Reposado’s good vibes are well-known beyond Ossington Street. The Mexican influence takes centre stage, and there’s no shortage of tequila and mezcal inside the lively bar. But there’s now something equally as exciting — and equally as authentic — on its back patio: Cascabel BBQ.
The concept serves up authentic Mexican flavours, thanks to a charcoal and wood-fired grill and recipes imported from a small Mexican town. Tacos with both meats and proteins meet fresh guacamole, elote, shrimp and even sweet treats.
Cascabel quietly took over Reposado’s back patio in June, but the excitement has been palpable. The team behind the pop-up, Mariel Gonzalez and Matt Bod, serve up authentic flavours from Gonzalez’s hometown in Mexico, not far from Puerto Vallarta. The pair went through recipe testing and ensured that as many ingredients as possible were in season, and then they were on their way. One popular dish is the Camerones Zarandeado, a recipe specific to Gonzalez’s area that involves cooking the shrimp in a very specific way on the grill.
“Zarandeado means to flip, so you cook the shrimp right over the coal,” Gonzalez says. “And we have a special marinade with a hot sauce that I brought from my hometown, just to add to that flavour.”
Another standout is the beef cheeks taco, which involves Bod cooking the meat low and slow for eight hours. The tender, melt-in-your-mouth result is then stacked onto a corn tortilla and paired with sweet grilled onions, escabeche, and a salsa verde to create a full-bodied experience. Both favourites and many other dishes on the Cascabel menu include ingredients and components that Gonzalez makes herself, like sauces and spice blends.
“I’d never really seen this style of cooking here, with the flavours from my hometown,” Gonzalez says. “So I asked Matt if he thought he could pull it off, and he said yes. We’re both really passionate about the cuisine.”
Cascabel diners can enjoy drinks from Reposado on the back patio, ordering food and drinks at the bar at the same time to take out to enjoy underneath some sunshine.
Cascabel BBQ is located on the back patio at 136 Ossington Street.
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