Inwood Eatery Under Fire After Cops' Undercover Margarita Sting

INWOOD, NY — An Inwood taco spot is in danger of losing its liquor license after police and the State Liquor Authority used an undercover sting to catch the restaurant serving alcohol to minors.

Junior's Tacos on Sherman Avenue had its application to renew its liquor license rejected by Community Board 12 on Tuesday after police told board members that the restaurant had been caught serving alcohol to minors twice in the last year.

"Those are very serious charges," Licensing Committee Chair Isidro Medina told the board.

The vote came despite pushback from at least 11 board members who voted for the taco restaurant to keep its license, some of whom said the restaurant shouldn't be penalized for the actions of just a few employees.

Junior's Tacos said that the incidents were because "a couple employees mishandled alcohol" and have since been fired, according to the licensing committee minutes.

"We have to be cognizant of the fact that sometimes people make mistakes and it's not about being so punitive," board member Domingo Estevez said. "If there was an action related to whatever situation arose we should take that into consideration."

Medina told members who asked why the committee still recommended objecting to the license even after the restaurant fired the employees that they felt the owners hadn't taken the charges seriously.

"The owner himself didn't come to the meeting to address those concerns," Medina said, adding that owners had a representative come to the committee meeting instead. "We felt they should have made an effort and come to the meeting."

Junior's Tacos' representative did not answer a request for comment from Patch and a call to both the restaurant's phone number and that listed for the owners did not go through.

The eatery was first caught serving alcohol to minors in January 2019, according to police.

Cops used an undercover underage person and caught employees giving them a margarita, police said.

The precinct then teamed up with the State Liquor Authority in April for another sting operation and again caught the restaurant serving a margarita to an underage person who was undercover, police said.

Junior's Tacos has had $6,500 in fines from the liquor authority, who will have the final say on the renewal, since their last license was issued, records show.

The precinct also told board members that they were concerned about double parking in front of the restaurant and the amount of people that often congregate outside.

But some board members were still not convinced the eatery should lose its license.

"That report only sheds a small light on the actual operations of the business," board member Ariel Miranda, who lives above Junior's Tacos, contended after the vote. "They have been very active on my street, on my block for years and I don't think that sheds the best light on them. They should continue their operations and the opportunity to continue as a business in the community."