By Pam George
When La Tolteca Mexican Restaurant opened in 1992, the Brandywine Hundred restaurant served customers familiar with Chili’s and Chi-Chi’s menus. The chains, founded in the mid-1970s, primarily served tacos, enchiladas, rice and refried beans — which defined Mexican cuisine for most American diners.
“We would have loved to have offered pozoles, moles and proteins like barbacoa, lengua or tripas, but they were simply too ‘exotic,’” says Jose Lopez, director of operations, whose family opened La Tolteca.
Things have changed. The restaurant, which now occupies Chili’s old space on Concord Pike, also has a Greenville location. Menu sections target vegetarians and carb-conscious diners who prefer bowls. Seafood options, including ceviche, have increased.
“Mexican food has been allowed to wrangle free from its Tex-Mex aura, show culinary diversity and find an eager market willing to try it,” Lopez says.
According to the Pew Research Center, about one in 10 restaurants serve Mexican food, and 85% of U.S. counties have at least one Mexican restaurant. New Castle County has more than its share. This past summer, John Bern of Uncle John’s BBQ fame put the Tio’s Taqueria truck on the road. Greg Vogeley opened Roja & Verde Taqueria in Newark earlier this year, and Javier Acuna plans to open his third Del Pez Mexican Gastropub in Newark this month.
There are also non-Mexican restaurants serving dishes influenced by flavors from the south of the border. Tacos and nachos are ubiquitous, and The Post in Trolley Square opened with smoked lamb empanadas.
In other words, Mexican-inspired fare is exploding.
A Northward Movement
In the U.S., Mexican cuisine has roots in the Tex-Mex culture and with good reason. Texas and Mexico were once part of New Spain, a Spanish colony. Texas did not join the U.S. until 1845, and people of Mexican descent who lived in Texas were called Tejano or Tex-Mex. “TexMex,” sans the hyphen, was short for the Texas and Mexican Railroad, chartered in 1875 and built with Mexican immigrants’ labor.
“People who migrate to this country bring their cuisine, right?” says Acuna, also founder of Santa Fe Mexican Grill in Newark and Wilmington. “Most are low-income, and the food must fulfill their basic needs.” Rice, beans and slow-cooked cuts of inexpensive meat were cheap but substantial food for hungry families.
In San Antonio, Texas, enterprising women started selling chili with bread and water on the streets, or so the story goes. The city was also the birthplace of entrees with rice and beans, or “combos.”
However, the cuisine extends beyond Texas. Mexican Post, which opened in 2001 on Naamans Road in Wilmington, also draws from Arizona and New Mexico, says owner Tony George.
As Mexican immigrants moved north and Spanish-American products filled mainstream supermarket grocery shelves, some restaurants became more confident about offering traditional dishes. For instance, Taqueria Los Compadres in Newark has tripe tacos, and on weekends, the restaurant serves menudo (tripe soup).
People with adventurous palates and seasoned travelers are eager to eat dishes that appeal to Mexican natives. Lopez of La Tolteca credits TV programs. “People like Anthony Bourdain did a lot to show the average American consumer that there is a lot to appreciate in other people’s food culture,” he says.
A Natural Fusion
That said, Mexico’s culinary culture is a melting pot. In the 19th century, Chinese laborers came to the country to mine, farm and build railroads. There are more than 200 Chinese restaurants alone in Meicali, Mexico, and sala negra, available at La Toleca, is made with soy sauce.
Brunch offerings at Mexican Post in north Wilmington. O&A file photo/Jim Coarse.
No one can discount the influence of the Spanish, who felt the original mole was too spicy. To sweeten the dish, chefs added chocolate, Acuna says. Interestingly, al pastor likely came from Middle Eastern immigrants who roasted meat on vertical spits for shawarma. Mexicans used the technique to make marinated pork shoulder, but instead of a pita, they served it with a tortilla.
Corn or flour, the tortilla is the key to good Mexican cuisine, Acuna maintains. “How much love you put into making them dictates how well you will do with Mexican food,” he says. “We found that if you want a good birria taco, you need freshly made tortillas; it’s super important.”
Mexican cuisine also evolved once it crossed borders. California is home to the fat Mission burrito that takes two hands to hold. The pudgy package is the hallmark of El Diablo Burritos, which has five Delaware locations.
