Mexican-fusion restaurant slated to open at old Barnacle Bill’s
The old barnacle bills. Photo by Brandy Muz
The old barnacle bills. Photo by Brandy Muz
A Mexican-fusion restaurant Jefes Masa Cantina to move to East Wareham.
The restaurant will open up at 3126 Cranberry Highway in a building previously occupied by Barnacle Bill’s Seafood, which closed in 2024 after its liquor license was seized by the state.
Turning the tide from seafood to Mexican-fusion cuisine, Jefes specializes in handmade tortillas and has a scratch kitchen, restaurant owner Michael Grant Jr. said at the Tuesday, May 19 Select Board meeting.
The restaurant, currently known as Jefes: A Betta Bar & Grille, operates on Court Street in Plymouth and has been there for seven years. According to Grant, the restaurant’s lease is expiring and it's looking for “greener pastures.”
Grant, who owns property in Wareham and was familiar with the old Barnacle Bill’s, said that there’s not anything like Jefes on Cranberry Highway right now.
“I think that we’ll fit in and bring our own flair to the community,” he said.
Jefes is set to bring more than simply Mexican food to town.
“A lot of people refer to us as a Mexican restaurant, but we’re more a Mexican fusion,” Grant said.
Grant said the food at Jefes reflects the multi-diverse background of his family, including Creole, Portuguese and West Indian influence in the restaurant’s food. Beyond the influence of family on the menu, Jefe’s is also family-run.
“My dad is in there every Sunday cleaning floors and I’m in there every day operating it and my mom’s talking to people at Shaw’s promoting the restaurant,” Grant said.
Select Board members, like Sarah Corbitt, thanked the Grants for bringing their restaurant to Wareham.
“I love Mexican food,” Corbitt said. “I’m looking forward to dining at your establishment.”
In April, Jefes announced in a Facebook post that it would move to Wareham, but continue operating in Plymouth through June. Grant did not have a specific opening date for the restaurant’s Cranberry Highway location, but said that they are preparing to open “as soon as possible.”
