I must have been a mouse in a previous life, because DAMN! I love me some cheese.
But I must have been a naughty mouse, naughty enough that The Fates would deem me unworthy of tolerating lactose in this life.
Now, I could trudge through this existence without knowing the pleasure of Cold Stone’s cheesecake fantasy in a waffle bowl. Or I could throw painful bloating and flatulence to the wind and say carpe queso — seize the cheese!
So I say this to The Fates: Bring it on, bee-otches.
And bring it they do at Mi Rancho (8701 Ramsey Ave), where the cheese factor rates high in more ways than one.
Its indoor dining room is dark and decorated with all the accoutrements of a Disney-inspired Mexican restaurant. Multicolored ceramic geckos and cattle skulls deck the walls, and model iguanas wrap themselves around wooden stumps. It ranks up there in cheese factor, but its air conditioning can’t be beat.
The patio dining area is much brighter and takes its decorating cues from Home Depot’s lawn furniture department. The Corona Cerveza streamers raise its cheese factor score, but whirring ceiling fans make for a laid-back dining experience in fair weather.
Now, let’s get to Mi Rancho’s real cheese, the stuff of which tasty meals are made.
Listed under appetizers, the small spinach quesadilla ($7, above) can feed two adults with no room to spare. (A large quesadilla is available for an extra buck.)
Its grilled flour tortilla is light and crisp but not crunchy. Inside, a mild cheese lends its ooey gooey character to the spinach stuffing. The spinach might have sprouted from the freezer, but its slightly bitter taste still plays well against the creamy cheese.
The quesadilla comes with lush, fresh guacamole; a simple prep of diced tomatoes and onions (pico de gallo); sliced jalapeno peppers; and cool sour cream. It’s good eats if you can handle the dairy.
Then there’s the plato Maria (below), which could feed an entire barrio for $14.
The combo dish’s description reads like a who’s who (or what’s what) of Mexican-inspired foods. First, there’s a chicken enchilada — stewed shredded dark meat rolled in a corn tortilla, then smothered in tomato sauce and plenty of cheese.
The chicken is pleasantly moist, the cheese is rich, and the corn tortilla is a hearty alternative to its flour counterpart. But the tomato sauce is heavy on the sugar, which is used frequently to temper the tart bite of unripe tomatoes.
Next, there’s one pork tamale — a dense, mealy log of corn mush and shredded pork. It’s also smothered in cheese, though perhaps as a consequence of its placement on the plate (right next to the chicken enchilada).
The tamale is very heavy — they always are. Still, the corn mush’s density contrasts nicely with the lighter feel of the dish’s other carbs.
Third, there’s one taco al carbon, a flour tortilla-wrapped bundle of grilled chicken (or grilled beef). The sliced white meat is grilled until caramelized, with just enough charring to trigger fantasies of a backyard barbecue.
Fourth, one chile relleno con queso (below). That’s a mild poblano pepper stuffed with cheese, then topped with tomato sauce and — yes, more freakin’ cheese.
The pepper is breaded lightly then fried until soft. It’s like a Mexican-inspired eggplant parmigiana, except for that saccharine tomato sauce. Still, the pepper and cheese work well together despite their combined fat factor.
Finally, there’s fluffy tomato-infused rice minus the sugar that taints the other tomato-based items; and a side of savory pinto beans.
Helpful servers deliver all of this food with expediency. And they’re just as quick with the doggie bags.
Mi Rancho, 8701 Ramsey Ave, Silver Spring, (301) 588-4872.
Originally published Aug 9, 2007.
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What, no margarita revue?
Seriously, I think you missed the best part of Mi Rancho
don’t forget the sangria either…. i split a pitcher of the white the other day, never had white sangria before, quite refreshing on a hot summer day….
kudos on updating your RSS feed with the food review around lunchtime instead of at 9am like last time though… that was just evil….. torturing me with thai food all morning
Looks like a great place, although I must admit that it’s torturous to live across the street from them, smell their food whenever we have the windows open, and know I’m never going to be able to eat it. :)
Evan wrote:
Sorry, I don’t drink anymore. (It would be a parole violation.) So I’ll open the floor to Penguin readers who wish to review Mi Rancho’s margaritas and sangria.
For the benefit of those who must imbibe vicariously, please be specific with your descriptions. Thanks!
Lol. Are you serious, Jen?
Editor’s note: Just kidding about the parole, but not about the sobriety. I’ve been clean and dry since 1995. — JD (Aug 9, 2007)
I like their margaritas, moreso than those at El Aguila.
Mmmmmmm…their top shelf margaritas(or Golden Cadillac, or whatever they call it) are incredible. And their food is really good for tex-mex…I’ve enjoyed eating at Mi Rancho off and on for seven years since I took a job around the corner.
David Zakar is right, though…the smell of massive amounts of grilling meat wafting through the neighborhood can be a powerful draw, or a annoyance, depending on your perspective. You can smell it from Georgia Avenue!
I definitely agree with Jen’s description of the outdoor dining area as having all the charm of a Home Depot lawn department. It seems the owner had one intention: get as many people under the big top as possible, for as little as possible. So we have an industrial steel and concrete shelter, with cheap plastic furniture. Not much ambiance to their al fresco dining experience.
Here’s where the margaritas come in…about half way through the first one, no one will really give a **** about the patio ambiance. And that, along with the wonderful food is why we love Mi Rancho.
