El Rancho Grande

Great Mexican can be hard to find. West Providence boasts a large central American population. El Rancho Grande is a culinary gem in this ethnic neighborhood. Inside, it reminds you of a Grandmother's kitchen, simple yet cozy. Since Chef Maria is a grandmotherly figure, the environment worked. Parking was the only issue, though we parked across the street in the Walgreens' parking lot.

Me and my wife sat down for a nice mid-afternoon dinner. We started with the complimentary basket of chips and salsa. Normally, you get jarred salsa and stale chips, but El Rancho Grande provided delicious fresh corn chips and a fresh, tasty salsa. Both made a great start to the meal. Next followed a normal salad of lettuce, onion, and tomato.

We then enjoyed the chicken quesadilla for the appetizer. Chef Maria stuffed it with shredded chicken, cojito and mozzarella cheese. A nice pico de gallo (very fresh salsa with tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro) accompanied an interesting cream sauce to make an enjoyable course.

Our entrees came out with a nice stack of fresh corn tortillas. My wife ordered the carne asada, thin-sliced sirloin wonderfully seasoned and very tender. I order one of Maria's specialties, her Pollo al Guajillo (Chicken in a pepper sauce). The chicken, also thin-sliced, mixed perfectly with the rich red sauce. The chicken went perfectly in the corn tortilla with the lime-marinated radishes and onions. Both meals came with rice and beans. My wife really enjoyed the flavored rice and I enjoyed the refried beans (topped with more of the delicious cojito cheese).

Everything was wonderful and delicious. El Rancho Grande served one of my favorite Mexican meals I have had. Often Mexican served tastes more like it should have come out of a Taco Bell (and often, Taco Bell is tastier). Chef Maria, que delicioso! El Rancho Grande has a full website including directions and their menu.



Rating: A

The Burrito Company

When it comes to good Mexican, there's either American Mexican or authentic Mexican. Both are good when done well, and the Burrito Company does it right.

I first encountered the restaurant from a booth at a local festival. I ordered a simple chicken burrito, and I was shocked by the portion. Big burritos are becoming popular, but nothing ruins things like an untasty meal. The burrito was good with a flavorful (albeit not too Mexican flavored) shredded chicken, though it suffered from too-watery lettuce and plain tomatoes instead of a flavorful pico de gallo. This could be forgiven since the burrito was prepared outdoors. I decided to give the company a second chance.

The second time was the charm. I stopped in and ordered the rice and bean burrito. I was again blessed with a large burrito and a nice side of rice and refried beans. Both sides were good, but the burrito was much better than what I had before. The large amount of vegetables put a normal salad to shame, and the beans were highly tasty and rich.

The restaurant's interior was very clean and stylish, including a large 'tree' crafted out of wire and white Christmas lights. Parking was a tad odd, since I had to park in the hospital parking lot across the street. It's hard to enjoy a meal when you're unsure if your car will be towed. This is a peril when eating in a city, however.

The Burrito company is located on Cass Street in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Their website is: http://www.theburritoco.com/

Rating: B+

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Mexican fast food has a stigma in modern society. Many legends persist involving mystery meats to foodbourne illness to deter people from enjoying a quick taco. The modern fast food movement contains a restaurant to dispel all these myths and produce a high quality and delicious Mexican meal. That restaurant? Chipotle.

Inside, you are confronted with a modern White Castle layout; stainless-steel and an wide open kitchen. The menu is simple; a style (burrito, taco, soft taco, or rice bowl), a protein (chicken, beef, pork, or vegetarian), and then a topping bar including pico de gallo, authentic Mexican sour cream, and guacamole. Another feature that sets this restaurant apart from other chain Mexican restaurants, beer and margaritas. They also boast a large collection of authentic Tabasco sauce at the tables.

The food just tastes amazing, though be warned it is spicy. This is to be expected for a restaurant named after a smoked jalapeno. The flavors are all there. Their rice is cooked with cilantro and lime. Everything melds together to form a filling and relatively cheap Mexican meal.



Rating: B