Alfredo Negrete was born in Austin, Texas, grew up in Mazatlan on the Pacific coast of Mexico, and started selling street tacos when he was a teenager. After moving to Atlanta, he opened his first restaurant, Mariscos Mazatlan, in Duluth.
“I opened that restaurant because that’s where we’re from, and that’s what we know. We eat, sleep and breathe seafood,” Negrete said. “But when the pandemic hit, I tried to do smaller spaces and faster service, so I started Tacos 1989 in Buford, and opened another location in Nashville.”
Chris Hunt
Chris Hunt
Recently, Negrete debuted a second Mexican seafood restaurant, El Capitan, in a strip center on Roswell Road in the Northridge area of Sandy Springs. The storefront space features a sidewalk patio, a sizable dining room, and a small bar in back, plus a stage for live salsa and Latin rock bands. The rather kitschy maritime decor conjures a mashup of Baja and Captain D’s, with a motto on the wall that translates to “Drink like a sailor and eat like a captain.”
Chris Hunt
Chris Hunt
“El Capitan is the new baby. It’s the new project,” Negrete said. “I knew this was a challenging area. This is a food desert. There really hadn’t been a successful restaurant here, but I wanted the challenge. I renovated the space, and I had some fun with it. The menu is traditional Mexican seafood, but I’m trying to modernize it a bit for this market. Everything we have here is wild caught, and fresh from our purveyors.”
Chris Hunt
Chris Hunt
That includes starters such as Chicharron De Pescado, a cubed fish dish marinated in adobo and fried like pork chicharron. And Pescadilla, fried quesadillas made with house corn tortillas filled with fish stew and topped with salsa and avocado. Of course, there’s a section of ceviche and aguachiles, as well as raw and grilled oysters.
Chris Hunt
Chris Hunt
Among the larger offerings, Pescado Zarandeado is a family recipe for butterfly-cut grilled red snapper seasoned with signature adobo. Patas De Cangrejo is a heaping helping of crab legs drenched in butter and garlic. But beyond seafood, you’ll find tacos and tostadas, fajitas, and even steaks, chicken dishes, and pasta.
Chris Hunt
Chris Hunt
At the bar, two of the favorites are the Capitan Margarita, with tequila, orange liqueur, Grand Marnier, fresh lime, and agave, and the Canta Rito, with tequila, orange, lime, grapefruit, soda, and a pinch of salt. You’ll also find a take on currently cool Ranch Water — Topo-Chico spiked with mezcal and topped with a lime wedge dipped in spiced salt.
Chris Hunt
Chris Hunt
“I’m somewhat of a celebrity chef in Mexico,” Negrete said. “I started when I was 19. What I want to do now is create different brands. I think it’s better to create diversity and not just go for one thing. Tacos 1989 has had such a good response in Nashville, we’re going from there with it. It’s a taco bar in the heart of downtown and it’s just jamming.
“And the one in Buford is doing well for what we designed it to do during the pandemic, which was just quick service. Then I’m working on opening a new restaurant in Nashville, as well. That one is going to be a very traditional place called Pacifico’s. Right there I’m going to have everything from carnitas to barbacoa to mole.”
Chris Hunt
Chris Hunt
Assessing his current businesses, and looking to the future, Negrete explained that he believes authenticity mixed with an enjoyable atmosphere is the key to success.
“I was thinking I was going to get mostly Latin customers here, because of the authenticity of the mariscos, but it’s been the contrary,” he said. “That’s been my biggest satisfaction, seeing regulars from the neighborhood enjoying themselves and coming back. And we’re getting pretty good reviews, so far.
“Noticing the trend with Hispanic food, people want authentic now. People know food, and they’re not getting tricked anymore. They want to venture out. Maybe 10 years ago, you would never think of somebody trying a whole octopus, versus now, when that’s a bestseller. But with that, I still take pride in our tacos. Our fish tacos are like what you’d have in Baja.”
DINING OUT
Noon-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; noon-10 p.m. Fridays-Sundays.
8540 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. 678-620-3977, elcapitanseafoodga.com.
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