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New York City Out to Lunch - Cheap Eats

Los Dos Rancheros

Ramshackle Hell's Kitchen spot does Mexican with depth.

Food

(6)

Ambience

(2)

Service

(5)

Value

(8)

The Setting

Los Dos Rancheros is one of a dying breed of spots that, at least from an aesthetic standpoint, continue to put the "hell" in Hell's Kitchen. The dingy but strangely lovable dining room has all the romantic appeal of a VFW hall, with Plexiglas-covered tabletops, a stained drop ceiling and a foosball table in back. Ice-cold Negra Modelos and Dos Equis flow as steadily as the churning Mexican pop from the jukebox.

The Food

Simple, well-rendered Mexican food that has the depth of flavor that separates great Mexican from the stuff that's merely passable. Seven-dollar main courses like pipian con pollo (a big plate of tender chicken covered in a smoky, chalky, faintly tannic green pumpkin paste) offer tremendous bang for your buck. Giant, fresh-tasting burritos (also priced at $7) are excellent, as are batidos.

507 Ninth Ave
New York, NY 10018
Phone: (212) 868-7780