Rancher's Steakhouse
Review:
The Ranchers Steakhouse fills the vital steakhouse-gap that Socorro suffers from. Up until the Ranchers opened, the only place in Socorro that qualified for fine-dining was the Val Verde, and the Val seemed to be going downhill in recent years. The Roadrunner isnt cheap, but you will get what you pay for.
Upon entering, the first impression the Ranchers makes is with its carefully-designed atmosphere. The low-key lighting is used to full advantage against the red and white mottled walls and the gold decorations that hang below the light fixtures, creating the illusion of a ball of light above each table. The walls are decorated with a curious combination of southwestern art and various sword replicas.
The waitresses are courteous and friendly, although they can get swamped when the place is busy. We usually dont go to the Ranchers if we are in a hurry or have less that two hours to eat.
The menu has a good selection of entrees, ranging from steaks, chicken, and ribs to seafood, pasta, and various southwestern dishes. There is also a wide variety of appetizers, salads, and deserts to choose from.
The meals are of high quality and the Ranchers can boast an award-winning chef, although sometimes the quality of the food can vary depending on whos working that night. This seems to have evened-out in the years since it opened, and you can pretty much be assured of good dinner these days. While my tastes have drifted from well-done to medium-rare over the last few years, Im still careful to double-check the doneness of my meal. The Ranchers chefs tend to err on the side of under-cooking rather than over.
My favorite is the Dijon-glazed filet. Stephan, Prime-Rib Man, usually gets
well, you can make a guess. Heidi tends to be more random in what she eats, but virtually everything weve had over the last few years has been very good.
The Ranchers is attached to the Roadrunner Lounge, and features a full bar. They have some good, if uninspired wines, and you can order a variety of mixed drinks. The Long Island Iced Tea is usually pretty good, and if you can find a waitress who can make it (not all are trained on the bar), their specialty-drink, The Roadrunner, is pretty good with the cinnamon on top.
The Ranchers is also opened for lunch, during which you can order from a variety of lunches, sandwiches, and their well-stocked and varied buffet. The lunch prices are pretty good, too, for the quality of food they serve.
Another feature of the Ranchers is their large banquette hall. Capable of holding several hundred people, and feeding them, weve been to a couple of fun parties back there, in addition to some dinner theater now and then (we caught a good one for Halloween a few years ago).
The Ranchers appears to have been made with the idea of serving many purposes -- a higher-level of family dining than most of Socorros restaurants, business lunches and dinners, large-scale social events, and even catering.
Overall, the Ranchers provides a very good dining experience in Socorro, especially if you want to enjoy some good food with family and friends in a quiet, relaxing environment.
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