Lunch with Lena: Mi Rancho is a hidden gem in Manchester serving up Dominican flavors

Tucked away in the Manchester Plaza strip mall is a tiny storefront serving up some of the best Dominican cuisine you’ll find in the area.

If you’re just driving by, you wouldn’t even know where to find Mi Rancho, Spanish for "my ranch."

And even when you pull into the shopping plaza, you still might not find it as they don’t have a sign over their door. But rest assured, as I was told, they will soon.

But despite almost getting lost, the bright orange umbrellas and picnic tables guided me to my destination.

I was welcomed by 11-year-old Brian Roque as he wiped down the front door and greeted me in with a smile.

Just a few steps from the door takes you to the counter where you’ll find his mother and co-owner Marlenny Familia. If you look to your right, you’ll see her fiancé, chef, and co-owner Bernardo Dhimes.

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Mi Rancho , a place to 'feel like family'

Mi Rancho was a dream Dhimes had for years, even before immigrating to York in 2019. Here, you can find anything from traditional Dominican dishes to Puerto Rican, Mexican and some American. After trying a handful of dishes, I can confidently say that anything you order here will blow you away.

Dhimes grew up surrounded by the delicious food prepared by his mother, grandmother, aunts and uncles. “I love to cook, it started when I saw my family cooking,” he said.

His uncle owned a restaurant in the Dominican Republic, where Dhimes got his start in the kitchen when he was just 8 years old.

“He was in charge of peeling plantains, cassava root – he would make the dough for the empanadas,” Familia added. As a teen, he attended culinary school in Puerto Rico, before coming to the United States.

When he arrived, he worked in landscaping and factories, obtained his CDL license and drove trucks across the country before an opportunity came around to turn Mi Rancho into a reality.

Familia was working a corporate job for five years before losing her job to a layoff in 2023. “That’s when we started cooking our recipes at home for our families. Then we started looking for a space – that’s when we found this place,” Familia said.

And while it’s small, it certainly gets the job done and lives up to its name. A homey environment, the family behind the counter wants everyone who walks in the door to feel like family.

As Dhimes expressed the joy that is Mi Rancho, and ever-loving gratitude towards Familia, who has stuck by his side, as they accomplished his long-time dream of opening a restaurant, his eyes filled with tears.

“Everything I want to do, she supports me – she’s my everything,” he said.

As they approach their one-year anniversary in business this August, Dhimes and Familia are eager to continue feeding the local community and beyond. With future events, catering and menu specials, the two will continue to bring a multicultural taste of Dominican cuisine, and more, to York County.

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Here's what to order:

Chofan: If it's your first time at Mi Rancho, you absolutely need to try their signature chofan, a Dominican fried rice. This simple dish combines stir fried rice with sausage, cabbage and cilantro is packed with flavor and is customizable with the addition of a fried egg or shrimp − my recommendation, try it with both.

Price: $9 (extra cost for addition of egg and shrimp)

El Cubano: This sandwich is truly a sour bliss, in the best way possible. It's easily the best Cubano I've ever had, and trust me, I know my way around a beef and mustard sandwich. A hoagie roll is filled with shredded pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and a drizzle of mustard.

Price: $15

Dessert Empanada: Available in two flavors: guava cream cheese and Nutella, these giant fried pockets of dough are topped with powdered sugar and perfectly accompany a cup of coffee.

Price: $4 each

And if by chance after looking at the menu you can't make up your mind, Mi Rancho offers a "pick for me" option, where the chef is delighted to put a dish together for you. It might be on the menu, or it might be created on the spot just for you.

Mi Rancho is located at 4336 N. George Street Extension, Manchester and offers pickup, dine-in and catering.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Lunch with Lena: Mi Rancho is a hidden gem in Manchester serving up Dominican flavors