Baja Fresh played the role of Third Street’s only Mexican food restaurant for less than a year before the company was forced to close due to economic downturn. Now, the owners of Burgers & Brew and Crepeville are going to bring Mexican flavors to Third Street once again.
El Toro Bravo will feature a menu with creative Mexican cuisine, said co-owner Derar Zawaydeh.
“We are shooting for something that is not typical, but has Mexican flare,” he said.
El Toro Bravo is set to open early in June, said Zawaydeh.
“We wanted to fill what we felt was a hole in good Mexican food in Davis,” Zawaydeh said. “And especially in downtown — and on Third Street.”
Davis needs a new Mexican restaurant, according to Larissa Epstein, a senior animal biology major at UC Davis.
“What Davis has in California fusion and Chinese we lack in a really good Mexican food. I hope [El Toro Bravo] knocks me out of the water,” Epstein said.
Unlike Burgers & Brew and Crepeville, which both had predecessors in Sacramento, El Toro Bravo is the first of its kind. However, the Mexican restaurant will feature a style similar to that of the other members of the Third Street clan.
There will be counter service during the day and full service during the evening, said Zawaydeh. El Toro Bravo will also put a creative twist on the Mexican classics, he added. Zawaydeh will be working with a chef knowledgeable in Mexican food to create a menu.
“Although I can’t release specific menu items yet, I can tell you that they will be quality, fresh, creative and affordable dishes just like our other restaurants,” Zawaydeh said.
Keeping the prices reasonable and the food high-quality and fresh are two of Zawaydeh’s main concerns in planning El Toro Bravo. Those are the most important aspects to running a business in a college town, he added.
“We love the students,” Zawaydeh said. “They are a major part of our business and we care about creating something that works for them.”
El Toro Bravo will be Davis’ eighth Mexican restaurant.
There are plenty of tasty Mexican options according to Danielle Nisan, a junior animal biology major.
“I really love Guadalajara’s and I will continue going there despite the addition of a new Mexican restaurant,” Nisan said.
SARA ISLAS can be reached at city@theaggie.org.
