Taco Tuesday has a new local player. Blue Iguana Taco Bar & Tequila officially opened March 21 on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard, bringing modern Mexican flavors to the Capital Region.
Interesting art, entertainment options, and freshly made food and cocktail choices contribute to the rebranding of the Blue Iguana chain via the new Baton Rouge location. Blue Iguana has other restaurants in Lake Charles and Eunice, Louisiana, as well as Destin, Florida.
The new Baton Rouge spot was previously 225 Crab, but part-owner Alejandro Oseguera says the team wanted to try something new. He co-owns the restaurant with Jorge Oseguera and Ruben Chavez, who also owns El Paso Mexican Grill.
|
|
|
A focal point of the new Blue Iguana experience is certainly the visuals. Bold artwork on the walls depicts an iguana as Elvis Presley, an iguana perched on the moon and an incomplete iguana astronaut. Oseguera says artist Ricardo Barreiro Guzmán was essentially given creative freedom with the pieces. The team also updated the Blue Iguana logo to feature an iguana formed of small doodles.
“(It’s) simple but yet elegant, I feel,“ Oseguera says.
Rattan light fixtures, chunky decorative rope and a bright blue and white color scheme give the large space a tropical vibe, while patterned tile floor and wainscoting add Mexican-inspired elements.
Blue Iguana’s menu is composed of family recipes, according to Oseguera.
“I remember eating a torta and thinking, Man, this reminds me of when I was in Mexico. It was a great recipe, and we implemented that in our menu,” he says.
The birria section on the menu contains many of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, including birria tacos, birria quesadillas, birria burritos and birria tortas. Blue Iguana also serves a variety of chicken wings, burgers, fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, seafood and other items.
Part of the restaurant’s rebranding included “(centering) ourselves over the bar,” Oseguera says.
The Blue Iguana team worked to improve drink recipes and incorporate fun, new glassware into the mix. Glasses feature designs like parrots, iguanas and bananas to accompany the drinks.
One of the most popular cocktails is the Beso De Iguana, with mint, watermelon syrup, lemon juice, and a choice of tequila, mezcal, rum or vodka. The cocktail comes with a dramatic presentation featuring smoking dry ice and fresh fruit. Of course, margaritas and martinis are also on the menu, and beer and wine are available as well.
Bartender Leonardo Vigoritto doesn’t use margarita mix. Instead, he creates margaritas by hand with syrups, fruit and tequila for a fresher taste with less sugar.
“Our bartender, Mr. Leonardo, does fire shows Fridays and Saturdays. He spits fires,” Oseguera says. “He does it in the bar. It’s crazy.”
|
|
|
Additionally, diners can expect live music on the weekends and will be able to dance to salsa and jazz played by local bands. Oseguera says the restaurant is also planning to host live music and specials on May 5 for Cinco de Mayo.
Blue Iguana is at 5252 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd. It’s open Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., and Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Visit Blue Iguana’s website or Instagram for more information.