The Bebedero is one of those classic University restaurants students are always eating at — with its large portion sizes and delicious cocktails, The Bebedero attracts students, new and old. After changing locations from 225 W Main Street to 201 W Main Street, the restaurant’s patrons were eagerly anticipating the opening of the new location to see what it had to offer.
I visited the new Bebedero location recently with my friends and it did not disappoint. Located on Main Street on the Downtown Mall, the restaurant invites patrons in, with mood lighting and brightly painted murals on the walls. The murals and paintings added a fun ambiance to the restaurant, making it much more unique than a typical restaurant.
As soon as we walked into the restaurant, we were greeted with the sounds of live music and the chatter of happy patrons enjoying their meals. We were seated in a back room, somewhat removed from the rest of the diners, which was actually quite enjoyable as it meant we could enjoy the background noise of the music without it being too loud and preventing us from conversing with one another.
We wanted to try an assortment of their different offerings, for both our drinks and our meals, so we started with the Bebedero Guacamole, empanadas and nachos. The guacamole was tangy and creamy, and the pairing with the tricolor chips was the perfect way to start off our evening. The empanadas were warm and oozing with cheese, but after a few bites I decided to save room for some of the other offerings.
We got our nachos topped with chorizo, per our waiter’s suggestion, and it was the perfect mix of crunchy chips and gooey cheese. I normally am not a huge fan of beans, but the beans on the nachos added some good texture and body to the appetizer.
In terms of drinks, I knew that The Bebedero was rather famous for their large-size margaritas, but I wanted to try something different. I ordered the Sticky Lips, which I was a bit wary of because of the inclusion of egg white in the cocktail, but it ended up being delicious, with notes of tart lime and sweet agave.
After devouring our appetizers, we moved on to our entrees. My friends and I decided to split some of their more popular offerings, including the Taco 2 Ways and the Chicken Tinga Quesadilla. We settled on getting chorizo and chicken tinga tacos, but all of the different fillings looked delicious. All of the tacos were the perfect ratio of filling to tortilla, with the toppings adding that extra kick the taco needed.
The quesadilla was huge and brimming with cheese and refried beans. Although it was a really good quesadilla, we ended up taking most of it home because the portion sizes were so big.
Finally, we decided to end the night with a Scorpion Shot. If you’ve ever heard anyone talk about The Bebedero, you’ve probably heard mention of the infamous Scorpion Shot. The drink is served to you in a normal glass, with a shot of mezcal at the bottom, and a flower with a scorpion inside of it at the top.
My friends and I were debating about the best way to go about taking the shot, and per the recommendation of our waiter, we decided to put the scorpion in our mouths, take a few chews, and then wash it down with a shot of mezcal.
The biggest hurdle was probably getting over the mental block of eating a scorpion, but once I put it in my mouth, I wasn’t expecting liquid to come oozing out of it as soon as I took a bite. Suffice it to say, I was startled and quickly washed down the scorpion with the mezcal, quickly chugging my entire glass of water afterward.
Overall, The Bebedero was a really great experience — the combination of the food and the ambiance makes it a perfect place to go with a group of friends before a night out or to celebrate a birthday or special occasion. Although I will definitely be returning to The Bebedero, I will not be taking another Scorpion Shot — once was enough for me.
If you get the chance, I’d definitely recommend checking out the new Bebedero location for good Mexican food and fun vibes. It is open from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday for dine-in and can be found at 201 West Main Street.
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