Loco Taqueria & Oyster Bar, the Baja-style little sister (and neighbor) of Lincoln Tavern, opened its doors a couple weeks ago to much fanfare. Situated virtually right across the street from Lincoln, Loco specializes in tacos, freshly shucked oysters, ceviches, margaritas, and more. Despite the six-foot snow banks that surround practically everything in the city right now, this place feels refreshingly like a slice of summer.
Upon walking into Loco, the main focus is the bar. It takes up the entire center of the restaurant, providing lots of seating options for thirsty guests. The bar is made from restored, vintage ceiling tiles, adding a pop of color to the wooden base. The black barstools that surround it are made from reclaimed wood that was found in the building during its renovation. The bar has glowing string lights hung across the top, providing an instant outdoor party feel. The back wall of the bar has a wooden display of all of the various liquors that are used in their drinks.
Just before the bar, high tables sit before a floor-to-ceiling window wall, which allows sunlight to pour in. In the summer, the windows will open to further give airiness and add another element of the outdoors. On each table sits a wooden condiment caddy and a oyster menu to be filled out. Just behind the high tables, a colorful, wall-sized chalkboard lists some highlights of the restaurant — tequila, oysters, margaritas, tacos, and more are listed in bright colors that give a bright contrast to the wooden tables.
Just past the high tables and to the left of the bar, a long bench with plush kelly green cushions lines the brick wall, and more windows let the light in. The benches run all the way up to the back wall, bright green and wooden, which holds a large mirror. A picnic table nestles right underneath.
On the opposite side of the bar, wooden banquettes are adorned with small cactus plants. Further down towards the back of the restaurant, a wooden red wall provides a window to the kitchen as well as a place for the oysters to be displayed. Above the window, a worn green tin roof gives the window a "beach shack" feel — a perfect oasis from the extremely cold and snowy conditions outside.
