It’s been more than five months since I interviewed a trio of restaurant veterans about their plans to reopen Chago’s on Belmont Boulevard. But then, life happened. Between unexpected renovations and a lengthy codes approval process, it took a little longer than expected for Brandon Styll and Steven and Christopher Smithing to open the doors at the beloved Belmont-Hillsboro neighborhood restaurant, now renamed Chago’s Belmont Cantina, at 2015 Belmont Blvd.
The cantina held two nights of friends-and-family previews over the weekend, and Friday certainly stress-tested the kitchen as they served more than 700 diners after word got out on the Belmont campus that the restaurant was dishing out free food. (Damned those group text chains!)
The kitchen survived the onslaught with aplomb, and by the time I dropped in on Saturday evening, everything was running relatively smoothly as the kitchen offered up a limited menu to help ease them into full service starting on Sunday. They had completely run out of scratch-made desserts and made the smart decision to concentrate on the rest of the menu until they started getting paid for their work.
Chago’s was always an attractive space, but the renovations that the new team has made have created an even more welcoming and warm ambiance. There’s no doubt they want to be a neighborhood hang — a huge “Belmont Hillsboro” sign graces the ceiling, outlined with lights to draw attention.
The new menu is a combination of classic taqueria fare plus plenty of variety, including some Green Hills Grille favorites like Santa Fe Chicken and a couple of salads. The addition of two burgers to the menu will also make Chago’s an attractive destination even for those not seeking out Mexican fare.
Inventive margaritas made with fresh ingredients and good tequila are also another incentive to visit, and a generous happy hour deal from 4 to 6 p.m. will certainly be on my regular rotation. A trio of queso, guac and salsa with house-made chips and two margaritas? Sounds like date night to me!
The full menu is now available, so if you get the chance to let us know what you think about dishes we weren’t able to sample on our initial visit, let us know your impressions on the Scene’s Facebook page.
