Miguel’s Jr. is Now Serving Huntington Beach
Written By: Sarah J. Hemadi
At the age of 30, Mary Vasquez’s life forever changed. Working as a carpenter at the time, her husband decided to take over a Mexican restaurant from a struggling owner who couldn’t keep the business. Her husband decided that Mary would manage and oversee the restaurant and that the menu would feature her delectable homemade dishes. Initially, Mary hesitated to step into this role. She was a stay-at-home mom with three small children.
“When my husband told me his idea, I laughed. I don’t even speak English,” Mary said.
And well, the rest is history. Miguel’s Jr. began in Corona and has developed a cult following. The popular casual Mexican restaurant has opened its 17th location in Huntington Beach. I was invited to attend their soft opening, and from the moment I walked up to the restaurant, I was enchanted. The beautiful mural featuring the Newland House, an iconic Huntington Beach landmark, nestled against a work field with ripe, lush tomatoes mounted outside of the restaurant evokes a sense of a family with rich history. The bright blue walls on the inside reflect Mary’s cheerful disposition and the joy of the Vasquez family. Each member in Mary’s family has taken a role in ensuring the continued success of the family business. Mary has four children, and they each strive every day to uphold Miguel’s Jr. core values—hospitality, integrity and serving the freshest, best tasting Californian Mexican food. You know what they say, families that work together stay together.
“All of my children went to college, and I had no idea that they would come back and work for me. My son Javier is the CEO, and he is so adventurous and such a perfectionist,” Mary said.
One of Javier’s ideas was to add his mother’s homemade horchata and lemonade to the menu. At Mary’s suggestion, I sampled the California Chile Burrito. This burrito is made with a generous sized Anaheim chile stuffed with cheese in grilled egg batter, paired with refried beans, Spanish rice and cheddar cheese. Conveniently located next to the soda machine is the hot sauce bar where I helped myself to some of Mary’s famous hot sauce. To help take some of the edge off the spiciness, Mary offered me her horchata. The subtle notes of cinnamon in this creamy drink were refreshing and perfectly complemented the burrito.
For those wanting to shy away from super-spicy foods, the extensive menu offers a wide variety of entrees to choose from. And for those looking for a smaller entree, the taquitos I tried came three to an order and were perfectly crisp. Covered with creamy guacamole, and topped off with cheddar cheese, the taquitos would also be a great choice for an appetizer. On my next trip in, I am planning on trying Miguel’s Jr. Nachos, which are huge and smothered in Española sauce. The only problem I was facing was deciding what to try next, which is a great problem to have. Decisions, decisions.
The grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for Miguel’s Jr. is Sept. 6 at 10:30 a.m. Guests who attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony will enjoy a complimentary lunch.
Miguel’s Jr.
19620 Beach Blvd
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
714.888.2255
We Found Your Favorite Burrito and It’s At Miguel’s Jr. in Huntington Beach
