By Kathy Chouteau
A newly opened restaurant is a dream realized for the mother and son behind it.
Owner Johnathan Bermudez opened his restaurant, Masa, June 9 at 199 Park Place in Point Richmond, right on the corner lot at West Richmond Ave. & Park Place. It offers a menu of Mexican delights inspired by his mother, Rose’s, cooking—particularly the hand-crafted tamales, which are the restaurant’s specialty.
“He is making my dream come true,” said Rose about her son opening the restaurant. Previously, they had been selling Rose’s tamales off the street and also to local delis until Johnathan was able to open Masa.
On a recent visit, The Standard found Masa to be a beautifully appointed taqueria with ample seating both indoors and out, where a few tables were occupied by friendly patrons and an adorable English bulldog to boot. Inside, star-shaped lanterns adorned the ceiling while Mexican tiling and other traditional appointments helped transport you to another, more exotic place.
Over to the side of the restaurant’s spacious interior, there was a long bar in a sectioned off area that was partially lit with purple mood lighting.
For lunch, we decided to sample the Combination Plate with corn tamales, black beans and rice; a Bowl with carnitas, rice, black beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese, guacamole and corn; and Birria Tacos served on a soft corn tortilla. Everything was prepared by a friendly staff with a choice of meat and the opportunity to customize your meal as you saw fit.
On the side, we ordered chips and guacamole as well as a tall container of fresh fruit for dessert. All the ingredients were both fresh and tasty, with the corn tamales, not surprisingly, being real standouts. Following the highly flavorful lunch, it was an excellent option to have fresh fruit, including pineapple and various melons, to cool the palate.
Next time around, this reporter plans to sample the House Ceviche and one of Masa’s agua fresca drinks with fruit.
Masa is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. During the pandemic, outdoor seating, take-out and delivery are available. For delivery, look for Masa on Grub Hub, Door Dash and Uber Eats. For more info, visit the restaurant’s Facebook page or call 510.778.1463.
