Jennifer Beeler

If you’re tired of the typical Mexican cuisine you find at the Mi Pueblos and La Carrettas of Winston, you’re in luck. Rana Loca, on Fourth Street, offers refreshing, classic Pan-Latin cuisine. Judging by the outside of the restaurant, it looks like a simple diner with the stainless steel of the kitchen visible through the window and the chefs bustling around. When you look beyond the exterior, the menu reveals meals full of flavor and exotic ingredient combinations.

For an appetizer we all enjoyed the Vegetable Empanadas. They were stuffed with an assortment of veggies and goat cheese and were served with a spicy ranch sauce and pico de gallo. After this delicious beginning to our meal, we knew our entrees would be equally good.

I decided on the Burrito Special of the day with chicken, chorizo, lettuce, pico de gallo and spicy ranch on a bed of Spanish rice and queso. Unlike the burritos elsewhere, each flavor was distinguishable, and the burrito itself was grilled adding a crunchy texture. One of my friends ordered the Black Bean Soup and Stuffed Peppers for dinner, while the other ordered Tortilla Soup and fried Mahi-Mahi Tacos served with chayote cole slaw and other delicious toppings.

The drink menu features many Latin cocktails, such as mojitos, margaritas and sangria, plenty of beer on tap such as Dos Equis Amber and Lager, and an extensive wine menu featuring Spanish, Portuguese and South American wines.

Along with dinner, Rana Loca also serves lunch, with a variety of sandwiches to choose from, and a Sunday brunch that includes eggs benedict with chorizo along with more typical breakfast cuisine.

After getting situated at our table, the lackluster ambiance became apparent. Despite the open kitchen and bar, you get the feeling like you’re in an upscale food court. The restaurant is situated in the interior, common area of an office building next to an art gallery that opens, almost, into the seating area. During the summer, the tables on the sidewalk are your best option.

Maybe it was the flickering light above our table that turned us off to the interior, but I will surely revisit Rana Loca whether or not the weather is conducive to outdoor seating. Plantain crusted Mahi-Mahi and Cubano sandwiches on the menu will always outweigh the unexciting ambiance.