Mexican Food in NJ

quote:

Originally posted by aleswench

We found a place in Parsippany in a strip mall off of Route 10, but I can't remember the name of it, and a search is coming up with nothing. It's by a Dick's Sporting Good store and a Chinese Market. I'll have to have my husband drive by and catch the name. It was very good and authentic. Excellent service, too. The green sauce was to die for. I'll have to get the specifics - we went after working until 8pm on a project I was helping him with and was in a bit of a fog.

Chevy's? I was there once, didn't care for it at all. Food was bland at best and the service was terrible, especially for a slow weekday mid-afternoon.

Chevy's being a chain...you would judge service by the franchise...I've been to several Chevy's and the service has always been courteous and quick...food is good...I've had better Mexican....but their Fajitta is fresh and tasty!!!!

They just opened up a Chevys kinda by me. I was on the way to the tattoo parlor the other day and noticed that it finally was open for business. Next time I'm going for fajitas and ink!

There used to be a place on W. Somerset St in Raritan Boro called Mugs. Used to be great but I havnt been there since early 2000. Mugs might be worth a try if it is still open. Also there is the Grubhut on N. Main St in Manville, they are more bbq but had some good Mexican. Good luck and good dining. I'll have to try that place in Dunellen since thats where I'm currently staying. I remember Break for the Border (used to Tijuana Joes I think) fondly, we used to go there for Monday Night Football in the late 90's. There was one in N. Plainfield and one in Bridgewater, but I think they were shut down for INS violations too.

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

I'm telling you guys,if you want great Mexican in a small unasuming place...it's El Tenampa in the Kennedy Shopping Center in Brick. I have a friend who travels around looking for Mexican food...and she claims this is the best she's tried in the area. I've posted the web site above...it even has some reviews on it!!

oh my god Tenampa is awesome. my wife and I were blown away when we ate there they actually have 3 locations now one little one on 72 going towards LBI and another on rte in toms river but up north check out Mis Amigos in Dunellen as I've posted already!!

if the word gets out about this place,the lines to get in will even be longer!!!

And by the way Grub-hut in Manville is also excellent I know the owner really well. Micheal Johnston. We used to work together years ago When he was the Executive Chef at Kiki Rios in Annandale then he went on to own Mikes Subs in Hillsborough for a few years!! Grub hut has the best chorizo tacos i've ever tasted. Just All great authentic recipes he does a nice job there!

Where is the Kennedy Shopping Center in Brick? I'll be working in the next town over when I get back to NJ.

The Plaza across Brick Blvd from the larger,Brick Plaza!!

flamingo,s in south brunswick. out of this world. it's in a small strip mall on the corner of davidson mill road and cranbury road.i get pork soft tacos american style(lettuce tomato cheese sour cream) or you can get them mexican style(tomato cilantro and onion) they make their own salsa's red and green(i like the green) and their own guacamole. im there 6 days a week, sometimes twice(closed on sunday)and get the same thing. havent tried anything else because i have a hit with these, but have heard no negatives about it. ENJOY!

El Coyote in Netcong is AWFUL. Avoid at all costs. I've been there 2 times, the 2nd just to make sure the 1st time wasn't a fluke. Service was ok, and really the only thing that tasted ok was the nachos. Everything else tasted like week old dirt.

My family ate Saturday night at El tenampa again and it was even better than the last few times. I had the Buritto and Chumichanga platter....very large portions and you have your choice of sauces to put on it.....This is so superior to any chain..or even Mexican I've had out west when I visit my family...Salsa is homemade,also, and delicious!!!!!

Ok I may be a bit of an arrogant person when it comes to Mexican food. My mom is Mexican and father is Russian. But my mom was born in San Antonio.

There are a few places

1. Azteca on Blackwell st in Dover. Real authentic. Greae Mole’ manudo and enchalatas. Hope you get someone who speaks English when you go.
2. El Tapatio same street two stores down Very Very good
3. Don Jose east Hanover . live music on sat.

I am not a fan of chains... but Chevy's is defntely worth a try. It is fresh and I enjoyed it.

I have been to El Mejicano in Franklin a few time and never had a bad experience. The food was great, the menu being more extensive than most Mexican places I have tried over the years. This is authentic Mexican food, not the prefab cheese covered fluff you get in many places. The service was above normal as was the hospitality. I am definitely making this a regular stop on my list.

Everything is relative. I've gone to Don Jose in East Hanover a dozen times. Each time, food and service are excellent. And the prices are reasonable.
I only went to Mejicano once. Service was atrocious, food okay, and prices higher than better quality restaurants. Maybe the appalling customer service we experienced was an isolated incident but nothing else was good enough for us to gamble again.

i used to love tico taco on route 22. too bad it's gone.

although it's been there for some time, i can do without beana's in rahway. a lot of food, but authenticity isn't there.

