Rio Ranch

Remember when I wrote my little rant about "voting" for restaurants with your business, and how you shouldn't frequent restaurants out of habit when they're not very good? Well, that principle works both ways. The only thing that bothers me more than seeing a really bad restaurant remain open is watching a really good one close. And I'm worried that is exactly what will happen to Rio Ranch if something doesn't change soon.

My family and I visited on a Saturday night and were surprised to find that we were one of only two tables of patrons. Since they were visiting from NY, I wanted to choose a restaurant that really said "Texas", and I couldn't have done a better job. Rio Ranch is decorated with steer heads, a large stone fireplace, and (friendly and professional) waiters wearing bolo ties.

The special that night was filet mignon with cream sauce, a baked potato and a skewer of shrimp and veggies. Quite an impressive plate of food!



And not a bite of it was bad. Every single one of us had a perfectly cooked piece of meat and shrimp. We were also treated to very good margaritas and large beers. It wasn't cheap or fast, but it wasn't overly expensive or fancy either -- the meal was comparable in price and the restaurant in atmosphere to Outback. Only the food was a lot better than at Outback.

So I'll end this review with a plea: please, please go to Rio Ranch. I hate seeing local places go under, particularly really good places. And Rio Ranch is really good.