It was a
rainy Sunday evening and everyone in our household was too lazy to cook dinner.
It’s one of those times when after hearing mass, family time must ensue with a
bloated belly at a dining place that every member of the family knows all too
well.
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| Rack's El Pueblo |
The last
time I ate at Rack’s El Pueblo (the only branch that I’ve been to) was during
the HR Team’s Christmas Party where it was held. I remember that I didn’t get to enjoy the
food or at least eat decently that time as we were all busy and focused on a
number that we had to perform. Seven months later, I found myself sitting on
their gray couch ready to indulge in some lip-smackin’ and sauce drippin’ meaty action.
When we
entered the restaurant, what beckoned upon us was busy dining which I
was surprised about. I surmised that people would rather stay in than go out
due to the heavy downpour but I was proven wrong. While we were standing by the
door, I was expecting for a staff to attend to us and help us find our seats but
no one did. It was not a big deal considering that it was indeed a busy night
and we easily found a vacant table at the first floor anyway. Once we settled in, we knew by default that we had to order a set meal as it was more convenient that way
for us to get a taste of their different offerings at a more affordable price
and reasonable portion. The set meal
that we ordered, Rack’s Ribs and Chicken (Php1,695), consists of half rack beef ribs, half rack classic pork ribs,
half hickory smoked chicken, choice of 2 large side dishes, rice, and a pitcher
of drink. It was good for 6 albeit there were only 3 hungry tummies who were
about to share on it. We asked the waiter to upgrade our drink from a pitcher
of soda to a pitcher of brewed iced tea with an additional charge of Php21. The
side dishes that we chose were Potato Salad and Broccoli and Cheese.
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| Eco-friendly placemat |
While
waiting for our order to be served, I couldn’t help but get distracted of our dining situation. Talking about the lack of privacy which could be
attributed to the low cased divider that separated us from the table beside
ours. I could hear the conversation that the family beside us was discussing
while I was certain that they could also hear ours. It had gotten to a point
that I could no longer understand what my mom was telling us because the old
lady that sat on the other side was talking too loudly. I was also bothered by
the hanging incandescent lamp installed on top of our heads as it was too low
for comfort. I could totally feel the heat on my face.
Had we known that the seats on the second floor didn’t have the same type of
divider and didn’t have an overhead lamp, it could have been a more pleasurable experience for us. Nevertheless, Rack’s still honors its guests with a nice
ambiance while it fosters a homey atmosphere brought about by its South
American-inspired interiors, accented by hues of yellow and white through its walls.
As usual,
our drinks came in first. We ordered a pitcher of brewed iced tea instead of
soda which was originally paired with the meal. If you know me, you would know
that I have a penchant for teas, all kinds at that! I don’t care where it came
from, or what herb or flower it was made of, as long as it’s tea or its
biproduct/s, hot or cold, ooh it’s definitely a no brainer hit for me. Well definitely, the
brewed iced tea from Rack’s didn’t disappoint. It was blended with
honey and a hint of lemon. It’s very refreshing and was not too sweet to the taste.
Even my mom approved of drinking half a
glass (she’s diabetic). It was definitely a perfect accompaniment as a palate cleanser from all the meat to be devoured. I downed about 4 to 5
glasses throughout the meal, I think. It was good but not enough to top the iced teas from French Baker,
Stackers Burger and Shakey’s, which still remain as my top faves.
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| Brewed Honey Lemon Iced Tea |
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| Ribs and Chicken Set Meal, good for 6 |
After the obligatory picture taking for the sake of food pornography,
I initiated to carve through the rack of classic pork ribs to serve myself a piece.
