Mexican flavors find a home in Taos

Flavorful origins

Isbak said he reinvented favorite regional dishes in his kitchen until he got the recipes to his liking. He looked immediately to his home town of Xalapa (also known as Jalapa) in the state of Veracruz, drawing on the heavy seafood influence that makes use of langoustines (crawfish), crab and shrimp.

Isbak explained this is where the name for the restaurant comes from. “It’s not jalapeños like the pepper,” he explained. “Here there are ‘Taoseños.' In Xalapa we are ‘Jalapeños.’ ”

Growing up in Mexico, Isbak, 55, spent a lot of time in Cancún, experiencing all the fine dining the Yucatán Peninsula had to offer. Meanwhile, his wife, also 55, grew up in Chihuahua.

While he worked in Cancún, Isbak spent time bartending and managing at Planet Hollywood, the Hard Rock Cafe, and Carlos’n Charlies. On top of his restaurant experience, he also made inroads  into the party promotions and nightclub businesses.

But for all his restaurant experience, Isbak doesn't call himself a chef. Instead he said, humbly, "I just like to cook."

Whenever he would eat a delicious dish from a particular Mexican state, Isbak said he would attempt to recreate it in his own kitchen until he got it just right: cochinita pibil from the Yucatán; fish tacos from Baja; al pastor from Puebla; as well as popular dishes from Guadalajara, Chihuahua and Chiapas.

Because Isbak is a vegetarian, he does not eat many of the popular dishes on his own menu, but has found a compromise in his inclusion of various seafood dishes. Working in Cancún, he grew to love food that comes from the sea. His menu reflects his passion with items like cangrejo (crab) tacos dorados, ceviche and shrimp rellenos.

A focus on freshness

One thing Isbak made clear was that everything on the menu was “100 percent Mexican food, with real Mexican flavors.” He imports most of his food from Mexico in order to retain authenticity. This includes his spices, like red peppers and achiote (a ground seed that provides a distinct burnt orange color and unique taste).

While other restaurant’s in Taos may do a mix of New Mexican and Mexican food, at Jalapeños, “it’s only Mexican,” said Isbak, noting there are many menu items that cannot be found elsewhere in town. “If you want Asada tacos, go to Jalapeños. If you want a stuffed Poblano pepper, go to Jalapeños. If you want food with chipotle cream sauce, go to Jalapeños.”

Isbak said fresh ingredients are crucial at his restaurant. “All of this is fresh,” he said, pointing to the menu. “When you come in and order the guacamole, the guys in the back are making the guacamole. There’s no frozen guacamole. It gives it a different flavor, too,” he explained.

Every dish is made to order. “If you order the Jonas Special (a specific menu item), then I go make the Jonas Special,” he said. “Everything is made at the same time we put in the order.”

Adame also makes rice and beans daily, so there are no day-old side dishes. She also makes several containers of their special salsas and sauces each week. “Most places have big buckets of sauce they will leave in the freezer,” Isbak said. “The customers say ‘Oh wow, the food is fresh; the flavor is fresh.’”

Isbak said he tries not to use frozen meat (the menu features several New Mexican-style side dishes, including a ‘Jalapeños Burger’, which Isbak said was at least 6 inches tall. Isbak said they import their seafood several times a week from a Seattle company, who provides fresh, albeit frozen, seafood that meets his and his wife's standards.

Izbak said he is also willing to work with various dietary restrictions, and never complains when someone wants to substitute something on the menu. “We make everything for the customers; if it’s a special order, it’s fine. Here, I like to make sure my customers are happy.”

Establishing roots in Taos

Adame has had family in the Taos region for over 30 years, so the couple had connections to the region prior to moving to the states. Isbak said he had visited Taos several times before making the decision to relocate permanently. In 2010, Isbak was invited by a friend to Taos to help set up a restaurant for six months, after which point Isbak was planning to head back to Cancún. However, he said he quickly took a liking to the area and realized that he preferred life in a smaller town. After settling in, Izbak and Adame worked in various food and service industry jobs, with Izbak spending time at Stella’s Italian Restaurant, La Cueva Cafe and the northside Guadalajara Grill. Meanwhile, Adame spent time working at Stella’s and the Gorge Bar & Grill.

Now, they spend almost all of their time at their own restaurant. “For me, there are no days off,” said Isbak. The restaurant is closed Mondays, when the couple takes care of needs aside from the business, but from Tuesday through Sunday, they are running Jalapeños with just a small staff.

A silver lining during the pandemic

While the restaurant has been in business for almost five years, it was slow-going,  Isbak said. In 2017 and 2018, they saw very few customers. “The first two years it was quiet, quiet, quiet,” he said. Business started to ramp up in 2019, but then the pandemic hit, slowing down and halting many food establishments. However, for Jalapeños, COVID-19 was a blessing in disguise, Isbak said: “The COVID has been good for business." The couple only closed the restaurant for two weeks, from March 15 to March 30, before they went back to work — just the two of them.

Isbak acknowledged he initially thought the pandemic could be a fatal blow for the business, but just the opposite happened. “It was crazy, crazy, crazy,” he said. Opening up their drive through window helped draw in new customers, and they soon saw a long line of hungry Taoseños eager for authentic Mexican eats.

Now, Izbak said their business has been packed since reopening their dining room, even though ongoing construction outside their door on Paseo del Pueblo Sur has made it more challenging to reach their restaurant. Regardless, Izbak said customers have remained steady. “There have been no problems. It’s been busy [and] the parking lot has been full.”