Rancho Viejo and El Senor Mexican Restaurants: The Best There Is

If Mexican food is my weakness them Rancho Viejo and El Senor are my downfall. Now I'm sure where you live you have some really good Mexican restaurants. But you'd have to prove to me that they're better than those in my neighborhood. Now, you have to understand, my neighborhood encompasses three counties, at least, in Northern Indiana.

Now I said that Rancho Viejo and El Senor are my downfall. They rank at the top, overall, in my Mexican food hit parade of spicy cuisine. I will speak more about them in just a bit, but they are not the only ones on the charts.

Coming in at number three with a bullet is El Paraiso in Ligonier, Indiana. This very authentic south of the border entry is a Mexican grocery and restaurant. For Carne Asada they rank at or near the top. According to my erstwhile gourmet companion, Matt Pearson, they are the king. In Matt's words, "It's larruping." But overall, Rancho Viejo and El Senor are my picks, and Matt kind of has to go along with me because I'm his boss. And of course that means I'm right…. right?

Now before I go on, I need to explain to you our criteria and method of rating our dining experiences. Matt and I come from an extensive background in the art of eating. We're just a couple of regular guys, working in radio and construction and anything else we can put our hands to, but what we are mainly about is eating. You can see, if your were to look at our picture, that we have not missed many meals. Matt is younger than I am and has a ways to go to catch up, but he's gaining fast, so to speak. From the time I first met him, until now, he's gained about 80 pounds. I know what you're thinking. This is all due to your tutelage Banner. You've trained him well and the results are obvious. Well I must admit he is a good student, but I can't take all the credit, Matt is a natural.

Now back to the methodology behind our critique. We have narrowed it down to a science, the correct combinations of different complementary foods to introduce to our palate in a single bite. We are not like your standard run of the mill crude gluttons, who are downright vulgar in their approach to a classic throwdown. Each delectable morsel is semi-carefully and hurriedly delivered to the mouth for a slow (slow is relative you understand to how hungry we are at the time) chew and savory enjoyment. Now, I really can't go on without mentioning the entire team. The Calvary Christian Fellowship Lunch Posse consists of me and Matt, along with our ringleader, Pastor Ron "Louie" Hyre. Along with "Louie," in the position of comic relief and chief inspector of "it's not too Mexican, Mexican food, is it," is Vicky "Bert" Hyre. Holding down the position of chief salsa and chip connoisseur is Josh (tool man) Brown. Of course Matt is our clown car driver and I am known as the silverback king of the chicken chimichanga. Laura Kidd, our confuse the waiter by ordering menu items different than the menu specialist, rounds out the team. Together we make weekly our pilgrimages to Rancho Viejo and El Senor.

Now, having said let me get back to the subject at hand. My all time favorite is Rancho Viejo. Located in the heart of downtown Sturgis, Michigan, Rancho is one of my favorite stops for lunch. It is almost identical to El Senor, located in the heart of Amish country, Lagrange, Indiana. The differences between these two restaurants are so subtle that I will describe them in a way that depicts both of them. In reality, my favorite changes due to which one I'm eating at any given moment.

Picture this. You enter the, relatively small, restaurants and realize they are mom and pop type establishments. Pictures of local ball teams that they sponsor are sitting around and it has the feel of family. Now you have a bit of a language barrier, but chicken chimichanga, burrito, taco and those words are international in scope, so it's not a concern. The first thing you will get, after you sit down, is a basket of fresh warm chips and a fresh bottle of home made salsa. It has generous amounts of the vital ingredient, cilantro. Dash generous amounts of salt on the chips, tip the bottle of salsa into the little bowl you're given and you're ready. Take one of those fresh, warm, salty tortilla chips and dip up a generous amount of the salsa and introduce your mouth to a fiesta of delight. And if you want to make it even better, ask for a bowl of queso. I've had queso at other Mexican restaurants, and salsa too, for that matter, and the others must have come out of a can from the discount grocer, compared to these fine spicy delicacies. Wash it all down with some good cola, a Jarrittos bottled drink, or my favorite, a big glass of water with lime. This is just the beginning. While you're enjoying the bueno chips, salsa, and queso, you peruse the extensive selection of fine Mexican cuisine offered on the menu. There are far too many to mention, but you won't be disappointed in any selection. Carne Asada, chicken chimichanga, and smothered chicken fajitas are among my favorites. It all comes on a huge platter, along with refried beans, rice, salad lettuce, pico degallo, guacamole, sour cream and even more salsa. And the salsa and chips keep coming as long as you ask.

So, go ahead. Brag on the Mexican restaurants where you live, but Rancho Viejo and El Senor are the stuff of legend in our neck of the woods. If you're ever in the Lagrange, Indiana or Sturgis, Michigan area, look me up and we'll gather the Calvary Christian Fellowship Lunch Posse and get all over some bueno Mexican food.