Millie’s Puerto Rican Restaurant in Mesa

Step into Millie’s Puerto Rican restaurant and you instantly smell Abuela’s cooking. “That’s the idea,” says Co-Owner Jacob Droz with a smile. For more than a decade Maria Milagros Ortiz AKA Millie has been cooking up the Caribbean cuisine to perfection in Mesa for thousands of people every year. “Our food is authentic. That’s what we strive for. I started the business because I love the food and making people happy,” says Ortiz.

The menu at Millie’s Puerto Rican Restaurant is like taking a tour of the Island. CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT.

HFNT Pays a Visit to the Millie’s!

HFNTV paid a visit to the restaurant on Baseline Road in Mesa to check three of their favorite dishes including the Jibarito Sandwich, Mofongo and Arroz Con Gandules. Puerto Rican food is a mix of Cuban, African, Jamaican and surrounding island influences. The food relies heavily on garlic, onions and olive to add plenty of flavor to the dishes. Puerto Rican food doesn’t use chili peppers to spice the food either. “That’s the biggest question we get says Droz. Is the food hot? Then I explain to them that Puerto Rican food has a very unique flavor. “We rely on onions, red and green peppers, garlic and spices like sazon and sofrito to make the flavor so good,” said Droz.

“We love coming here. The food is amazing. We love the Pernil and Arroz Con Gandules! We usually get the flan as a desert,” said Petra Prado, who drives all the way from the Surprise to visit Millie’s for an occasional Puerto Rican Treat.

Our Love of Arroz Con Gandules

Of all the things I ate at Millie’s The Arroz Con Gandules was my favorite. Millie uses all the classic ingredients including water, rice, sazon, tomato paste, oil, a secret sofrito mix. She makes a lot of it every day. “It’s really one of the most popular things on our menu. So I make a lot of it. I usually make pounds of it per day because it goes so fast,” said Ortiz.

Yes, They Cater!

Millie’s also caters and it’s a part of the business that’s starting to grow. “Yes, we really like the catering side. People love the food so it’s nice for office parties, gatherings or whatever you have going on,” said Droz.

The restaurant is closed Mondays and Tuesdays so you’ll have to catch them Wednesday through Sunday.
The restaurant can be found at 1916 W. Baseline Rd #10 (15.46 mi)
Mesa, Arizona 85202
(480) 223-8217

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