A modern Mexican restaurant with 1,000 tequilas and a rose tunnel is coming to Metuchen

Growing up in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, executive chef Antonio Carballo remembers learning how to make masa, tortillas, refried beans, quesa panela and arroz con leche from his great-grandmother "Mama Anita," who lived just a few steps away from his family’s home and restaurant.

Nearly two decades have passed since Carballo had to stand on the tips of his toes to reach the stove and knead dough at his grandmother’s side to create his first tortillas. But he’ll bring those authentic Mexican experiences back to life – with modern and refined twists – at Meximodo, a colorful, family-friendly Mexican restaurant with a contemporary take on classic dishes opening at the Metuchen Town Plaza in early October.

“There aren’t a lot of large, high-quality Mexican restaurants around here and there is a big demand for it,” said TJ Pingitore, senior vice president of strategic development of Le Malt Hospitality Group, which owns Meximodo. Le Malt Hospitality, owned by Saurabh Abrol, also owns the Le Malt Lounge in Colonia and Le Malt Royale in Red Bank.

“With Metuchen being named the recipient the 2023 Great American Main Street Award and the hometown of the American Girl 2023 Girl Of The Year Doll, we wanted to get in there,” he continued.

The colossal 8,000-square-foot Meximodo space will feature a towering bar brimming with more than 1,000 tequilas, mezcals and agave spirits, ranging from the largest producers to artisanal bottles from family distilleries. The collection will break the Guinness World Record for the most agave spirits in a single licensed location, followed by Mama Rabbit Mezcal + Tequila Bar at Park MGM in Las Vegas which has about 500 tequilas, mezcals and agave spirits.

Above the bar will be the watchful eyes of Catrina, a Day of the Dead mural painted by artist Jay Mack. Using video mapping, she will be able to appear to wink, blow kisses and rain floral petals from the sky.

In the main dining room, guests will be able to see their dishes being made through the open kitchen framed by colorful porcelain tiles from 130-seat wood banquettes with magenta upholstery and graphic pillows. Or, guests can sit outside on the 40-seat patio, surrounded by lush greenery.

Upstairs, guests can enter a semi-private mezzanine called Dalia’s Rose Room through a tunnel surrounded by thousands of floating roses. The room is filled with floral wallcovering, neon rose light fixtures, geometric colored floors and a hanging garden swing.

The restaurant was designed by Celano Design Studio and was inspired by Mexican architects Luis Barragan and Ricardo Legoretta with blended artwork, traditional Mexican crafts and bold architectural choices.

The food will reflect much of the same boldness, creativity and pay homage to Mexican authenticity. Unlike many other New Jersey Mexican restaurants, the menu will reflect fare from across Mexico, otherwise known as “regionale.”

“Mexico is not only one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, but it’s also a large country,” said Carballo. “You can find coastal regions, mountainous regions, valleys and deserts. Depending on the region of Mexico that you are in, you are able to savor different profiles. Mexico has way too much to offer in terms of culinary experiences that not a lot of us in the U.S. are familiar with.”

For example, Carballo said, in the central, cooler region where Mexico City is, people dine on full-bodied dishes and sauces such as mole, made with chiles, spices and nuts to create a rich and earthy flavor. In the coastal region, people love freshly caught fish such as red snapper, which is prepared with lime juice, cucumber, serrano peppers and tomatoes. And in Jalisco, on the Western Mexican coast, people eat torta ahogada, a pork-braised sandwich submerged in a tomato-based sauce.

At Meximodo, visitors will be able to try these types of dishes ranging from throughout Mexico as well as those with refined, international touches. Plus, nearly half of their dishes will be vegetarian, or will have the interchangeability to be vegetarian.

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In Mexico, street-style corn is usually on the cob with mayonnaise, cotija cheese and chile de arbol. But at Meximodo, it will contain grilled corn with a smoky, buttery puree and chipotle lime aioli. It will also serve roasted cauliflower marinated with za'atar, a Middle Eastern spice, over a bed of guacamole with queso fresco and salsa macha made with dried chiles and peanuts.

A dish with a twist from Carballo’s own memories will also be on the menu. He remembers being served chiles en nogada, roasted poblano peppers stuffed with ground beef or pork and slathered with a walnut-based cream sauce called nogada, at his many cousins’ baptisms and other family special occasions. It will be served at Meximodo, too, but will be stuffed with a ground soy protein flavored with stone fruits in a vegetarian twist.

To develop its menu, the Meximodo team visited Mexico in April to explore the country’s many markets, restaurants, agave fields and distilleries.

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The visit assisted Beverage Director Carlos Ruiz just as much as it assisted Carballo.

Some of his cocktails will include the Oh Snap with Pueblo Viejo tequila, sugar snap peas, lime and lavender; the Chicha Morada Sour with tequila, chicha morada, lime, cinnamon and foam; and the Passionate Love with Mezcal, chinola, lime and simple syrup.

Tequila, mezcal and agave tastings and distiller visits will also frequently take place at Meximodo, and books detailing each of the restaurant’s tequilas, mezcals and agaves will be on each table.

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“There are so many fans of tequila and there’s such a revival in the fitness community because tequila is low-calorie, so having a large selection like that is huge because we can draw in people from all over,” said Pingitore. “It will be a destination spot.”

Go: 5 Pearl St., Metuchen; meximodo.com; opening in early October

Contact: JIntersimone@MyCentralJersey.com

Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey since 2014, after becoming a blogger-turned-reporter following the creation of her award-winning travel blog. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. You can also follow her on Instagram at @seejennaeat and on Twitter at @JIntersimone.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Meximodo, Mexican restaurant with 1,000 tequilas, coming to Metuchen