Plaza Tapatia grew with the rebirth of Asbury Park; now a new generation leads restaurant

Susan Bloom

August 7, 2024 at 6:01 PM·7 min read

ASBURY PARK - Growing up in Ocean Township to parents who owned Mexican restaurant Plaza Tapatia in Asbury Park, Alejandra Garcia was excited at the prospect of one day carrying on her family’s legacy. And today she’s doing just that as the co-owner of Plaza Tapatia, a destination for authentic Mexican cuisine and friendly service that’s celebrating its 25th anniversary.

“My mother and father, Deyve and German, are both originally from Mexico and moved to the Jersey Shore two to three years before I was born,” said Garcia, 26, an Asbury Park resident. “After coming here, my dad worked in restaurants as everything from a dishwasher to a line cook and ultimately became the head chef of another Mexican restaurant, where he created the menu. But he was very entrepreneurial and always wanted to own his own restaurant.”

According to Garcia, her parents saw an opportunity to pursue their dream just as Asbury Park was on the cusp of its rejuvenation in the late 1990s.

“Back then, Asbury Park was much quieter and had many empty storefronts,” she said. “My parents opened a small grocery store in town and that became their foot in the door. There was an empty space right next to their grocery store, and since my father had a strong background in food and restaurants, they expanded and opened a smaller-scale version of Plaza Tapatia in 1999.”

Plaza Tapatia co-owner Alejandra Garcia is shown with some of the drink specialties at the family-owned Asbury Park restaurant Friday June 28, 2024.

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Both of Garcia’s parents were invested in the restaurant’s operation and success. “My mom covered front-of-house and waitressing duties, and my dad was the chef,” she said. “And although he eventually began hiring and training chefs, he always loved to cook.”

As for Garcia, she was a part of the restaurant for as long as she can remember.

“As a younger kid, I helped with smaller tasks, like clearing plates and wiping down tables,” she recalled. “When I was around 14, my parents let me host on the weekends, which I did all throughout high school, and then in college I started waitressing and bartending.”

After graduating from Monmouth University in West Long Branch in 2020 with a degree in business management, “I worked at some other local establishments for a while to gain additional experience,” she said. But by 2024, and with encouragement from business mentors Charlie Interrante and Pat Fasano, who own The Complex in Asbury Park, “I came back to Plaza Tapatia this year ready to help lead our family business.”

“I’m now the co-owner of Plaza Tapatia with my father,” Garcia said, “and my dad is letting me make all of the decisions as he focuses on running several other businesses he owns.”

Interior of Plaza Tapatia, a family-owned Asbury Park restaurant providing authentic Mexican cuisine and currently celebrating its 25th anniversary, shown Friday, June 28, 2024.

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A mural of the family pueblo

Garcia said that much has changed at Plaza Tapatia over the years.

“It was originally a small eatery next door to our grocery store, but in 2014 we bought out an adjacent space and expanded the restaurant to triple the size it used to be,” she said.

And while the menu has changed a bit over time, “we did a whole new remodel this spring to freshen our space while still retaining its Mexican spirit.” Now sporting a bright but cohesive palette of colors, brand-new furniture, and Mexican serapes and other authentic décor, “Plaza Tapatia currently seats 110 people plus another six to seven seats at our cozy bar,” Garcia said.

“As soon as you walk in, there’s a mural on the wall of the pueblo that my parents are from, which was important for me to keep from our original restaurant," Garcia said. "I visited that pueblo with my parents in 2012 and was excited to see where they grew up and share that piece of family history with others.”

When it comes to authentic Mexican cuisine, Plaza Tapatia doesn’t disappoint.

The El Molecajete Tradicional plate shown at Plaza Tapatia, a family-owned Asbury Park restaurant providing authentic Mexican cuisine and currently celebrating its 25th anniversary, Friday, June 28, 2024. The dish features seared steak, chicken chorozo, carne enchhilado, fresh cheese, onions, bell peppers, avocado and a choice of sauce. Served with rice and beans.

