Authentic Mexican restaurant Ruta Oaxaca opens in Patchogue

José Castillo knew in an instant that the vacant storefront at 30 E. Main St. in Patchogue was the perfect spot for a second Ruta Oaxaca. He and his partners, chefs (and brothers) Carlos and Felipe Arellanos, had opened their first Mexican restaurant in Astoria, Queens, in 2021, but all three are Besito alumni and Long Island was always on their minds.

Patchogue, he knew, was hopping. And the spot’s wooden ceiling rafters and capacious patio out back reminded Castillo “of a little Oaxacan casita.” Plus, the space had good taco karma, having housed Swell Taco from 2017 until late last year. But where Swell’s fare had been inspired by casual California surf shacks, Ruta Oaxaca, which opened at the end of March, aims to present all the complexities and refinements of the authentic Mexican kitchen.

Ruta Oaxaca namechecks the city (pronounced “wah-HAH-kah”) in Mexico’s south that is renowned for its cuisine. The Arellanos brothers were born and raised there, and their menu features many of their mother’s recipes, particularly the intricate, chili-based sauces called moles. You’ll find the haunting, unapologetically charred, chocolate-tinged mole negro on a starter of chicken buñuelos (fritters) atop a puree of sweet plantains, as the star of a chicken enchilada with queso fresco and crema, and napping beef short ribs served with potato croquettes. Brick red mole coloradito shows up on a grilled New York strip steak along with sweet plantains and a salad of nopales (cactus pads).

The chefs don’t limit themselves to Oaxacan cuisine. “‘Ruta Oaxaca’ is the road to Oaxaca,” said Carlos Arellanos. “On the way you pass Mexico City, Puebla, Chihuahua, Chiapas. Then you come to Oaxaca and taste the best of the best.” His Mexican greatest hits include guacamole, nachos and quesadillas, as well as grilled fish with corn sauce, chipotle-marinated shrimp with pineapple salsa and even tortilla-crusted fried calamari.

Arellanos considers his food “home gourmet,” which means that he uses old-fashioned methods (to make his own tortillas fresh every day, for example) but that the plates “are dressed up."

His handmade tortillas are the basis for six tacos, among them cochinita pibil (pork slowly roasted in a banana leaf), fried fish with chipotle aioli, and steak with chile de arbol salsa. Orders of three tacos range from $19.95 to $24.95. Most starters are less than $15; most entrees less than $30. Ruta Oaxaca also serves brunch every day, from noon to 4 p.m., with a menu that includes huevos rancheros and chilaquiles (a mashup of tortillas, fried eggs, avocado and much more).

A native of El Salvador, Castillo is the one non-Mexican member of the team, but  during his years at Besito,  he developed a deep appreciation of the Mexican spirits tequila and mezcal, both of them made from the agave plant but the former distilled from steamed agave, the latter, from smoked agave.

Ruta Oaxaca stocks dozens of artisanal varieties of each and Castillo can often be found tutoring customers on their subtleties. He’ll organize a vertical tasting or even serve them in his own twist on tradition: Tequila gets an accompaniment of chile piquin-seasoned salt, lime and chapulines, the fried grasshoppers that are a Oaxacan delicacy. Mezcal comes with an orange slice and fried chinicuiles, a variety of caterpillar that feeds on the agave plant and can also be found in some bottles of mezcal.

When Ruta Oaxaca holds its grand ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday,, mezcal and tequila tastings will be offered, along with passed hors d’oeuvres. For details on the grand opening, go to the restaurant's Facebook page or Instagram.

Ruta Oaxaca is at 30 E. Main St., Patchogue, 631-569-2233, rutaoaxacamex.com.