These are the Mexican places that I know of in the Roselle area. They are:
 
Roselle:
 
Popocatepetl (Near the corner of E. 2^nd Ave.) 201 Sheridan Ave. Roselle, NJ 07203
(908) 245-2885
 
They have a few tables in the original store and have added the store next door as a dining room.
 
There’s another one on Chestnut St. in Roselle between 1^st & 2^nd Ave. on the west side of the street near 2^nd Ave. (Small)
 
Roselle Park
 
Nealtican {To the right of fire damaged Costa’s) 124 Chestnut St.Roselle Park, NJ 07203 (Small)
(908) 241-9111
 
Elizabeth:
 
El Mayordomo 179 Elmora Ave.Elizabeth, NJ 07202
(908) 829-0088
 
http://elmayordomorestaurant.com/
 
Lupita’s 704 Jersey Ave. Elizabeth, NJ 07202
(908) 355-7277
 
There are several South American restaurants on Elmora Ave and many, many more along Elizabeth Ave. in Elizabeth.
 
Don’t forget The Jerusalem Pizzeria on Elmora Ave. for great Falafel, Hummus, and Babaganoush. (Closed sundown Fri. through Sat.)

jbones


i used to love tico taco on route 22. too bad it's gone.

It must be gone for about 30 years already, right?!
I used to go there during my high school and college days...
 
Even though it got closed down (and subsequently reopened) a few times by the health department, we still kept going back for more! Hey, back then, nobody seemed to die of food poisoning anyway, right?!? (LOL)


 

As a former jersey guy who hopes to get back there before long, rest assured that Mexican in NJ would be on the bottom of my list,,,go to a good neighborhood pizzaria , enjoy an Italian Hot Dog or some BoardwaLK  food , seafood,or some jersey corn or tomatos.....Jersey has such wonderful food! 

I too miss Tico Taco on #22 in Greenbrook, N.J. 

   Casa Maya in Meyersville, N.J. is pretty good.

  The Bear

I remember Tico Taco. I really liked the style of the building. The rocks mortared into the exterior walls were a unique style that stood out on Rt. 22. I was only able to eat there once or twice and I remember that the food was good.
 
The glider tables were a unique feature as well. After they closed, a Mexican restaurant opened in New Brunswick across the street from Greasy Tony’s corner on Easton Ave and it had the same glider swings. I think that it might have been named Tico Taco but I can’t remember for sure. This was after J&J bought downtown New Brunswick and re-did the streets, the sidewalks, relocated businesses (Like Tumulty’s etc.). I don’t think they lasted that long.
 
Greasy Tony’s was good. “No charge for extra grease”.

I agree that authentic Mexican Food is hard to find in NJ. In fact, while I usually avoid chains, On the Border on Rt 1 in South Brunswick is the place we usually go when we're in the mood for Mexican Food.

That being said, my family and I had a great Mexican meal recently at Costa Chica, 314 Handy Street, New Brunswick. We shared a terrific Mexican Pizza and several tasty and authentic appetizers.  The only drawback was somewhat of a language barrier with the servers, which in a way I consider a plus rather than a minus. Mixed clientele of Hispanics and Rutgers students and one sort of Yuppie-ish looking family of 4 from Scotch Plains. We will definately be back.

ScreenBear


I too miss Tico Taco on #22 in Greenbrook, N.J. 

   Casa Maya in Meyersville, N.J. is pretty good.

  The Bear

I've been reading  a LOT of good things about that Casa Maya...
I need to try it! Glad you mentioned it, screenbear...
 
Hey, KEN8038, you had to remember TICO TACO, too !!! Right??
 

 

Tico Taco was an Americanized Mexican restaurant and I almost forgot another one in Long Branch. I used to go there with friends after the beach. It’s Casa Comida:
 
http://www.casacomida.com/
 
You can get there from 7 Bridges Rd. in Little Silver or Rt. 36 in Long Branch (Shorter).
 
Another one that I forgot is:
 
Carlos O'Connor Mexican Restaurant (732) 530-6663 - 31 Monmouth St, Red Bank, NJ
 
This place has been there for years and the last time I was there it was small and the walls were covered with all sorts of Mexican decorations and strings of small lights were strung across the ceiling. I liked it a lot.
 

<<Hey, KEN8038, you had to remember TICO TACO, too !!! Right?? 
 
