Authentic Experience: Avila’s El Ranchito

By OCinSite At-Large | May 03, 2011 1:29 PM

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By Steve Zepezauer | Photos by Jody Tiongco | Laguna Beach Magazine, May 2011

Chips and salsa. Two simple, yet multifarious foods that can often set the stage for what’s to come. A sub-par offering here can easily lead to a mediocre succession of tacos, enchiladas, rice, beans, et cetera. In the case Avila’s El Ranchito Laguna Beach, however, chips and salsa is a sublime experience and a clear indication that this is the significant beginning of a tasty meal.

Michael Avila, who opened the restaurant on the corner of South Coast Highway and Cress Street in 2006, is third-generation Avila in the restaurant business. His family tree owns and operates 11 Avila’s El Ranchito restaurants in Los Angeles and Orange County. It began in 1966 when his grandparents opened the first El Ranchito in Huntington Park with a $2,000 investment. With grandma’s recipes, which had been passed down for generations in their hometown of Guanajuato, Mexico—and a ton of passion and commitment—the Avilas now have 11 successful locations.

But Avila’s is not a chain. In fact, the mere mention of the term evokes a cringe. Each restaurant is individually owned and operated.

Owner Michael Avila with this wife Christine, and their two sons. | Avila’s al fresco.

“Each restaurant is run for the community it’s in,” Michael says. “Laguna Beach is different from San Clemente, which is different from Newport Beach, et cetera. It’s about the locals and growing up with them.”

That’s the attitude that has brought success to the Avilas. The restaurants are centered around food and family. As Michael says, “We know who we are.”

The staff is very loyal and friendly, as they too are made to feel a part of the Avila family. They almost make you feel like a long-lost cousin as you walk in the door.

The food is consistently fresh and authentic, staying true to tradition. The guacamole fresco comes in a huge bowl and consists of full of chunks of avocado, tomatoes and onions, with a nice hint of garlic and lime. Definitely not your typical gringo guac. Mama Avila’s soup is another primo dish and El Ranchito favorite. This large bowl of chicken breast and rice soup is made with the same care and passion mama Avila did for her own children. It’s served with warm tortillas and is a meal in itself.

Shrimp al Mojo de Ajo. | Authentic fare.

If you like shrimp, you can’t go wrong with the shrimp al mojo de ajo. This beautiful dish features large Mazatlan shrimp sautéed in Avila’s special garlic butter sauce. There are a number of specialty burritos featured, including the fresco burrito. For a lighter version, opt for the mahi-mahi. The combination of lettuce, salsa fresca, rice, guacamole, cheese and cilantro-lime dressing is flavorful and satisfying.

Avila’s also offers a host of traditional favorites and a kid’s menu. And if you haven’t already, get in on a local’s secret: Taco Tuesday. This is a great, inexpensive treat. There’s also a full bar featuring many Mexican beers and tequila Corralejo, an exceptional tequila produced in the Avila’s hometown of Guanajuato, Mexico.

Aside from indoor seating, complete with an ocean view, Avila’s El Ranchito Laguna Beach offers ample outdoor seating. The patio is the perfect place to people-watch over lunch or, when the sun sets, gather ’round the fire pit with friends for drinks and some of that tasty fresh salsa.

Avila’s El Ranchito, 1305 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-376-7040; avilaselranchito.com
Hours:
Monday – Friday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Satruday, 10 a.m.  – 10 p.m.
Price:
$9 - $19 (entrees)

Other favorites: Appetizer: Make your own tacos with the Botana Appetizer Platter. Choose between carnitas, shrimp or lobster. Served with sliced avocados, fresh tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, pico and lemon slices, and warm torillias; Breakfast: All breakfast items are served all day and all night. Try the very traditional huevos rancheros: two eggs over easy, smothered in salsa ranchera and melted cheese.