Dine-In: Milly’s Restaurant Serves Up Original South of Border Dishes
Outside Milly's Restaurant in Vineland. Photo by Meredith Winner/Mer-Made Photography.
BY CLYDE HUGHES | AC JosepH Media
VINELAND — Milagro “Milly” Juarez lived in her native El Salvado and Mexico before moving to the United States with her family.
Her lifetime worth of authentic Latin skills and knowledge accompanied her as she opened her first location after having worked for different restaurants south of the border.
Her establishment, Milly’s Restaurant, has been a hit along the major Vineland corridor at 602 East Chestnut Avenue for 15 years. Our Front Runner New Jersey Dine-In team of reviewers left immensely satisfied and impressed with her culinary skills and generous portions.
It is clear why family and friends came running when it was known Milly was cooking. We experienced the appreciation first-hand as to why her establishment is so popular. It is obvious she knows her way around the kitchen, with plates served bubbling with flavor and aroma.
During our recent visit to the restaurant, we found the treasure hiding behind the tree-lined avenue. We nearly missed the restaurant sign, but once inside, we felt completely welcome. The servers approached our table ready to assist us in English or Spanish.
Victor Cruz, Juarez’s son, sat down with us as if we were family and shared how Milly got her start. Cruz spoke of the story and experiences behind Milly’s Restaurant, explaining that the size of the restaurant — which they have been in for 10 years — is a step up from their first location down the street and “perfectly” fits the needs of Milly’s and their clientele.
Large portions bursting with flavor are just how Juarez learned to cook back home in El Salvador and Mexico, he said. He now spends time in the kitchen with his mother, hoping to keep the tradition alive as she teaches him her tricks of the trade.
Front Runner New Jersey Dine-In indulged in Milly’s Sopa Azteca — the house-made tortilla soup with chicken, avocado, cheese, and sour cream. The incredibly flavorful, sharable, homemade “cup” of soup was so generous, it was mistaken for the large serving.
There is no doubt that this piping-hot, popular dish — paired with its artful presentation — is one of the top choices at Milly’s.
Although it was later in the day, breakfast is always available — so it was ordered! The huevos con chorizo — scrambled eggs with Mexican chorizo, refried beans, sour cream, cheese, and avocado — was superb.
The Chilaquiles con huevo was delicious, featuring perfectly cooked eggs and quartered corn tortillas topped with both green and red sauces. Variations of the dish include options to add steak, chicken, or cecina.
Customers can be confident that Juarez has a personal hand in every dish at Milly’s, ensuring that the quality and authenticity reflect her vision.
“Yes, she doesn’t want to leave the kitchen,” said Cruz, who is also a member of the CompleteCare Health Network board of directors. “She cooks everything. I’m learning. Before the restaurant opened, she used to cook for other people. She worked at different restaurants and people used to tell her that she should open her own restaurant.”
Being the oldest of 19 brothers and sisters, Juarez became used to cooking for big groups. Cruz said she had been cooking for families and others since she was 10 years old. Cruz said that when the family settled in Vineland, his mother’s cooking drew crowds to their home — making the idea of opening a restaurant feel like a natural next step.
When family and friends got wind that Milly was at it, cooking up her specialties, they always made it a priority to hightail it over to enjoy his mom’s cooking, Cruz added.
When it comes to finding the best of a cultural cuisine, Cruz believes you have to follow where the culture thrives. At Milly’s, her years of experience are evident in every dish — a lifetime immersed in the culinary intricacies of her heritage, starting from a young age, long before any thought of entrepreneurship. It feels inevitable that she was meant to share her hard-earned talent with so many.
It’s no surprise that Milly’s Restaurant includes a bustling take-out service, attracting many locals in the farmworker community. Cruz said the meals became so popular that local farm employees have seen their bosses become regulars to the restaurant. They now frequent Milly’s, bringing their families with them.
“We have a lot of people who work in landscaping and on the farms come by, and they want something quickly,” Cruz said. “They don’t have time to sit down and eat, but we want to make sure that they get something really good.”
Milly’s menu has all the traditional Latin staples — burritos, nachos and tacos — along with unique fares such as pupusas from El Salvador, Milly’s Mocajete, Juarez’s special Mexican-themed dish, and other Puerto Rican and Dominican-style meals.
What is Cruz’s favorite? “I eat everything,” he said.
While Juarez is rarely seen at the front of the restaurant, no one leaves without experiencing Milly’s personal touch on the delicious food — and that’s a very good thing.
Front Runner New Jersey Dine-In highly recommends that you stop by and give a shout out to Milly and tell her that we sent you!
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