Photo by Rey Lopez
Update: The opening has been pushed to next week. Fingers crossed!
From a press release:
“Best known for bringing Tex-Mex to the nation’s capital, Guapos debuts its newest location at the Georgetown Waterfront on Monday, August 20th. The sleek and stylish restaurant, designed by renowned Georgetown architect and interior designer Ernesto Santalla, PLLC, captures the best of the US – Mexico border, two seemingly disparate yet surprisingly compatible cuisines, into a concept that includes both authentic dishes and inspired new favorites.
“Tex-Mex food is a regional cuisine filled with stories and has always been the perfect bridge between two cultures,” said Jorge Figueredo, Director of Operations of Guapos Restaurants, who spearheads this Georgetown project. “Washingtonians are passionate about food and this concept is definitely bringing something different and more groundbreaking than our other locations. We want to bring a concept where guests experience real Tex-Mex with a hint of Latin America, and this means a great variety of food and superb service.”
At the helm of the kitchen will be Executive Chef Nathan Breedlove, who will design a menu filled with traditional Tex-Mex dishes, along with redefined classics and unique items inspired by both cultures. Chef Breedlove is no stranger to Mexican cuisine and has ample experience in weaving cooking cultures together in kitchens such as ThinkFoodGroup’s award-winning restaurants Oyamel and Zaytinya, as well as Stephen Starr’s renowned French bistro, Le Diplomat.
Open for lunch, dinner, takeout, and late-night dining, Guapos of Georgetown’s menu will offer a variety of delectable classic and original dishes, such quintessential Carnitas (slow cooked pork, tomatillo sauce, diced white onions and cilantro leaves served on homemade tortillas); Carne Asada (steak served with tomatillo sauce, ranchera sauce, and grilled onions); Steak Fajitas (marinated skirt steak served on a sizzling platter over a bed of sautéed green peppers and Spanish onions). Chef Breedlove is adding an array of new salads and ceviches to the menu, including originals like an Amaranth Salad (roasted vegetables, mixed greens and amaranth with honey-sesame dressing); and Citrus Ceviche (Hamachi, lime and orange segments, diced habanero, red onion, mint, cilantro, radishes). Here, the Tex-Mex cuisine brings an amusing mix of elements from both regions, marrying flavors that culminate in creative new dishes that will range in price between $8.00 and $30.00
Guests will also appreciate authentic, handmade preparations as they watch fresh flour tortillas being prepared using an original tortilla press. They may choose to indulge in a myriad of tacos, including the stand-out Tacos de Cochinita (made with Yucatan-style pit barbeque pork), Tacos de Lengua (made with beef tongue, ancho chile, annatto, pickled onions and cilantro), Tacos de Hongos (made with mushrooms, macha, lime, epazote and lime), and many more. Tacos are $10 for 3.
The beverage menu complements both cultures as well, spanning a wide variety of tequilas, mezcals and Mexican beers. In developing cocktails for Guapos, the team was inspired by both cultures, from the Classic Guapos Margarita (a secret recipe the Rincon Family has kept for over 20 years) to the Paloma (housemade grapefruit soda, lime, tajín). Some of the innovative cocktails guests will appreciate on the menu include concoctions like the Amigo Magueyero (a bat-friendly mezcal made with Siembra Metl Mateo Cupreata, Ancho Reyes liquor, Aperol and Vermouth), and Mexican Gin and Tonic. Price for cocktails will range between $12 – $14.
A native of Colombia, Mr. Hector Rincón opened the first Guapos in the district 27 years ago on Wisconsin Avenue NW in Tenleytown. Guapos of Georgetown will be the ninth location in a neighborhood that nearly three decades ago seemed only but a fantasy to the Rincón family.
“Opening a Guapos in Georgetown was always my father’s dream,” said Raul Rincón, son of the late founder. “I am proud of how his hard work, love for hospitality and for Washington, is now being materialized in the location he always envisioned. My siblings and I will work hard to continue bringing amazing dining experiences, celebrating Mexican-American [and Latin-American] cuisines, and keeping the spirit of Guapos alive.”
Guapos of Georgetown is located at 3050 K St NW, Washington DC and will be open daily for lunch and dinner.”
formerly 3050 K Street, NW at the Waterfront