Tacos, Tequilia, Whiskey. This sign has been teasing those who walk by 1213 Vine Street for a few months. Well, the breaking news is good: Taco lovers, keep salivating. In only a couple of months, your patience will be rewarded.
Bakersfield, the anticipated OTR restaurant, has remained empty for the past few months, but construction is underway for a planned opening in early 2012. The same pair of Cincinnati-native brothers who own the
Currito burrito chain, John and Joe Lanni, own the new Mexican-themed restaurant.
“We are hoping to fill a void of Mexican food in OTR,” says co-owner Joe Lanni. “Maybe at a hair less of a price point than you’re seeing the other restaurants in the area. We are going to be squarely in the $10-14 range.” He wants to create a restaurant where people feel comfortable going two to three times a week, not only on special occasions.
With a menu based on Mexican street food, six or seven different kinds of tacos will be available for around $3 a piece. Some other sides and Mexican street fare will be available, along with a full bar and specialty craft cocktails. Though Lanni doesn’t want to divulge too much just yet, he assures us it is going to be a very special drink menu.
The inside of the restaurant will hold up to 55 people and be modeled after the Bakersfield, California theme. “All of the partners in the venture love the outlaw vibe of Bakersfield,” Lanni says. “Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, they were hell raisers -- the inside is going to mimic that with a rock-country, rebel attitude.”
Once fully operational, Lanni hopes to add 25 new jobs to the already growing OTR. Lanni is also proud to be from Cincinnati and excited to be a part of the rebirth of his home city.
“We found the right spot and pulled the trigger,” Lanni says. “We’re happy to be a part of the city and I think once we and a few more restaurants open, OTR will be the premier dining destination in Cincinnati.”
By Evan Wallis
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