Maybe I have a soft spot in my heart for the SoMa area because I live in the neighborhood, but it seems that no other area of the city is hitting its stride quite as well as the South side of Main street. With spots like South on Main, The Root, Loblolly, Core, Midtown, and even the resurgence of Community Bakery, it has this unique trendy, hip, neighborhood feel that is not found anywhere else.
The upcoming Dos Rocas Beer and Tacos at 1220 Main not only matches that vibe, but it also moves it forward a considerable step.
Dos Rocas is the brainchild of Jack and Corri Sundell from the Root Cafe down the street along with co-owners Cesar Bordón, Adelia Kittrell, and executive chef Luis Vasquez. The menu is very heavy with Latin American offerings, leaning heavily on Vasquez’s upbringing in Honduras and Bordón’s Paraguay roots. As always with the Sundell’s other location, The Root, they bring a strong focus of carefully sourced local ingredients.
“We have a few different types of Latin American spots in town. There are the Ark-Mex spots that are a unique twist on traditional Tex-Mex, there are very authentic places bringing a good reflection of the heritage of the region they focus on, and there are the hip modern places that take the spirit of Latin food and make it modern,” owner Jack Sundell explains. “We end up being a solid mix of the three styles. It brings something deeply familiar to the table while being completely new and different than anything else around.”
The food is going to be a wide variety of taco styles, Latin American entrees, and quality dips in queso, salsa, and guacamole. All carefully tested and crafted with local ingredients for a unique style.
The drink side of the restaurant is a direct reflection of the craft elements of the food. They are bringing in 15 taps featuring local craft beer (along with a Modello tap) from Rebel Kettle, Flyway, Ozark, Lost Forty, Diamond Bear, Core, Stone’s Throw, and even one from the very hard-to-find Prestonrose, which in my opinion makes the best beer in the state right now. Some of these will rotate around based on availability, but will always have a heavy local craft component. They also are looking to add other local and regional craft offerings in cans to round out the lineup.
The cocktail program will be just as carefully crafted. They are working strongly on a tequila, mezcal, and rum-heavy cocktail menu that will match the overall vibe of the place.
Speaking of vibe, the space nails the neighborhood taco bar vibe. You will find the eccentric mix of tables and chairs carried over from The Root’s style, various Latin American themed accents all around, and comfortable seating throughout. The space is not huge, but even then it never feels cramped thanks to good table placement.
The large windows up front help with the light flow, as does well-positioned lights throughout. A pool table back by the bar area helps break up the restaurant flow and gives room around the bar for folks to congregate if needed.
Still, seating will be fairly limited. I expect this place to be wildly popular, with tables at a premium especially early on. The owners did say there were long-term plans to possibly build a patio in a space behind the restaurant currently used as storage.
Assuming Dos Rocas nails the food side, and there is absolutely no indication they won’t given the team’s past success, it has all the potential to become the gem of South Main. Something that is a lofty prediction considering the quality already in the area. It captures the spirit of the area perfectly, adding to the quality of the neighborhood and taking nothing away. South Main is easily becoming the perfect destination area of the city where you can hit up multiple bars and restaurants and never have a bad pick.
Dos Rocas Beer and Tacos is planning to run private launches this week or next, with a public opening the last week of October or the first of November. Keep an eye here and on their Facebook page for exact dates as they become available.
