Orem’s Mi Ranchito is a well-oiled machine
Mi Ranchito in Orem is a well-oiled machine with many delicious menu offerings, such as the Grilled Shrimp Quesadilla. See our review of the restaurant at heraldextra.com.
Carne Asada at Mi Ranchito.
The Carnitas Michoacanas at Mi Ranchito feature fried pork chunks served with onions, tomatoes, jalapeños, guacamole and sour cream, with fresh flour tortillas on the side.
Hand-Rolled Fried Ice Cream makes for a delicious dessert at Mi Ranchitos.
Chips, salsa and guacamole are a great way to start off your meal at Mi Ranchitos.
Enchiladas de Mole at Mi Ranchito.
A Burrito Supreme at Mi Ranchito.
Coca-Cola, Agua de Piña and house-made Horchata at Mi Ranchito.
I’ve driven by Mi Ranchito countless times and never paid it much attention. From the outside, the Mexican restaurant in Orem is unassuming. The atmosphere and aesthetics inside, however, are a totally different story. Don’t judge a Mexican restaurant by its cover. (An important life lesson, if you haven’t learned it already.)
The place, packed with patrons, was positively bustling when we visited last Friday afternoon. Surprisingly so — it’s the middle of a workday, people; you’re not clocked in, right? As our visit continued, though, I began to understand Mi Ranchito’s workday draw. The place is a well-oiled machine. They do not waste time.
We started things off with a pitcher of horchata. The classic Mexican beverage, made of rice, milk, vanilla and cinnamon, was admittedly something I’d never drank before. For years I had justified this by asserting that yes, I had consumed many, many bowls of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Gulping down Mi Ranchito’s horchata, though, I realized how foolish I’d been. I don’t know if all horchata is as good as Mi Ranchito’s — my friends assured me it is not — but wow. So smooth and subtly sweet. I need to make up for lost time.
First things first, Mi Ranchito’s food is visually inspiring. The presentation on each plate, divided into perfect thirds with rice and beans on either side, was impeccable. I would’ve Instagrammed it if I wasn’t so hungry.
I’ve become a sucker for mole (as in “mo-lay” Mexican sauce, not the subterranean mammals). Thusly, I ordered the Mole Poblano, a dark mole with with tinges of chocolate and peanut that is both sweet and savory. The menu says it comes with a “generous portion” of tender chicken breast. They weren’t lying. When my plate arrived, it was adorned with two enormous pieces of chicken. This chicken lasted me three rounds of leftovers. The mole was tasty, though I wish there would’ve been more of it. I ran out of sauce long before I ran out of chicken.
We also ordered the Carnitas Michoacanas. These fried pork chunks were served with onions, tomatoes, jalapeños, guacamole and sour cream, along with fresh flour tortillas on the side. This dish can often be pretty dry and greasy. Mi Ranchito’s was far less so. Like the mole and most of everything we ordered, this dish was a hefty one, good for a few meals.
The Beef Chimichanga was one of the most well executed dishes we ordered. Shredded beef, salsa, avocado, cheese and sour cream, all wrapped in a crispy fried flour tortilla, is a Mexican food staple, and Mi Ranchito really nailed it. The Three Beef Enchiladas and Pork Supreme Burrito rounded out our order — these were also appetizing, though not quite as much as the others.
Factoring in how busy Mi Ranchito was that afternoon, our experience was undoubtedly positive. Staff brought us our food way more quickly than we had expected, and as mentioned, the food looked beautiful and was usually top-notch. Mi Ranchito’s menu has more than a hundred different meal options. That’s a ton of variety. The restaurant’s décor — bright, vibrant and tidy — shouldn’t be overlooked either. These folks know what they’re doing, and the lunchtime crowd showed that people keep coming back for more.
MI RANCHITO
Where: 1109 S. State St., Orem
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Prices: Most entrees $8-$14, appetizers $4-$15, desserts $6
Info: (801) 225-9195, miranchitoorem.com