Greenville Eats - La Rancherita

Greenville Eats - La Rancherita

In this episode of Greenville, Eats, TRG travels south of the border and enjoys a different take on Mexican cuisine at La Rancherita.

Location

La Rancherita is located in the Lynncroft Shopping Center, in front of Best Buy, off of Evans Street.  Found in the heart of Greenville's retail and dining, La Rancherita has a dining room, bar seating, as well as outdoor patio seating. Since the restaurant is located in a shopping center, there is plenty of parking. The restaurant is decorated in bright colors often affiliated with Latin American culture. Yet, the decor is not your typical Mexican restaurant decorum. However, there is a sense of modern elegance also mixed into the theme. The modern elegance is found mainly in the bar in the manner in which they present their wide array of tequilas. Overall, the atmosphere is bright and lively.

Service

At La Rancherita, the service matches their decor. Their servers are lively and have bright personalities. Upon being seated, we were provided with chips and salsa and our server promptly welcomed us to take our drink orders. The service was prompt and our food was delivered in less than fifteen minutes after ordering. If you are searching for an in-and-out lunch, La Rancherita can be that spot. Not only is their food served exceptionally quick, but their prices are also noteworthy. For lunch, each person had a lunch meal with a side for under $10.  

Menu

La Rancherita's menu contains your classic Mexican food favorites, but with a modern take. From their vast tequila drink menu to their chips and salsa, all items on their menu has a unique, up-to-date twist.

Since we had visited La Rancherita at lunch, we were not able to sample their margaritas. But, from the looks of the margarita menu, there are so many choices, there is bound to be a margarita for everyone. Many of their margaritas call for fresh-squeezed lime juice and different types of tequilas.

Like every other Mexican restaurant, we were greeted with chips and salsa at our table. However, unlike any other Mexican restaurant, the salsa is not your average salsa. The salsa La Rancherita serves is chunky, but not like a pico de gallo. Their salsa has a hint of sweetness to help with the little bit of heat from the peppers. Their chips seemed fresh and were served in a stylish, wire basket.

The first entree we reviewed was the Carnitas Skillet (pictured) Lunch Skillet. This is a classic pulled pork dish served on a bed of sauteed peppers and onions and served with a side of Mexican rice. Along with the entree, corn or flour tortillas and a salad are also provided. The first impression is one of that is very bright, vibrant and inviting. The rice has a great orange hue The sauteed peppers and onions give a sweet element to the dish. This hint of sweetness and crunch provides more depth to the pallet. Without these peppers and onions, the dish would be too savory and lacking crunch. The rice was moist and serves as a good break-in strong flavors. My favorite was putting all of these ingredients in a corn tortilla and making a type of fajita.

Next, a chicken quesadilla was tried. While there are not too many variations of a chicken quesadilla, La Rancherita manages to spruce it up a bit. The common components are all there: flour tortilla, cheese, chicken and grilled on a flat-top. Where things get interesting is La Rancherita adds pico de gallo and tops the quesadilla with chipotle cream and some cilantro. The colors of this dish are dazzling, as you know you are not about to eat another boring quesadilla. It is difficult to put a twist on a classic, but La Rancherita succeeds in completing just that.

Overall Experience

If you are looking for a quick bite that will not put a dent in your checking account, look no further than La Rancherita. Their modern take on classic Mexican food and decor will bring you back to dinner where you may be able to enjoy one of their unique margaritas.

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