Tepache Mexican Kitchen & Bar in O’Hara was scheduled to open at 5 p.m. on Oct. 10, but guests started arriving hours before.
“We let them in,” said Jovanny Segoviano, one of four ownership partners. “We were prepared for that. People want this.”
They certainly do.
By 5:30 p.m. the bar was nearly full. Bartenders were mixing margaritas and mojitos.
The restaurant was buzzing with diners, including well-known chef Jamilka Borges, a native of Puerto Rico.
“This food is so, so good,” said Borges, who is opening Lilith, a restaurant in Shadyside with pastry chef Dianne DeStefano in November. “The drinks are great. It looks great. I love that it is authentic. “
Borges said it is so important to support other local restaurants.
She and fiancé Ben Minden of Blawnox ordered Baja California Brussels Sprouts, which are tossed in chile de arbol, lime, garlic and pepitas.
They also shared Elotes. Known as the ultimate Mexican street food, it has tender ears of corn covered in mayo, queso cotija, and lime-infused Tajín, split and speared.
For the main course they went with Verdes Enchiladas, stuffed with pulled chicken and topped with Tepache’s signature cheese sauce and served with Mexican rice and pinto beans and Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos with a zesty buffalo sauce and avocado salsa.
“We have been waiting for this to open,” Minden said. “It is such a good atmosphere.”
Wanting to create a welcoming atmosphere was important to the restaurant’s four partners — Segoviano from La Isla, Jalisco, Mexico, and his wife Kayla Welch; his brother Chuy Segoviano, from La Isla, Jalisco, Mexico; and her father Joe Welch, from Utica, N.Y.
They transformed the former Atria’s restaurant into a space with more natural light, adding windows all around. The décor includes humming birds, which in Maya folklore are believed to connect the earthly and heavenly realms. A mural on the wall was created by artist Alison Zapata, of Aspinwall.
She and the owners decided on art inspired by the goddess of the agave plant with a modern take. Zapata and artist Nicole Beckett of Oakmont spent a month working on the mural, using acrylic paint.
“We wanted to create the spirit and mood and soul of the restaurant,” said Zapata, whose boyfriend, Benjamin Bishop, who is a pastry chef, helped with some of the work. “We love how it turned out.”
Head chef Pato Pérez is from the Tzotzil Maya community of San Juan Chamula, Chiapas, Mexico.
Some of the dishes are family recipes, including some from Jovanny and Chuy Segoviano’s mother Soledad Hernandez. Her Tinga Tostadas are a customer favorite. The dish has three crispy tostadas topped with slow-cooked pulled chipotle chicken, crema, lettuce, queso fresco, cilantro and avocado.
At a table in the bar area friends Nora Ramirez, from Morningside, Lillian Miller of Bloomfield and Danielle Tomer and April Weitzel of Sharpsburg enjoyed drinks and dinner.
Ramirez said the “minute you walk in the door you feel welcome.”
The word Tepache means a fermented pineapple drink native to southern Mexico made with ginger, honey and cinnamon. Dining at Tepache is an experience from start to finish, Ramirez said.
“We try to provide great service and great food,” said Jovanny Segoviano. “People can get rice and beans anywhere. We strive to give customers a dining experience with authentic food. We welcome them the minute they walk in the door. First impressions are so important to us.”
Tepache Mexican Kitchen & Bar is at 1374 Freeport Road, O’Hara. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
Details: tepachepgh.com
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact JoAnne by email at jharrop@triblive.com or via Twitter .