Friday night's episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" will spotlight a Latin fusion restaurant in Point Pleasant, where host Guy Fieri paid a visit in the spring.
Heights 167, at 1314 Richmond Ave., will be featured on the show's "Wide World of Chefs" episode that airs tonight at 9 p.m. on Food Network. Fieri set out to meet "a new generation" of restaurant owners who have made names for themselves with homemade recipes.
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"He's very genuine. What you see on TV is exactly how he is," Eric Lucero, owner of Heights 167, said of Fieri. "Very personable. Humble. He gave words of advice and encouragement. The filming process was very authentic."
Lucero said his restaurant was inspired by the food where he grew up in Jackson Heights, a neighborhood of Queens in New York City. The community, sometimes called the "Land of 167 Languages," is known to have one of the most diverse populations in the country. Many of its restaurants make food from South America — especially cuisines from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Argentina — and from Asian countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Tibet.
"I wanted to reflect the diversity of the neighborhood," Lucero said ahead of the Food Network appearance.
Lucero was working at his brother's bar in Queens when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and forced the business to close. Lucero then moved to Point Pleasant, in northern Ocean County, to help his parents run their business, Dona Julia Mexican Restaurant. Initially, Lucero planned to help his parents retire and take over the restaurant. But the family owned a vacant storefront two doors down and Lucero was inspired to develop his own concept, despite the challenges and public health restrictions facing the industry at the time.
"I realized that the type of food I grew up eating in Jackson Heights, there wasn't anything like it in Point Pleasant," he said. "To be honest with you, I don't know how we survived. We have food that a lot of people weren't familiar with."
The initial concept Lucero opened was called Point Grill Latin Cuisine. He later rebranded to Heights 167 and completely revamped the menu.
"I ended up learning how to cook everything myself. I just practiced it. I asked my friends, their moms, my mom, basically how to work on these recipes," Lucero said.
The menu features a mix of Latin appetizers and dishes, from empanadas and birria egg rolls to Cuban sliders. Lucero said his most popular dishes are the Lomo Saltado — stir-fried steak with french fries, red onions, tomato and white rice — and his Peruvian shrimp marinated in green sauce and served with rice and beans. He also recommends the Picanha, a Brazilian style of tender steak served with fries.
"You usually have to go to a Brazilian steakhouse to enjoy that, but by the time you're there, they're feeding you so many different meats that you're too full," Lucero said.
Fieri's crew reached out to Heights 167 in April to pitch the idea of visiting for an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," which debuted in 2007 and is now in its 49th season. Fieri has operated several restaurants in Atlantic City over the years and has featured a number of New Jersey restaurants on his shows.
Heights 167 is a dine-in only restaurant with limited space. Lucero said he's been told to expect a bump in business after tonight's episode airs. He's already seen an influx of customers and hits on the restaurant's website since announcing the business will be featured.
"We're definitely excited for what's to come," Lucero said. "A lot of people say we're going to get busy and packed. I've been preparing staff to be able to handle it. I have a plan to make the most of it. If we stay consistent, then we'll only keep growing."
