Favored Dallas Mexican restaurateur opens new spinoff of his Knox spot

Beloved Dallas restaurateur Mico Rodriguez is about to open a new Mexican restaurant: It's a second location of Doce Mesas, his upscale Mexican eatery at 4444 McKinney Ave., and it'll open at The Hill, the development at the northeast corner of US75 and Walnut Hill Lane.

Specifically, it's at 9810 N. Central Expy. #600, the space that was once home to BBQ restaurant Red Hot & Blue.

Rodriguez says that they're planning to open by the end of the month. "We hope to open the last week of July," he says.

Mico still maintains a devout following as the co-founder of Mi Cocina, Dallas' best-known Mexican restaurant chain, which he left in 2010.

He went on to cofound his next concept, called Mr. Mesero, opening the first location on McKinney Avenue in 2011. That location served as a template for the Mesero chain, which currently has seven locations across DFW.

In 2017, Rodriguez parted ways with Mesero Restaurant Group following a lawsuit. He kept the original on McKinney Avenue, while Mesero Restaurant Group got the rest. He changed the name of his location to Doce Mesas, which translates into "12 tables," in 2018.

"I started out with 12 tables back in 1991," Rodriguez says. "And then it was 12 tables again in 2011 when I opened Mr. Mesero. It's my history. That's what Doce Mesas means to me."

Doce Mesas' menu is primarily Mexican food, but also includes other dishes such as roast chicken, and a cool Romaine salad with avocado and hearts of palm. He's currently offering a fried chicken sandwich to capitalize on the hot trend, which he makes with chicken thighs and bread & butter pickles.

There are tacos, enchiladas, and combination plates, but all done with unexpected and upscale twists. Nachos come topped with carne asada, black beans, and avocado; queso has white cheddar cheese, charred poblano, and spinach, like a clever cross between queso and spinach dip. There's also ceviche and a chicken pozole soup.

The bar has beer, wine by the glass, cocktails, and half a dozen margaritas including a unique frozen featuring three layers: mango, strawberry, and sangria swirl.

Red Hot & Blue closed in January 2019, re-opening as HQ Prime Beer Garden which subsequently closed the same year.

Rodriguez says he'd been working on opening a spinoff a little more north of Uptown. The Hill is convenient to neighborhoods loaded with Mico fans including Preston Hollow, Lake Highlands, east Dallas, and parts north. That particular address also has prime positioning, facing out with good visibility from US75.