Mexiquila is the “el jefe” of Mexican-inspired, global, awesome cuisine
Somers Point’s Mexiquila was nearly an instant success after opening this year, thanks to its cool setting, locally-sourced ingredients, and fun food and drink flights
ROUGHLY one mile from the base of the Route 52 causeway in Somers Point lies Mexiquila, a new-this-past-season restaurant that has started to make its mark thanks to upscale feel and fare with Mexican flare.
“Mexiquila is a Mexican-inspired global cuisine restaurant,” Payton Bowman, director of operations, explained. “The mood setting is elevated but not fine dining or pretentious by any means.”
What makes the restaurant a unique experience is three things: its farm-to-table, locally-sourced food; the unique and varied drink menu; and its many entertainment options – all in a sophisticated establishment without being too stuffy.
According to Payton, the experience is centered around the table. The restaurant does a ton of infusing and combining traditional Mexican dishes with a modern flare. Take, for example, the tapas, or appetizers. A Birria Spring Roll is a play on the popular similarly-named tacos: seasoned short ribs are wrapped up in a pastry, topped with Oaxaca cheese and served with the traditional consommé to dip in.
“They’re super popular,” Payton said.
Your Flight is Boarding
Tapping into the current popularity of “flights” of food and drink, in which a selection of small portions gives guests a chance to taste varied types of the same item, Mexiquila offers both sauce flights and dip flights on its tapas menu. The latter includes salsa verde, salsa roja and a spicy habanero salsa with fresh corn tortilla chips, whereas the latter includes the same fresh corn tortilla chips served with pico de gallo, guacamole and queso blanco.
There’s Elote Callejero, which is Mexican street corn with queso fresco, a chili lime mayonnaise, habanero sea salt and cilantro. And in circling back to the whole “infusion” concept, there’s a Street Fries Poutine app on the menu, which is another play on the birria tacos with short rib, queso blanco, consommé, with pico de gallo and Tajin.
“We recommend tapas and sharing with the table,” Payton said. “You can nibble and explore around the menu.”
While the menu boasts decadent entrees such as wagyu beef, a jerk chicken kabob and a “catch of the day” seafood option, the main attraction is, unsurprisingly, the tacos.
“The tacos have been the driver for the menu,” Payton said.
There are currently 10 options for the taco lovers out there, ranging from a grilled squid with mango slaw, pickled jalapeno and a citrus vinaigrette to a Korean BBQ short rib with shredded cabbage, barbecue sauce, pickled onion, queso fresco and guacamole – and everything in between.
There’s also pork al pastor, wild halibut, lobster and maiz tacos, along with jerk chicken and mezcal steak varieties, served with various accoutrement and sauces. There are even two vegan options to boot.
“Everything we do is in-house, made 100 percent from scratch,” Payton said.
Cocktail Time
If you like a good margarita with your chips and salsa or prefer a nice cerveza with your tacos, then you’re in luck. Since Mexiquila is located roughly one mile from the Ninth Street Bridge and not in Ocean City, they can serve alcohol. This sets up part two of the experience, the drink, perfectly.
“We go for a lot of additive-free items which is our standard for tequila. That’s been our focus; moving toward a more artisanal, small batch distilleries,” Payton said of the Mexiquila cocktail menu.
The number one seller is the house margarita: a tres agave organic reposado with lime juice, agave and a sea salt rim. For a dollar you can flavor it with mango, strawberry or watermelon.
For those more adventurous, Payton recommends the jalapeno margarita.
“It’s definitely spicy but not overpowering, nuclear hot. There’s some kick but it’s so pure, it’s clean on the palate,” he explained.
What makes the cocktail special is the Jim’s Jam Cowboy Juice, which is a syrup of sorts from a local artisanal jam maker that “has a nice balance,” Payton said.
Modern Vibe
When it comes to part three, the ambiance and entertainment aspect, that’s something one has to see to believe. The restaurant is designed with an open-air concept, with garage doors that open to a patio. Large banquet doors open to a veranda, and there is an outdoor deck with fire pits and couches that is lovingly known as the “Cabana Bar.” Payton describes the vibe as modern contemporary with a rustic feel.
“What you’re looking for, you can find throughout the property,” he said.
When it comes to the live entertainment, they like to have artists with a coastal influence. On Friday nights a DJ could come in to give it a South Beach Miami vibe, even if they close at a reasonable hour. Other nights it could be a solo act or a duo with a guitar playing Latin-inspired music.
If you plan on visiting the restaurant, Payton recommends checking the website or calling to make a reservation first.
“You should try us,” he said. “We’ll make you feel right at home.”
Mexiquila is located at 101 E. Maryland Ave., Somers Point, and can be reached by calling (609) 927-6868. Learn more by visiting mexiquilanj.com. Find the restaurant on Facebook @Mexiquila and Instagram @MexiquilaNJ.