El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant

The Avila family opened the first El Ranchito restaurant in nearby Huntington Beach more than 40 years ago. Today it has 14 locations around Southern California including this Newport Beach outpost on the beautiful Balboa Peninsula. It's still owned and operated by the Avila family, who offer authentic Mexican cuisine in a casual, fun environment. This restaurant is next to the pier that docks expensive yachts and sailboats; on the other side are the pristine sandy beaches of Newport Beach. The recipes used to create such signature items as moles and salsa are from Mama Avila, which were handed down from her mother and generations of family. The restaurant also does catering for parties on the yachts, at the beach house or for the corporate cafeteria.