Buena Onda, Jose Garces’ taqueria, will open 2 new locations as Tinto Pintxo shutters for now

Jose Garces is expanding his taqueria concept Buena Onda this spring, opening his first-ever Main Line restaurant and installing a second new location on the former site of his longtime Rittenhouse tapas bar Tinto.

Tinto, at 20th and Sansom Streets next to Garces’ Village Whiskey, added a wine bottle shop in 2021 and became known as Tinto Pintxo. It closed last weekend. Garces said Tinto Pintxo would resurface in a new Center City location, better suited for the concept, in fall 2022.

Buena Onda’s Main Line location will be at 200 N. Radnor-Chester Rd. in Radnor, just off Lancaster Avenue, near Estia Taverna and Honeygrow. The site previously was a Jimmy John’s sandwich shop. Garces briefly had a Buena Onda at King of Prussia Mall.

Buena Onda’s flagship location, at 1901 Callowhill St. near the Free Library and the Barnes Foundation, opened in 2015, serving tacos, bowls, nachos, guacamole, beer, wines, and margaritas in an atmosphere inspired by Baja California surf shacks. That location will be redecorated.

Garces has retained Styer Associates for interior design and architecture of Buena Onda and the forthcoming Tinto Pintxo. Styer will work particularly on speeding the pickup and delivery process.

Buena Onda — which translates as “good vibes” — lends itself to takeout and delivery more than most of Garces’ other brands, such as Amada, the Old Bar, Distrito, and Volvér. Garces’ newest restaurant, Hook & Master in Kensington, was even designed with a takeout window.

Tinto, which Garces opened in 2007, had shifted from its Basque tapas focus into a wine bar and shop last year.

It was the follow-up to Garces’ first restaurant, Old City’s Amada, inspired by the pinxto bars of San Sebastian. It drew raves. Inquirer critic Craig LaBan recalled the “laser-focused, on-theme bar featuring funky dry ciders, lush tempranillo ‘tinto’ and glasses of effervescent Txakolina. ... I loved the small-plate wonders coming to my table so much, I even learned to say, ‘Wow!’ in the Basque language of Euskera: ‘Kontxo!’”

The review merited three “bells” on LaBan’s four-bell scale — “as close as any restaurant got to landing a four-bell rating on its debut review.”