Rango Restaurant

Had the Taco de Carne Asada, two perfectly sized soft tacos with a really flavor full Asada beef filling. Very clean inside and a great little patio to sit outside.

Rango is a Mexican and Italian restaurant that opened 34 days ago according to what the owner, Andrea, told me yesterday. That equates to June 16, 2013. Rango replaces GBLT nightclub Le Buzz. It’s located inside Marietta’s Nazareth Plaza (same shopping center as Tasty China and Jerusalem Bakery) near the intersection of South Marietta Parkway (South 120 Loop) and Franklin Road, right off I-​75.
The space has been completely renovated and everything inside, from the furniture to the silverware, is brand new. At this early stage, the restaurant is rather bare and has an open floorplan. The atmosphere is casual and reminds me of a taqueria like Tacos La Villa on Cobb Parkway, except nicer and more spacious. Flatscreen TVs are mounted to the walls and there’s a covered patio.
The restaurant scored a perfect 100 on its latest health inspection.
There’s a Mexican menu and an Italian menu. The Mexican menu has a dozen items which include tacos, fajitas, steaks, meatballs, tortas (Mexican sandwiches), chicken wings, and soup (caldo de res — Mexican beef soup). The Italian menu consists of salads and pastas. The pasta is customizable a la Figo or Little Azio. Pasta choices include fettuccine, fusilli, penne, farfalle, and spaghetti. Sauce choices include Alfredo, Bologna, tomato, and Rango. You can add various (mostly veggie) toppings to the pasta. Flan and lemon pie are the desserts.
Prices are reasonable and affordable. There’s only one menu, so prices are the same for both lunch and dinner. Examples include carne asada steak for $ 9.49, picanha steak (rump steak) for $ 7.95, tortas for $ 6.25 each, and pastas for $ 8.99 each. The most expensive items are the fajitas ($ 12.99-$ 13.49). The restaurant also runs specials, which you can view on their specials board outside or learn from the staff. Yesterday’s special was a plate of meatballs, yellow rice, red beans, and side salad for $ 5.99.
I visited for lunch and ordered three tacos at $ 1.99 each. I thought $ 1.99 for one taco was slightly overpriced when compared to other authentic taquerias around town (e.g. El Taco Veloz, El Rey, Taco T). However, when the taco plate hit my table, I realized I should’ve ordered two tacos instead of three. The tacos were massive. Each taco came with a double-​layer soft corn tortilla wrap. The portions of ingredients (meat, cilantro, onion, cheese) were very generous. Two tacos was plenty to fill me up, so I had to muscle down the third.
Overall, the quality of the tacos was good. The meat and toppings were fresh. The meats were seasoned well and were tender and flavorful. I had the al pastor taco (red pork) and carne asada taco (steak). I liked the carne asada a bit better than the al pastor, but I don’t think you can really go wrong with either one. To my disappointment, the only taco options available are the two aforementioned. Adding cheese and/​or pineapple to tacos is $ 0.40 extra per taco.
The tacos were arranged on a plate and served on a tray that was brought to our table. The tray came with bottles of A1 steak sauce and tabasco sauce. Unfortunately, there is no salsa bar. However, you can request a complimentary batch of Rango’s homemade salsa. It’s decent and reminds me of the runnier salsas you can find at La Fonda and Los Bravos.
My tablemates ordered the meatball special and the picanha steak. They both looked pretty good. I tried some of the meatball and it was hearty and savory. I wouldn’t mind ordering it next time. The picanha steak looked glistening and mouth-​watering.
When I first stepped inside the restaurant, I noticed a strong fried tortilla smell. As the lady in the kitchen was cooking our meals, I noticed the smoke from the kitchen quickly permeating into the dining area, strengthening the smell. By the time we left, we all smelled like fried corn tortillas. I’ve experienced the same from other taquerias as well. It’s like leaving a Korean BBQ restaurant smelling like fried pork belly and beef brisket. Hopefully, the ventilation will be improved.
I like Rango enough to come back. I look forward to trying the restaurant’s other items, especially the tortas.

Rango Restaurant is a new Latin-​American/​Italian restaurant next to Jerusalem Bakery. seemed odd they had both Latin American food and Italian food. Maybe they should focus on one type of cuisine.
Their Latin menu consists of tacos, tortas, and some other dishes like carne asada, meatballs, and picanha.
I tried the picanha. It came with salad, rice, and fries on the side. The top sirloin was cooked to about medium well and tasted good. It had the right amount of spices. It was also tender and juicy. I liked my steak.
The white rice it came with was the typical rice you get at Brazilian restaurants where it was flavorful. So I liked it. The salad was just a salad. The fries were regular fries.
I had a taste of the meatballs. It had an interesting flavor. I thought the gravy it came with tasted good.
Overall, I enjoyed my lunch here. It’s a good place to go for more authentic Latin experience. They even serve their tacos al pastor with pineapple. The pineapples do cost extra though.