Cielo Rojo, an eatery serving classic Mexican cuisine, has moved.
But if you are a fan of the Takoma Park restaurant’s tacos and margaritas, don’t worry, it reopened on Jan. 10 less than half a mile down Carroll Avenue. Plus, the owners promise to open a burrito shop/fast-casual spot in the old location in a couple of months.
The reason for the move? Cielo Rojo outgrew the 980-square-foot location it had called home since January 2019, General Manager Jasmine Espinoza told MoCo360. The new location at 7211 Caroll Ave. is 3,500 square feet—more than triple the size of the old space.
Cielo Rojo has an expansive menu with Mexican classics, such as guacamole with tostadas, tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas and a tres leches cake. The eatery also has a brunch menu with such dishes as huevos rancheros, heirloom savory waffles and pan frances (bourbon-soaked brioche French toast).
There is a wide selection of cocktails, including a hibiscus margarita, la rosa (fresh lemon juice, agave, hibiscus, and rose water w/ Código Rose tequila) and vigilante oaxaqueño (Vigilante “El Fuego” cold brew coffee, horchata, Cazadores Reposado Tequila, mole bitters).
The eatery also has a vegan menu with items such as vegan ensalada del mercado (market salad), vegan pozole rojo (red chiles hominy with avocados, cashew cream, radish, onions, oregano and lime) and vegan flan.
Reservations are required for the main dining room and can be made online, while the bar is open for walk-ins. Takeout is only available for lunch from Tuesday to Friday, according to the website.
Cielo Rojo owners David Perez and Carolina McCandless said that the restaurant’s name means “red sky.” It comes from one of their favorite mariachi songs and reflects the couple’s deep love of sunsets, according to the website.
“From Fort Funston, California to the beaches of Mexico & Chile, the sunset represents the moments of clarity & calm that have been shared with family & friends over the years,” the website said.
Espinoza said that instead of selling the eatery’s old location at 7056 Carroll Ave., McCandless and Perez will be turning it into a new burrito shop/fast casual spot called San Pancho.
“San Pancho is a play on words. It will be a San Francisco-style burrito spot. Pancho is a nickname for Francisco,” Espinoza said.
Perez and McCandless met in 2012 at a well-known Mexican restaurant in San Francisco, according to Cielo Rojo’s website.
San Pancho is not slated to open for about two to three months, Espinoza said, because “we want to ensure our current restaurant is running smoothly before launching our second concept.”
The restaurant’s Instagram page will have updates on when it will officially open.