He Said: Mi Ranchito, Colorado City, TX

: 4 plates out of 5


237 Concho St.
Colorado City, TX 79512
(325) 728-5591

Hours: 11-2, 5-8

I picked Mi Ranchito as the inaugural review for our site because we just ate there yesterday and it's still fresh on my mind.

Mi Ranchito is located in a small complex of two houses - the front house is actually "The Paisley Burro", a quirky folk-art home decor shop, while the back house (accessed through a gorgeous garden with water features and folk art from the Burro) is the restaurant.

The interior of Mi Ranchito is great small-town Tex Mex - the light of hundreds of white Christmas lights and neon from beer signs, smells of spicy cooking food, and simple floors and furniture are complemented by homey witty signs like "Complaint Department - Push Button" with the button attached to a mousetrap...

Service was friendly and adequate given the holiday crowd there.

The salsa was thin, not too chunky, just the way I like it. It had a good bite and a cilantro flavor. The chips were crunchy but a bit too hard, as if they were on their way to stale.

Sodas were served in cans. I have mixed feelings about this practice - it ensures quality of the soda (the mix will never be off) but of course there are no free refills. I think it's not too much to ask for fountain drinks - and to make sure they keep the mix adjusted correctly. The glass of ice served with the drink had about an inch of meltwater in the bottom as if the ice had been sitting and melting a while. TIP - always check. If you have meltwater, drink it before pouring the Coke in.

I had the Fajita plate. Fajitas were served on a regular ceramic plate, not a sizzling metal platter, but the plate was heated almost to the same degree. The steak was mixed with onions and green peppers, and came with guac, sour cream, pico, rice and beans, and two tortillas. Some cheese and an extra tortilla would have been better, as would some warning about the guac (I'm not a fan).

The fajitas were great - probably the best Tex-Mex fajitas I've had in West Texas. Seasoned just to my liking, they were nice and seared - not overly tender as some chain restaurants serve. The beans were underseasoned - they could have stood a bit more salt. The rice was good.

One warning - as of our visit, Mi Ranchito did not accept credit or debit cards. Bring a check or cash!