A bigger tamal menu at one of Fort Worth’s all-time favorite Tex-Mex restaurants
In these times of a tamal crisis, the Falcon family and El Rancho Grande Restaurante have stepped up to help.
Trusted tamal makers such as Santos Aguilera of Aguilera’s Cafe and Virgie Martinez of Mi Cocinita have retired, and Mariposa’s awaits a new home in Willow Park.
That leaves us with old reliable tamal shops like Tommy Tamale in Grapevine, Marquez Bakery in Arlington and Esperanza’s Cafe & Bakery in Fort Worth.
El Rancho Grande, long known for its thin chips and its tamales-and-chili plate, has expanded its tamal business this year, selling handmade pork or cheese-and-jalapeno tamales.
For most of its 70-year history, Herculano Falcon’s little El Rancho Grande at 1400 N. Main St. has been known as the No. 2 favorite Mexican restaurant in town, the place to go for tamales or enchiladas with meaty Texas chili.
That hasn’t changed. Rancho Grande is considered a must-try stop for “retro” Tex-Mex with chili.
At lunch last week, Rancho Grande’s chili impressed again as a side dish or atop the tamales.
The new cheese-and-jalapeno tamales exceeded expectations. Basically, they’re like nachos inside tamales.
The pork tamales are large, not quite as large as at Esperanza’s but big enough that two tamales with chili amounted to a filling lunch.
The paper-thin chips are a good match for the garlicky hot sauce, or ask for the equally thin tortillas.
The basic lunches cost less than $8.
Falcon originally opened a tamal and tortilla factory on East Central Avenue that later expanded and took over a former pharmacy.
It’s a classic Fort Worth restaurant that often gets overlooked in favor of nearby Joe T.’s, newer La Playa Maya or nearby salsa legend Los Asaderos.
Rancho Grande, at the corner of North Main Street and East Central Avenue, is open for lunch and dinner daily except Sunday; 817-624-9206.
This story was originally published December 9, 2019 at 5:30 AM.
