For many years, Abimael Lagunes dreamed of opening his own restaurant that serves authentic Mexican dishes. Last month, that dream came true when he and his business partner, Roller Velasquez, launched Senor Mezcal Mexican Kitchen & Cantina.
Located at 4534 Washington Road, Suite 9 about a block past the Evans Walmart, Senor Mezcal offers a variety of Mexican favorites, including tacos and burritos. But diners can also find unique dishes that are popular in Mexico, such as costa shrimp tacos and al pastor, which refers to grilled, shaved pork.
“We wanted to offer something different from other Mexican restaurants,” Lagunes, who grew up in Southern Mexico, said.
The restaurant’s atmosphere is also different. Many of the walls feature murals painted by students from John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School.
Kayla Bowling, who recently visited the restaurant with her husband, Jordan, was impressed with its cuisine.
“The pastor tacos have the most flavor of any tacos I’ve ever had; they’re delicious,” Bowling said.
Senor Mezcal also has a full bar that serves made-from-scratch cocktails, such as margaritas, Pina Coladas, and Luces en Havana, which contain a variety of ingredients, including coconut rum and pineapple juice.
He and Velasquez, who also grew up in Mexico, worked at other Mexican restaurants together. They had a soft opening on April 11 and celebrated the grand opening the next day. Lagunes said they were initially nervous about how people would respond to their business.
“We have a lot of good responses from people in Columbia County,” he said. “We were packed on Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day.”
Lagunes said Senor Mezcal currently has a 4.9 Google rating. He and Velasquez love interacting with their customers.
“I enjoy providing good customer service,” Velasquez said.
Senor Mezcal is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, visit the restaurant’s Facebook page.