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Sunday, March 22, 2009

Culinary Explorations at Mi Ranchito


Mi Ranchito on UrbanspoonThis Mi Ranchito restaurant is actually one of six in the area that have flavorful food said to be passed down through the centuries. I have heard the buzz about this mini franchise. I just had to try it and check it out for myself.

 The four of us came in during a rau
c
ous time when the place was full and the Big 10 basketball NCAA games were on the 
air. I was curious to see how a winning combination 
keeps this franchise expanding and keeping people coming in and satisfied.
The place was packed with eager fans yet we could still hear each other. 




(espinaca dip at left)

The authentic menu includes appetizers, salads, 18 specialities (fish tacos, combos, platters,s amplers and more), fajaitas, burritos, chimichangas, traditional menu offerings, eggs, combinations and lunch specials.
The extensive menu is amazing and
 so were the relatively low prices. Many of the eclectic offerings had creative combinations or ingredients that made my selection even more difficult. The different chimichangas caught my eye. However the one in the combination



 listing, Manchego beef, caught my eye instead of the other chimichangas. We sampled the mildly spicy tomato cilantro based salsa.
We agreed it was not the best salsa we ever tasted but was okay. It was tomato and good but no zing or special flavor. 

The taco salad (left) was nicely plated and had nice chunks of avocado.

We also tried their famous espinaca dip with its combination of Mexican and America cheese, onions, tomatoes and spinach. Not bad but it congealed into
 a solid within a 10 minutes. It needs to be in a little flame container to keep it liquid.
The wait staff is very attentive, helpful and friendly. They always kept our water filled and asked how we liked the meal and whether we needed anything.
My winning combination platter (left) arrived. I love chimichangas and I was not disappointed. The lightly fried wrapped tortillas enclosed the mild shredded beef. What stood out and took this
 dish to “another level” was the unexpected savory mushroom sauce on top of the chimichanga (not listed with the title of the entree). Nice surprise and really added to the entree. Still it melted into the beef and gave the entree even more identity and was heavenly. My platter came with a corn tortillas and bean and cheese flat tostado and cheese enchilada. These were good although not as majestic tasting as my beef chimichanga. Still I enjoyed the contrasted tastes and the refried beans. My wife and my friend enjoyed their sumptuous chicken avocado salad served in a exquisite tortillas bowl (my wife skipped the jalapeno dressing). Our other friend liked the vegetarian burrito with broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, pico de inside a tortilla with black beans and rice. The teams that won were winners and so were our dishes. I now know why people keep coming back to this mini franchise.
While I don’t usually  prefer "franchise"  type  restaurants, this place is deservedly a winner with so many traditional and non traditional dishes. The dishes were excellent and I can see why are here and that keeps people coming back and expanding the business. The prices for great food no doubt is some of the best value of its kind in Kansas City. It seems that I definitely could see coming back here or at another of the locations,  to sample more of the surprises and their "winning game".

Mi Ranchito on Urbanspoon


Mi Ranchito Cocina & Cantina Mexicana on Urbanspoon

Mi Ranchito on Urbanspoon

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