Mexicue, a New York-based fast casual Mexican restaurant chain, is expanding to downtown Bethesda. It currently has one other location in our region, on 14th Street NW in Washington, D.C. Mexicue's menu of tacos, burritos and bowls applies a liberal dash of American Southern influence to the food and cocktails. That means a lot of "charred" and smoky fillings, Nashville Hot Chicken tacos, a New Orleans-inspired burrito, and moonshine in the Moondance cocktail.
Mexicue will take over the space most recently home to Gusto Farm to Street at 4733 Elm Street. This is the biggest brand name to move into that space since South Korea's Kraze Burgers arrived to big buzz almost ten years ago.
The southern twist may help Mexicue in what will be a showdown of food-truck-grows-into-taco-chain brands from the Big Apple along Woodmont Avenue later this year. Tacombi, whose tacos New York magazine declared the city's "absolute best," is coming soon to 4749 Bethesda Avenue. Something tells me Mexicue founder Thomas Kelly may have a thing or two to say about that accolade - and that we'll all have a chance to decide for ourselves in the coming months.
Mexicue, Tacombi, and Fish Taco.... All are going to be within one block of each other. Wow. That competition will be fierce.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to it!
ReplyDeleteThat particular location seems to have a massive failure rate for anything that opens there. Hagen Daz, K-burger, Gusto, just to name a few. Did I forget any?
ReplyDeleteSeems like an interesting twist on a concept. But that space is multiple times failed which is never a good thing. What they have to factor in is walking customers only which won't be enough. There is very few places to put a car near that site.
ReplyDeleteAre you joking? There's a massive 750 space garage across the street? What more do you want?
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ReplyDeleteThere is a garage, true. It's not exactly across the street but down the block a bit. It takes time to get into that garage and park and often, it's packed on the lower levels. What's even more difficult, and I don't know how the other businesses have survived, is the never-ending road closure on that block of Elm. Unreal when you factor in all the Covid stuff. I think the place will be awesome but the site isn't the best