Ticket Editor: Popular Florida restaurant sets opening date for first Sarasota location
Perhaps you've noticed lots of lists about my favorite local restaurants. Lately, you might have seen my piece on the best restaurants on Anna Maria Island. Before that, I shared my picks for best restaurants for pizza in Sarasota and Bradenton. And ahead of Valentine's Day, there was my story about the most romantic restaurants from Venice to Anna Maria. Today, though, let’s focus on an exciting new restaurant set to debut next month.
New York native Rocco Mangel opened his first Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar on Clematis Street in West Palm Beach in 2007. Multiple locations of the vibrant Mexican restaurant followed throughout South and Central Florida as well as a homecoming opening in Brooklyn. In 2021, Mangel and his Big Time Restaurant Group signed a lease with Benderson Development Co. at 243 N. Cattlemen Road in Sarasota's flourishing University Town Center shopping, dining and entertainment district. Now, that first Rocco's Sarasota location is set to open Monday, March 6.
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Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar's University Town Center will feature an open-air dining room and bar
It's a prime spot overlooking the roundabout in UTC, where many of us admire the Christmas tree and holiday lights in December. In fact, I noted construction crews working into the evening at Rocco’s while dining nearby at JPan’s Sushi & Grill and Rusty Bucket during the holidays. Other restaurants within walking distance include Selva Grill, California Pizza Kitchen, Shake Shack, and Ford’s Garage, which is among my favorite places in Sarasota-Manatee for a gourmet burger and quality beer pairing.
Then there’s the actual Mall at University Town Center, with restaurants such as Sophie's at Saks Fifth Avenue, Brio Italian Grille, Seasons 52, and The Capital Grille, which is among the region’s top steakhouses. Oh, and let’s not forget about PopStroke, the luxe mini golf spot that also serves a full food menu and Fat Point Brewing, which should be opening soon with a kitchen providing cuisine to go with its craft beer selections.
So many dining and drinking choices in the UTC area, but I really don't think Rocco’s will have a problem drawing a crowd. The 4,000-square-foot space features an open-air dining room and bar, where the energetic setting will feature upbeat music and popular dining and drinking attractions such as happy hour, over 300 varieties of tequila, Taco Tuesday, and all-you-can-drink brunch on the weekends.
“These are the next steps in building Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar into a nationwide brand,” said Mangel in a statement. “I have built the restaurant with quality and care, and I look forward to continuing the journey in Sarasota. Success in new markets will be key to building further excitement and momentum, while gaining on our objective to open Rocco’s Tacos throughout the continental Southeast.”
The press release also notes that the Sarasota location’s dining room “fuses the restaurant’s signature vibrant atmosphere with elements that can be found on the urban yet elevated streets of Mexico City, along with custom artwork on the building’s facade done by world famous street artist, Saner of Mexico City,” with a design by Saladino Design Studios. The private dining space, inspired by Frida Kahlo, “will include a floating dried rose chandelier, textured patterns to replicate Frida’s fashionable dresses and elevated lacquered walls.”
'The tableside guac is addictive' at Rocco's
My colleague and occasional collaborator Liz Balmaseda, the restaurant critic at our USA Today Network sister publication The Palm Beach Post who previously won two Pulitzer Prizes, is also a fan of Rocco’s. “There’s always a fiesta in this lively Mexican eatery, where the décor seems plucked from Merida and the tableside guac is addictive,” she wrote last year. “And if it’s Tuesday, it’s Taco and Tequila Tuesday all day at Rocco’s,” which for Sarasota will mean $27.99 endless tacos, $5 Mexican beers, $7 margaritas.
Yeah, I'm definitely going to be visiting Rocco's for the tableside guac, the tacos (on Tuesday or any day) and perhaps a sip or two of some top-shelf tequila. Liz also tells me they serve a nice brunch, which I'll have to try. And that reminds me, I probably should start working on a "best restaurants for brunch" list!
Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar, 243 N. Cattlemen Road, Sarasota, will be open daily for lunch, dinner, happy hour and weekend brunch starting March 6. Hours of operation are Monday 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Tuesday 11:30 a.m.-midnight, Wednesday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Friday 11:30 a.m.-midnight, Saturday 11 a.m.-midnight, Sunday 11 a.m.-11 p.m. For more information, visit roccostacos.com.
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Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida-Georgia Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He can be reached by email at [email protected]. Support local journalism by subscribing.??????
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar opening Sarasota UTC restaurant on March 6
