Best Mexican Food: Mi Rancho

Restaurants are known for serving customers, but as far as Aida Gregory is concerned, Yuma's two Mi Rancho restaurants serve family.

Well, OK, not everyone who walks in the door is related to the owners and employees. But the restaurants treat them like they are, says Gregory, manager of the restaurant at 2710 S. 4th Ave.

And that's part of the reason for the restaurants' success, she says.

Gregory's restaurant and the Mi Rancho at 188 S. 4th Ave. scored two first-place honors for 2010 in Yuma's Best, the Yuma Sun's annual poll of readers' preferred businesses, services and entertainment venues. They won in the categories of Best Mexican Food and Best Menudo.

The restaurant at 188 S. 4th Ave. is the original of the two, having opened about 20 years ago, Gregory said, while the second marked its 15th birthday in October.

And many of the customers have been with the restaurants since the beginning, she said. “A lot of them have told me they feel like they're at home because we treat them like family.”

The restaurants offers a varied menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week, Gregory said.

Among hers and customers' favorites are various combination plates, a beef soup known as caldo de res, carne asada, an al pastor dish. And, of course, the menu includes the restaurants' No. 1-rated menudo, a traditional Mexican soup made from tripe and hominy and, depending on the customer's preference, with or without red chile.

Asked what makes the menudo so popular, she said: “They make it fresh daily. The cook has been here a long time, and he has a good recipe.”

While many people like menudo for breakfast, Gregory said the restaurants offer it throughout the day.

Hours for the restaurant at 2701 S. 4th Ave. are 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sundays.

Hours at the other restaurant are 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.