Newcastle Mexican restaurant celebrates 10th anniversary as turnpike expansion looms

A large restaurant ― bathed in yellows and purples against gray limestone and emblazoned with a heart symbol, a peace sign and the word "TACOS" ― stands right off the U.S. 62 service road in Newcastle.

Family-owned and operated, La Luna Cantina & Grill has been serving Mexican staples made from scratch at various locations throughout central Oklahoma for more than three decades. But the Newcastle site is the only one left, after restaurants in Oklahoma City and Norman closed within the past 10 years.

"It's a friendly, family environment, and I love it," said Andrea Patrick, who three years ago rose within the restaurant's ranks from a server to general manager in only six weeks. "We have live music that comes to play here on the weekends, and a lot of the teenagers that work here really seem to enjoy it."

A map of planned turnpike expansions, however, indicates the tradition of dining at La Luna might not last much longer.

A project map released by ACCESS Oklahoma shows that the property, along with several other businesses in the area, likely would be replaced by a Kilpatrick Turnpike expansion junction as part of the "Tri-City Connector" for Newcastle, Blanchard and Tuttle.

More: Turnpike Authority approves $200 million line of credit to start ACCESS Oklahoma

But La Luna employees said they are uncertain of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority's exact plans and how they will impact the restaurant, with conversations suggesting that staff could be forced out of the location as far as 5 years or as close as 18 months from now.

"We've heard we could be out of here in 3 to 5 years, but then we've heard that it's not touching us," Patrick said. "We've heard different things, so we're really not sure how that is going to affect us."

Restaurant saw boost from new cocktail to-go law

For decades, La Luna's menu has offered a vast range of authentic Mexican dishes ― from burritos, enchiladas and tacos to fajitas, nachos, quesadillas, tamales, steak and seafood. Each meal at La Luna starts with a complimentary order of homemade chips, queso and salsa.

A regular request at La Luna is the Pollo Verde Dinner, which features chunks of marinated chicken breast sauteed with green chili, Monterrey jack cheese, tomatoes and onions, along with Mexican potatoes and beans.

Related: Oklahoma food-service industry working toward new normal amid myriad challenges

La Luna employees also say the Sangria Margarita Swirl is one of the most popular items on the menu, especially since recent liquor law changes have allowed for the sale of to-go cocktails.

"We can sell the swirls and margaritas to-go as long as they're in a sealed container," Patrick said. "It's been a very big hit and a huge moneymaker."

Restaurant pandemic survival credited to loyal customers, online to-go ordering

Like every other restaurant, La Luna faced the challenge of COVID-19 in 2020, during Patrick's first year, but she said they weathered the pandemic because of loyal patrons.

"We stayed open and served to-go meals the whole time, so it was nice to be able to do that," Patrick said. "We never really shut down. We do have an online ordering system that we do through TapTapEat, and delivery is an option, but it's not something that we ourselves run. It's the company that runs it for us. But I think we did pretty well off of to-go's early on until things stabilized."

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10-year-anniversary celebration during Cinco de Mayo

The La Luna location in Newcastle celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. Because of inclement weather, the restaurant could not mark the milestone as initially planned in February, so the celebration was pushed back to coincide with an extended three-day Cinco de Mayo weekend.

"Cinco de Mayo is always our busiest time of the year," Patrick said. "I never realized, until I worked at a Mexican restaurant, how many people celebrate Cinco de Mayo. I think we (in the U.S.) actually celebrate it more than people in Mexico do."

More: Latin American restaurant celebrates 10 year anniversary in OKC

Local bands such as 90 Proof and Bad Neighbors provided live entertainment on the restaurant's outdoor patio during the celebration, and frequent customers and newcomers alike were seen happily playing games of billiards in the bar area.

Owner 'not going to relocate' despite turnpike expansion plans

Despite its stature as a longstanding fixture in the community, La Luna now faces an uncertain future with the threat posed by the planned turnpike expansion.

The restaurant sits in a growing commercial area near the H.E. Bailey Turnpike in Newcastle that averages 14,000 daily travelers, according to Oklahoma Transportation Department estimates.

If the ACCESS Oklahoma project is not altered, an expanded turnpike junction would pass directly through the La Luna Cantina property, displacing as many as 55 employees.

Related: Norman town hall draws massive crowd protesting turnpike expansion

Cindy Cabrera, La Luna's owner who comes from a long line of Oklahoma City restaurateurs as far back as 1968, could not be reached for comment. But Patrick said, as far as she knows, the turnpike authority has not yet contacted the business for any negotiations.

"(Cabrera) is not going to relocate ― that I do know," Patrick said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: La Luna celebrating 10 years in Newcastle, unsure of turnpike plans