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With little fuss or fanfare, Mi Ranchito Mexican Food opened their doors late last year, and began serving great Mexican cuisine to the Colfax, CA locals, and the many tourists, who pass through town on the Interstate, or riding the train, thanks to Amtrak. As with all restaurant reviews I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: Mi Rancheito Mexican Food is located in historic downtown Colfax, CA, in a gold rush-era building. The restaurant opens at 11:00 daily, Tuesday through Sunday, and serves mainstream Mexican cuisine. It's 11:30 in the morning on Friday, April 14, 2023, and I've arrived at Mi Ranchito to enjoy lunch, which later turned out to be brunch...
Photo: Colfax began as a railroad town, and is located on Union Pacific Railroad's famous crossing of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, over Donner Pass. There is a lot of railroad activity 24/7/365 which brings many railfans to Colfax from all over the world. Colfax is also a stop for Amtrak, should you prefer to travel by passenger train. Mi Ranchito Mexican Restaurant faces the railroad tracks - you can watch mainline railroad action as you enjoy your meal - and is less than a block from the Amtrak station, so if you're a railfan, and you love Mexican cuisine, Mi Ranchito is your perfect restaurant. Click on the image to see all of the railfanning action I enjoyed today, before enjoying "brunch" at Mi Ranchito Mexican Restaurant.
Photo: The restaurant features a simple dining room, which is very clean, modern and spacious. Decor is very subdued, but it is attractive and tasteful. As you enter the restaurant, you'll notice the order counter, and the well-stocked all-you-can-eat chips and salsa bar to the left. As of this writing, no beer or wine was served, as the restaurant is still fairly new, and they're in the process of obtaining their license to serve alcohol in Placer County. I was slightly disappointed as the advertised opening of the restaurant is 11:00, but when I arrived "on the dot," the door was shuttered and the lights weren't on. Perhaps there were staffing issues? Anyway, by 11:30, the restaurant was open, and I was ordering my brunch.
Photo: The menu is posted at the order counter, and offers a good, basic selection of Mexican favorites. There were provisions for printed take-out menus, but none were around during my visit. Mi Ranchito Mexican Food works on what I refer to as the "taqueria format" in that you choose your selection from the menu, pay for it, and in return, you'll receive a receipt. You then sit at a table of your choice and when your order is ready, it will be brought to your table by one of the staff.
Photo: The salsa bar offers a modest array of condiments, all fresh, and made in-house. The salsa bar receives great attention from the staff.
Photo: I loved this humorous sign, as it's so true!
Photo: At the order counter, you can get a peek into the kitchen and check out the specials, listed on an "old school" blackboard.
Photo: The modest chips and salsa bar offers fresh chips from the kitchen, and a few varieties of salsa, along with sliced lime wedges.
Photo: After I placed my order, I made a trip to the chip and salsa bar and came back with a small basket of chips and two small cups of salsa. The chips and salsa were fresh, as they were made in-house. I thought my chips and salsa looked great next to my table setting, including the quintessential-for-California Tapatio hot sauce.
Photo: My hostess, who was also running the order counter, seemed sort of surprised when she brought my order to my table.
Photo: I'm a happy guy, as I pose with my "brunch" of Chorizo and eggs, with chips and salsa, and a great view of Main Street, in Colfax, next to my window.
Photo: From the "Breakfast Menu," I went with "Eggs with Chorizo," as listed on the menu. Breakfast choices are offered any time the restaurant is open. The highlight of my "brunch..." shall I say - it was 11:30 - was the chorizo and eggs. My plate included a generous portion of Mexican chorizo sausage, perfectly grilled and mixed with a couple of scrambled eggs. If I had a hangover - I didn't - this would have been the perfect cure, as it was truly a mixture of breakfast and lunch, and offered the best of both worlds. My entree included a side of Mexican rice, refried beans, a small salad of shredded lettuce, tomato and diced white onion, along with a side of three nicely warmed corn tortillas. The rice was great, but pretty "standard fare," but they provided for a great side. The refried beans enjoyed a bit more flair, as they had good body to them, and they were topped with shredded cheese, perfectly melted. The beans and rice truly made a great side to the chorizo and eggs. The salad was fresh, and the tortillas were moist, warm and delicious. The corn tortillas made easy to scoop up everything from my plate, which I'm sure the staff member who washed my plate appreciated. Colfax has not exactly been kind to Mexican restaurants over the years, as previous Mexican restaurants have not seen to be able to stand "the test..." so I tip my sombrero to Mi Ranchito Mexican Food and I wish them buena suerte, as they are certainly a positive asset to downtown Colfax. Anyway you look at it, Mi Ranchito Mexican Food serves solid, great, mainstream Mexican cuisine, and offers something on the menu for every taste. When you're visiting Colfax for railfanning, sightseeing or simply to enjoy the small town atmosphere, stop by Mi Ranchito Mexican Food, located in the heart of downtown Colfax. Mi Ranchito Mexican food Copyright(c) 2023 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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