El Ranchero Restaurant

El Ranchero Restaurant
3559 Michigan St.
New Chicago, IN 46342 MAP
(219) 962-4228
Hours:
Monday-Saturday: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Sunday: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

April 29th, 2005. 1:30 p.m.

El Ranchero is not only a restaurant but also a full-blown Mexican bakery. Enter to your right and you’re faced with dozens of freshly baked breads and pastries.



But alas, we’re here for a steak burrito, so go left and grab a seat.

I had two choices for ordering my burrito: regular or deluxe. The regular contained beans, cheese, and your choice of meat while the deluxe added lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and avocado slices to the mix. I ordered the deluxe, which was $1.00 more.

Chips, salsa, and water arrived quickly, but I was struck by the nastiness of the bottles that contained the salsa, and salsa verde as well as the saltshaker. All had crusty, dried up sauce on them. Not just a little either. My water also had some floaters in it. Oh well, I was thirsty so I drank up.

The chips were average (meaning good) and the pico de gallo, salsa, and salsa verde all were at least medium in their “hotness”. Those who want a mild sauce will be disappointed.

The burrito was the largest yet, weighing in at over 20 ounces. The tortilla appeared to be grilled slightly but not to the point it was crunchy. The steak was listed as rib eye on the menu and the flavor did not disappoint. The steak was hot and juicy (leading to a small pool on the plate) and the other ingredients were all fresh and delicious as well. I encountered one small piece of gristle and a couple small pieces of fat that really did not detract from the overall experience.

I recommend El Ranchero for their flavor and outstanding value. You just might want to wipe down the salsa bottles and saltshaker before digging in.



Weight: 20.3 ounces
Length: 8.5 inches
Circumference: 9.125 inches
Price: $5.25 or 25.9¢ an ounce
Beer availability: No

Flavor: 8.5/10 sombreros
Value: 9/10 sombreros

San Pedro's

San Pedro’s
1239 West 37th Ave. (Ridge Road)
Hobart, IN 46342 MAP
(219) 947-4449
Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Friday - Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

April 22nd, 2005. Around 11:20 a.m.

San Pedro’s is a little more “upscale” than most of the burrito joints I like to frequent although the prices are reasonable. The interior is more sophisticated and the menu is varied to include many dinner platters and combinations. They even serve wine as well as beer (10 imports and 10 domestics!) and mixed drinks.

My burrito arrived promptly with a salad on the side (shredded lettuce and a tomato wedge). The steak burrito was just under one pound and contained beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sour cream.

On the first bite my mouth was greeted by a piece of gristle. Not the size or toughness that would lead one to yack it into a napkin, but enough for you to take notice and just try and get it down. The same thing happened on the second bite. Uh oh. The third was fine and on it went. About half the bites I took contained gristle. Not good. I actually stopped eating the burrito about half way through to chow on some chips and salsa. This was the highlight of my meal.

The chips were the kind that when fried up formed big air pockets inside them and wind up being layered, for lack of a better description. I love that! It’s kind of like extra space to hold salsa and salt. The salsa was excellent as well. Just the right amount of heat and very smooth.

I went on to finish the burrito, but this time I added hot sauce and a dash of salt to every bite. Indeed, in addition to being gristly, the flavor of the steak was lacking.

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend San Pedro’s for the steak burrito or anything containing steak for that matter.



Weight: 15.9 ounces
Length: 7.5 inches
Circumference: 9.5 inches
Price: $5.50 or 34.6¢ an ounce
Beer availability: Yes

Flavor: 5/10 sombreros
Value: 7/10 sombreros

El Señor Sombrero

El Señor Sombrero
7856 East 37th Ave. (Ridge Road)
Hobart, IN 46342 MAP
(219) 963-3243
Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Update: March 31st, 2009.

Changed over to Don Andres.

April 8th, 2005. Around 11:45 a.m.

