Barrio Cantina — Mexican / American, Asbury Park
Barrio Cantina is the restaurant that Asbury Park's creative community made its own — a Mexican-inspired kitchen with serious mezcal program that serves the borough's year-round population as faithfully as its summer visitors.
The tacos use seasonal local ingredients in the fillings — New Jersey corn in summer, roasted root vegetables in fall — applied to the Mexican taco format with the freedom that a border-less kitchen permits.
The mezcal selection is Asbury Park's most serious — a collection of small-production mezcals from Oaxacan producers that the bar staff can guide with genuine knowledge.
The outdoor space, open through the warm months, captures the Asbury Park energy that the revival has produced — the mix of creative class, long-term residents, and summer visitors that makes this city unlike any other on the Jersey Shore.
Best Occasion: Great for First Dates
The mezcal creates instant exploration. The tacos create immediate pleasure. The Asbury Park energy creates the atmosphere. First dates at Barrio have a natural momentum.
Best Occasion: Perfect for Solo Dining
The mezcal bar, a couple of tacos, and the Asbury Park community visible in every direction. Solo dining's most specifically Jersey Shore experience.