New Ripon Mexican restaurant and tequila bar Primos serves standards with a twist
Two things you won’t find at Ripon’s newest Mexican restaurant? Traditional refried beans and orange Spanish rice. Three things you’ll find plenty of instead? Top-shelf tequila, green Spanish rice and whole black beans.
The new Primos Restaurant and Tequila Bar strives to serve Mexican food with a twist, elevating familiar favorites with fresh ingredients and unconventional preparations. The new eatery is the third business to open in the new retail complex at the corner of River and Ripon roads that is also home to Modesto chef John Surla’s Fina Italian restaurant and the independently owned Austin’s Coffee Crafters cafe.
Opened by a trio of family members with long histories in the restaurant business, Primos is named after the Spanish word for “cousins.” Co-owner Carlos Blanco, who has worked for close to 20 years at Mexican restaurants in the Central Valley, said they chose the name because of their familial ties and the word’s use as a catch-all slang term for close friend.
Blanco, his brother-in-law Roman Rosillo and cousin Jesse Anaya opened the north Ripon restaurant the last Friday of December, and they have been serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily since.
“Our whole lives have been in restaurants, and pretty much our whole lives we’re been saying, ‘Let’s open a restaurant,’” Blanco said. “I’ve always wanted to do something here. I was born and raised here. We wanted to bring something different to Ripon.”
Blanco and Rosillo, who serves as head chef, have worked at some of the most established Mexican restaurants in the region, including La Morenita, Las Casuelas and Ripon’s own Las Palomas. With all that experience, they knew they had to be different to stand out.
So instead of the standard refried beans, the restaurant serves whole black beans in a crispy tortilla shell (which should thrill all those who hate when their foods touch). And instead of regular Spanish rice, Rosillo has created a more herbaceous tasting green rice flavored with peppers and spinach.
You will also find fewer cans in the Primos kitchen, as Blanco said they want to showcase fresh, seasonal ingredients. Their salsas and dips are made from scratch and served warm.
You’ll find dishes like Jesse’s Favorite (a reimagined chile relleno that skips the battering and just stuffs the pepper with cheese and ground beef instead for $14) and the Carlos’ Favorite Molcajete (asada, chicken, cheese, chiles, nopals and chorizo, served sizzling in a volcanic rock bowl for $24).
Or, if you’re feeling particularly famished, check out the Burrito Momia, a giant loaded burrito that is then wrapped and grilled in bacon. Yes, bacon. The resulting behemoth can easily serve two and was — and I kid you not — as long as my forearm. The menu also features a large selection of caldos (soups), salads and seafood.
To wash all that good grub down, Primos has a full bar stocked with around 100 varieties of tequila and mezcal, both derived from the agave plant. The house specialty cocktail menu features drinks like the Dirty Linen (tequila, elderflower, lime juice, agave syrup, cucumber, tonic water) and Mexican Mule (a Moscow mule that substitutes tequila for the traditional vodka). Nicer still, most of the drinks are around $10, which is on the low end for high-end cocktails.
Still, if you want to blow through some cash, Primos can help you there, too. The top-shelf tequila runs anywhere from $75 to $150 per shot, so plan accordingly.
The restaurant has a clean, modern feel with exposed duct work on its high ceilings. At 5,100 square feet, Primos has plenty of space with a capacity of 180 inside (which includes a 50-person private banquet room that can be rented to parties and events). There is also an outdoor patio that can seat about 50, with fire pits.
Primos Restaurant and Tequila Bar, at 222 W. River Road in Ripon, is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 209-235-6233 or visit primosripon.com.
This story was originally published January 8, 2020 at 12:42 PM.
