Meet New Friends at Mi Rancho

Have fun at the Mexican restaurant that has karaoke, drinks and good food. Visit Mi Rancho for the great atmo­sphere that keeps people coming back for more.

Teodosio Estrada and Melissa Ruiz, co-owners of the 10 Mi Rancho Mexican restaurants, started out with a rough beginning. Estrada began his journey to Augusta from a small town in Guerrero, Mexico. He grew up as the eldest of five siblings, with parents who were struggling finan­cially. Estrada's mother pushed all her children to finish high school and he worked hard to help his parents make ends meet. Living off of mostly corn that his father grew every year, Estrada finished high school. After he graduated, Estrada decided to make a better life for himself and moved in with his cousin in San Diego. He made his way to Sumter, and Estrada received his first job wash­ing dishes at a Mexican restaurant. Once that restaurant closed, he became a cook for Pablo's Mexican Restaurant in Beaufort, S.C., which was where he met Ruiz. Later, he was transferred to an Augusta location.

Estrada worked his way from the bottom to the top and learned the ins and outs of running a Mexican res­taurant.

"It was Teo's dream and I was just the best friend to make it happen," Ruiz explained.

For eight years, Estrada saved money and in 1996, they opened the first Mi Rancho Mexican Restaurant in Clearwater, S.C.

Everyday was a struggle for about a year, living with five people in a house and walking to work. All the money went into the restaurant and they couldn't even pay themselves. The two owners made a great team, however. Estrada was the cook and did ev­erything in the back, while Ruiz was the waitress and did everything in the front. After a year, the restaurant began to see progress. Nine other locations have opened over the years since then.

"When we opened, I was 21 years old and very ambi­tious, but I never dreamed that 17 years later we would have 10 different locations," Ruiz said. "We are very blessed to have faithful employees and customers. Without them, I don't think we would be where we are at, now."

Ruiz has been in the food industry for 23 years. Starting out as a waitress she is now part owner of one of the big­gest local Mexican restaurant chains in the area.

The menu at Mi Rancho has a diverse selection of dishes. They have some authentic Mexican cuisine, and then they have pork chops, steaks and seafood. They also cater to vegetarians.
When the first restaurant opened in Clearwater, all the recipes were originals of Estrada and Ruiz. Now the reci­pes for the menu have come from the two owners and the managers of all the locations.

"It's a group effort," Ruiz explained about the recipes that are cooked and served at the establishments.

The specialty items on the menu are the cheese dip, Fajitas Mi Rancho, Burrito Mi Rancho, Burrito Macho, Carne Azada and, of course, the margaritas.

Ruiz's favorite items on the menu are the Tacos de Carnitas and the Pollo Sante Fe. The atmosphere at the locations varies.

more family friendly atmosphere. Others, such as the one in downtown Augusta, have more of a party atmosphere because of the karaoke nights. The karaoke times vary from location to location, so call a Mi Rancho in your area for more information.

"We've never picked locations by traffic," Ruiz said. "We pick locations by the need of food locations. For example, we just opened the Wagener location. There's not much traffic, but it's an amazing location." The Mi Rancho that just opened in Wagener, S.C. is the only restaurant in town like it.

Come into any location of Mi Rancho and be greeted by the wonderful staff members. According to Ruiz, they have the best service at their restaurants. They treat cus­tomers like friends.
"I have some of the best employees," Ruiz raved. "I couldn't ask for more dedicated employees."

According to Ruiz, their Mexican restaurant locations stay busy. She never gets a day off. People love the food and, Ruiz claims, that the restaurant has the best Mexican food and Margaritas in town.

The owners want to see Mi Rancho get better everyday and give their best for the customers that come in. The bar is set high and it shows in the success of the restaurant.
"Thanks to all the customers who support us," Ruiz said.

Come by any of the 10 locations and enjoy the great atmosphere, friendly service, good food and margaritas. Open hours vary from location to location.