Popular New York restaurant Mexicue will open a D.C. outpost in Northwest.
The District location will be in a space formerly home to another New York restaurant that also tried a D.C. location: the short-lived The Meatball Shop, at 1720 14th St. NW.
Mexicue will open its 14th Street location in the 2,400-square-foot space in late October, with seating for about 120. The company said it will staff its D.C. location with about 40 employees.
Mexicue currently has four locations in Manhattan and another in Stamford, Connecticut.
The restaurant got its start as a food truck on Manhattan streets in 2010. The first brick-and-mortar location opened in 2011.
Mexicue comes from restaurant veteran Thomas Kelly, who also founded The Chili Lab, which produces products that showcase the diverse flavors of chili peppers from around the world.
Like the name implies, Mexicue blends Tex-Mex-inspired food with barbecue techniques, and smokes, braises, chars and pickles its own menu items, fresh daily.
Menu highlights include pulled pork tacos with creamy chipotle and corn salsa, tostadas topped with tuna ceviche and cashew vinaigrette, and Quesarritos, grilled tortillas stuffed with melted cheese and fillings like smoked chicken.
Like its New York locations, the 14th Street Mexicue will also have strong bar program.
The Meatball Shop, which opened its 14th Street location in October 2018, lasted less than a year, closing in September. Its owners told Eater DC challenges beyond their control led to the closing, but hinted they may open another D.C. location in the future.
The Meatball shop has six locations in New York City.
The 14th Street space has seen its share of turnover.
The Meatball Shop replaced the original location of Cork’s first wine bar, which consolidated its business to its market across the street.
