My quest to eat my way through Dundee’s Mexican offerings eventually took me to Commercial Street and Rancho Pancho.
From tostadas at Mas and tacos at Loco Ritas to burritos at Wee Mexico, my hunger for Mexican food will seemingly never be satisfied.
It might be a weird cuisine to lust after for someone who thinks coriander tastes like soap and sweats the second someone as much as mentions chillies, but the heart wants what it wants.
Rancho Pancho
While I’ve been tempted by the colourful exteriors of Dundee’s other Mexican offerings in the past, it was time to find out if Rancho Pancho’s muted exterior hides some treasures on the inside.
I headed along on a Thursday night expecting it to be quiet, but when I opened the door I was hit with the noise of diners chatting, delicious aromas from the kitchen and a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
You can clearly tell the venue used to be a pub, with a large bar at the front, tables jotted around here and there, and tall windows reaching all the way to the ceiling. The pictures on the walls create a Día de los Muertos vibe, as they feature bright colours and skulls.
We were quickly seated by the side of the bar and as we were looking through the menu, a tequila bottle filled with water arrived at the table.
We ordered a Margarita each, one classic and one peach (£8.25 each) before deciding on our dinner.
The food
I decided to start with the three bean Nachos Grande (£6.95) while my partner opted for the Wings of Fire (£6.95). As he has allergies we checked with the staff that all the food we ordered was nut-free, which they quickly checked and verified for us.
Grande was definitely the right way to describe this big portion of nachos, served in a basket with salsa, sour cream and guacamole on top. The chips were beautifully seasoned and crunchy, getting a bit softer towards the middle as you’d expect.
There was a good amount of toppings, both cheese, beans and condiments on top.
There were also a good few jalapenos lurking throughout that I tried my best to spot before biting into, but as I’ve already established I’m a wuss when it comes to spice. I needed a lemonade (£2.75) to help me cope.
While my nachos were a bit too spicy for me, the same can’t be said of my partner’s wings. Marinated, then deep fried and served with Cholula sauce he expected them to have more of a kick.
The four wings also came with some tortilla chips and a small salad. As a regular consumer of Cholula sauce he had no complaints about the flavour and found the size perfect for a starter.
As I haven’t tried enchiladas at any other Dundee Mexicans, I decided to give them a go here. My veggie enchiladas with ranchero sauce (£13.95) were filled with green beans, peppers, onions and baby corn and doused in a wonderfully light and creamy tomato sauce.
This was definitely more suited to my spice levels. Again, my portion was large and came with some tortilla chips and a small salad. The sauce was the true star of the show, not tasting overly tomato-y and pairing well with the fillings. I could happily have this sauce on everything.
My partner opted for another classic, the beef Verde tacos (£15.95) which came with a bowl of rice, guacamole, sour cream and roasted salsa. The crispy corn tortilla shells were topped with cheese and some salad.
As I had to make sure I didn’t spill sauce everywhere, he had the problem of trying not to spill his taco everywhere as those are notoriously harder to eat. The first one was filled to the brim with beef, meaning the same amount that went in his mouth at the first bite also spilled onto his plate.
He said the beef had a good texture and was spicier than his starter, which was just what he wanted. I had a taste of his side of rice, but we both left that after one mouthful. The rice was overcooked and tasted of nothing. Thankfully the rest of our meals were flavourful.
As were our Margaritas, the classic one with ice cubes and the peach with crushed ice. The classic had a strong taste of lime and was not overpoweringly boozy as can often be the case. Real peach slices were a highlight, as it gave the drink a fruity taste over artificially sweet.
I might have felt like I was about to burst, but I just had to try some of the churros (£6.95). We got five churros drizzled with toffee sauce, more toffee sauce for dipping and some ice cream to round off the evening.
The churros were crispy on the outside, with a fluffy and airy centre pairing well with the toffee. The ice cream was the highlight for me, alongside the vanilla a beautiful toffee flavour cut through, adding a bit of depth to it. I only wish I’d had room for more.
The verdict
Dundee might have its fair share of Mexican eateries, but there’s definitely a place for Rancho Pancho among them. If you don’t feel like ordering countless small plates like in many other restaurants, you will get a solid starter, main and dessert here.
Feeling taken care of by the staff is important to us because of my partner’s allergies. Each and every server that stopped by our table with drinks, food or to ask how we were doing made us feel seen and safe.
For a Thursday night it was quite loud and busy in the venue, but thankfully it calmed down a bit into our visit. While my partner described the décor as “tattoo shop art”, I quite enjoyed the vibe.
While some parts of our meals weren’t quite up to the standard we expected, the fact that I almost had to be rolled out of the door is a sign of a good night.
Information
Address: Rancho Pancho, 16 Commercial Street, Dundee DD1 3EJ
T: 01382 229070
Price: £69 for two starters, two main courses, a dessert, two cocktails and a soft drink
Scores:
- Food: 3.5/5
- Service: 4/5
- Surrounding: 3/5
*The restaurant was contacted to get professional imagery taken, as is usual with our published reviews, but declined to arrange for one of our photographers to visit.
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