C+ at best. However, the chicken and veggies were so surprisingly delicious I forgot about the mundane rice altogether. The mixture of warm marinated chicken, green and red peppers and sweet onions together in a fresh tortilla was a satisfying combination.

Lil Circus Girl tastes the Shrimp Quesadilla.

Ranchero’s decor is stereotypical, but as far as the food goes, I was impressed! We sampled each other’s meals, and each dish I tasted had a unique burst of flavor. I ordered the shrimp quesadilla, which had a delicate, buttery taste. The portion was small, but we were served enough chips, salsa and guacamole to leave quite satisfied. I would return to try other menu items, especially the fish tacos and al pastor.

Aquaboy tastes the Huevos Rancheros.

I have eaten huevos rancheros in the U.S. as well as Mexico. Nowhere have I tasted them as flavorless as at Rancheros Taqueria; I don’t recommend them. However, I tasted some of the other dishes and was pleasantly surprised. The fish taco was outstanding, as was the tacos al pastor with an unusual pineapple flavoring. Next time I’ll order one of these two.

Potentially the Web Guy tastes the Steak Burrito with rice and beans.

After scanning this restaurant’s exhaustive menu, I nailed down the steak burrito lunch special. Don’t head into this one with a big, juicy sirloin steak in mind. The meat here is thinly sliced and nothing like you would imagine. Nonetheless, this dish was quite delicious.

teckenBERRY tastes the Fish Tacos.

The fish tacos stole the show at this Diners’ Diary outing. The tilapia - a tasty fish itself - was seasoned with a skillfully chosen amount of spices and a healthy amount of cilantro. The savory, homemade corn tortillas and the extra squeeze of lime made a repeat visit to this restaurant a no-brainer for me.