RIGA - For those looking to add a little spice to their diet, and break away from the standard boiled potato with dill and fried pork chop routine, there is now another spot in Riga's Old Town that's happy to help. The ever-popular Tequila Boom has opened a new restaurant, and they are using the opportunity to implement ideas that were not possible in their cramped old location.
"The new location is more like a big restaurant. We want to introduce a little more sophistication with a bigger kitchen and a smoking area," Irita Stone, manager of the new restaurant, told The Baltic Times.
Customers will see the difference immediately upon walking in. While the brightly painted walls and Mexican decorations are still there, the new location 's which was a strip club a few short months ago 's is much more open. It has just one large room and a patio in the same sized area that the old restaurant used for five separate rooms packed with small tables.
The back patio features outdoor seating and a smoking section. Additionally, the restaurant plans to open a downstairs area that offers another possibility that the old location never had: live music and an area for dancing.
"In a few months there will be a DJ playing salsa or some Mexican music. After that, on the first weekend of every month there will be a theme party with music to go along," Stone said.
Nevertheless, the music and dancing are simply interesting side projects. The main appeal of Tequila Boom is the food and drink. The menu offers a variety of Mexican dishes, including burritos, tacos and nachos. At four to six lats (5.50 's 8.50 euros) for a main dish and two to three lats for an appetizer or salad, the restaurant is still cheap enough to appeal to students and the miserly.
Not feeling very adventurous during my visit there, I ordered a simple hamburger and fries, but was still pleasantly surprised. The hamburger was served on warm ciabatta bread and tasted far better than any other burger I've tried anywhere else in town. The fries were served with a sunflower seed dip that, while not particularly spicy, still tasted distinctly Mexican.
For those feeling a little more adventurous, the restaurant lives up to its name by offering 30 different kinds of tequila, ranging in price from two to 12 lats for a shot. A special deal running until June 24 offers anyone who buys two meters (24 shots) of sauza silver or gold a third meter for just one santim. This works out to 36 shots for 20 lats, which, for large groups, is certainly one of the best deals in Old Town.
With its owner traveling to Mexico every year to bring back ideas and decorations, this restaurant promises to stay authentic. And while the weather in Riga may not be as hot as in Tijuana, it is still hot enough to make sipping a frozen margarita on the outdoor patio something to look forward to.
Tequila Boom
Marstalu street 6
Open 11 a.m.- 2 a.m.;
Sunday noon - 1 a.m.
