Between live oaks and picnic benches, Mi Ranchito sits on approximately two acres of land in South Austin. The family-owned and operated restaurant serves Mexican dishes, drinks and desserts.

Staying local

The Mi Ranchito team has been serving tacos and tamales in South Menchaca since 2004. Before opening the brick-and-mortar location, owners Celio and Leticia Najera operated a food truck of the same name just a few blocks away from their current location.

The new restaurant opened in November 2024, and is owned by Celio, Leticia and their daughter Erika.

What’s on the menu


The menu at Mi Ranchito features a range of hand-crafted dishes, from tacos, tamales and enchiladas to soups and salads. In addition to the expansive list of savory entrees, Mi Ranchito also offers specialty espresso drinks, aguas frescas and paletas, which are frozen treats made with fresh fruit.

What’s special about it

Leticia crafted the menu to consist of Southern Mexican dishes. Inspiration for the dishes came from her mother and grandmother, but Leticia has tweaked them to make them her own.

“There’s no measuring involved,” Erika said. “It’s all with the heart.”


Leticia is always striving to improve her recipes, even down to the ingredients. She often tries different chiles or butchers to ensure that her food tastes even better than before.

What they’re saying

The Najera family has been serving South Austin for over 20 years, and they strive to make people feel like family when they’re at Mi Ranchito, being welcomed by a doting grandma.

“We’re hoping [that] everyone that comes here feels that,” Leticia said. “The little memory of Mexico, here.”


“Sometimes I feel like I want to cry when I [see] all the people,” Celio said. “So that gives me more energy.”

What’s next

The team is working on an expansion of their building, where they plan to sell Mexican snacks and paletas.