Hi Ellen, you must have me confused with those NJ Natives. I've only been here since 1985, so I'm still considered a newcomer by the locals here. But I do remember Tico Taco from a cross-country trip I made in 1976, it seems they were very popular in the  midwest at the time.
Re; Casa Maya: Interesting place, been there a couple of times. I especially like the location, sort of at a crossroads in the middle of nowhere but only a few miles from the chaos of Rt 22. And of course the Great Swamp trails are nearby for a walk if you eat there in the daytime.
Food_Fan,  I'm enjoyinjg your posts, keep it up, although the one time I was at Casa Comida I wasn't impressed with the food or the service.  

ken8038, thanks.
 
I started hanging out in New Brunswick when the entire block across the street from the train station was nothing but a 10’ deep hole in the ground. One of the first business’s to appear across the street from the train station was Marita’s Cantina: http://www.maritascantinanewbrunswick.com/ they had at least 40 brands of Tequila behind the bar.
 
The next Mexican one to appear on that side of the tracks was one where you had to go down 3 or 4 steps to enter. The bottoms of the windows were level with the sidewalk and it was on a corner. (Can’t remember the name)
 
New Brunswick became a great date destination for me. With so many restaurants and theaters it’s a nice place to take a lady.

I thought that this thread would continue for a while so I prepared the following post – might as well post it now.
 
I was on the road in NJ for years and the last time I was through Dover 70% of the people on the downtown streets were Mexican or S. American. I figure if you want Mexican food you go where the Mexicans are. Here’s a list of the Mexican and probably a few S. American restaurants that are in Dover”
 
El Puerto (973) 366-5264 - 3 E Blackwell St, Dover, NJ
Taqueria Pancho Villa (973) 361-4003 - 7 N Essex St, Dover, NJ
La Costilla de Pedro (973) 361-3400 - 57 N Sussex St, Dover, NJ
Punto Sabroso (973) 328-9905 - 21 E Blackwell St, Dover, NJ
Las Tres Marias (973) 361-0434 - 88 N Sussex St, Dover, NJ
Cancun Fiesta (973) 366-2015 - 47 E Blackwell St, Dover, NJ
Internacional (973) 442-7550 - 157 W Clinton St, Dover, NJ
Juanchos Diner & Perrada (973) 442-5959 - 150 E Mcfarlan St, Dover, NJ
El Marino (973) 659-0402 - 130 Mount Hope Ave, Dover, NJ
Mambo Bars & Cafe (973) 328-3004 - 90 Belmont Ave, Dover, NJ
Sole Mex LLC (973) 442-2448 - 301 Mount Hope Ave # 2111, Dover, NJ
Sabor La Tino (973) 537-0777 - 17 W Blackwell St, Dover, NJ
Pollos Pucalor (973) 442-9272 - 85 E Blackwell St, Dover, NJ
Jai-Alai (973) 989-0916 - 73 W Blackwell St, #1, Dover, NJ
El Jaroch Restaurant (973) 989-4088 - 59 E Blackwell St, Dover, NJ
La Carreta Restaurant (973) 361-0291 - 121 E Blackwell St, Dover, NJ
El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant (973) 537-0833 - 29 E Blackwell St, Dover, NJ
Azteca Restaurant (973) 989-8442 - 17 E Blackwell St, Dover, NJ
Taqueria Brenda Lee Restaurant (973) 328-6262 - 7 N Warren St, Dover, NJ
Mexican Buffet‎ -(862) 397-4440 - 45 W Blackwell St, Dover, NJ
 
Since I’m half Gallego from La Corruna in Galicia in Spain I think these should be Spanish but who knows:
 
Restaurant Galicia (973) 343-7969 - 59 E Blackwell St, Dover, NJ
Galicia Restaurant (973) 343-7035 - 9 E Blackwell St, Dover, NJ
Valencia Delicatessen (973) 989-9055 227 - Richards Ave, Dover, NJ
 
Although some of the above may be South American this one is obviously Colombian:
 
Tierras Colombianas Restaurant (973) 328-4443 - 39 W Blackwell St, Dover, NJ
 
This one is Brazilian:
 
Floripa Grill LLC (973) 989-5100 - 55 E Blackwell St, Dover, NJ
 
http://floripagrill.com/

 

Hey, thanks for taking the time and effort to post this comprehensive report...that is the epitome of whar roadfood.com should be!!!! Thanks so much!

Thanks Lee, Bard of Brick (too bad you don't live in Avon), but then if you did we would be looking for you to write in couplets:

The hot dog was served on a bun so fair,

but the hamburger was way, way far too rare.

I've been on other forums, the last of which was an Islamic terrorist sympathizer forum. They ARE insane!!!

This one is a pleasure to read and I enjoy making contributions.