I was in Chicagoland for family event, my wife and I drove around looking for something texmex. I was unfamiliar with the area and we saw the sign for T&BRG.
first impressions - its a dive. however the extremely friendly and lady at the counter answered all our questions.
the food - very flavorful overall. we both ordered combos - my wife ordered the 3 steak tacos with rice n beans, and I ordered the steak taco, steak tostada, and quesadilla with rice n beans. however we both felt the Rice was bland. I had to add pepper and hot sauce to make it palatable. the refried Beans were tasty but slightly thick. I thought maybe the beans were not fresh made.
the Steak was well seasoned. I wish there they gave us more. But it was enough for a lunch portion. Even though it was after 9pm on a Friday night when we ventured there.
love the Tostada - I could of eaten 3. they are smaller than I am used to, but it was crispy n crunchy and held its toppings well.
the Quesadilla in my meal was... well it was simple. I assumed it was more than Cheese and a Tortilla. But, well I did not know. It was exactly as it is named. Quesadilla. I wished it had something inside other than just cheese.
the Tacos were wonderful. they were small and wonderful little packages of meat, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. for me they were 2 bite tacos - I could of had about 3 or 4 more.
Next time I return to the greater Chicago area I am heading back to T&BRG.
Love the food here. Â This is as best as quick Mexican food gets. Â My husband and I (both Mexican American) have it at least a couple times a month and it is very authentic tasting. Â I usually have the carne asade tortas and they really hook it up with the avocado unlike other places. Â The nachos are pretty good too!
Review Source:Rancho Grande is pretty standard Mexican fare. The prices are totally average, fast food Mex. They have a nice selection of combos and such, and have a few creative menu additions like a Spinach Quesadilla. The service is good and I've never had any trouble there in the handful of times I have visited with messed up orders or waiting too long.
The beans and rice on the sides of the combos aren't very good, and in fact taste kind of funny, so I would recommend the combos where you get an extra taco or something instead of the side beans and rice. Their meat is pretty decent, I can verify based on a single visit during a time when I fell off of the vegetarian bandwagon. Their vegetarian substitutes are fine, about standard for what you'd expect.
There is nothing great about this place, but little bad. I go when I'm in the area, but its not a place I seek out.
I've only been in Lansing a short while and I am so glad I stumbled upon this restaurant. For a small place, I was very impressed. Unsure of what I should order, I ordered a quesadilla. The best quesadilla I have had in a very long time. Best believe I will be going back and trying everything on their menu.
Review Source:It really surprises me that no one has has reviewed these restaurants yet. For fast Mexican food, this place is unbelievable....and it seems to have sort of a large cult following. It's relatively crowded at all hours and they DO have multiple locations across the Chicagoland area.
There hasn't been anything I've tried that I don't like. The combo platters are a steal, ranging from $4.99 to $7.00 and you can pretty much combine anything on the menu. If you get the enchiladas, you'll REALLY love the mound of melted queso they pile on top.
Most recently, I've been stuck on their fish tacos for the Lenten season. Incredible. Not many places sell fried fish tacos and if they do, they're downright disgusting. These are quite the opposite---fresh tasting (not a stitch of that fishy taste) and whatever they're breaded in (panko, maybe?) doesn't soak up the grease, but is light and crunchy. I don't know what type of fish they use, but it works wonderfully in these tacos.
One tell-tale sign that this place is good is the fact that you'll see quite a few hispanic people frequenting it. You KNOW the food must be good. And someone once told me that the best Mexican food is usually sold at little counters in grocery stores. This place has several supermarkets in Chicago and NWI eating from their fingertips.
This particular location is probably the newest to open. It's also kind of kitschy and quaint. A completely revamped nostalgic building has mod ceilings and decorations, but a very intriguing 1930s Fox beer mural painted on the bare brick that was revealed when they were undergoing construction.
One (minor) negative is that they do not fave free refills.