Beach tacos, margaritas: MezCali Taqueria delightful addition to Dewey Beach scene

Listen to owner Jeff Treacy when he makes a suggestion at MezCali Taqueria y Mezcal Bar, his new Dewey Beach eatery.

During a recent visit to the 1205 Coastal Highway (Del. 1) restaurant, Treacy encouraged us to sample a cucumber-cilantro margarita ($12), one of his latest concoctions.

Don't knock it until you try it, even if those flavor combinations sound out of your comfort zone.

The delightful drink, refreshing, lively and slightly herbaceous with muddled cucumber and cilantro and a chili salt rim, was absent of the cloying sweetness sometimes found in the lime cocktails.

But that doesn't mean you should bypass MezCali's superb $10 regular margaritas.

He makes the on-the-rocks drinks with freshly squeezed lemon and lime juices, blanco tequila and agave. It's easily one of the best Delaware margaritas I've had outside of Agave in Lewes. 

You can also get cocktails mixed with one of the many mezcals offered at MezCali. The smooth liquor is the Oaxacan cousin to tequila.

Sip slowly. These margaritas can be trouble simply because you're going to want more than one. 

And the tacos, wrapped with fresh, made-in-house corn tortillas, are so delectable, don't be surprised if you start planning what to order next while still working on your first plate. 

MezCali, a California-inspired taquería and mezcal bar serving tacos, small plates, entrees and cocktails in a casual setting, has taken over the former Dewey Beach Club.

I was caught off guard finding such a pearl in this Sussex County beach town since Dewey is usually not the Delaware sandbox most people visit for the food. 

Although Woody's, Starboard, Gary's Dewey Beach Grill and Dewey Beer Co. are all good Dewey places to find a meal, to name a few, filling the gullet to build a base to gulp down more adult beverages (preferably orange crushes) is more the norm here.

Dewey's young-and-restless summer weekend dwellers usually only pause long enough from barhopping to woof down pizza or some other fast handheld food.

But, actually, tacos are a Dewey tradition, going back to the former Lighthouse Restaurant's famous "Taco Toss." 

The popular Friday afternoon/early evening happy hour, which likely started not long after the restaurant received a liquor license in 1982, featured $1 tacos. Taco Toss wasn't just a fun time, it was a way to fill up on cheap food. 

The 124 Dickinson St. property as well as Que Pasa Mexican Restaurant, another Rehoboth Bay eatery for inexpensive tacos, are gone with the building of the coming-soon Lighthouse Cove. The site was formerly known as Ruddertowne.

The Lighthouse will not be in operation this summer, according to Ryan Kennedy, director of marketing for Harvey, Hanna & Associates, because the final phase of construction on the property is still ongoing.

The company is redeveloping Lighthouse Cove to include condominiums, hotel, retail shopping, and other resort amenities.

The Lighthouse restaurant, however, is being renovated, and refreshed, Kennedy said. Plans call for reopening it in the summer of 2019 with the same name and same space.

But he said it will have a newer design and interior. The kitchen is being replaced and guests will see an expanded menu when the Lighthouse reopens. 

The former Que Pasa will not be returning. Another outdoor restaurant will be taking its place.

MezCali is now filling the taco void, but what Treacy offers goes well beyond Taco Toss, starting with the kitchen's impressive hand-pressed corn tortillas.

Indeed, there's so much to like here, I'm not sure where to begin. A good starter is the chunky guacamole ($12), flecked with onions, jalapeno and cilantro and drizzled with Mexican crema. It's served with a large portion of salty, crispy tortillas chips, also made in-house. 

Another best bet is the chicken tinga tostada ($8) brimming with pulled chicken, pico de gallo, shaved jicama, refried beans, avocado and queso fresco.

This overloaded snack, served on a crunchy tortilla, is hard to pass and share. Do yourself a favor and get your own. 

The menu includes honey Sriracha wings ($12) and queso fundido ($5), along with entrees such as the Spaniard burger ($16) made with manchego cheese, jamon serrano and garlic aioli. A burrito bowl is served with rice, beans, cheese and a choice of shrimp, chicken, steak or sweet potato ($13-$19). 

But, we came for the tacos. The pork carnitas (two for $10) might be my favorite, though the sweet potato tacos (two for $8), made with twice-fried 'taters, jicama slaw, pico de gallo and Sriracha aioli, are a very close second.   

The moist, slow-roasted pork in the tacos al pastor (two for $8), pairs perfectly with chunks of pineapple and onions and a confetti of cilantro. Other choices include baja fish, coconut shrimp and carne asada.

The main dining room is open with a mix of hightop and low tables. There's not much in the way of decor, other than a few signs, knickknacks and games like Jenga and Connect 4, but that might actually be a good thing. As the summer season progresses, I can see the place getting packed for dinner. There also is outdoor seating.

Hours: MezCali opens at 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Go to the MezCali Dewey Beach Facebook page or call (302) 260-9017

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Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico