You don’t have to wait for Taco Tuesday or Fajita Friday to enjoy delicious Mexican and Tex-Mex fare in the Belmar region of the Jersey Shore. The restaurants on our top picks list serve some of Monmouth County's best burritos, enchiladas, and house specialties that are sure-fire palate pleasers.
1. El Rey Mexican Restaurant
1006 Main Street
Belmar, New Jersey 07719
848-404-9331
BYOB, dine in, takeout, delivery
www.elreybelmar.com
El Ray Mexican Restaurant from Asbury Park opened its second location at 1006 Main Street in Belmar in 2022. They have quickly earned rave reviews and a following from the locals! El Rey serves authentic Mexican dishes, including burritos, tacos, chimichangas, tacos, birria tacos, and more. During our first visit, we enjoyed steak fajitas, chicken enchiladas, and their freshly prepared guacamole with crispy tortilla chips (the best!). Also ordered chicken sopes to go, which were delicious for lunch the next day. Also try the birria tacos at El Rey.
In the warmer weather, El Rey offers outdoor dining in the courtyard under that magnificent 300-year-old cottonwood tree, which you may remember from the days when Twisted Tapas and Tulipano’s previously occupied the space.
2. Azteca Mexican Restaurant
1633 State Highway 71
Belmar, New Jersey 07719
732-749-3536
BYOB, dine in, takeout
We're letting you in on a local secret: Azteca Mexican Restaurant in Belmar, New Jersey, serves some of the best Mexican food in the area. Azteca is a modest, hole-in-the-wall place with a small dining area and booth seating. They also have takeout if you prefer your food to go.
We especially like the freshly made guacamole, the chicken enchiladas, and the spicy pork sopes. The pinto beans are very good, too. BYOB. RELATED: One-Of-A-Kind Finds: Nourished By Nature Juice Bar
3. La Sierra Mexican Restaurant
1621 Main Street
Lake Como, New Jersey
732-749-3081
http://lasierrarestaurantandbar.com Dine in, takeout, full-service bar
La Sierra Mexican restaurant is within an easy five-minute walk of our beach house rental in Belmar. They have indoor and outdoor dining (weather permitting for outdoor seating), and a full-service bar with margaritas, sangria, beer, and cocktails. Huevos rancheros, fajitas, and chicken sopes are a few of the dishes that I have ordered here — all very good!
4. Cielito Lindo Restaurant and Taqueria
1501 Main Street
Belmar, New Jersey 07719
732-894-3977
BYOB, dine in, takeout, delivery
Another delicious destination for authentic Mexican food in Belmar, New Jersey, is Cielito Lindo on Main Street. The chicken sopes, tortilla soup, and fajitas are among our favorites here. Cielito Lindo is within a very short walk of our Belmar vacation rental. Dine there (BYOB) or get it to go. They also deliver to the local area.
5. Oaxaca By The Sea
123 Main Street
Bradley Beach, New Jersey 07720
732-646-4178
BYOB, dine in, takeout, delivery via Uber Eats or DoorDash
Oaxaca By The Sea opened in downtown Bradley Beach, New Jersey, in March 2023, in the small shopping strip next to Country Farm convenience store. We recently dined there after a Bradley Beach Saturday night concert (Moroccan Sheepherders).
We started with the Oxaca Platter ($20.00), which was a generously sized sampler of three mini tacos, a sope (fried masa base topped with black beans, queso, and lettuce), two tacos dorados, a quesadilla, and a small sharable serving of nachos. There was enough food for the two of us, and it easily could have been our meal. I especially liked the sope and plan to order Oaxaca's chicken sopes the next time I visit. For our entrées, my dearly beloved chose the chicken enchiladas ($13.00) with red sauce. I selected the Camarones a la Diabla ($18.00), shrimp in a spicy chipotle sauce with rice and black beans. There's a small, colorfully decorated dining room, and takeout business was brisk the night we dined here. BYOB.
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6. Plaza Tapatia Restaurant
707 Main Street
Asbury Park, NJ 07719
732-776-7826 https://tapatiarestaurant.com/ Dine in, takeout, full-service bar
Dinner at Plaza Tapatia in Asbury Park was the perfecting setting for a girls' night out to celebrate my recent birthday. We had the good fortune to choose half-price fajita night (Wednesday) for our dining adventure. The cuisine here is inspired by the Oaxaca and Jalisco regions of Mexico.
