Crazy pineapple & tacos? Check out new authentic Mexican restaurant in Warner Robins
Two years ago, Beatriz Aguilar opened a Mexican snacks and ice cream shop in Warner Robins.
Today, she’s trying her hand at an authentic Mexican restaurant in the same spot on the right side of Food Depot at 2203 Watson Blvd., Suite Z.
In February, Aguilar closed La Pina Loka Snacks, and two weeks ago this Tuesday, she reopened as Taqueria La Pina Loka.
“We offer something that you would have in Mexico,” Aguilar said.
Taqueria is a place where tacos are sold and La Pina Loka means “crazy pineapple”,’ said Aguilar, explaining that she chose similar sounding names so that her customers would recognize she’s the same owner.
She also wanted authentic Mexican tacos to be the focus of the restaurant, and as far as crazy pineapple?
“I like a lot of tropical stuff. I love the beach,” Aguilar said. Her restaurant is colorful, too.
Authentic cuisine
At Taqueria La Pina Loka, the birria tacos with cilantro and onion are served with a bowl of consume, the liquid the birria meat cooks in, for dipping.
A native of Mexico who’s parents immigrated to the U.S. when she was 5, Aquilar noted that she doesn’t serve hamburger meat in her tacos and only uses soft tortillas — stressing her desire to offer authentic Mexican cuisine.
Protein options for the tacos include pollo (chicken), azada (beef steak), lengua (tongue), tripa (cow intestines), chorizo (sausage) and al pastor (seasoned pork).
Her recipes are her own and the food she serves is what she would eat at home. Her mom helps her cook at the restaurant as needed. Aguilar said she’s looking to hire a bilingual cashier to best serve her customers.
A favorite dish among her Mexican customers, she said, is the mojarra frita, a whole fried tilapia served with avocado, cucumber, lettuce, tomato and a side of rice and beans or fries.
Aguilar also offers seafood from raw oysters to aguachile molcajete, which is shrimp, avocado, onion, cucumber and her special sauce.
More choices
Other Mexican cuisine includes tortas, flautas, enchiladas, burritos and sopes. She also serves up nachos, wings and a Hawaiana Hamburgesa, a Hawaiian burger served with queso oaxaca, pico de gallo, mayonnaise, pineapple and a side of fries.
Her agua frescas — a light fruit drink popular in Mexico — are made fresh daily. She varies the flavors, usually offering three daily from among pineapple, cantaloupe, Jamaica, cucumber and lemon, and horchata.
“We run out. We have to make it fresh daily,” Aguilar said with a laugh.
She offers limited desserts, wanting to focus on main dishes. But she may consider adding Mexican snacks in the future.
The small restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and offers dine-in and takeout. The number is 478-236-2359.