“Some people describe us as Mexicali, although that’s not what we were shooting for,” says co-founder Dean Vilone. “But it’s more appropriate than saying we’re in the Mexican category. We just looked at the burrito as a canvas for fun.”
Pushing the Envelope
Many Mexican favorites started as street food, and in the 21st century, street food breaks boundaries. No one knows that better than Steve Ruiz of Mojo Loco, a food truck and catering business.
“It’s Latin-Asian fusion — eclectic street food,” he says of his concept. To be sure, the menu includes Asian shrimp tacos, Cajun chicken tacos, a falafel with chipotle ranch and Korean beef tacos.
Acuna appreciates the melting pot approach. “If you want to stay relevant, your job is to innovate,” he says. For example, Del Pez has a tuna sushi roll with ponzu sauce and an angry Mexican roll with shrimp and eel sauce. The rolls share a raw bar category with aguachile — yellowfin tuna, Gulf shrimp, spicy serrano peppers, chili fish broth and avocado with herbs. Agave in Chadds Ford serves tuna crudo on a tostada.
Credit sushi for the acceptance of raw fish in Mexican-themed restaurants. Ceviche — raw seafood marinated in citrus and seasonings — is common in Spanish-American countries, and you can find it at La Tolteca and non-Mexican restaurants, including Banks Seafood Kitchen on the Wilmington Riverfront.
Not every inventive take is a home run. Consider Acuna’s grasshopper tostadas. After eating one to prove they were tasty, he smiled, revealing a tiny insect leg between his teeth. “I didn’t sell one,” he acknowledges.
The Mexican culinary category is breaking the rules in other ways. People have gone to a Mexican restaurant for cheap, quick fare for decades. But entrees are $23 to $27 at Agave. People accustomed to Taco Bell might balk. However, as with any higher-end restaurant, guests pay to enjoy the décor and use the finer tableware.
El Camino Mexican Kitchen, part of Platinum Dining Group, has all the sophistication of its siblings: Eclipse Bistro, Redfire Grill & Steakhouse, Taverna and Capers & Lemons. The components count.
“We focus on fresh ingredients and try to keep things as seasonal as possible,” says Jeff Matyger, the hospitality group’s corporate chef.
George, of the Mexican Post, agrees and emphasizes consistency. “The chimichanga you had over 20 years ago tastes the same,” he maintains. Plus, plating matters. Instead of plain huevos rancheros, Del Pez artfully stacks the beans and eggs and tops them with an egg. A squiggle of sauce is the finishing touch.
Back to Basics
No matter how many dollar signs are in a restaurant’s magazine description, the customer has certain expectations.
“There are a lot of people willing to try new things; others are more willing to listen to a special or try a new dish if they know there is a familiar dish on the menu,” Matyger says.
El Camino added fajitas to meet guests’ demands, and now chicken fajitas are the bestselling item. Guests also wanted chunky guacamole, not the mousse-like consistency the restaurant initially offered.
Most customers expect free chips and salsa. But don’t be surprised if they’re not forthcoming. There are so many appetizers with chips that free chips go uneaten, Acuna points out. Plus, people are concerned about their diet, and if tomato prices soar, complimentary salsa puts a dent in a restaurant’s already tight budget. When tomato costs are high, La Tolteca only provides the appetizer upon the guest’s request.
La Tolteca was one of the first independently owned Mexican restaurants to open in a highly visible location — a former fast-food restaurant on Route 202. Since the 1990s, many Mexican restaurants have popped up within a few miles of La Tolteca and Mexican Post, including the newish Tex Mex Tequila in Concord Mall. Philadelphia Pike is home to Tex Mex Burrito Mexican Grill, La Hermosa and El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant.
Is there room for them all? George and Lopez aren’t worried; they’ve built a strong base. George says he intends to stick to the food, hours and formula that work. Lopez also believes in consistency, but he’s also tracking the trends.
“As the American palate becomes more sophisticated, our menu grows along with it,” he says.
Above: Gourmet tacos and a cocktail at Del Pez Wilmington. Photo by Becca Mathias
Pam George has been writing about Delaware’s dining scene for two decades, and in 2023 received a Community Impact Award from the Delaware Restaurant Association. She is also the author of Shipwrecks of the Delaware Coast: Tales of Pirates, Squalls and Treasure, Landmarks & Legacies: Exploring Historic Delaware, and First State Plates: Iconic Delaware Restaurants and Recipes. She lives in Wilmington and Lewes.