Sean Watson and Jeff Cieslewicz didn’t want to serve any taco, burrito or quesadilla before its time.

That’s why instead of opening SoCal Mexicali Grill in November like they had planned, it didn’t open until mid-February.

Watson blames himself, because he wanted to get the design of the new restaurant in downtown New Kensington just right.

“It came down to us creating a space we were comfortable bringing people in,” he said. “We didn’t have a designer. We did it and figured it out as we went. Haste in opening wasn’t our goal.”

Cieslewicz, SoCal’s chef, doesn’t fault his partner for the delay.

“You literally hand-did everything,” he said. “Because of that, we have a space that is very personal and intentional.”

SoCal is located at 700 Fifth Ave. in downtown New Kensington, on the corner at Seventh Street where Tommy Chen’s China Bistro used to be.

Watson, a businessman from Lower Burrell, bought the building in November 2018. Cieslewicz, from Latrobe, previously was head chef at Knead Community Cafe in New Kensington.

SoCal is open for breakfast and lunch, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Breakfast items are available until 11 a.m.

“We’ve been so busy,” Cieslewicz said. “We definitely exceeded our own expectations.”

Said Watson: “New Ken has completely shown up. A lot of our business is repeat. The best compliment we can get is someone coming back in again.”

Besides getting the physical space just right, they wanted to get the food the same. As time passed, things changed, such as where they get food from to create their offerings.

“We just kept going through the options we had until we had the best to bring to market,” Watson said.

Cieslewicz said changes included moving away from more authentic Mexican to creating their own “vibe” and offering food better than what someone can make at home.

The tacos, for example, went from being rather simple to having more ingredients. The chicken asada taco has mesquite smoked chicken, shaved carrot, red onion, toasted almonds, dried cranberry, greens and a honey mustard aioli.

“We came up with a whole new taco menu I think will surprise some people,” Cieslewicz said.

Some things went off the early menu, like ramen, at least for now.

“We realized it didn’t make us happy,” Cieslewicz said. “We want to be able to give you something from our hearts.”

To prepare for opening SoCal, Cieslewicz, his wife and two friends went to Southern California last year for inspiration. They studied everything.

“Oddly enough, food trucks was where the culinary scene was,” he said.

California burritos usually contain fries. But without a fryer in the kitchen and wanting something that would stay crispy, Cieslewicz has gone with baked tater tots in SoCal’s burritos, which come branded with SoCal’s logo.

While avocado toast has been a trend, SoCal’s take is an avocado waffle, with a waffle that is savory instead of sweet.

But a variety of sweet offerings found their way to SoCal, made by Jana Latura of New Kensington. Latura had managed the bakery at Kaufmann’s in downtown Pittsburgh and volunteered at Knead when Cieslewicz was there.

Offerings include brownies, scones, cookies and muffins.

“I wanted Jana on the team. I knew what she was capable of,” Cieslewicz said. “It wasn’t the plan to have pastries at all. When you have someone of that caliber who has a passion for it, you have to let them use their gift.”

Much of SoCal’s business has come through online ordering and carryout. Instead of using an app, orders can be made and paid through SoCal’s website.

“We wanted to keep it as easy as possible,” Watson said.

Orders can be made at a walk-up window along Seventh Street. For those who want to dine in, the space includes seating for about 26.

The dining area is full of repurposed and reused materials. The marble used for tables was reclaimed from a church altar, and Watson cut them himself. A former church pew lines a wall.

“We try to keep things out of the landfill as much as possible,” Cieslewicz said. “There’s a conscious decision to repurpose and give life to things once considered garbage.”

Cieslewicz said a driving force behind everything they do is a quote from H.J. Heinz: “Do a common thing uncommonly well.”

“If it’s not a ‘hell yes,’ it’s a no,” he said.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)