One of season’s biggest comeback kids finally made its debut, bringing one of Santa Monica’s favorite taco shacks back to life—and turning it into a full-fledged restaurant in the process.
There’s much more than Baja-style tacos at the new Punta Cabras, the second coming of chef Daniel Snukal’s stand, Tacos Punta Cabras, which shuttered last spring and was, for a handful of years, famous for its handmade tortillas and seafood. While half of Snukal’s new Punta Cabras is a quick-and-casual taqueria—still serving those killer corn tortillas—the other half is home to a bar and full-service section with a menu all its own.
It feels a little like a party inside, with bright-colored partitions and a wall of piñata busts; the space is lively, and the food is beachy and seafood-heavy—fitting, as it’s just a few blocks from the pier. On the taqueria side, find tostadas, tacos, Mexican sodas and house aguas frescas all day long. From the bar, expect margaritas and other colorful cocktails, but pay close attention to the bottle list, curated by bar consultant Zachariah Parks: The focus here is Mexican spirits, with a smattering of lesser-known distillers, varietals and even a few Mexican liqueurs.
The full-service side of the restaurant offers a few tacos itself, though they’re unique to this menu: fried lobster with avocado, crema and lime vinaigrette; al pastor albacore with pineapple and peppercorn salsa; a gourmet take on the ground-beef, hard-shelled, shredded-lettuce gringo tacos so nostalgic for much of America. It also sports a few large-format dishes such as a stuffed, baked crab, and red snapper in green curry, as well as a burger topped with gouda and bacon jam, plus starters like beet-and-uni tartare.
In a few weeks, Snukal and managing partner Mark Mittleman hope to unveil Punta Cabras’s third act: an eight-seat chef’s tasting table within the kitchen, offering an oft-rotating menu that blends flavors from Mexico, Japan and of course California.
Take a peek at a few of the dishes you can expect, then stop by and taste them yourself:
Photograph: Courtesy Punta Cabras/Anne Fishbein
Photograph: Courtesy Punta Cabras/Wonho Frank Lee
Punta Cabras is now open at 930 Broadway in Santa Monica, from 11am to 10pm Sunday to Thursday and 11am to midnight Friday and Saturday.