El Rancho De Lalo: Worth crossing the river for.

22 June 2013
It's got no web site, no toilets and only takes cash, but it is packed on a Saturday (closes at 6). So why is this so popular, as you have to really try to squeeze in? Because it seems to be an opportunity to eat good food in the presence of ex-pats who look as if they know what they are doing.
I first came across El Rancho some weeks ago when I was taking pictures in Brixton, and I thought it would be a good idea for a family outing. It does not open on Sunday, so we found a common ground Saturday. After booking, my daughter was told that we should be there promptly, with the caveat that we were expected to move on (we had a table for 6.5), but on the appointed time, our table was there, which was just as well, as it was packed at one pm on a Saturday.
The food is Colombian in style, and there is a good choice on the menu. Some dishes are only served on Saturday, which I guess is their big day.

It is not a pretty place, it is very cramped, cafe like, an tables spill out onto the thoroughfare of Brixton Village market, but they are all like that in the market.

I ordered a starter, but was told that actually we would be better sharing one starter between 4, as the main dishes were big. We had the beef and potato empanada at £1.30 each. These would have been excellent if they had not been cold in the middle (0 on the CHOF scale) although they were hot on the outside. I can only assume they had come out of a refrigerator/freezer, and had not been properly cooked through.

However, in retrospect, because the main courses were so good, I am prepared to get over it, and suggest that anyone who goes there should forget the starters, as the main plates are simply so generous, you don't need a starter.

For main course, three of us had Bandeja Paisa, which we were informed on the menu is a Colombian national dish with grilled beef steak, fried pork belly, Colombian pork sausage with fried egg, ripe plantain and corn bread. And that was exactly true, accompanied by salad rice and beans.

This was hot, mainly freshly cooked, a huge amount and different and tasty and also scored an 8 on the CHOF scale.This plateful was priced at £10. I rated this very highly, and looking at what the other diners were eating, I will definitely be trying to go back there again. It really was something different.Pity it is not in North London, but there appears to be a pocket of Colombian cuisine in Stockwell/Brixton. They have the Colombian and Portuguese, and we have the Greek/Turkish and Persian.