'From Their Childhood Kitchen To Yours': Loquito In Hoboken

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From their childhood kitchen to yours; Stephen, Helengrace, and Sammy three cousins took their Lebanese upbringing to inspire and infuse into a new kind of cuisine restaurant called Loquito. Loquito the first Lebanese inspired taqueria creating ‘taco arabes’ for consumers to love, enjoy, and share. But what makes Loquito different from other taco favorites like Chipotle? Well, I spoke to the owners of the restaurant to find out the story behind the food and what makes them so special.

Helengrace shares that she believes it all comes down to passion, their passion for food, their passion to introduce Hoboken to Lebanese cuisine in a fun and unique way, and most importantly their passion to show food techniques and flavors they have grown up with to a community they love. Located on 217 Washington Street, Loquito is actually the second restaurant that Helengrace and Stephen own together; “Stephen and I opened O’Bagel on 600 Washington St Hoboken in March 2016, we were only 24 and 26 and everyone in Hoboken opened their arms to us” Helengrace states in regards to why the group opened up in Hoboken “we love Hoboken and all the customers and people we meet. It Just made sense to continue that relationship and have Loquito located in Hoboken as well.”

The three cousins are all first generation born to parents who immigrated to America from Lebanon. Sammy shares “I was first generation in America but my household wasn’t America, it was a little Lebanon” having Arabic his primary language at home and Lebanese his major food influence. “Growing up I resented the food, I was a little kid, I wanted Burger King and Pizza just like all the other kids I had in my classes, but I would go to school and pack Zat’ar sandwiches.” That changed though when Sammy moved out for college “it was a huge shift. I stopped craving the pizza and truly appreciated all the foods and flavors I grew up with and I get so excited now whenever my mom cooks because its food unlike anything else, its authentic, its home” Growing up at times was not always the easiest, packing the foreign food for lunch, Stephen chimes sharing “you know how hard it was to trade lunches with kids growing up? Everyone had Lunchables and I had PB&J on pita bread!” Although, through that they embraced what they had and continued to let it shape them and not solely define them.

It made sense for the three to take what they grew up with and show the world what they were missing. “All my friends love Lebanese food, I knew they just had to try it, just one bite and they would be hooked loving it. And thats exactly what happened” Sammy says, Stephen continues to open up about how the flavors of Lebanese food shaped him growing up, “my mom is an Irish immigrant, so when it came to strong flavors and love for food, I got that from my dad.” When asked about food and why it holds a strong part of his life he shares “Food has always been apart of my life from the time I was a little kid, the way I spent time with my father was going into O’Bagel and sitting with him while he rolled bagels hours on end” Stephen shares, which is why he was so passionate to open up his own business.

The three cousins took the risk and knew that all they had to do was have people try their food and they would fall in love with the cuisine they grew up with. “I grew up with two different types of chefs, my dad being from Lebanon, and co-workers in restaurants from Mexico. As a result these pallets were embedded into me. It just made sense that they were to be meshed and integrated together to create the menu we have at Loquito” Chef Stephen explained when asked why he wanted to take on this business.

Their menu is compiled of Tacos and Bowls to love and enjoy, from Halal Chicken Shawarma to Pork Shoulder and homemade Avocado Falafel. Not to mention, the fan favorite, the Zat’ar fries!!

Check out their menu below and be sure to check out Loquito on 217 Washington Street for home cook favorite flavors in a unique twist on tacos. Step inside their childhood kitchen, just takes one bite to fall in love.

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