Barseo (formerly Daiquiri Lounge)

[Pete]

New sign in the window says Under New Management:

[soonerguru]

New sign in the window says Under New Management:

The last time I visited, in August, it was already under new management, and sadly not as good. Maybe it's under new new management, and will now be better than the old new management.

[bchris02]

This place needs to get it together or it won't last. I think it already may be too late unless they try a serious rebranding.

[SEMIweather]

This place needs to get it together or it won't last. I think it already may be too late unless they try a serious rebranding.

The quality of the new "Mexican Restaurant" stenciling certainly doesn't lend much room for optimism, but this place is within walking distance of me so I will probably give them another chance once they reopen. Honestly I thought the food was pretty good (besides the free complementary salsa which I did not enjoy), the problem with this place for me has always been the lack of good service. I'm not as big a stickler on service level as some but it has been noticeably poor the few times I've eaten here before.

[SEMIweather]

Also, from what I can tell, another big problem for this place (and The Root) is the lack of parking. There is some additional parking available across the street for now, but it's not obvious and will also be going away once the Rooster reopens sometime in 2019. There are no pedestrian-friendly options for walking over from the main Paseo area or the surrounding neighborhoods either, due to the lack of sidewalks on Walker.

[SEMIweather]

Looks like this place may be rebranding as "The Mayan", if the new mural is any indication.

[Pete]

As of two weeks ago, officially open as Mayan.

It's completely new ownership although the interior looks the same. They said the menu was similar but they had pared down the # of items and added a few more taco options. They have applied for a full liquor license and are open 11A-11P every day.

I had the quesadillas with pastor. Really good and flavorful and the larger red sauce had a nice bite. I look forward to trying more.

https://www.facebook.com/themayanokc...WasrCSoSZBcMi6

[Thomas Vu]

From Bottom right counter clockwise
Carnitas
Pastor
Asada
Cochinita Pibull
Barbacoa
Chorizo

I've been here two times, and really enjoyed them both. They have weekly specials that I believe are the following
Tuesdays - All tacos (except Shrimp) are 2.50
Wednesday - $8 burritos
Thursday - BOGO pastor tacos

[Pete]

From the Gazette:

Mayan tacos
The Mayan Taqueria & Cantina lives up to its top billing status on Yelp.
BY JACOB THREADGILL


Al pastor, nopales and shrimp tacos at The Mayan Taqueria & Cantina - JACOB THREADGILL


The Mayan Taqueria & Cantina
3020 N. Walker Ave., Suite A

What works:Each taco gets its own treatment, and honey with shrimp works well.
What needs work:The chicken in the enchilada was a little dry.
Tip:Be on the lookout for new cocktails in early 2020.

In late October, Yelp released its ranking of top 50 restaurants in the Oklahoma City metro, taking into account both the total number of reviews on the social media app, and overall rating and health scores.

The same month it celebrated its one-year anniversary, The Mayan Taqueria & Cantina, 3020 N. Walker Ave., Suite A, also celebrated reaching the No. 1 overall spot on Yelp’s ranked list of local restaurants.

“We really care about our customers and want anyone who comes in here to enjoy authentic Mexican food and find comfort in the flavors,” said Mayan owner Tania Perez. “We’ll take care of them from the time they come in until they leave. We take pride in making sure everyone is OK. If the food is good but the service is bad, people won’t come back.”

Perez and her husband Ulysses took the experience they got turning tickets while running the Taco Box food truck on SW 59th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue and applied to the restaurant that formerly served The Paseo Arts District as El Fogoncito.

Perez, who has a background in finance, has also worked in the restaurant industry. She worked for Heartland Financial, running payroll and credit card services for clients, which included El Fogoncito. The restaurant’s previous owner told her they wanted to sell, and originally Perez worked to find another owner.

“That night, I was going through my contacts, and my husband asked what I was doing. I told him I was looking for a buyer for one of my clients, and he asked which one, and I told him El Fogoncito. He said, ‘Why don’t we buy it?’ Hold on; I’m 8 months pregnant and he wants to buy a whole restaurant? We talked about it and said, ‘Hey, why not?’ We’re the kind of people that are like, ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ So we jumped in and bought the place.”

The couple made the decision to rebrand after El Fogoncito dealt with inconsistency under two different owners and focus the concept on a taco-centric menu that fits on a single page. They kept the restaurant’s main mural on the south wall but called in its artist Sergio “Tank” Ramirez to add some new murals to the bar and bathrooms.

“We wanted a name that would stick with people,” Perez said. “We want people to see Mayan and think tacos.”

The Mayan offers 11 types of taco, and every choice of filling gets a different treatment. Perez said they’re serving a higher level of taco than what they dished when they ran the Taco Box food truck, as prices run $2.75-$4 per taco.

Carnitas is paired with tomatillo salsa while the grilled chicken gets a topping of ranch. Asada is topped with avocado and pico de gallo while the barbacoa is garnished with the traditional cilantro, onions and radish. The menu also features burritos, flautas and a pair of enchilada preparations.

Perez said that al pastor, which is topped with fresh pineapple, is the most popular taco. It’s followed closely by conchita pibil, which is similar to al pastor in that they’re both marinated pork, but it has less heat and more citrus in the marinade.

“A lot of people think it’s going to be spicy, but once they order it, they come back for it,” Perez said.


