Dominican restaurant chain Mamajuana Café opens in Plainfield
PLAINFIELD - A new restaurant featuring creative Dominican cuisine and Latin fusion items opened on Watchung Avenue.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was recently held for Mamajuana Cafe, 44 Watchung Ave., with owner Erick Garcia. The restaurant offers entrees such as Dominican-style goat, Dominican-style oxtail, red snapper, and Caribbean-style slow-roasted pork, according to the restaurant's website.
Mamajuana Cafe also has New Jersey locations in Woodbridge, along Route 1 in the Iselin section, and in Paterson.
Serving as a testament to the American Dream and the immigrant presence in Plainfield, Mamajuana Cafe’s new Plainfield location is a tribute to the owner’s father.
Edison Garcia immigrated from Ecuador to the United States at age 18 in the late 1980s. His dream was to become a local business owner and he felt passionate that his business should be in the Queen City.
Edison Garcia opened several businesses in Plainfield, including Faraones Night Club. He also hosted several annual festivals and events in the city. He was never hesitant to show his pride in Plainfield.
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“Plainfield is my dad’s city. He loved Plainfield and loved attending city events. He always wanted to giveback, and we wanted to be the same way. That's why we chose Plainfield. This is our home,” said Edison Garcia's daughter Daisy about her father who died in 2020.
Mamajuana Café was founded in 2006 in Inwood, New York and was inspired by the architecture from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It features cuisine pioneered by chef Ricardo Cardona and an extensive cocktail menu and wine list.
“Mamajuana Cafe is a unique dining experience with deeply rooted traditions dating back centuries. It’sbrought back the 21st-century diner back to life by our chefs,” Erick Garcia said.
The restaurant has lemon branches decorating the ceiling and cultural art along the walls.
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“Plainfield has long waited to see a restaurant like this re-open its doors here," said Mayor Adrian Mapp, who was joined at the ceremony by Director of Economic Development Zenobia Fields and Council President Barry N. Goode, Garcia and his family.
"An open, inviting restaurant with the capacity to serve large groups without feeling crowded and with the classic ambiance we see here. This is a giant step toward what we in envisions terms of entertainment, dining, and the overall transformation of our city while changing the social experiences of those who live here and those who want to come here,” he continued.
Go: 44 Watchung Ave., Plainfield; mamajuana-cafe.com.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Dominican restaurant chain Mamajuana Café opens in Plainfield
