A chef with more than 30 years of Mexican cooking behind him just opened a new dining room inside an old newspaper building.
Yep, the place where headlines once rolled out now serves Yucatan-style cochinita pibil.
That’s a pairing I did not see coming. The kitchen talks about regional recipes, tortillas fresh off the comal, and a mole built from chiles, chocolate, plantain, and sesame seeds.
The room sounds just as bold. Expect poured concrete floors, tall factory windows, black steel beams, and a glowing moon hanging above the tables.
Honestly, I’d have a tough time sticking to one plate.
So what happens when three decades of cooking finally lands in a brand-new New Jersey spot built around the flavors of different Mexican regions?
Thirty Years At The Stove Led Right To This Room
Long before Azul Restaurant opened in Hackensack, Chef Cristino ‘Tony’ Campos was already feeding hungry people. His earlier restaurant, La Hacienda in Paterson, helped build a reputation stretching across more than three decades.
Most chefs would happily coast after that long. Campos went the other direction and started fresh with a bigger, more polished vision.
Azul is his chance to show a different side of Mexican cooking. The focus here leans toward regional gastronomy, traditional techniques, and recipes that take real patience to get right.
That shift matters more than it might seem at first. Plenty of Mexican menus in New Jersey stick to the same handful of familiar favorites.
Here, the menu pulls ideas from different parts of Mexico instead. One dish might trace back to the Yucatan, while another nods to the Pacific coast.
Think of it as a chef’s greatest hits album, but with a few deep cuts thrown in. You still get comfort, yet you also get a little education with dinner.
So when you sit down, you’re tasting decades of practice in every plate. Thirty years of cooking tends to show up in the small details, and that’s exactly the point.
A Slow-Cooked Pork Dish With Ancient Yucatan Roots
Some recipes are old enough to have their own backstory, and cochinita pibil is one of them. The dish comes from the Yucatan, where cooks have made it for generations.
Azul is preparing to introduce cochinita pibil, a traditional Yucatán dish featuring pork marinated in achiote and sour orange. That combination gives it a deep red-orange color and a tangy, earthy flavor.
The name itself holds a fun bit of history. It connects to the pib, a traditional Maya earth oven used for slow cooking underground.
Not many restaurants bury dinner in the backyard anymore, thankfully. Still, the spirit of that patient, low-and-slow method lives on in how the pork gets prepared.
Cochinita pibil is a perfect example of what this kitchen means by regional cooking. It isn’t a dish you’ll spot on every Mexican menu in Bergen County.
If you usually order the same thing every time, consider this your nudge. Trying a dish with roots this deep is a pretty easy way to taste a different corner of Mexico.
Pair it with fresh tortillas, and you’ve got a meal with real history behind it. Not bad for a weeknight dinner in New Jersey.
Fresh Tortillas And A Mole With A Huge Ingredient List
Ever counted the ingredients in a sauce and lost track halfway through? The mole at Azul might do that to you.
It’s crafted from dried chiles, cinnamon, oregano, cloves, almonds, and peanuts. Then come chocolate, bread, plantain, and sesame seeds to round it all out.
That’s a grocery list, not a sauce. Yet all those pieces blend into something deep, layered, and wonderfully complex.
Mole is famous for being a labor of love in Mexican kitchens. Getting that many flavors to work together takes skill, time, and a steady hand.
Tortillas get the same kind of care here. They come fresh off the comal, the flat griddle used in Mexican cooking for centuries.
Fresh tortillas taste completely different from the stack-in-a-bag kind. Once you’ve had one warm off the griddle, going back can feel a little sad.
Quick tip for first-timers who see mole on a menu and hesitate. The chocolate doesn’t make it sweet like dessert, it simply adds richness and depth.
Tear off some tortilla, swipe it through the sauce, and enjoy. That’s a small move with a big payoff.
Steak Fans And Taco Lovers Both Get Their Moment
Sixteen ounces of skirt steak is a serious commitment. The Carne Asada at Azul Restaurant brings exactly that, marinated in the chef’s homemade sauce.
Big appetites, take note. This is the plate for anyone who walks in already dreaming about grilled meat.
Tacos get plenty of attention too. The Tacos de Birria pair beef stew with Oaxaca cheese inside lightly toasted corn tortillas.
Birria has become a favorite across the country in recent years. It’s comforting, savory, and just a little messy in the best possible way.
