La Posada Bar & Grill opened last month in Mays Landing taking over a large restaurant property which previously was home to Cousin Mario’s Italian Restaurant (Harding Highway/Rt 40).
I stopped in last week for lunch and caught up with owner Bert, who with his father Omar operate both the restaurant/bar as well as the adjacent pizzeria.
The family brings a lot of restaurant experience and history to the Mays Landing location as dad Omar is currently the head chef (and more) at Atlantic City’s popular Italian restaurant… Scannicchio’s.
And would you believe that earlier in his career Omar was a chef for Cousin Mario’s where he and Bert have now opened La Posada!
That being said Bert is the day-to-day onsite owner/manager of La Posada and when you visit you’ll likely see the friendly guy at the restaurant… be sure to chat him up and tell him “I saw this on 42Freeway”
La Posada – The Menu
At La Posada the menu has transitioned over to focus on delicious Mexican cuisine, and in the bar… tequila plays a big part of the drink menu which Bert says will continue to grow with an even larger tequila selection.
That being said along with La Posados scratch-made tacos, burritos, quesadillas and more you can also order a delicious pizza, calzone or stromboli which are still made “the Cousin Mario’s way”
An extra innovating aspect of the menu are their gourmet pizzas which along with a meat lovers or veggie-white pizza variety… you’ll now find several “fusion” pizza options which brings the best flavors from Mexico and Italy together such as the Castro pizza featuring mole and chicken or how about a birria pizza!?.
The menu has something for everyone as they also feature hoagies, a variety of hot subs including cheesesteaks and chicken parm as well as amazing burgers.
One thing that has not changed with the restaurant just yet is the physical decor, which for now is basically untouched from Cousin Mario’s… but that will be changing soon.
Bert explains that in early December there is a large banquet event booked under the Cousin Mario’s brand and Italian food menu, and as part of his deal with the prior owners… Bert agreed to leave the décor untouched until after that December 7th event.
For the changes he doesn’t expect any large construction remodeling… more so changing the decor and color scheme to brighten the space up bringing in a more festive, whimsical and colorful Mexican restaurant color palette.
Which is a good time to mention that La Posada is still an excellent place for your events and banquets, and has private spaces perfect for bridal showers, birthdays and more… and for event bookings they will offer the larger Italian menu. Stop in and chat with Bert for more details… while drinking a delicious margarita of course!
I stopped in on an early week, mid-afternoon time when the restaurant was quiet between lunch and dinner, which was a perfect for chatting with new restaurant owner Bert who took a spot behind the bar.
For my lunch I was having difficulty deciding between all of the delicious Mexican options… everything is freshly made from scratch including the tortillas for all of the entree items.
Bert suggested the lunch special, which was Chicken Tinga Empanadas.
A few minutes later I was served a beautifully prepared dish featuring crispy empanadas and a delicous chicken filling, stacked with fresh colorful ingredients including lettuce, tomatoes, cheese… mmmm.
For “research” I paired that up with a classic Margarita which the perfect amount of sweet and sour…refreshingly delicious.
Links and Location
La Posada Bar & Grill
5401 Harding Hwy
Mays Landing, NJ 08330
