MI RANCHITO VERACRUZ
OFFERING A BOLD BEVY RANGE OF SPICES & FLAVORS

The Mexican cuisine of Veracruz is characterized by indigenous, Spanish and Afro-Cuban influences. While the region stretches over most the country’s coast on the Gulf of Mexico, it’s cuisine’s main ingredients often include native vanilla, corn and seafood, along with rice, spices and tubers.

Locally, L.A. foodies can enjoy authentic Veracruz fare at Mi Ranchito Veracruz—with locations in North Hollywood and Hollywood. The mantra at Mi Ranchito Veracruz is simple: Make every meal an interesting experience.

During our recent visit to the Hollywood location at the corner of Melrose and Western Avenue, we thoroughly enjoyed heavenly and hearty eats. The setting here is simple. It’s very homey and lots of people order takeout and delivery (FYI, sometimes online orders can include BOGO). There’s no booze for sale so enjoy some agua fresca (such as watermelon water or horchata) or take out and enjoy with cocktails and libations at home.

A house specialty here and a must-try are the empanadas—flown in from Veracruz. Options include chicken, shrimp, cochinita pibil (pulled pork) and birria (braised beef). The chicken empanada came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. The shrimp was also an excellent choice.

The Mole Chilaquiles with Carne Asada sounded too good to pass up. Prepared with half a pound of marinated steak, mole chilaquiles, eggs (scrambled or fried), black bean, cream, Mexican cheese, onions and cilantro, I was surprised how hearty this dish was.  Usually, chilaquiles are basically eggs and chips but his monster of a plate was practically all steak. I thought they gave me the wrong order at first but underneath the carne asada and eggs were chips and magical mole. Adding mole was a unique touch—truth be told, I can never get enough of mole. Consider this a solid option.

The tacos here are also a good way to go. Orders come with four tacos. We opted for the grilled fish tacos and the roasted pull pork tacos. Both were fantastic. These are perfect for sharing.

If you save room for dessert, opt for the Homemade Churros. You’ll be thinking #churros when you see the cool churro presentation. Other decadent options include plantains, Flan Napolitano as well as Chocolate Flan AKA Chocoflan—rich and creamy custard with a fusion of chocolate cake, which sounds absolutely delicious.

At Mi Ranchito Veracruz, the menu is so extensive and there are endless options to indulge in authentic Veracruz fare. Here, the prices are right, the food is fantastic and the experience is excellent.

Mi Ranchito Veracruz is located at 5200 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood and 13363 Saticoy Street in North Hollywo

Story and Photography By: Jose Martinez