WACO, Texas — A hot spot has made it's way to Waco. Imagine a hip Mexican restaurant with a mezcal focused bar and a modern twist. Can you picture it?
Well, Maria Mezcaleria is bringing a taste of Mexico right to the city.
"I knew there was a demand for it because there's not many places that have mezcal here," Vanessa Rodriguez, co-owner of Maria Mezcaleria, said. "My husband and I were talking about it and we feel like Waco needs a place that has a variety of mezcal."
The aromas of the Mexican cuisine take over as you walk through the doors of Maria Mezcalaria. It's a new space with a unique specialty.
"We are already known for our food because a lot of people like it, but we wanted to focus on the bar side and our drinks," Rodriguez said. "All of our drinks are made with mezcal. They're basically margaritas but with mezcal. We call them mezcalitas."
Born and raised in Mexico, the husband and wife duo felt a new restaurant was the perfect way to bring their culture to the city of Waco.
"We do something different here. We have tlyudas, cochinita. We try to focus on food from Oaxaca," Pedro Leon, Vanessa's husband and co-owner, said. "Most of the mezcal is from Oaxaca. And Oaxaca is my favorite state in Mexico."
Vanessa and Pedro have now brought that taste to the city, with their own two hands.
"If we're not busy I'm usually behind the bar just helping out," Rodriguez said. "Or, I'll be be in the kitchen. Actually before you came, I was cooking."
After opening Hecho en Waco just a few streets over, Pedro Leon was ready for something fresh. Because, tacos and nachos? Well, he'd been there and done that.
"I'm kind of tired of selling crispy tacos," Leon said. "So, we don't have crispy tacos here. We have something different."
They have something different in a new, hip location.
"I love the location because all of the tourists. It's the hot spot over here," Leon said. "I love Waco. And most of the visitors are in this area."
Maria Mezcaleria is a hot spot that just got hotter.
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