Needless to say, I did NOT have to do this with all my might. Slicing through
it was so easy, charge it to the buttery texture of the ribs which is a mere
indication that it was cooked to perfection. It literally fell off the bone
when I picked up my piece using my fork. I’m not too keen on using my bare
hands when eating ribs. (Read: I’m a lady. I need my utensils). As soon as the
ribs reached my plate, I smothered it with Rack’s signature southern style
barbeque sauce. I personally prefer the original variant because I can’t stand
the heat of its spicy counterpart. The sauce tastes sweet and tangy which
perfectly complements the salty goodness of the meat. I believe that it
elevates the taste of the ribs to a whole ‘nother level. Don’t get me wrong. With
all due respect, Rack’s ribs can stand on their own without the help of any
sauce to pronounce their flavor. It’s just a personal preference that I add the
sauce or better said, a force of habit, like ketchup to fries. Before taking my first bite, I ran
my fork through the meat to expose its shreds. I like to dissect my food so
this isn’t any exception. I placed a good amount of meat onto my spoon with
some rice then landed it into my mouth. My tastebuds were screaming with
nostalgia for it got reacquainted with a very familiar taste. The meat was
tasty, succulent, tender, and amazing as ever. As if it were the same ribs that
I got to enjoy while dining at Rack’s as a kid, preserved and transported to this
age. I took bite after bite of the meat alone, interchanging between the selection
of pork and beef that I barely touched my rice after taking the first bite. At
some point, my craving was finally satisfied.
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| Falls off the bone goodness! |
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| Rack's barbeque sauce.. Can I take you home? |
When I was
about to get full, I noticed that the hickory chicken was being snobbed so I
gave it a try. I cut a piece from the breast part and topped it with the sauce. It was supposedly a surefire combo but the sauce couldn’t disguise the fact
that the chicken was dry. If I was hungrier, it would have been better in my
opinion.
The side
dishes that we ordered on the other hand were a hit. I liked the taste of the
potato salad and the broccoli with cheese. The former was made of boiled baby
potatoes dressed in a honey mustard sauce. The taste of the dressing was mild
but it wasn’t bland at all. Minced onions, relish and dill were thrown in the
mix and was offset with cream or mayonnaise to ensure that the flavor was not
overpowering, therefore, highlighting the taste of the potatoes. The
latter was more of an in your face, what you see is what you get type of dish
that works. I really like the beauty and simplicity of steamed broccoli
drizzled with what seemed to be thinned down Cheez Whiz. It wasn’t as appetizing
at a glance because of its green veggy-like appearance but it
has been hailed as a new family favorite and we ought to recreate it at home.
It helps that we had our serving of vegetables as it somehow balanced our diet
in lieu of the RDA requirement.
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| Potato Salad |
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| Broccoli with Cheese |
Looking at
how Rack’s has evolved and what it is now, I have to say that
interior-wise, it’s very different from
the immaculate white walls and green
leather chairs it employed back then. It’s endearing to note that although
certain facets of the restaurant had to be updated in order to keep up with the
current trends, they were able to retain the vibe of what Rack’s was known for
and garnered patrons for: the taste and quality of their good ol’ South
American food and the its charm for casual family dining. The latter was very
evident when I got the chance to survey the restaurant wherein I found that
almost every table was occupied by a crowd with no less than 3 people.
As for the
price point, Rack’s ain’t cheap, honey. The bill cost my mom roughly Php2,000
to feed three heads. It was faulty that we ordered more than what we could
consume but at least the leftovers should cover our meal for the following day.
After all, I had no mention of any major gripes about their food. When dining
at restaurants such as this, paying more should be expected as value for money
should be expected as well. The food that we shared was great. Hands down, it
was tasty and delicious. Moreso, it brought memories of what we used to enjoy
way back when Rack’s was first introduced to us years ago. Those are some of
the things that you can’t just put a price on.
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| All smiles from us! |
Overall, I
was a happy camper out of what Rack’s was able to serve me and my family. I may
not be going back anytime soon, but definitely, It’s worth going back to for
numerous occasions in the future.
Rack's El Pueblo
ADB Ave, Ugong, Pasig City
636-7468
Stay Happy,
Khaye :)
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