Tienda El Ranchito

Fairmont City, IL is home to a horse racing track and also at least one Mexican grocery store. In the back of that Mexican grocery store is a great Mexican restaurant named Tienda El Ranchito.

They have chicken wings, on the menu called “Ranchito Chicken Wings”. This is how the menu describes them: “10 Crispy wings mixed in choice of mild or hot sauce” with the disclaimer “CAUTION: Hot is extremely spicy and is our signature sauce at El Ranchito”.

This, obviously, was enough to sell me on them… twice. The first time I had these wings was a couple years ago when my review was on one of its all-too-frequent hiatuses. I remember them being insanely spicy. But I was back there today and I figured it was time to find out and then write a proper review.

The wings were very spicy, but not insanely spicy. Probably on par with a hot buffalo sauce at BWW. They do have more flavor and the wings are better in just about every way. These are very good buffalo wings.

Would I recommend you get them at a Mexican restaurant that serves great Mexican food? Eh, your call. But if you do get them you won’t be disappointed.

Side note: I’ve only ordered wings from one other Mexican restaurant that I can remember, and it was at a place called Cantina in Prague. They were the best meal I ate on that entire European trip, and some of the best wings I’ve ever eaten, period. So if you find yourself in the neighborhood… go for it.