Excellent Mexican Food Can Be Found At This Monmouth Country Restaurant
Over the weekend, Bruce and I had dinner with our friends Sue and Neil. It’s been too long since we’ve been able to get together thanks to Covid. Sue suggested we go to her favorite Mexican restaurant in Tinton Falls.
She warned us that it would take a long time for the food to get to the table once we placed our orders because everything is made fresh.
I’m totally fine with that. No one wants to go to a restaurant and find out that your food is some frozen crap from a warehouse.
The place is called, “Reyna’s Mexican Restaurant” – 4057 Asbury Avenue, Tinton Falls, N.J. 07753.
Our table was reserved for 6:45 and we were seated a few minutes after we got there. The place is festive, but small. Quaint might be a better description. We were seated in a corner by the window with our bottle of wine that was purchased at the liquor store in the strip mall where Reyna’s is located.
Our server, a friendly lady named Jasmine, brought over a basket of complimentary multi-colored chips and homemade salsa while we were trying to decide what to order.
The menu is huge!! Everything on the menu looked so good it was hard to make a final decision. I think Sue and Bruce had their decisions made in the first 7 or 8 minutes, but Neil and I took a bit longer.
Sue let us know beforehand that the portions here are huge, so unless you are famished, don’t order an appetizer. The appetizer selections were quite tempting though.
Sue ordered the GROUND BEEF CHIMICHANGA with melted cheese instead of sour cream and guacamole or sauce. It normally comes with rice and refried beans, but she swapped out those options for a side of broccoli.
Bruce ordered off the Specials Menu – OAXACA SALMON- 8oz salmon filet served over raw spinach with onions sautéed in pineapple puree and drizzled with cilantro lime sour cream, with a side of rice and black beans.
Neil had CHICKEN ALAMBRE- Sautéed onions, peppers and bacon over corn tortillas with melted cheese, a side of black beans, yellow rice and avocado slices.
I had the SCALLOPS AND SHRIMP CHIMICHANGA – served with sour cream and guacamole and a side of yellow rice and refried beans.
OMG!! Sue was not kidding when she said the portions were huge. My plate came with TWO Chimichangas loaded with shrimp, scallops, peppers, onions, cheese and the sides. This food was so worth the wait, everything was perfectly seasoned!
Bruce’s dish looked like a work of art. He ate every morsel. Neil’s dish looked interesting and it smelled delicious. He too, ate every morsel.
Sue and I managed to get through just one chimichanga each, so we wound up taking home leftovers. Bruce loved his meal so much, he asked me to closely examine the ingredients in his salmon dish so that I can try to duplicate it at home.
We got to meet Christina Strollo, the owner of Reyna’s. This woman does it all. She’s the chef who also has a hand in taking phone orders for take-out, helps with reservations, and hits the floor to serve customers while Jasmine and other team members are busy doing everything it takes to run a busy restaurant.
There was a sign on the door that said they were short staffed asking customers to be patient during this time.
We were out of there by 8:30, that’s less than 2 hours. The prices were more than reasonable. For the 4 of us, the bill came to $93.00 not counting the tip.
Where are you going to find a restaurant that serves excellent food for less than $25.00 a plate in the current economy?
I applaud Jasmine, Christina, and the entire staff at Reyna’s Mexican Restaurant. Not only was our food incredible, the service and atmosphere made for a perfect Saturday night with friends. We will definitely be back.
