When walking into the doors of Celinda’s Mexican restaurant, located to the right of Aventura Drive in Rancho Santa Margarita, customers are immediately welcomed with warm smiles and greetings from the staff.

Celinda’s is best known for their breakfast burritos, although that does not limit the selection provided. Normally when I go to traditional Mexican restaurants the guacamole is too liquidy and has very little flavor alongside hard, stale chips. However, the chips and guacamole are filled with a lot of flavor due to ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, and cilantro.

One of my personal favorites are the Chimichangas. You have a choice of putting chicken, beef, pork, beans, rice, and anything else that you can think of on the chimichanga. That goes for all of the other items on the menu as well, from their burritos, tacos, and fajitas to their quesadillas, and taquitos.

Another one of favorites there are the cinnamon and sugar chips. For a large bag, $5  is a great deal and is completely worth it. The chips are light and airy and have an equal amount of cinnamon and sugar on it.

After ordering the food, you are given a number and can choose to sit anywhere that is available in the restaurant. The wait can be anywhere from five to ten minutes, once your food is ready, they call your number and you just get up to grab your food.

For the quality of food served, pricing is more than reasonable and ranges anywhere from $5-10. Additionally, service is quick and the friendly staff leaves a lasting impression.

The walls in the restaurant are covered in bright and colorful paintings that can make one feel like they are in Mexico.  Despite the unique, eye-catching color palette the restaurant still maintains a simplistic flair. The atmosphere is what keeps customers coming.

The family-owned restaurant, that has been in business for over 20 years, is now one of my favorites and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to have a tasty burrito. What makes this place different than any other Mexican restaurant is that they provide a family friendly environment and are always welcoming to anyone walking in. If you ever have a craving for some true, authentic Mexican food or are ever in the local area of Rancho Santa Margarita, then consider stopping by to Celinda’s to grab a bite to eat.