Rancho Grande Mexican Grill is nothing at all if not a trusted Mexican restaurant, with some alluring specialties but quite material to stay in their lane, specializing in excellent services and those magnificent, colorful picket chairs produced in Mexico.
Not too long ago they opened a new location at the corner of Ashe Street and Panama Lane just after closing a longtime place on Stockdale Highway in the vicinity of the site of the previous Stockdale 6 motion picture theaters. (That’s how you know you are an previous-time Bakersfield human being, if you can bear in mind when they experienced six movie theaters in a searching middle at the corner of California and Stockdale Highway.)
The dining places on Brimhall and Espresso continue being open, and this new area is in a searching heart that has a parking ton that on a weekend evening seems as active as the In-N-Out/Chick fil-A searching middle across the road from the outdated Rancho Grande. With two restaurant neighbors — the recently opened Bread & Honey and coming-quickly Straw Hat Grill — it is really obvious people in this section of town are eager for dining options.
This new locale seemed huge on the outdoors, with an outdoor patio, but the inside of would seem modest with a 6-seat bar near the window to the kitchen and a large amount of booths and tables. We bought the final open up table even though going to early on a Friday night.
What we have discovered about the Rancho Grande method is the staff hustles like no one else. Actually we were being just sitting down when another person appeared with chips and salsa. Drink orders were taken swiftly. This punctuality does not make us feel rushed, but fairly properly-tended. It continued throughout the eating practical experience, we noticed others receiving the exact same interest and think it’s just how matters are carried out at Rancho Grande.
The menu seems acquainted, even though my companion observed her major criticism is the scarce number of vegetarian alternatives. She’s been reading about the stylish Blue Zone diet — large on plants and full foodstuff, common with Seventh-working day Adventists and Greeks — and thinks Rancho Grande could offer you more alternatives like its competition. In its place, she went for the grilled fish taco ($17.95), which looks really Blue to me, even though I considered extensive and hard about an previous most loved, the pork chops rancheras with the grilled onions on best ($17.95), prior to settling on the cazuelitas Rancho Grande ($20.95).
My meal is the best decision when you just cannot come to a decision which protein resource you are in the temper for as you get three: chile verde, hen mole and chile colorado, with rice, beans and tortillas. A ton of food stuff, as I’d estimate the a few meat dishes had about 8 ounces of each stew. Plenty to consider property. The chile verde is really tame, so if you’re not up for spicy this is great the mole is serviceable and the colorado has a welcome depth and huskiness. All the meats had been tender with onions serving as a typical companion.
I did like the skinny fish filets utilised for my companion’s tacos, even though she didn’t treatment for the spice blend made use of, detecting the filé powder that is usually used in Cajun food items. I did not choose that up, but it was a easy treatment, with plenty of cabbage and jack cheese. We acquired the chipotle sauce on the facet to management the dispensing as far too numerous places to eat drown the fish with that things.
Other excellent alternatives on the menu centered on former visits include things like the lengua en salsa verde (cow tongue with tomatillo sauce, $18.95) and the relatives food parrillada Rancho Grande ($64.95), which we’ve witness significant parties take pleasure in, with steak, carnitas, grilled hen, shrimp, chorizo with grilled cactus, rice, beans and jalapeños. Fairly a feast that the menu says serves 4 men and women, but I’d peg it at 8 with average appetites. It is a unfold.
The restaurant also delivers 10 diverse remedies of shrimp on the seafood menu. In the earlier, it has made available a good Wednesday distinctive of fajitas and a margarita for $16.95. Retain your eye out for that offer.
Pete Tittl’s Eating Out column appears in The Californian on Sundays. E-mail him at [email protected] or adhere to him on Twitter at @pftittl.
