Review: Rocko's Cantina

When Rocko's first opened in Belmar, I chimed in with my dislike of the bar's original name, Rocko's Tacos.

Well, as it's turned out, Little Pub changed the name not long after to the non-rhyming, much less annoying, Rocko's Cantina. They also chose a bull as their mascot, and not the Chihuahua I had feared (and not without reason-- among Little Pub's businesses are the Three Dog Tavern, Irish Hound, and Doghouse Tavern. Clearly, Mark Berzins, the owner, has a thing for canines.)

Rocko: Not a Chihuahua, Thank Goodness

The good news is that Rocko's Cantina has turned out to be a nice place to grab a drink, some chips and salsa, and sit outside on a beautiful fall day.

When it opened last year, service was spotty and the chips (made in house) were greasy and poorly fried. All that went away with time and practice. The place still seems understaffed in the late afternoon, just as customers start to get off work and trickle in, but the staff has become much more attentive, and I haven't had to flag down a server in a long while.

And the chips and salsa are now my favorite item on the menu. Crisp and lightly salted, they come with two kinds of salsa (a red and a green). The secret is then to add a bit of the Rocko's house garlic salsa (the kind that comes in a little bottle on each table) to each chip. I usually ask for a side of guacamole as well. It's the perfect accompaniment to a beer or two on the patio.

I can recommend the tacos as well, which avoid the Tex-Mex cliche of ground beef, iceberg lettuce, and cheddar cheese. Instead Rocko's serves up authentically Mexican options, like hongos (mushroom and scallions), barbacoa (slow cooked shredded beef), chorizo (spicy Mexican sausage), and al pastor (pork in a slightly sweet pineapple-chili sauce), all on a mixed flour/corn tortilla. There's even the uber-authentic option of chicharron (fried pork belly)!

Chip & Salsa at Rocko's: Now Crisp and Delicious

I haven't tried anything on the menu yet, but Rocko's has burritos as well (made with the same filings as the tacos, plus black beans and rice), along with nachos and even queso fundido (a Mexican style cheese dip). For details, take a look at the menu here.

It's the outdoor seating, though, that really makes Rocko's a place worth visiting. With two outdoor patios, it's easy to grab a seat outside on a warm fall afternoon and watch the progress on the David Weekley townhomes going in across the street. As the vacant lots get filled in over the next year in the northeast corner of Belmar, that sense of urban street life is only going to improve.

My advice is to take advantage of Rocko's patio and order a beer and some chips and salsa now, while the weather is still good and the trees are full of those beautiful red and yellow leaves.