South of the Border in DM
- Julie Maxey-Allison | 10th Street
Tamarindo, opened in March 2021, offers Latin cuisine with a Mexican accent and an ample choice of agave based spirits along with other drinks. The owners, the Moose Restaurant Group, got their start with restaurants in Hawaii before making a move to the mainland in 1987 to open establishments in Old Town and the Gaslamp among other locations. Their opening in Del Mar came months after the first anticipated date of May 2020 as they wrested with the realities of the pandemic. They used the lockdown time to focus on refining the details of constructing the site, connecting two vacated spaces on the first level of the Plaza on Camino Del Mar. The indoor-outdoor dining design was finalized as was the decor.
Manager Steve Blasingham reports that business is up 30% from projections. He is pleased with the attentive, well trained staff now in place though it proved “tough to find help”—a problem many businesses have faced. He aims to keep the atmosphere of the restaurant “casual” and give diners “good value.” Whether you dine inside or out, look for the video wall of ocean waves and nooks with objects collected in Mexico. The spacious bar area section has television screens to make sure you don’t miss a game.Tamarindo, 1555 Camino Del Mar.
