This is the first of hopefully numerous reviews of restaurants. You will find that my ability to judge a restaurant is very limited. Typically, the food should be no more flavorful than a Ramen Noodle packet, with more convenience and more salt. As long as the meal approximates the cost of a Ramen Noondle packet, the meal was good. As a meal gets pricier, they better service it standing on their hands to get me to appreciate it. Tonight, we went to the El Ranchito Mexican restaurant on Larkfield Road in East Northport.
The El Ranchito doesn’t strike me as very authentic or particularly tasty, especially when compared against a $31.00 price for two burritos and a casadilla. An $8.00 burrito should literally be the size of one’s head. This one was still pretty good size-wise; it was reminiscent of the El Ferol and El Famous burritos I used to eat back in Summit, Illinois near Corn Products. Only the burritos in Illinois cost $1.00. The meat was complete trash, but I think the only difference in meat was that the folks at El Ranchito pulverized it more. My wife and I both had “steak” burritos, but the meat made Taco Bell “beef” look chunky and meaty. I think El Ranchito uses “essence of meat” powder.
Prior to the meal, we were brought the obligatory chip basket. The chips were approaching stale. And, I like when there is either salt on the chips or enough grease on them to hold the salt I pour. These chips were cold, saltless, and not amenable to holding salt. Their salsa was good, but too viscous for me. The tomatoes were fresh, but I like my salsa to hang together so it doesn’t pour off of the chip. Sometimes salsa breaks down all wet when it’s been stored in the fridge for a while. Not fresh? Perhaps.
My son ate a beef casadilla. I had a few bites of it, and it was pretty good. The people seemed nice enough, and eager to please. A lot of restaurants on Long Island do the retro 1970s no-refills-on-drinks deal, but El Ranchito brings your table a 16 ounce bottle of the pop you ordered, which is a reasonable amount of fluid for a meal. I prefer the bottle to the ice cup with a splash of cola for $2.50.
Overall, it wasn’t outstanding. I told my wife as we left that El Ranchito would be a place we’d go for the convenience if we had a lot of money to blow. We don’t, however, and so we won’t be back soon. Anna’s on Larkfield is still my favorite ($20.00 for a good pizza & 2 large drinks).
7 responses so far ↓
LI_Food_Fan // January 24, 2008 at 2:58 pm |
Well, I think it’s good you didn’t like El Ranchito. You obviously know nothing about authentic mexican food (or any ethnic cuisine, is my guess), and you sound like the kind of obnoxious, cheap, demanding diner that every restaurant server hates.
Any place that you can get made-to-order tacos, full of fresh ingredients and loaded w/real meat or fish, for $2 each, is a winner. Oh, and real salsa isn’t what comes in a jar … real salsa is hand made with fresh ingredients, not cheap fillers and gelatins to make it thick.
I’m sure there’s a Taco Bell out there somewhere for you. Please stay away from the real mexican/tex mex restaurants in and around E. Northport. They’re all great , and obviously too much for your “white bread” palate.
El Ranchito gets 5 stars from me, and I actually do know good food!
suffolkhouse // May 27, 2009 at 5:53 pm |
This is a silly reply. I make fresh and authentic salsa, and it doesn’t make a drippy mess unless it sits too long and separates. I’m not talking about Chi-Chi’s thick glop. I’m talking about freshly blending your onion, tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, green onion, peppers and lime juice somewhere around 5 hours before you serve it. I suspect I got yesterday’s salsa at El Ranchito. And given the volume of customers, I wouldn’t doubt it.
suffolkhouse // March 22, 2008 at 1:04 am |
I think your comments are a bit unfair. After all, I did state that I measure things against Ramen noodles. So, I guess when you say that my ability to judge a restaurant is limited, you are actually agreeing with me. If you read my post, I said the exact same thing.
Philbert Desanex // September 10, 2008 at 7:15 pm |
Casadilla?! WTF is a casadilla?
Jake // September 11, 2008 at 6:06 pm |
…’You will find that my ability to judge a restaurant is very limited.’…
So, why are you ‘reviewing’ a restaurant that serves food that you know nothing about? Please explain.
suffolkhouse // September 11, 2008 at 8:17 pm |
Why wouldn’t I?
Anonymous // May 26, 2009 at 3:08 pm |
all i have to say about this review is:
CASADILLA
learn how to spell and maybe one will accept your points as valid