BUSINESS PROFILE
Camino Real Combining Mexican-inspired cuisine with California love
W By Allie Castro
Photos by Rodney Thornburg
When people first walk into Alejandro Ocampo’s restaurant and meet him, they’re shocked to hear they’re speaking to the owner of Camino Real. At the time of the restaurant’s opening in May 2008, Ocampo was barely 25 years old. It’s no surprise that people are amazed by his accomplishment since it’s not often that someone so young can maintain a thriving restaurant and bar, especially in the middle of a recession. But Ocampo is up to the task. After working for several years in local Mexican restaurants, Ocampo gained enough confidence to begin formulating his own idea for a restaurant that serves Mexican food with a twist. Once Ocampo had an idea of the direction he wanted to go, he felt it was the right time to put his plan to action. “I had built up a good clientele as far as people who knew my name and knew what I was doing, so I pitched idea to my parents and thankfully they agreed,” Ocampo said. His vision became the restaurant’s motto: “Mexican-inspired dishes with California love.” Ocampo said the motto “summarizes who we are: me, my brothers and my sisters, and I think a lot of Latinos or Mexican-born people identify with (the motto).” 84
Bakersfield Life
June 2011
Alejandro Ocampo shows off some of his favorite dishes from his family-owned business.
“I think what’s most important is that when we came into the restaurant we did it as a family.”
Camino Real is all about taking inspiration from Mexican food and culture and adding American twists, and of course his signature “California love” to the mix. This results in a unique menu, featuring the orange chicken burrito, fettuccini alfredo with pepper jack and jalapeno cream sauce and the Bako cheesesteak — tri tip, bell peppers and provolone on a French roll. But the epitome of Camino Alejandro Ocampo Real’s motto can be found in its original recipe for a Mexican pizza. Ocampo said, “It’s an actual pizza crust, and we use the salsa we use with our chips for sauce. The flavor is very different, and it embraces the Mexican-California love, with chorizo, bacon, jalapenos and three different types of cheeses.” Continued on page 86