El Señor Sombrero is your typical strip mall Mexican restaurant (or taqueria, if you prefer) shod with slippery booths and a smattering of Mexican décor on the walls. I sat myself, and chips and salsa (salsa verde) arrived promptly. I immediately ordered my steak burrito with all the standard fillings. I then sampled the chips and salsa.

The chips were warm and fresh and the salsa was smooth with a decent kick to it. The fresh cilantro sprinkled on top of the salsa was a nice touch.

After about 4-5 minutes my burrito arrived on a nice plate with a slice of avocado on the side. Another nice touch. I quickly took the measurements and began tearing into this beauty.

This burrito, in addition to the steak, contained beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, and sour cream all wrapped in a steamed tortilla. Steamed (not grilled) tortillas are best in my opinion as they stretch tightly around the filling and have that wonderful chewy texture. Upon my first bite I noticed the onions were slightly grilled and caramelized which lended to a fajita-like taste against the flavorful steak. Speaking of the steak, there was no gristle or excessive fat in it.

The flavor of the burrito was extremely well balanced and satisfying and I did get full. I mashed up the avocado with my fork and added some salsa verde to make a quick guacamole and finish the chips off with. All in all an excellent steak burrito and a great value for the money.



Weight: 14.6 ounces
Length: Just under 7 inches
Circumference: 9.5 inches
Price: $3.95 or 27.1¢ an ounce
Beer availability: No

Flavor: 9/10 sombreros
Value: 8.5/10 sombreros

Rankings

Restaurants ranked by total score
(Value rating + (2 X Flavor rating)) / 3*

*For you non-algebra types, the above equation merely states the flavor rating is weighted twice as much as the value rating. Simpler yet, flavor is more important to me than cost.

9.000 Chachan City Burritos
9.000 Don Andres #1
9.000 El Mariachi - Lansing
9.000 Tacolandia
8.833 El Mariachi - Dyer
8.833 El Señor Sombrero
8.667 El Ranchero
8.667 Memo's Taco Mex
8.667 Mexico Chiquito
8.667 Taqueria El Charro
8.333 Burritos Jalisco
8.333 El Farol
8.333 El Gallo Tapatio
8.333 Fiesta Palace #2
8.333 Fuerte Market
8.333 La Palma
8.333 Plaza Garibaldi
8.167 Gomez Tacos & Pizza
8.167 Jesse's Family Restaurant
8.167 La Balanza
8.167 Taco & Burrito Place Los 3 Panchos
8.000 Las Piñatas
8.000 Las Salsas
7.833 El Amigo
7.667 Elio's Hot Dogs & Mexican food
7.500 Rancho Grande
7.333 El Michoacano
7.333 Gorditas Tangamanga
7.333 La Loma
7.333 Las Brisas
7.333 Los Alteños
7.333 Taqueria San Francisco
7.333 Vallarta Restaurant
7.167 Chela’s
7.167 Taqueria Los Gallos
7.167 Valentin Restaurant
7.000 El Paisano
7.000 The Rodeo
6.833 La Hoya
6.667 Johnathan's Mexican & American Food
6.667 Lucy's Restaurant
6.667 Rios Mexican Food
6.667 Sabor A Mexico
6.667 Taqueria Los Comales
6.500 Habanero’s
6.500 La Bamba
6.333 Casa Lupita
6.333 El Burrito Mexicano
6.333 Javi's Mexican Restaurant
6.167 Gorditas Los Metates
6.167 Taqueria Los Comalitos
6.167 Zantes
6.000 Fiesta Cancun
5.833 Steak Burritos
5.667 Camino Real
5.667 Los Magueyes
5.667 San Pedro’s
5.667 Supermercado Ortega
5.333 El Caliente
5.333 El Charro
5.333 La Quesadilla
5.000 Casa Del Rio
5.000 Taco Delight
4.667 Adrian's Mexican Restuarant
4.667 El Bracero
4.667 La Chiquita
4.333 Morelia
4.167 Colima
4.000 Acapulco