After a long search for just the right place, Ilse Fernandez and Juan Sanchez, a young couple with two children, opened Azul Tequila at 29 School Street February 2. They were looking to establish a family restaurant in a small town and remembered how they fell in love with the Gorham community while they were house hunting. When they learned that the Blue Pig Diner was moving out and the space was available, they jumped on it.
This cozy restaurant that seats about 35 uses old family recipes made with fresh homemade ingredients to present delicious traditional Mexican favorites complete with a salsa bar so you can spice it up to suit your taste. There is also a small cocktail bar with specialty drinks that are created with freshly squeezed fruit juices. The menu will never grow stale because the family continues to visit Mexico where they discover new recipes to bring back to Gorham.
Photo credit Cathy WalterYou may be familiar with the family’s cuisine. In 2013 they opened El Rodeo on Western Avenue in South Portland, and shortly thereafter started selling a small selection of their menu on a food truck of the same name. But Sanchez still wasn’t satisfied.
“My husband has always wanted to have a restaurant where, much like Chipotle, the customer gets to choose each ingredient going into their entree,” Fernandez explained.
So if you are looking to explore the tastes from south of the border, come enjoy the unique experience of creating your meal by choosing from a wide variety of ingredients and perhaps top it off with one of their special house margaritas. Or call them for take-out at 222-2008.
The Azul Tequila website is currently under construction but you can find information on Facebook which they monitor themselves and will respond to promptly. The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m.-10 p.m.