The first uniqueness I noticed at LHR was the giant stuffed bear in the entryway. It looked quite real and even smelled like a bear. Combined with real saddles being used as bar stools and antlers galore, La Hacienda Ranch certainly looks a little different than your run of the mill Tex-Mex restaurant. The hostess was dressed as a cowgirl, complete with bandana, oversized belt buckle, and hat. In fact, all the employees wear varying levels of an outfit you would expect to see in an old western movie. Fun.
I was placed in "Papa's Room" with one other table. This was actually nice because the area near the bar was noticably loud. The private room allowed me to hold an easy conversation with my dinnermate for the evening, my mom. We were quickly greeted by an extremely friendly and animated fellow who explained that the first margarita machine was invented by the founder of the restaurant and therefore it was virtually an obligation to order one. Mom and I passed on this obligation, primarily because at $10 a piece, I would expect it to be fairly strong and I still had a long drive back.
As is standard, chips and salsa were brought out so we could stuff ourselves before our entrees even arrived. The chips were warm and crisp, with medium thickness. Chips are fairly simple, but many places manage to serve a basket that has been under a heat lamp all day or offer wimpy, thin chips that break when they are scooped into the salsa. LHR does it right. The salsa is not your standard variety. It has a rich, smoky flavor derived from fire-roasted tomatos. The heat is the slow, building kind but it never really came to an uncomfortable level. Overall, 2/5 on the spice level. I quite liked the salsa, but it is certainly different than your standard red, tomato sauce-like offering. It is similar to Blue Mesa's second salsa, if you are familiar with the other southwestern-style restaurant in the area.
The menu has all the standard Tex-Mex entrees in various combinations, but I looked for specialties that aren't already served at the various other Tex-Mex eateries. I found Spicy Chicken Verde,a chicken breast smothered in green tomatillo salsa, and King Ranch Shrimp, grilled shrimp stuffed with Cotija cheese and jalapeno, wrapped in bacon. While tempted by the Chicken Verde, I settled on Brisket Tacos ($11.95). Described simply as white corn tortillas filled with homemade, slow-cooked brisket, I wanted to see what La Hacienda Ranch could do with it. My mom went with a classic, chicken fajitas ($13.95).
The food came much quicker than expected, though I had still managed to finish off my dark red salsa. My tacos came accompanied with a plate of cilantro, chopped onions, and limes in Mexico City style. I also received avocado slices, lettuce, pico de gallo, and au jus. Finally, the plate was filled with refried beans in a tostado shell and mexican rice. The fajitas came in the usual way, on a sizzling plate accompanied by sour cream, cheese, guacamole, and the other usual additions.
I decided to first try a taco plain to taste the quality and flavor of the brisket. My first bite certainly gave me a taste of brisket and perhaps even too much. What the picture above does not show is that the tacos are absolutely stuffed with brisket. The flavor was reminiscent of tamales. The white corn and long, stringy brisket tasted somewhat similar to the pork and corn flour typically used in tamales. The brisket was very flavorful, but not quite what I was expecting. My next taco included cilantro, onions, avocado, and the pico de gallo. This one, while better balanced, was still very tamale-like. This isn't necessary bad, but I didn't feel like I was eating tacos. My third and fourth tacos were similar, but also suffered from sogginess due to the grease from the brisket.
The beans were great. Instead of a pool of smooth beans, LHR had mixed whole pinto beans with refried ones to give the beans texture and topped them with a small amount of white cheese. The tostada shell was a great way to prevent the beans from seeping onto the tacos and was tasty in its own right. The rice was good, but nothing special. It was light and fluffy, but had only a slight flavor. It could have done with onions, corn, peas, or at least something to add a little more complexity. I didn't finish it.
The fajitas were tasty all-around. I only had a bite or two because Mom was enjoying them so much, but they tasted like they were supposed to. Were they the best ever? No. However, the chicken tasted like it had just come off the grill (and probably had) and the vegetables were cooked enough without being overdone. The leftovers were taken home and are certain to be enjoyed again.
We passed on dessert because of Tex-Mex chip syndrome, but nothing especially stood out. We spent $30.68 plus tax and tip. Two diet cokes were $4.78.
Verdict: La Hacienda Ranch is a good Tex-Mex spot and if you live close by I would recommend a visit. However, the food is not on par with Mi Cocinita (Bryan Ave) or Joe T's in Fort Worth. In this price range, I prefer Mi Cocina.
Food: 3/5
Service: 3.5/5
Atmosphere 4/5
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