Cantonment’s 3 Marias Mexican Restaurant has passed the torch to a new family of passionate restaurateurs who have transformed the restaurant at 732 Highway 29 into a tropical taste of Mexico, Tocayos Mexican Restaurant.
The name is a nod to Javier Barragan sharing a name with his father, Manuel Barragan, since the two will be running the restaurant as a father-son duo.
The Barragans are no strangers to the restaurant industry, and those who have been in Pensacola a while could probably recognize them from their previous restaurants in the Pensacola area, with experience spanning over 30 years, most recently as part-owners of Tucan Mexican Restaurant at 596 E. Nine Mile Road. Many long-time customers have already stopped in for a visit after Tocayos’ soft-opened this month.
The close relationships with the people who fill the restaurant were partially what helped Javier fall in love with the service industry. His dad is typically in the back, crafting meals to perfection, while Javier is the warm face you find when you enter. Javier is quick to credit his family for the example they’ve set for him: working hard to fulfill his dreams. Standing in the newly opened dining room and seeing customers satisfied by the experience, he sees that dream already being fulfilled.
“I’ll never take this for granted,” Javier said.
Manuel is originally from Jalisco, and according to Javier, some of the dishes he makes, like one of his favorites, the drenched flautas, taste as good as when he visits.
It was also crucial to Javier that the flavor came through not only in the food but also in the beverages, which is why you’ll find a variety of premium, top-shelf tequilas available by the shot or mixed into your craft margarita.
While the menu is made up of a lot of crowd pleasers, such as the fresh, sizzling fajita plates or quesadilla dinners, you can still notice the traditional items mixed into the menu, such as the carne asada, made with thinly-sliced, marinated and grilled ribeye steak.
But according to Javier, that blend isn’t a bad thing, and the two plan to offer even more traditional items in time.
“Everything (on the menu) is chosen with intention,” Javier said.
Not only have the menu and recipes changed since 3 Marias, but the décor is strikingly different. Javier designed the space to feel like an upscale restaurant in Mexico, using lush greenery to create a tropical atmosphere.
Javier wants the restaurant to be a place where you can bring your whole family, whether it’s a Sunday afternoon lunch, passing plates family-style, or a night out with friends, sampling tequila shots or margarita flights at the bar.
The people are what make the place, according to Javier, and he’s hopeful that what he and his father create can be sustained and taken over one day.
“I hope this makes a permanent impression in Cantonment and in Pensacola,” he said.
Here are a few must-try menu items to sample on your next visit:
Tocayos Mexican Restaurant is currently open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday with the last seating at 8:45 p.m. On Sunday, Tocayos will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the last seating at 3:45 p.m.
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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Tocayos Mexican Restaurant makes debut in Cantonment. Here’s what to try
Reporting by Brittany Misencik, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
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