Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Comfy and colorful cantina Al Pastor ready to open
It took an extra amount of time, but Al Pastor is ready to open in Havertown.
Taking over the former Town Tap at 13 W Benedict Ave., Al Pastor is the second location of a modern Mexican restaurant owned by Joe Monnich and Justin Weathers.
“We are grateful for the support of the local community after a long delay in opening,” said Monnich. “We are looking forward to what we will bring to this community not just as a reliable restaurant, but as an active community member. We feel at home in Havertown and can’t wait to spend many years as a trusted partner.”
The new restaurant, which officially opens March 7 and designed by Balongue Designs, is an approachable, colorful and comfortable cantina. The 3,600-square-foot space that has roughly 80 seats is decorated with a mixture of sombrero light fixtures and unique ceramic traditional pendants. In addition, wall coverings include bright tiles and vintage Mexican movie posters. The ambiance is comforting and inviting.
“The new decor embodies the fun of festive Mexican food and culture with modern pop style and city atmosphere,” Weathers said. “Havertown is a cantina vibe with a great patio where friends and neighbors can have margs and break Birria tacos together.”
Outside the restaurant there will be a 3,000-squarefoot patio covered by pergola for shade. Expect 70 seats, play area, and live music in warmer weather months.
Highlights on the menu include Nachos, Crispy Cauliflower Tacos, Pork Belly Al Pastor tacos, Chicken Enchiladas and Grilled Beef Fajitas. Look for multiple flavored margaritas, seasonal cocktails, and 12 beer tap lines that include local favorites such as Levante,
Tired Hands and Conshohocken Brewery.
“As Joe and I began our restaurant group in the Philadelphia suburbs, we thought about the things that made us happy in the city,” said Weathers. “We looked for opportunities to bring those amazing details from the city food scene to smaller communities. We always knew that we wanted to do a unique Mexican concept, which is how we designed our idea for Al Pastor. Al Pastor opened in 2016 (in Chester County) and we are proud to now introduce our second location in the heart of the Main Line.”
The name of the restaurant, according to Weathers,
comes from when Lebanese immigrants came to Mexico bringing with them the famous gyro made of lamb and spices. From this arrives what was believed to be the first instance of true “fusion” cuisine. The locals began to make the gyro but with seasoned pork. They would let the juice of a fresh pineapple sweeten and caramelize the meat and then serve it on tacos.
“The memories that the two of us have over the years with our employees that we wanted to re-create was the bonding of friends over Mexican street food,” said Weathers. “This is something that Philly is rich in due to the strong Mexican immigrant culture that has made their home here. Mexican fusion is just a use of cool ingredients and techniques and blending them with food truck flavor and style. We pride ourselves on using the freshest ingredients to put together simple yet bold flavors. We use the traditional corn tortillas because we love the deep layers of flavor that make the tacos special. We use fire, smoke, and fresh ingredients to create flavor and personality in the food.”
Freshness is the name of the game at the table and bar.
“You won’t find any bottled sour mix in this bar, where the role of bartender also means prep cook,” Weathers said. “Juicing fresh fruit, making mixes, and lots of muddling and straining make this bar the spot for margaritas. But I also love our mojitos. There is no better example of a fresh fruit cocktail than one that is made right in front of your eyes. We believe that when you are going after a great cocktail, you want to be transported to another place. For us, that is the tropics, the sandy beaches, and fresh fruit stands. Our team is here to celebrate the beauty of tequila and mezcal as our cultural ambassadors for Mexico.”