Alex Zaragoza is bringing his popular Leland restaurant, Chingon Taqueria, to Wilmington. 

The new 3,000-square-foot location, which is expected to open in the coming weeks, is located off of New Centre Drive in a space formerly occupied by Catawba Brewing Co. Zaragoza is no stranger to the restaurant industry – he already owns Si Senor! in Porter’s Neck and Papi’s Chicken in Leland.

The decision to open a second Chingon has been brewing in Zaragoza’s head for a while. “Customers had been asking me to open a new spot in Wilmington for over a year and a half. They were tired of having to cross over the bridge,” he said. 

The idea was ready to execute – it was just a matter of finding the space. “Luckily, I have a really good broker and the location just kind of just fell in my lap,” Zaragoza said. 

Current Chingon customers will be happy to know that every element of the Leland location will be duplicated except for one – a bar will be added with a selection of 12 draft beers. The new location will also have a pick-up window. 

Like its namesake, the new Chingon will feature a more traditional Mexican culinary approach. “We make our own tortillas, and you can’t get fresher than that,” Zaragoza said. The restaurateur feels customers are ready for dishes “closer to what we have in Mexico.” 
“Nowadays, people are traveling more, and I feel open to try newer ideas,” he said. 

The menu comes packed with flavorful offerings, including tacos, botanas, tortas and caldos. Along with the usual fillings of al pastor, carne asada and carnitas, traditional options such as cachete (beef cheek) and lengua (beef tongue) are offered. 

Main courses range from whole fried tilapia and taco salad to molcajete, a traditional Mexican dish of steak, grilled chicken and chorizo with grilled cactus. For fans of ceviche, there are seven Sinaloa styles to choose from. 

With so many options, decisions can be tough. As for Zaragoza, his top three recommendations are taquitos chingones, birria ramen or the tortaco. 

The entrepreneur, who was born and raised in Mexico, has been in Wilmington for about 10 years and has watched the area change. “It’s not the same city I used to visit long ago, but I like to see cities grow,” he said. 

Zaragoza became fond of the Wilmington area after spending time here visiting family. He credits his interest and love for cooking to his dad. “I grew up in the kitchen with my dad and seeing the smiles he brought to people’s faces,” he said. “I love doing the same.”