Foodie Friday: Rancho Azteca
DOVER, Del. – Rancho Azteca in Dover will bring you south of the border and your taste buds up to heaven. That’s where Foodie Friday Host Hannah Cechini and Photog Mike are taking us for this edition of Foodie Friday.
Super Street Tacos
You can’t call it a complete visit to the vibrant eatery without trying some of their street tacos. Tortillas are buttered up before being browned on the flat top grill. The Foodie team chose carne asada for their taco order; but the true name of the game at Rancho Azteca is making your food your own.
“You can choose from steak, chicken, carnitas, pastor,” explained Jasmin, one of the restaurants friendly team members. “We also have steak with chorizo or chicken with chorizo. They’re topped off with cilantro, onion, and you get our homemade hot sauce. And then, it’s served with a piece of lime.”
“For these just being a corn tortilla, the carne asada, the onion, and the cilantro, there is so much flavor in there. And, I think a lot of that comes from the carne asada,” Hannah remarked after their first bite. “I love the corn tortillas, as well. I’m more of a corn tortilla person, myself, over flour tortillas. But, I think they really just give you that authentic street taco flavor. Really delicious.”
Heaven in a Handheld
However, if you opt in for the quesabirria, you’re in for a real treat. “It takes around ten hours to cook it overnight, season it overnight. It’s a slow process,” Jasmin explained.
The folded favorites also start on the grill, but only after they get a dip in its signature red consume. They’re also dressed up with melty mozzarella cheese. Add the onions, and the cilantro, an extra helping of that consume, and you’ve got heck of a handheld.
Trust, this stuff is addictive.
“Awesome crunch on the tortilla. But then, that just immediately gives way to the melty, gooey, cheesiness on the inside. The meat is also very tender. So, you’re hitting like every texture point on the spectrum there,” Hannah said. “So rich and deeply flavorful. It’s really, really unique.”
Spicy Salsa, Guacamole Glory
Now, let’s check in with Mike, who’s in dipping heaven. “There’s an old saying, ‘You’re spoiled for choice.’ Being a dipper in a Mexican restaurant, I am spoiled for choice,” he quipped.
Rancho Azteca’s homemade spicy salsa packs the heat, and the freshness. And, the tableside guacamole left the Foodie team in avocado bliss.
“The onion still has a little bit of a crunch, the tomato has some body to it,” Mike said. “So, you’re getting a lot of textures, as you’re getting all these lovely, bright flavor notes.”
“The avocados are just at the perfect stage of ripeness, and everything else in here just tastes really fresh. And, we know it’s fresh, because we just watched it being made in front of us,” Hannah added. “The jalapeno adds the perfect kick. It does sneak up on you a little bit. But, if you can handle the heat, it’s definitely well worth it.”
Rancho Azteca
Rancho Azteca is located at 561 North Dupont Highway, Dover, Del. You can call them at 302-883-2367. If you go to check it out, tell the team that you saw them on Foodie Friday.
