This Mexican restaurant from Broward is evolving in Wynwood

July 12, 2024 Admin

A couple of Broward restaurateurs have made the big move south to Miami, opening the latest addition to the Wynwood restaurant scene: a Mexican spot that aims to thread the needle between the neighborhood’s myriad fast-casual taco shops and more upscale locations.

Created by Brian Parenteau, Douglas Herbst and chef Tulio Alas, Bar Tulio’s Tacos and Tequila also hopes to be a neighborhood bar, the sort of place that not only serves dinner and cocktails but also is a spot to gather for sporting events. This weekend, expect to see the Copa America finals on the big screen, for example.

Parenteau, who with Herbst also owns Tulio’s Tacos in Wilton Manors, said the 40-foot bar and big-screen TVs set Bar Tulio apart in Wynwood, home to seemingly countless Mexican spots.

“We’re a little different than the taco places in Wynwood,” he said. “We’re a little more elevated. You’re not eating at a picnic table or eating with plastic spoons. You don’t wait in line, you speak to a host or hostess and get a table. But we’re not over the top, either. It’s not fine dining.”

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The 40-seat bar at Bar Tulio, a new Mexican restaurant in Wynwood.

Tulio’s Tacos in Broward features a Mexican menu, but the Bar Tulio menu will range a little wider. You’ll find tacos, enchiladas and burritos, as well as chips and salsa, but the Mexican-style offerings stretch to include lobster tacos and Mexican kale salad.

In a nod to Miami’s diversity, Bar Tulio will also offer a Cuban sandwich and two different ceviches. There’s also a cedar plank salmon and a lightly blackened grouper, and the bar offers more than 200 tequila options.

That diversity is what drew Parenteau and his partners to Wynwood. In addition to the expected foot traffic from tourists and the residential buildings rising around the neighborhood, they believe Wynwood is the perfect fit for Bar Tulio.

“I like Miami,” said Parenteau, who started his hospitality career as a barback in Miami and worked his way up to be a bartender and server. “It’s an international city. Broward is a little less diverse. In Miami, you get visitors from South America and Europe. With a little more diverse clientele, we can appeal to more people.”