Plaza Tapatia serves lunch from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and dinner from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Plaza Tapatia has a full-service bar with margaritas, classic cocktails, beer, wine, and coffee drinks.
7. Los Barbaros Birria
1110 Main St. Belmar, NJ 07719
848-404-9041 www.losbarbarosbirriabelmar.com BYOB, dine in, takeout The star of the menu at Los Barbaros Birria in Belmar are their birria tacos. Birria tacos are made with beef that has been simmered in a savory broth and seasoned with chiles and other spices. The meat is braised in the spice-broth mixture until it is very tender and infused with lip-smacking flavor. Once the meat is ready, the taco shells are dipped in the braising liquid and then stuffed with meat and cheese, and grilled. The tacos are served with a side of the flavorful red braising liquid for dipping. In addition to birria tacos, the menu at Los Barbaros includes quesabirria, pizzabirria, noodle birria, and birria sandwiches (tortuga birria).
8. 10th Ave. Burrito Co.
801 Belmar Plaza
Belmar, New Jersey 07719
732-280-1515 www.tenthaveburrito.com Dine in, takeout, full-service bar
We have been going to 10th Ave. Burrito Co. since its early days on 10th Avenue, way before the restaurant expanded in 2009 to its current location at Belmar Plaza. Our favorites here include the sweet and spicy corn soup, pineapple-habañero wings, and shredded pork molé nachos.
In addition to an updated dining room, 10th Ave. Burrito has a covered and heated dining patio along with a full-service bar, a perfect spot to sip on a classic margarita with Grand Mariner in a salt-rimmed pint glass. Take out is also available, along with delivery via GrubHub.
Also Try:
Panchos and Juanchos Cocina Mexicana
320A Main Street Bradley Beach, New Jersey 07720
732-740-0656 www.panchosandjuanchos.com
Panchos and Juanchos serves both Mexican and Colombian food from their downtown location in Bradley Beach. They serve all-day breakfast, traditional Mexican dishes and sandwiches (tortas), salads, and Colombian specialties such as Bandeja Paisa. Order online via their website and pick up,
Jose’s Mexican Food
101 State Route 71 South
Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey 07762 732-974-8080
FINS TropiCali Cuisine - Bradley Beach
120 Main Street
Bradley Beach, New Jersey 07720
732-897-8600
FINS TropiCali Cuisine - Sea Girt Square
Sea Girt Square 2100 Highway 35 Sea Girt, NJ 08750
732-359-8210
I first tried FINS TropiCali Cuisine on the beach during the Belmar Pro surfing competition. One bite of the island spiced shrimp tacos, and I was an instant fan. The FINS locations in Bradley Beach and Sea Girt are a short drive from our weekly summer rental in Belmar. Order online for pickup or delivery.
Pop’s Mexican Cantina
1000 Ocean Avenue, 2nd Ave. Pavilion Asbury Park, New Jersey 07712 732-576-2181 www.popsgaragenj.com
Surf Taco Coastal Cuisine
1003 Main Street Belmar, New Jersey
732-681-3001 https://surftaco.com/location/belmar-nj
Surf Taco is a small regional chain of TexMex-style restaurants with 13 locations throughout New Jersey, including one at 1003 Main Street in Belmar. Swing by the fresh salsa bar to sample Surf Taco's housemade salsa toppings to complement your meal. Try the Baja Surf Taco, a combination of tempura-style Cod and avocado lime sauce served with shredded cabbage, chipotle mayonnaise, and Baja salsa.
Bubbakoo’s Burritos
1603 Ocean Avenue Belmar, New Jersey 07719
Live Like A Local: Rent A Belmar Beach House
Day trips down the shore are fun, but it's even better to rent a beach house for the week to experience everything wonderful about the Belmar area. For couples, solo adults and small families, the two-bedroom Blue Hydrangea Cottage rental in Belmar, New Jersey, is the perfect getaway place. The home sleeps up to four people and is consistently rated five stars for cleanliness, amenities and location. Learn more at www.vacationinbelmar.com.
Story and photos © copyright by Christine Cardellino, owner of www.VacationInBelmar.com and publisher of the award-winning Belmar Beachcomber Blog, a travel and tourism guide for the Belmar region of the Jersey Shore. Do not copy any content (including images) without our permission. All rights reserved.
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