Whether you’re a long-time resident or a first-time visitor, Baja Taqueria is a must-visit destination in Oakland. Its rich history, delicious food, and welcoming atmosphere make it a true gem in the neighborhood.
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From a Piedmont native, Emmy award-winning television journalist-turned-home matchmaker, part-time radio anchor, UCLA graduate, wife and mother of 3.
Baja Taqueria has been a fixture on Piedmont Avenue since 1992. Jeff Mogalian is the owner and executive chef.
LISA: BAJA TAQUERIA MUST BE ONE OF THE LONGEST-STANDING RESTAURANTS ON PIEDMONT AVENUE!
Jeff: It seems like it at least. We’re either number one or number two on the avenue for legacy restaurants.
LISA: TELL ME THE BACKSTORY OF HOW YOU ENDED UP OPENING THIS BAJA TAQUERIA.
Jeff: Well, I had a real job at one point, I was a dentist and midway through my career, I said, you know what? I also want to have a restaurant.
LISA: WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS LED TO YOUR SUCCESS?
Jeff: The food is unique. It’s coastal Mexican seafood and no one else is really doing that.
LISA: IT SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE A LOT OF LOYAL CUSTOMERS AT BAJA. EVERY TIME I COME HERE, MY UNCLE IS HERE EATING A BURRITO. IT SEEMS LIKE HE IS NOT YOUR ONLY LOYAL CUSTOMER, THOUGH, WHO IS ALWAYS PROBABLY COMING HERE.
Jeff: We have generations of loyal families that are coming to us and Kaiser down the street is a big customer of ours. The docs come here, the nurses come here, and then we have people who eat six days a week here.
LISA: AND YOUR EMPLOYEES, A LOT OF THEM HAVE BEEN HERE, IT SEEMS LIKE, FROM THE BEGINNING.
Jeff: My manager has been with us 28 years since we opened and several of my staff have been here between 15 and 20 years.
LISA: SO YOU’VE COMBINED MUSIC WITH YOUR RESTAURANT. TELL ME ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS HERE ON SATURDAY NIGHTS.
Jeff: Since we opened, for 32 years now, we’ve had a bluegrass jam. It used to be the famous Monday Night Bluegrass Jam, but we changed it to Saturday nights now. It’s great and it’s free.
LISA: SO HOW HAS BUSINESS BEEN? POST-PANDEMIC?
Jeff: We’re coming back to where we were pre-pandemic. It’s been a rough road for a lot of people.
LISA: SO IF SOMEONE’S NEW TO THE AREA AND FOR SOME REASON THEY HAVE NEVER COME TO EAT HERE, WHAT SHOULD THEY GET?
Jeff: A couple of things. We’re most famous for our fish tacos. We’ve won awards for those. We also won an award for our veggie burrito, the Holy Moly, which is a plantain burrito. Then we had a newer dish, a family dish from our manager, on the menu. Birria is a 4-hour slow-cooked fall off-the-bone beef that gets put into organic tortillas with some cheese and a little cilantro and onion. It’s called a Quesabirria, and they are amazing.
LISA: GREAT RECOMMENDATIONS, JEFF.
Jeff: Thanks for talking to me.
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Loyal customers of Baja!