The Orange County restaurant world lost one of its pioneering finest this week with the death of Margarita Avila, matriarch of the Avila’s El Ranchito family-owned chain whose beloved Mexican food recipes helped make the restaurant group a regional success…
*Margarita Avila, the 93-year-old matriarch behind the empire
Margarita and Salvador Avila opened their first restaurant in Huntington Park in 1966. For more than 50 years, Margarita and Salvador Avila’s El Ranchito restaurants have been a go-to in Orange County for combo plates and margaritas. Regulars will definitely…
At 50, Avila’s El Ranchito is still all about family
When patrons of Avila’s El Ranchito sit down to eat, they’re handed a menu bearing a picture of Margarita “Mamá” Avila. The matriarch of the Mexican food restaurant group is standing by stacks of plates. Her face beams. The photograph suggests…
Avila’s Corona del Mar celebrates 50 years of El Ranchito
The Corona del Mar location of Avila’s El Ranchito celebrated the Mexican restaurant group’s 50th anniversary with a Summer Fiesta on July 21. The event featured drinks, mariachi music, souvenirs, raffles and, of course, food. The first Avila’s opened in 1966…
OC Metro: Avila’s El Ranchito dishes out strong family traditions
The restaurant business runs in Maribel Avila’s blood. Her first unofficial job at her family’s restaurant, Avila’s El Ranchito, came at age 4, when she handed menus to customers. In high school, she became a hostess. Now the 27-year-old manages…