By Malena Gordon, “Side Dish” Dining Columnist
Avila’s El Ranchito on the Newport Beach peninsula turns 50 this month! The restaurant is celebrating its 50th anniversary with special merchandise, its famous $5 All You Can Eat Taco Tuesdays, a $2 matchable donation to Miracles for Kids, and a showcase of the location’s history.
Sergio Avila, son of Salvador and Margarita Avila who opened the first Avila’s in Huntington Park in 1966, opened El Ranchito Newport Beach on April 2, 1975. He went from attracting fishermen who worked late nights to now attracting locals and visitors alike.
Sergio created the iconic $5 All You Can Eat Taco Tuesdays in the 1990s, putting the Newport Beach location on the map and bringing in college kids and young adults until the Taco Tuesday was discontinued in 2015.
Co-owner and daughter of Sergio, Maribel Avila Ley, is bringing back this famous Taco Tuesday special for only two days in light of the anniversary: Tuesday, April 22 and Tuesday, April 29 from 5 to 10 p.m.
Through April 30, Avila’s is donating $2 from every margarita sold to the charity Miracles for Kids. Celeya tequila has graciously offered to match Avila’s $2 donation for a total of $4 per margarita sold.
The special Avila’s Miracle Margarita, or raspberry margarita, is made with Celeya Blanco, muddled raspberries, lime juice, and agave—perfect for the celebration.
Fellow NB Indy food writer, Chris Trela, and I were invited to Avila’s to try their margaritas and cuisine. We sampled four of their most popular tequila concoctions: The El Jefe Cadillac, watermelon margarita, cucumber margarita and raspberry margarita—all tasty, but my favorite was a spicy margarita with a tajin rim. I’m usually not someone who can handle spice but I’d reorder another round in a heartbeat!
To wash my spicy marg down, I first chose the newest addition to the menu—the surf and turf taco with chopped carne asada steak and shrimp tossed in a garlic butter sauce. It was a delectable combination but don’t tell Momma Avila that cheese touched the shrimp!
Their famous Momma Avila’s soup is a homemade remedy with fresh chicken broth, chunks of chicken breast and rice, garnished with avocado, tomato, cilantro and lime. It’s a cure for any ailment—at least that’s the rumor.
The happy hour menu spreads joy, especially on Wednesdays, with sizzling fajitas for $22 (normally $27). I couldn’t get enough steak, onions, and peppers, so I had to take a full box home with me.
“On Wednesdays we also have $10 glasses of wine and no corkage fee, so bring in your own bottle of wine and it’s a perfect combination with the sizzling fajitas entrée,” says Maribel.
Their happy hour menu offerings are Monday – Friday 3-6 p.m.
“We want to be affordable so everyone can come once a week and enjoy,” Maribel shares.
For everything celebration plus menus, check out their website at https://avilaselranchito.com/.