Viva Mi Rancho!
I LOVE that place and have converted many out-of-area friends to Mi Rancho fans as well. So much so – that when I see “let’s do dinner in Silver Spring” – they only want to meet there.
There sangrias are terrific.
Service is always friendly andd efficient. That is MUCH more than I can say about service in many other downtown SS establishments.
If you have only experienced the far inferior Mu Rancho in Germantown, than get over to SS for a real experience.
PS I feel you on the cheese, JD – but the apin is worth it!
Agreed on all counts–above average tex mex, intoxicating smell, intoxicating drinks, relatively reasonable prices.
However, if any of you are the folks who routinely park on yellow curbs and in front of no parking signs on Ramsey/Fidler while enjoying your Mi Rancho or Cubano’s meal, I hate you. There’s a parking garage 50 yards away.
Far be it from me to quibble with the cheese-centric review– I’m all about the cheese, especially at Mi Rancho– but I gotta mention that seafood dishes at Mi Rancho are often surprisingly good. When they have the seafood soup available, don’t miss it, even if you have to split a large bowl with a friend.
On the cheese front– I’ve been known to make a meal out of the queso fundido, a thick, melty kind of fondue with chunks of chorizo and bell peppers, which you spoon onto the warm flaky soft tortillas. (Every time we go, my husband tries to convince me that he NEEDS a tortilla machine like the one cranking out these house-made goodies.)
Damn you, Penguin, tonight I’m going for my second visit this week to Mi Rancho!
Funny how I visit Tastee all the time but have never discovered this. I was especially pleased with the tortilla chips. Crispy and fresh, unlike the stale ones I receive at Don Pablo’s or Austin Grill.
I expect a full beverage report, Jimmy!
Mi Rancho reminds me of the Tex-Mex family restaurants I used to go to when I lived in Texas. Sure, the decor is a bit cheesy, but the food is good, hot, and tasty. There’s a light lunch plate that I like, I’m blanking on the name right now, but it’s a bowl of their chicken soup and a soft taco. OMG, awesome.
Mi Rancho is a great place to go with kids. Between 5-7pm the place is crawling with them, and the servers go out of their way to make the little Panchito/as feel welcome. They also don’t mind if you leave a huge mess of rice and beans in your wake. This Cali girl loves the chimichanga – a rarity on the East Coast. When I’m being more health conscious, the salads are actually awesome.
I like the standard margarita rocks. Tart and tangy, I believe they make their own simple sugar and lime mixer base, avoiding the gatoradey, corn sugary aftertaste that bottled mixer can bring. And the bartenders are not stingy with the tequila. Perfecto.
There is also real tequila in the frozen rita machine – some places actually will use cheap white wine. Que horor! I like the perfect consistency of the icy concoctions. Not too slushy, not too crunchy. They go down very easily, and again. are more tart and strong than sweet.
(Jen – Descriptive enough? :)
Love Mi Rancho, been going there for over 15 years. Turned many a friend onto it, they drive from Rockville, Falls Church, Waldorf and Annapolis to eat there. Used to gorge on the Plato Grande, these days I can be seen eating the Chicken Enchilada ala Homer Simpson. Love the rice and beans too.
I always get a Negro Modela (or two) to wash down the five bowls of chips and salsa b4 the meal gets there. If you like fish you can not miss with the whole grilled Red Snapper. As well, the Lobster and fajita special is always right on. Wife digs the margaritas.
Yup, Mi Rancho is cheese heaven & has friendly service. A vegetarian can be happy there (assuming there are no hidden meat ingredients). However, a vegetarian who is really in touch with his/her inner bunny rabbit and wants to crunch a wide swath through green stuff — where to go? Eggspectations has a nice, big dinner salad. Any other places around here serve bunny food? Have not checked out the Ethiopian places yet, because that bread is just too much. Can one eat Ethiopian food with a fork instead, or would one look like a dork?
LuvMyHood, there are plenty of vegetarian options in Silver Spring. These are the ones I like most:
Lebanese Taverna. Mandalay. Adega (my favorite). Asian Bistro (has a great vegetarian menu section). Bombay Gaylord. Ghar-E-Kabab. McGintys Pub (you can get a veggie burger and fries). Olazzo. Piratz Tavern (so-so food, but a fun joint). Roger Miller (great African food, when they have it, but sometimes it takes several years for your food to arrive). Lotus Cafe. Taste of Morocco. Z-Pizza. Sergio’s. Jackie’s Restaurant and Mrs. K’s, for those times you want to splurge. Chipolte. Baja Fresh.
As for Ethiopian, I prefer Addis Ababa to Abol. You should give the injera bread a second chance, but if you want a fork just ask for one. Who cares what other people think, so long as you enjoy your food.
Hey, Springvale Roader! I almost forgot Tian Jin Palace and their excellent String Beans Sezchuan (did I spell either correctly? Am being a lazy slob instead of checking) They are green and a bit crunchy. I have visted some — not all — of the establishments you mention, and found them lacking in greens or the food was a bit mushy or had too much oil.
About Piratz Tavern, that hanging man figure on the roof is really upsetting. I am amazed it is still there, considering all the incidents involving nooses in the metro area and elsewhere. I will not darken their door as long as this grisly “art” remains in place.