There's a restaurant that opened recently in Tustin that for a time was going to be called Pablo McGinty's, a sort of Irish/Mexican fusion place (it ended up being called Pablo's Cantina and we will have a review of them) which seemed like a unique idea but it had actually been done before. The place was called Jose McCoy's and the one I remember going to was in Seacliff Village in Huntington Beach. Oddly enough, I went with a friend who was of Irish/Mexican heritage. The first time I went was as a teenager and this friend's mom took us there because she loved the seasoning they used on the fries. I went a few more times and then I don't think it lasted there much longer but moved to near Warner and Bolsa Chica and then that location closed down a couple years ago.
Sooooo.... earlier today I'm driving with my boss to go get some lunch and he directs me to that same shopping center. When we pulled in I asked, "Do you remember Jose McCoy's being here?" He didn't answer my question directly but pointed me to Sammy's Burgers Subs & Tacos (listing on Yelp):
I was hungry so at that point I was more focused on eating than nostalgia but when I got inside I found that there was a Jose McCoy's mural on the wall:
What a surprise. Turns out Sammy's is in the same spot that Jose McCoy's was in. I quickly ordered a chipotle chicken avocado quesadilla as evidenced by this rather mundane photo:
I then asked the owner, Sammy, if any items were held over from when it had been Jose McCoy's and he mentioned the strips and cheese as the only item. I also found out during this visit that this was also Sammy's second location and it came back to me that I had gone to his prior one at Beach and Talbert in the 1980s. Then I found out while typing this up and doing further research that Jeff Overley had written up the strips and cheese before at the Orange County Register's Food Frenzy blog. Does anyone else remember Jose McCoy's and the seasoning on their fries and the strips and cheese? Of course the other place to get strips at cheese at is at Zack's at the Beach.
Strips and Cheese
We use to go to Jose McCoys at seacliff after surf sessions in the 80s. Killer ground beef taco salad.....miss it to this day.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your memory, John.
ReplyDeleteI worked at Jose McCoys when I was going to high school at Huntington Beach High School right across the street. Bob, the Korean-American owner with the thick accent and his wife, a big white American woman taller than Bob, were the hardworking owners working 7 days a week. It was a different time back then. There was a frequent customer couple and the hush-hush story was that they were living together and they weren't even married. All of us high-school cashiers (all girls) loved seeing all the cute surfer boys come in!
ReplyDeleteMe too
DeleteCould be 85 or beginning 86 worked back in the kitchen
I remember this cute girl at the cashier last name Ortega
I went Ocean view HS
I used to go there as a child have been trying to find a place that can come close enough to their seasoned fries and it’s a no go!! Years later I’m still having withdrawals of those dam fries! ����
ReplyDeleteMe too! And I’m 53 now. Man, I wish McCoys was still there
DeleteI was an exchange student in 1994 and loved having lunch breaks from HBHS there!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your memories, Unknown!
ReplyDeleteI worked at Jose McCoy's back in the day Robert was his name very nice that place is now del taco wow
DeleteUsed to skate at the Huntington Beach skatepark right next to the highschool. Would get 25 sodas from the grocery store right by Jose's. Then would go get some fries and and cheese burgers form McCoy's. So good!! 1995 96 97
ReplyDeleteSkate park? Did they turn the racquetball place into a skate park because I used to hang out there too but that was an 85 and 86 and 87
DeleteThanks for sharing your memories, Kevin!
ReplyDeleteLOVSED their pastrami sandwiches!
ReplyDeleteWas going through some boxes and found my Jose McCoys red tshirt with yellow printing. Worked there in 84-85. Bob was a great guy. Had a funny laugh. I got along with Eleanor, though she could be tough. Worked in back with Bob’s brother, John. Bob and Ely lived in San Juan Capistrano and drove separately. Bob came in earlier than Ely. But she’d show up in that diesel Mercedes 240D. I learned a lot about cooking there. Our food was that new burger-taco combo fare. But we were better than Del Taco or Taco Bell. We were almost as good as the “Baskets”….lol the “Greek” burger joints that do everything including breakfast. Actually Bob started doing breakfast while I was there.
ReplyDeleteRetried beans were home made, not out of can. Red and green sauces were homemade. Salsa was homemade. Season ground beef was not from a “bag” like someone else…lol. Shredded beef homemade. I made it all…..except….that dang strip sauce. I don’t know the recipe. Strips and Cheese, not nachos, not “chips”and cheese….strips…corn tortillas cut in long rectangles…..was different because of that sauce. It had a little kick and it was sweet. Not Asian sweet and spicy, just a Mexican style red sauce with a sweet and maybe a cumin smoky tang. They were served room temperature with the grated cheese not melted. But some folks asked for it melted. I will admit to Bob’s “penny pinching” ways, because the strips were the most cheese centric item on menu, the cheese was actually an American style cheese food block that we grated. He did use real cheddar blocks for the other items.
Anyway, I graduated in 86, moved away and then saw the Village revamp and McCoys become a McDonalds. Never knew they were on Warner. Fond memories….
What is the recipe for the strips with cheese sauce? That was the bomb.
ReplyDeleteI know this was posted a long time ago but I too was looking for the restaurant and it wasn’t there anymore so I googled it and couldn’t find anything. Man, I would love to have those fries right now. I used to go in there every day after school just to get the fries. And I remember the donut shop that was there too Because I used to go in there every single morning before school. Those were the happiest days of my life. I would love to have the recipes too
ReplyDeleteI used to get the strips and cheese and sauce on the beach with my parents as a kid growing up , if you ever experienced that luxury then you would really appreciate finding Joses in the Seacliff Shopping Center 30 years later, it was the only place away from the beach that I could find the exact same strips with the same sauce and cheese. when Seacliff remodeled, Joses left and resurfaced about a year or two later at the Ralphs Shopping Center on Warner. Strips and Cheese were once again available without going to the Beach.
ReplyDelete