Chicken enchiladas with a poblano and sour cream sauce - JACOB THREADGILL


I was intrigued when I saw The Mayan atop Yelp’s ranking. I covered El Fogoncito in the review section for Oklahoma Gazette in June 2018, and thought it had some hits and misses. My biggest memory of the meal was my disappointment around its signature appetizer, the queso fundido, in which the cheese cooled within minutes and became an inedible block within minutes after arriving at the table.

Perez said they heard similar complaints from customers, who thought they were the same ownership when they opened as The Mayan. The mixture of asada, al pastor and melted cheese remains on The Mayan menu—where Perez said it is the most popular appetizer—after they made a tweak to how the item arrives from the kitchen to the table.

“We took [the complaints] into consideration so that it doesn’t happen as it stays on the table,” she said. “It’s a timing thing; if you don’t time it right, the skillet gets cool too quickly.”

Next time I dine at The Mayan, I will definitely give the queso another shot. Before speaking with Perez, I kept it safe by starting the meal off with chips and guacamole, which hit the spot. For tacos, I ordered al pastor, nopales and shrimp. The al pastor is served on fresh corn tortillas and had some heat. The grilled shrimp is served over spinach with a little drizzle of honey, which complemented a nice dollop of bottled tomatillo salsa nicely. The nopales taco is the only vegetarian taco, and it’s piled high with the cactus strips that have a nice smoky flavor.

My wife ordered the enchiladas verde, which is chicken topped with a poblano and sour cream sauce. I’m so used to getting enchiladas with a tomatillo sauce that the poblano threw me for a moment, as the char from the peppers gave a depth to the sauce. I would’ve preferred the tortillas to be drenched in the sauce before rolled around the chicken, as the chicken was a little dry, but they were more than satisfactory.

For the cooler months, The Mayan is offering three soups: pozole, chicken and meatball. Perez said the bar is focused on Mexican beer, tequila and mescal and will roll out a Mexican-inspired cocktail menu in early 2020. Margaritas are only served on the rocks; nothing from a machine.

I think the overall rebrand of The Mayan has worked. It has benefitted from streamlining the menu, and the items are served fresh in a relaxed and friendly environment.

[John Knight]

The Mayan is just down the street from our house so we go there fairly often. I have gotten to know the Tania and Ulysses Perez from a business standpoint as well as personal. Their food and staff is on point. If you have not been there yet, you should give it a try. I wish them all the luck.

[Martin]

i absolutely love the poblano cream sauce on their chicken poblano burrito... since the place has changed hands, i've had a solid experience every time i've been.

[TheTravellers]

Been there once for an assortment of tacos and yeah, big improvement over El Fogoncito. Poblanos are good, might have to try that cream sauce/burrito out next time we go, thx for the tip.

[Martin]

well... i happened to have a meeting nearby and tried to go to lunch today and they were closed for maintenance. the sign said they'd be open for dinner, though.

[Thomas Vu]

They do taco tuesdays specials. I like them a lot.

[TheTravellers]

That didn’t last too long. Def miss the Mayan that was there before, so 2 business gone in the span of less than 4 years.

The Mayan was pretty good, as was the other taco place that was there before them (I believe it was before, can't remember the name), so it's actually 3 businesses gone.

[SEMIweather]

The Mayan was pretty good, as was the other taco place that was there before them (I believe it was before, can't remember the name), so it's actually 3 businesses gone.

El Fogoncito was the place that was there before The Mayan, I believe.

[HangryHippo]

El Fog was pretty damn good. Color me shocked the daquiri place closed.

[TheTravellers]

El Fogoncito was the place that was there before The Mayan, I believe.

Yes, that was it, and yes, they were really good, better than the Mayan, we thought.

[PhiAlpha]

Such a missed opportunity to close this stretch for pedestrian use only which would allow the restaurants to more add patio space. It has virtually no practical value for car traffic other than parking.

Yeah the parking is pretty valuable. There’s no reason to close the street off at this point, density doesn’t justify it. It would hurt businesses more than help them.

[Mesta Parker]

The Mayan may have been a victim of its own success. The tacos were great and we loved eating there, but the time it took to get your food was always a bit slow. As word spread and the Mayan got busier, the time to get your food slowed to the point where we stopped going. Not enough kitchen help?

[Timshel]

I must say, Barseo is a great name for a bar filling the Daiquiri lounge space. Hoping it comes with a real renovation to the space, but based on the timeline I'm guessing no.

"Coming late winter or early spring Barseo OKC from Blake Wilson and partners. A cocktail bar with excellent bar food . Rendering by Dinnes Studio that isn’t necessarily the final look. It will occupy the former Paseo Daiquiri Lounge space."

https://twitter.com/winerev/status/1...s9WWOigEFNOdgw

[Pete]

Very promising!

Dinnes studio does good work, so that's a good sign.

Thanks for posting this info.

[soonerguru]

I must say, Barseo is a great name for a bar filling the Daiquiri lounge space. Hoping it comes with a real renovation to the space, but based on the timeline I'm guessing no.

"Coming late winter or early spring Barseo OKC from Blake Wilson and partners. A cocktail bar with excellent bar food . Rendering by Dinnes Studio that isn’t necessarily the final look. It will occupy the former Paseo Daiquiri Lounge space."

https://twitter.com/winerev/status/1...s9WWOigEFNOdgw

Looks cozy. Hopefully the food and drinks are good and affordable.