How to Make Ola Mexican Kitchen’s Punta Negra Margarita and Ola Burrito

This Tasty Combo Is Worth Making at Home!

Living in SoCal, the age-old question remains. What’s better—the taco shop on the corner or the elevated date-night Mexican restaurant? Honestly, it’s impossible to say. But it’s hard to argue that there’s a restaurant with a better view and food than Ola Mexican Kitchen in Huntington Beach. Sitting right above PCH, overlooking the pier and the ocean, Ola offers a menu of delicious Mexican cuisine (with the occasional twist) and refreshing, handcrafted cocktails. Follow along and learn the secrets of what makes their signature Ola Burrito and Punta Negra Margarita so special, but be warned that nobody can make it quite like Chef Jose Alfredo Amado.

Credit: Ed Visions

When Chef Amado was asked to be the mastermind behind the Ola menu before the restaurant opened in 2016, he was already a distinguished chef and was well prepared for the role. After years of learning to prepare different cuisines, from French to Italian to Japanese, Amado spent 18 years with McCormick and Schmick’s before joining Mahé owners Toby Reece and Tony Andrews.

Best Mexican Recipes Huntington Beach — Credit: Ed Visions

The vision behind Ola is as much a testament to Amado’s ingenuity and creativity as it is an homage to his upbringing in traditional Mexican cuisine. Listening to the chef talk about the way in which his past impacts his food, one gets struck by the clear passion that he feels for his creations. He recognizes that living in Southern California and running a restaurant in Huntington Beach means there are visitors from all over the world staying in the hotels and visiting the city. There are some dishes that are 100% authentic and some that lean a bit more fusion, but everything is done from scratch. Amado says, “I don’t believe in #10 cans. We even come up with the dressings on salads.”

Credit: Ed Visions

Excellence is everything. “In the restaurant business, there is no second chance,” Chef Amado confesses, “You have to exceed expectations the first time. We think about that from how we answer the phone to how we present each dessert.” On busy days, the thoughtful chef likes to sneak away from the kitchen for a moment, take a stroll by his favorite seats in the restaurant (by the windows, of course) and check in on guests.

Whether you’re gearing up for a meal at Ola in Huntington Beach, or you’re trying to recreate the magic that Ola cooks up in the comfort of your own home, check out this staple dish and to-die-for marg from one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in Huntington Beach!

The Ola Burrito

Credit: Ed Visions

When Chef Amado breaks down the restaurant’s namesake burrito, the seeming simplicity of the dish is met by his clear dedication to the perfection of this meal. Let’s start with what sets the Ola Burrito apart: the nopales. This cactus is a long-established Mexican standard that doesn’t make its way into the local fare nearly as much as it should. The burrito has two green peppers, the guajillo and pasilla, and as with everything at Ola Mexican Kitchen, the red onions come cooked. The refried black beans, cooked in lard, are as delicious as they are fragrant. And, of course, no top-notch burrito would be complete without Mexican rice and Chihuahua cheese.

Guests can choose any protein they want for this burrito, be it chicken, lobster, veggies, carnitas, shrimp or carne asada. The asada is Chef Amado’s favorite, as it brings him back to his childhood in Mexico, smelling the meat being cooked over a wood fire at his family farm. This masterpiece is wrapped in a warm tortilla and covered, enchilada-style, in both green and red salsa.

Credit: Ed Visions

Ola Burrito Ingredients:
– Nopales
– Guajillo peppers
– Pasilla peppers
– Red onions
– Refried black beans
– Mexican rice
– Chihuahua cheese
– Asada
– Green salsa
– Red salsa
– Tortilla

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The Punta Negra Margarita

Credit: Ed Visions

Tequila makes everything better, and ordering the Punta Negra Margarita to go with the Ola Burrito is a surefire recipe for a good time. For this drink, the bartender muddles about three blackberries, adds a slice of jalapeno, and then adds Ola’s homemade sweet and sour.

Next, they add some pineapple juice, shake it, and pour it into a glass with a Tajin rim. This drink is particularly great because when pineapple juice is shaken, it gets frothy on top. The silver tequila, berry and jalapeño combine to create a well-balanced flavor profile.