For appetizers, “many people say that our guacamole is the best they’ve ever had, and we make our own chips fresh every day,” Garcia said of the popular dish that runs $12 for a small platter and $18 for a large one. “Guests also love our Nachos Mexicanos, a plate of nachos with cheese, jalape?os, pico de gallo, beans, and sour cream for $12 that easily serves two to three people.”

“For entrees, our Molcajete Tradicional features steak, chicken, and chorizo cooked in a molcajete (an authentic stone vessel) served with rice, beans, and condiments on the side,” she said of the restaurant’s signature $30 dish. Ideal for two to three people, “you put your meat and sides in a tortilla and make your own tacos.

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“Other popular menu items include our chimichangas, which are deep-fried burritos available in meat or vegetable versions for $19 to $20, our enchiladas, and our sopes, which feature three hand-made corn tortillas with your choice of steak, chicken or chorizo served with black beans, lettuce, sour cream and pico de gallo for $16 to $18.” She confirmed that most of their menu items can be made vegetarian.

“For dessert, people love our churros — deep-fried dough topped with cinnamon, sugar and caramel — and our caramel flan, both of which are $10,” Garcia said.

In addition to their food, Garcia said that guests will get a flavor for her family through their menu of tasty beverages.

“My dad named drinks on the menu after himself, my mom and all three of their kids,” she explained. “For example, ‘German’s Classic,’ named after my dad and brother, features Bacardi, simple syrup and lime, while the ‘Aleja-Rita’ was named after me and features Patron Silver, blue cura?ao, lime, pineapple and pineapple juice.” These drinks range from $12 to $15, she said, “and we also offer frozen drinks, drinks on the rocks and favorites like pi?a coladas, margaritas and chamoyadas, which are frozen mango margaritas with Mexican chamoy spice.”

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A chimichanga plate shown at Plaza Tapatia, a family-owned Asbury Park restaurant providing authentic Mexican cuisine and currently celebrating its 25th anniversary, Friday, June 28, 2024. The dish features deep fried flour tortilla stuffed with choice of meat, cheese and covered with a choice of salsa.

Sweet and savory

In terms of trends, Garcia said that people appreciate the sizable portions at their eatery.

“People enjoy Mexican restaurants because of how big the platters are and the fact that they come with salad, rice and beans,” she said, noting that the flavor profiles of Mexican cuisine are also appealing to an increasingly savvy audience.

“People especially like molé — a chocolatey sauce that, when mixed with dried peppers, is both sweet and savory — and more and more people know what it is. It’s growing in popularity and people are asking for it on their own.”

As for challenges, Garcia acknowledged the difficulty of rising food prices for anyone in the restaurant business as well as the pressure to stay on top of trends and stand out in a competitive industry.

“A lot of people love Mexican food and a lot more Mexican restaurants have opened over the years, even on our same street,” she said. “But we’re focused on our mission of providing the best of authentic and traditional Mexican cuisine from the city of Guadalajara — residents of which are known as ‘Tapatio’ or ‘Tapatia’ — in a warm, friendly and casual setting.”

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Supported by 12 employees, “I focus largely on our service and front-of-house activities while our chef, Saoul, who’s been with us for more than a decade, ensures an outstanding culinary experience,” Garcia said.

Looking ahead, “we’re always excited to welcome new customers as well as our many regulars, who love our quality and consistency,” Garcia said. “Even members of the Hispanic community say that our food tastes just like it did in Mexico, and we also see a lot of native Mexican customers, especially after church on Sundays.”

“It feels nice to take the reins at Plaza Tapatia and I have so many good people willing to mentor and support me, for which I’m so grateful,” Garcia said. “I love the restaurant industry and it’s wonderful to see people gather here, enjoy their food and experience, and leave happy — and tell others about it!”