Twisted Root to reopen, along with new restaurant

By NEAL EMBRY

A new Mexican restaurant will open sometime this year in the Rocky Ridge area, accompanied by the reopening of Twisted Root Burger Company.

Local Favorite Restaurants have acquired the property and plan to open Taqueria La Ventana, an 11-year-old concept popular in Texas, adjacent to Twisted Root.

Nico Sanchez, who serves as the company’s executive chef, said Taqueria La Ventana will operate like a traditional Mexican taqueria, or taco bar. The restaurant focuses on traditional tacos with fresh, made-in-house corn tortillas, Sanchez said. There will be seven different proteins with a variety of toppings. Other menu items will include burritos, quesadillas and more, along with churros for dessert, he said.

There will also be a small bar menu that features margaritas, along with draft and bottled beer, Sanchez said. The restaurant will be counter-style, allowing customers to order their food and sit down, while their food and drinks will be brought to their table, Sanchez said.

The restaurant concept is family-friendly and “approachable,” Sanchez said, and will be affordable as well. Two tacos and a margarita will be less than $10 during happy hour, he said.

Taqueria La Ventana currently has six locations throughout Texas and is a “funky place,” said Liz Ruiz with Local Favorite.

“It makes you feel like you’re in a Mexican taqueria,” she said.

The artwork features the restaurant’s iconic skull and the decor includes vintage tables from Mexico. Ruiz said the taqueria will have a “lot of personality.”

Twisted Root closed earlier this year but will reopen under Local Favorite’s ownership. Local Favorite bought the Twisted Root brand several years ago and wants to refresh the building, Ruiz said. There will be a small bar, new furniture and a change of color and wall decorations. The food will be consistent with the Twisted Root brand, which features unique burgers with options for exotic meats, along with fries, milkshakes and more.

The restaurants will open at the same time, Ruiz said, and will share the building, which will see an addition built for the taqueria.

The two restaurants will have about 20 jobs available each, with that amount adjusted based on customer volume, Ruiz said.

While a specific timeline is not known, the expectation is to have the restaurants open by late March, Ruiz said.