By Anna Grace Moore
Photos by Blair Ramsey
Strolling into La Paz, one is engulfed in a medley of aromas accompanied by cheerful salutations from the hosts. As he is guided to his seat, a plate of piping hot, crispy tortilla chips and kicking salsa are brought to his table–the duo to start any savory meal.
Biting into that first dollop of salsa tastes like a symphony of flavors. He orders the Papa Grande Margarita–made with Patrón Tequila, arguably one of the world’s richest tequilas crafted from 100-percent blue agave.
Sipping this illustrious drink, he leans back in the booth, finally able to relax after an honest day’s work. Football is on, and his food is being made-to-order.
Life is good–partly in thanks because he is dining at La Paz.
As one of Ross Bridge’s favorite neighborhood restaurants, La Paz was founded by the Atlanta-based company, Mexican Specialty Foods, in 1991 in Crestline Village. Clete Walker, now managing partner of La Paz, remembers dining at the Crestline location when he was a student at Birmingham-Southern College.
“I’ve been eating the same food at Crestline since I was in college in ‘90s,” Clete says. “That was like the happening bar scene for years. It was awesome. I was going there long before I bought it.”
Clete worked in venture capital and investment banking for the majority of his career, never thinking he’d dip his toes into the restaurant industry. In 2008, he was selling one of his client’s restaurant franchises, when his client called him with an opportunity to purchase La Paz.
Together with a small group of investors, Clete purchased the business. Today the partners include Bobby Dillon, Cannon Prickett, Sam Drummond, Todd Howell, Michael and Jamie Sullivan and Ellen Prince, who is the general manager of La Paz’s three concepts.
“I’m a finance guy, out doing transaction work,” Clete says, chuckling. “Only by some acts of faith did I take over the managing partner role in 2014. It was an opportunistic purchase at the time. It’s been a really fantastic investment.”
La Paz’s management team expanded the business into Mt Laurel in 2017 and finally into Ross Bridge in November 2022, after nearly two years of planning in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Todd, who has been a Ross Bridge resident since 2012, loves his community but saw a window to open more eateries as the neighborhood expanded its retail front.
He became connected with La Paz’s Catering Manager Jill Williams, a fellow Ross Bridge resident, sparking a conversation with investors about opening up yet another “neighborhood restaurant.”
“My most fond memory was our opening week and getting to experience that with family, friends and customers,” Todd says. “There was a lot of hard work and time, getting to that point. It was a surreal experience.”
A common theme between La Paz’s employees and customers is the joy they all feel, dining or working together. Ellen, who has worked with La Paz for more than 30 years, believes when employers treat their workers well, it creates a trickle-down effect from management down to the servers.
In turn, happy workers make better food.
“We cook with a lot of love,” Ellen says. “When someone takes pride in what they do, if they love what they see on the plate, it tastes better.”
Sure enough, she has had longtime customers dine at La Paz for decades. They all keep coming back not just for the impeccable service, but also for the delicious food.
Glancing at La Paz’s menu, one will notice the richness in colors and flavors–most everything is made-from-scratch and is fresh-made, daily. Ellen credits one of La Paz’s head chefs, Jason Williams, for his time and talents he’s poured into the menu.
The taquitos are some of the most-ordered appetizers. Combined with Tinga chicken, cheese, lettuce, pico, queso fresco and sour cream, this medley of flavors packs a punch in every bite.
The Blue Corn Nachos, too, are quite popular. This dish overlays a bed of sizzling grilled fajitas and chicken breast on crispy chips and is topped with Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, black beans, jalapeños, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole and sour cream.
“I really like the Santa Fe Enchilada with the fried egg,” Ellen says. “It’s a blue corn tortilla with onions, peppers, sour cream and enchilada sauce, which really gives it the flavor. I could drink that stuff because I love it. The best way to have it is with a runny, fried egg on top.”
If one is in the mood for a heartier meal, he should try the Burrito Gordo–a flour tortilla stuffed with guacamole, sour cream and either chicken, beef or sirloin steak, smothered in chili con queso with a side of black beans and rice. Pair this with any of the house-made cocktails such as the Margatini or the frozen Yellowhammer, and he’s got a mouthwatering feast at his fingertips.
Jason has also created a “game day menu,” catering to the community’s fanfare. His signature buffalo sliders, smash burger sliders, nachos, wings and taquitos make the perfect pairings for NFL Saturdays.
No matter what one orders, he can never go wrong with a side of La Paz’s award-winning queso. The recipient of numerous Salsa Showdown awards, the queso is a rich, creamy cheese sauce with a fiery kick that’s sure to wake your taste buds.
“There’s people that have been coming here for 30 years and they’ve eaten all over the world and they can’t find a better queso,” Clete says. “My kids come home now, and that’s the first thing they want–queso from the restaurant.”
Looking back, Clete says taking a risk and purchasing La Paz has been one of the best decisions he has made in his career. The success he attributes to the community’s support and love for the brand that has only ever grown over the years.
For longtime customers and newcomers alike, most all say the same thing: For a taste of authenticity, look no further than La Paz.
“I want [customers] to feel the same way I do when I come to work,” Ellen says. “I want them to feel as though they belong here–that they are part of our family and obviously, I want them to enjoy what they’re eating.”
Truly, she says, if one loves what she does, work becomes a hobby–and what better way is there to run a restaurant? After all, food tastes better when cooked with love.
La Paz is located at 3623 Market Street, Suite 201, in Ross Bridge. It is open every day from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. For more information on catering, menus and more, visit eatatlapaz.com.
Chef Picks
Brunch
(Available only on Saturday and Sunday)
El Jefe Burrito
-scrambled eggs, chorizo sausage, avocado, cheddar cheese, grilled onions and bell peppers in a flour tortilla served with jalapeño hash browns, sour cream and chipotle ranch
Appetizer
Street Corn
-roasted corn on the cob with spicy aioli, queso fresco, Chimayo seasoning and cilantro
Entrée
Tamales
-house-made green chile and cheese tamales served with a side of black beans and Mexican rice
