Tacos A Go Go Goes Margarita Wild With New Heights and Memorial Restaurants Thanks To a Cocktail King Partnership

It’s been 20 years since the tall, lithe restaurateur Sharon Haynes launched her cheekily named Tex-Mex restaurant chain Tacos A Go Go in Houston’s Midtown neighborhood, next to the Continental Club. It all centered around mixing the energy of Mexican street culture with the rockabilly block’s cool music vibe.

Now Haynes and her chef/partner Maribel Gomez’s have ambitiously opened two new Tacos A Go Go restaurants, the fifth and sixth ones.

While shuttering their former Heights location, Haynes and company put down stakes on a new Tacos A Go Go there at 1102 Yale Street. Across Houston, she’s introduced a whole new clientele to her street tacos and retro look at the new 2231 South Voss spot, each designed by John Tsai of JT ARC Studio, with interiors by Brittany Vaughan of Garnish Designs.

Diving Into the World Of Creative Cocktails

Unlike the other Tacos A Go Gos, these two new restaurants feature a full bar with specialty cocktails created by none other than James Beard Award Finalist Bobby Heugel of Anvil Bar and Refuge, Better Luck Tomorrow and Donna’s fame. Haynes and Heugel go way back, back to the day in fact when the Tacos A Go Go regular made plans to open his very first bar Anvil sitting at one of her restaurant tables.

“I have a friend who talked about this place she’d go just for the margaritas and I thought, I want to be that place for people,” Haynes says of adding drinks. Of course, with Heugel along with his colleagues Máté Hartai and Tyler Wang designing the pours behind the bar these new Tacos A Go Go restaurants could be that and more.

Speaking of a margarita, (each costs $10), you can have one six different ways from a marg spiked with mezcal, a blend infused with three piquant peppers, a strawberry and basil tincture, as well as a tropical one with guava and damiana, the latter a wild shrub grown in South and Central America reputed to have aphrodisiac qualities. And did we mention the Weird margarita shaken with a house made pico de gallo syrup? Yup it’s on two new Taco A Go Go restaurant menus too.

Mexican cocktails ($12 each) include classics with a twist like ranch water go go style made with the deep red Mexican drink, jamaica, created with dried hibiscus flowers and herbs. There is also an espresso martini made with vodka, a shot of espresso and coffee liqueur. But for more depth, they’ve cleverly added the warmth of mole spices.

I tried the Lucha Lover cocktail and can rave about the combination of mezcal with pomegranate and orange juices, which finishes with a spicy bite courtesy of ginger root and the heat of guajillo peppers. Teetotalers note, don’t miss the mocktail. This tamarind Paloma mixed with grapefruit soda, tamarind, lime and salt will make sure you never miss a traditional shot of tequila.

“Launching a full bar felt like the natural evolution of Tacos A Go Go,” Haynes says. “We’re known for fresh, authentic flavors and our bold, fun new cocktails and designated bar area are totally in line with that thinking.

“Working with Bobby meant we could bring that same care and thought to the bar, offering excellent cocktails with fresh-squeezed juices and perfectly matched spirits.”

The new Tacos A Go Go in The Heights is located at 1102 Yale Street. It is open from 7 am to 10 pm. The new Tacos A Go Go in the Briargrove/Memorial area is located at 2231 S. Voss Road.