There are no beans in this burrito. There isn’t any lettuce, either. And out of all the taco shops in the Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa area, not one has been able to make this simple recipe as well as El Rancho.
The California Burrito is one of Southern California’s gifts to Mexican food. It’s a carne asada burrito with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa and french fries. Many traditional mexican eateries have tried and failed to perfect this recipe, but Rohnert Park’s El Rancho has the formula. The restaurant cooks its carne asada made to order, and the consistency of the steak is always just chewy enough, which is a difficult task itself. The even ratio of the wet ingredients is crucial as well, and more often than not, the chefs at El Rancho make their burritos with a perfect amount of sour cream (burrito fans understand the plight of excessive sour cream). The burrito is not finished until it’s replete with french fries. El Rancho makes theirs with crinkle cut fries, a tweak that admittedly takes getting used to for avid fans of the original.
The chefs at El Rancho say they base their recipe of the traditional Los Angeles way of making the burrito. They may have inadvertently made one of their best business decisions since so many Sonoma State University students are from Southern California and practically run off french fries and carne asada. El Rancho’s location on Southwest Blvd., just a few blocks away from the University’s campus, makes it a prime location for hungry college students. Although the price for the burrito is $8.16 (with tax), its size itself is worth the cost. To add to the deal, every burrito comes with free chips and salsa. Make sure to add a horchata to complete one of the most delicious mexican meals in town.
Location: 1451 Southwest Blvd, Rohnert Park. Hours: 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. Monday- Friday; 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday – Sunday.