Los Rancheros, 2350A Sycamore Rd., offers a nice place for students to enjoy Mexican cuisine on a typical college budget.

Atmosphere:

The restaurant is warm and cozy with nicely decorated walls and big booths to hunker down in for a nice private dinner. The dim lighting and nice setting make it the perfect place for a date, but it’s also a great place to take friends since the booths are so spacious.

Service:

The servers are polite and quick, but don’t hang around to nag. They will come by once to make sure you are OK and quietly check to make sure your drinks are refilled, but the wait staff is not overbearing and doesn’t intrude like in some other restaurants.

Food:

The food is delicious and much more authentic than your Taco Bell or Chipotle, but still fitting to the American taste buds. The salsa and chips given with the menus are great, but for an added treat, ask for the cheese sauce. It’s a delicious white cheese sauce that is great on the chips and even drizzled on your food when you get it. You have to pay a little extra for it, but it’s well worth it.

There are all sorts of different meals to choose from, depending on how hungry you are, but a meal is usually too much for my small stomach. I instead like to choose an entrée and pick a small side. It’s lighter on the tummy and the wallet. The grilled chicken quesedillas are my own personal favorite; it’s tough to go wrong here.

Price:

A meal for two is generally around $20 and is more than filling. They do take Huskie Bucks, which is an added bonus, but also take credit or debit.

Overall:

Los Rancheros is a great, underrated place to eat in DeKalb with a fun atmosphere. It’s especially perfect when you are starving, because the chips on the table can hold you over until the main course, which is certainly well worth the wait. Los Rancheros should definitely be on the list for your next date night dinner.