Then there are the Tacos al Pastor. Thin strips of pork get marinated with pineapple, dried chili peppers, and spices.
Al pastor is one of those dishes that balances sweet and savory beautifully. The pineapple keeps things bright while the chiles add a gentle kick.
Can’t decide between steak and tacos? Bring a friend and split both, which is honestly the smartest strategy here.
For something from the sea, the menu also features Salmon Zarandeado. Finish with tres leches, and nobody leaves feeling shortchanged.
Headlines Once Rolled Out Of This Building
Before the tacos arrived, this building had a very different job. It was once part of The Record newspaper’s River Street campus for about fifty years.
That’s a lot of news printed under one roof. Generations of New Jersey readers got their morning papers thanks to work done in this area.
After the newspaper moved on in 2008, the space sat empty for roughly a decade. Then the building was stripped back to its bones in 2025.
What came out of that makeover is pretty striking. The bones include poured concrete floors, factory windows, and black-painted steel beams.
The building now carries the name Print House. It’s a clever nod to its past life, and it gives Azul an easy backstory to brag about.
Industrial spaces often feel cold, but pairing them with warm Mexican cooking changes the mood. Old steel and fresh tortillas make a surprisingly great team.
History buffs will appreciate eating somewhere with a real story. Everyone else will just enjoy having more room to stretch out.
Either way, dinner in a former newspaper hub is a fun conversation starter. Read all about it, as they say.
A Glowing Moon Steals The Show Indoors
A giant illuminated moon makes a bold centerpiece in Azul’s dining room, adding a striking touch to the contemporary space.
The illuminated moon installation gives the room an instant wow factor. Good luck keeping your phone in your pocket the first time you see it.
The dining room itself is contemporary and low-lit. That softer lighting makes the space feel relaxed and a bit more special than a typical weeknight spot.
There’s also a mezzanine, which adds another level to the layout. Upper-floor seating always feels a little like getting the best view in the house.
Mixing a dreamy moon with tough industrial beams creates a fun contrast. The room feels modern yet warm, polished yet not stuffy.
This setup works well for date nights and celebrations. Birthday dinners and weekend afternoon get-togethers seem like a natural fit too.
One small piece of advice is to charge your phone before heading out. Between the moon, the beams, and the plating, you’ll probably want a few photos.
Just remember to put it down once the food lands. That mole won’t wait forever.
Finding Your Way To The Riverside Neighborhood
Getting here is easier than pronouncing every ingredient in the mole. Azul Restaurant sits inside the Print House at 120 River St, Hackensack, NJ 07601.
The location puts you about a block from the Hackensack River walk. That makes a short stroll before or after dinner a very tempting idea.
Hackensack is the county seat of Bergen County, New Jersey. It’s an easy trip for folks coming from nearby towns like Bogota, Teaneck, and River Edge.
River Street has been changing as old industrial buildings get new lives. The Print House is a great example of that fresh energy along the waterfront.
A riverside walk also pairs nicely with a big meal. After a sixteen-ounce steak, a little fresh air might feel like a smart move.
Hours can shift, so double-check before you head out. Weekday service typically starts in the late afternoon, with earlier openings later in the week.
Azul is open daily, with service from 4 PM to 11 PM Monday through Friday and from 2 PM to midnight on weekends.
Plan a little, and the trip feels effortless. Your appetite will thank you.
Book A Table Or Just Show Up Hungry
Spontaneous dinner plans? Good news, because Azul welcomes walk-ins.
That’s handy on nights when a craving for birria hits out of nowhere. Sometimes the best meals are the ones you didn’t plan.
Prefer a sure thing instead? You can reserve a table online for parties of up to eight guests.
Bigger groups should call the restaurant directly. Same-day bookings also go smoothly with a quick phone call.
Booking ahead makes sense for special occasions. Birthdays, anniversaries, and family get-togethers feel calmer when your table is already waiting.
Families with kids should feel at home here too. The team clearly aims to make every guest comfortable, whatever their age.
A friendly extra is the chips and salsa that come out at the start. The habanero sauce is there for anyone who likes things fiery.
Pair that with a menu full of regional recipes, and your evening sorts itself out. All you really need to decide is what to order first.
After thirty years of cooking, Chef Campos has built a New Jersey spot worth a reservation. Or a happy, last-minute walk-in, if that’s more your style.
