Next door to Blue Canoe Brewing Co., the taproom in downtown Little Rock is brewing up its next creation — a Mexican-inspired eatery one of its owners says will be an extension of the existing business.
In fact, menu items at Taco Beer Burrito, which opens Thursday during Cinco de Mayo, will incorporate the brewing company's beers into the tacos and burritos, co-owner Ida Cowan told an Arkansas Online reporter during a tour Monday.
"It's kind of like street trucks but indoors," she said of the food selection. "Our meat is going to be chuck roast, beef and chicken, and that's slow cooked for six to eight hours in our beers."
The menu will offer an eclectic selection of three tacos, four burritos, four salsas, a yellow cheese dip and two desserts, as well as four kinds of margaritas on tap, Cowan said.
Cowan said the salsas will be a traditional red, a spicier red, a tomatillo and a mango pico. Dessert options are set to include a key lime pie as well as slow-cooked plantains topped with ice cream from Little Rock-based Loblolly Creamery.
Gluten-free and vegetarian options are included in the menu.
Cowan stressed Taco Beer Burrito's emphasis on breaking away from the restaurant-chain mindset in favor of locally sourced ingredients and "funky, fresh" decor.
"Everything we do, we like to make it very unique. Local is super important to us," she said.
Inside, the bar top is made in part from reclaimed gym floor wood. Cowan said another portion of the bar that juts out is made from a 100-year-old wooden spool taken from a barn.
Taco Beer Burrito takes cues from Blue Canoe, with symbols of the brewery included in the restaurant's logo: a sugar skull that incorporates canoes, beer bottles, burritos and peppers.
The 1,500-square-foot restaurant's hours will be identical to the brewery: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays; 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; and 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays. Cowan said Taco Beer Burrito has later plans to open for lunch service.
Taco Beer Burrito will be able to seat up to 60 patrons, including spillover seating available at Blue Canoe.
The restaurant space at 419 E. 3rd St. was formerly occupied by Brown Sugar Bakeshop, which has since opened a pop-up location at 1701 S. University Ave. in Little Rock. Inside modifications have been ongoing at the taco shop since January, Cowan said.
More information about Taco Beer Burrito can be found by calling (501) 246-5315 or visiting the Blue Canoe Facebook page.
