Two Crazy Guys from New Jersey: Darryl Ciarlante and Joe Zuber
It was New Year’s Eve, 1987. The champagne was flowing, and mutual friends decided that their buddies Darryl Ciarlante and Joe Zuber might just hit it off. In spite of the champagne, however, sparks did not fly. A few weeks later, the two guys met again and eventually arranged a date. But Joe still wasn’t quite sure, so he secretly paid a friend to accompany him (as date insurance) and stage a fake emergency if/when Joe said the secret word. The secret word was never uttered, and the chaperone was sent home.
If Joe wasn’t sure at that point, he certainly didn’t show it. He was a smoker, and as they were out driving one day, he confided to Darryl that he needed a good reason to quit. Darryl looked at him with that cute smile and said, “Aren’t I reason enough?” Joe got it. He systematically threw his entire carton of cigarettes—pack by pack—out of the car window. He never lit up again. (Now is that sweet, or what!?)
That was twenty-four years ago. The Rehoboth Beach residents and celebrated restaurateurs have been together ever since.
Joe Zuber was born in Cedar Brook, New Jersey. In high school, he already knew what he wanted to do, and graduated directly into vocational school to learn the culinary arts. He landed a job in food service at a local hospital, but after two years realized he liked front-of-house (where the customers sit) better than back-of-house (where the cooks cook). So he returned to school for Food Service Management, eventually becoming the manager of a swanky assisted living community known for its gourmet kitchen.
This was around the time he met Darryl, and revealed his dream of opening his own restaurant. Darryl pitched in and they opened a diner in Hammonton, New Jersey. The eatery was next to a busy train station, and Joe’s retro ‘50s concept was sure to be a hit. But a week after they opened, the town decided to move the train depot to another location. The station—and now Joe and Darryl’s diner—were on the wrong side of the tracks. The restaurant barely lasted a year.
Joe sold everything and moved back with his parents, but describes the ordeal as “the best worst learning experience I’ve ever had.” He returned to food service management, and the two men moved in together. Joe quickly moved up the corporate ladder, securing a position with an international food service corporation.
Young Darryl also went from high school directly into vocational training, but his expertise was in design, carpentry, and woodworking. He landed a job with a large company that created and assembled exhibits for museums. It was during his 13 years with the design firm that he met Joe.
Specialized design companies work on their clients’ timetables, and Darryl would often find himself laid off for periods of time. He took advantage of those free days by attending bartending school and working part-time in local restaurants. That experience would certainly pay off in just a few years.
This was that period in time when nasty medical waste was washing up onto the New Jersey beaches, and friends suggested that the men try vacationing in Rehoboth Beach. They looked at one another and said, “Rehoboth Beach? What’s that?” They quickly fell in love with the community and loved to hang out on Baltimore Avenue at Dos Locos, a popular Mexican carryout owned by two local women. After five years of success, the women opened a second place on First Street called Plumb Loco.
Darryl and Joe knew they wanted a change, and debated what to do with their New Jersey home. They even fantasized about opening a bed and breakfast. One night at Plumb Loco, over beers and burritos, they spotted a wrinkled sheet of paper taped to the window. “For Sale” was scrawled across the page.
This time the sparks did fly. They sold everything, bought the place, and eventually moved to Rehoboth full time. The women had since closed the Baltimore Ave. location, so it only seemed right that they return the restaurant to its original name of Dos Locos. The name means “two crazy guys.” Indeed, when Darryl decided to change his “look” before the July 4th rush of their first year, Joe, armed with razor and shaving cream, was happy to oblige. Darryl’s shiny head has been reflecting those Corona neons ever since.
Two-hour waits at an eatery can be good news and bad news, and the guys eventually moved to a larger space at 10 Wilmington Ave., on the heels of the exiting Manos restaurant. After four years, they spied the old Abizak’s spot on Rehoboth Avenue, and the new Dos Locos opened on May 24th, 2007.
After almost a quarter-century together, Joe Zuber and Darryl Ciarlante officially tied the knot last September, right in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. As they recover from their 19th season here in Rehoboth Beach, the summer crush of customers in front of Dos Locos can only mean that these two crazy guys are doing something right.
Bob Yesbek is a Rehoboth Beach resident. Contact Bob Yesbeck