Mr. Gordo's Taqueria, a taco counter on the Ocean City Boardwalk, is opening a new restaurant across the bay in Somers Point. The new spot at 661 New Road will serve as the taqueria's main location, offering the same tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and nachos served at its seasonal Boardwalk kiosk.
The move was first reported by 97.3 ESPN, which noted that no exact opening date has been announced for the New Road location. Mr. Gordo's currently shares its Ocean City Boardwalk kiosk with sister business Deadend Bakehouse at 600 Boardwalk, operating daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. in front of the former Gillian's Wonderland Pier, according to a Facebook post from Mr. Gordo's Taqueria. That Boardwalk site itself carries local history, having permanently closed in October 2024 after 94 years as an amusement park, as CBS News has reported.
A Long Restaurant Row Gets a New Tenant
The 661 New Road building has a deep restaurant pedigree, having most recently housed Casadores Mexican Restaurant before it closed. Before that, per the same 97.3 ESPN report, the address was home to Buon Appetito Ristorante and Pizzeria, Katina's Pizzeria, and Godfather's Pizzeria, also known as Godfather's at the Shore. The 3,168-square-foot building is the site of the planned taqueria.
Mr. Gordo's Taqueria and Deadend Bakehouse both operate under HMRX Group, a South Jersey hospitality company founded in 2013 that also runs Sand House Kitchen and Dockside Kitchen, per the company's own HMRX Group site. Deadend Bakehouse opened its original flagship bakery at 1050 Bay Avenue in Ocean City back in 2019 before crossing the bay to open at 746 Shore Road in Somers Point in early March, a mainland expansion move that mirrors the one Mr. Gordo's is now making.
Ventnor Roots and a Fire That Forced a Rebuild
Mr. Gordo's Taqueria previously had a Ventnor location at 5223 Ventnor Ave, situated next door to Sack O' Subs, across the street from a Wawa, and on the same block as the Ventnor Square Theater. That storefront did not reopen after COVID. A June 2022 fire damaged neighboring Sack O' Subs' original location and prompted the restaurant to rebuild, according to reporting from Shore Local Newsmagazine.
Why Somers Point Keeps Winning New Restaurants
Somers Point's appeal to restaurateurs has a lot to do with its dry neighbor across the bay. Ocean City has been dry since 1879, while a 1984 ordinance prohibited BYOB restaurant consumption, a combination that positions Somers Point as the go-to destination for vacationers wanting full-service dining, according to New Jersey Monthly. The New Road corridor itself, part of Route 9, runs near intersections like Bethel Road and Somers Point Plaza.
The area has also seen new food tenants. Hoodline previously reported on Dave's Hot Chicken landing in Somers Point, when the national fast-casual chain chose Ocean Heights Plaza on Bethel Road for a new location earlier this summer. Mr. Gordo's arrival adds another name to that list of new food tenants moving into the area ahead of the summer season.
