PlanJam!From your screen to the scene

As someone who grew up in the Southwest, I have great respect for authentic Mexican cuisine, but sometimes even I have a hankering for crunchy tacos, chimichangas and giant blue margaritas. At times like these, I thank the burrito gods for Rancho Alegre. A whimsical but slightly dated mural overlooks Park Slope’s 7th Avenue, promising to whisk you away to a magical world of Tex-Mex flavor. Inside, it’s all neon beer signs, gaudy decorations and oversized sombreros. Pathetic or not, you have to appreciate a place that wears its tackiness on its poncho-draped sleeve.

After you’ve ordered your Technicolor margaritas and pitchers of sangria (it’s arguable which is more watered down), you’ll probably want to indulge in some cheap nachos or guacamole (appetizers average a reasonable $4-6) while you ponder the plethora of combination meals, tex-mex favorites, and semi-authentic Mexican cuisine on the menu. The basic beef and chicken burritos, tacos and enchiladas that comprise the combination meals here are the blandest of the menu items, and can be safely ignored. Opt instead for the La Bandera platter (featuring three different enchiladas, with sauces representing the red, green and white of the Mexican flag, $10.25), or the rich and smoky Chicken in Mole Poblano ($10.75), both served with rice and beans. Sizzling fajitas are also a good bet when you want to make everyone else in the restaurant think you’re important, and nothing says fun like food you assemble yourself.

Once the bellies of you and your dinner companions are swollen and content, it’s time to get back to business. Namely, the business of getting drunk on margaritas. If you really want to be economical about it, you’d probably be better off ordering beer, but somehow it would seem like a betrayal not to order a brightly colored drink in a place like this. If you somehow still have room, you’re in luck, because when it comes to desserts, Mexican restaurants know where it’s at. They don’t just serve you a sad little melty bowl of ice cream, they fry it! Through some kind of magical ice cream frying technology! Flan, fried bananas, and other delights will take care of any hunger you might have had left, and around then you’ll start to realize that tequila plus Mexican food equals heartburn. That’s when it’s time to move on.