You’ve probably heard about the new restaurant, Tacos + Tequila, which just arrived onto the Savannah dining scene. Melody Rodriguez of the Tequila’s Town family was kind enough to give us some insider information as to what to expect of their latest venture at 1611 Habersham Street. The team behind Tacos + Tequila are successful contributors to our Savannah community and the perfect fit for Scout’s Local Flavor. I can’t wait to try a tlaydua and an aguachile!

What made you decide to open the new restaurant and what drew you to the location?

It was an opportunity the Ortiz family was not looking for, honestly. We were excited about going into Pooler two years ago and delays in the shopping center delivery led us to invest in Jacksonville, because an opportunity became available and the location and price was right! The same thing happened at the beginning of this year, The Gaslight Group decided not to re-open Blowin’ Smoke and the opportunity became available and we seized it! It’s beautiful how life brings you surprises. We always wanted to do this concept, a casual taqueria with a good Tequila Bar, and now we have it plus the bonus of hosting this concept in an indoor/outdoor setting. It’s amazing!

What do you love about Savannah?

We are Savannahnians and have been here for 25+ years. We are part of this community and love our friends and supporters. It’s a place filled with diversity, good hardworking people, a growing creative force and lots of foodies. We love that Savannah is willing to try new things even if it’s nestled in an era gone by.

What is your favorite menu item at Tacos + Tequila and why?

All the new tacos! We want to introduce more seafood and meat tacos, yummy homemade salsas with a kick and a few small bites like tlayudas and shrimp aguachile.

Are you serving the same margaritas from the original location that everyone loves? Same tequilas?

Yes! Our signature drinks will be on the bar list. It will be a fun “arm-length” tequila list with lots of new agave cocktails.

What sets the new location apart? What sort of vibe should we expect?

A chill, laid back and casual vibe for sure! We are going after a Mexican casual dining experience that is clean, on point and priced right.

If someone were looking to put in the perfect order, what would you suggest?

I would start with a GUAVA-RITA ( $9 Luna azul tequila, guava paste, guava nectar nectar, agave nectar, lime juice and chile salt, served on the rocks.)
Then order an Aguachile shrimp in salsa verde for an appetizer or some crispy Tacos Dorados with potato and cheese. Follow a starter with a few tacos in Lamb Barbacoa, Oysters and Vegan chorizo? Meat eaters can go for a traditional carnitas or Carne Asada taco. And how about ending that meal with some good Arroz con Leche (rice pudding) made vegan-style with almond and coconut milks?

If you could spend one night in Savannah…what would you do?

I would start the day with breakfast at Le Cafe Gourmet or The Paris Market, take a historic walking tour of downtown. Hit local shops and galleries for shopping, and have late lunch or early dinner, and unwind with us! Great Tacos+Tequila at 1611 Habersham Street. Away from the hussle and bussle of downtown.

After this interview, the hubby and I couldn’t wait to do a lunch date at Tacos + Tequila and chose Sunday afternoon. We placed the perfect order as suggested above by Melody. I just want to say how much fun this was getting items that we would not normally order and tasting all the different flavor profiles. Guys, this is a fantastic date night idea with tips from the inside.  We loved it all, but whatever you do, do not miss out on the Aguachile Shrimp and the Guavarita.