Boston’s Yellow Door Taqueria Expands From Dorchester to the South End | Eater Boston

"Opening in the South End at 354 Harrison Ave., this small-but-mighty Dorchester transplant brings its Cali-Mex menu and powerhouse cocktails to a reworked Lion’s Tail space. Co-owners Brian O’Donnell and Ken Casey, along with GM and beverage director Jarek Mountain, worked with designer Taniya Nayak to create rustic, antique-washed accents with pops of teal, rose, and yellow; tin ceiling tiles, exposed brick, patterned tile flooring, and banquette seating upholstered in vegan leather and crushed velvet; a Frida Kahlo mural; tufted barstools and ambient lighting behind a curved wooden bar; beaded chandeliers, retro neon signs, and decorative frames; and accordion windows that open to patio dining in season. Executive chef Carolina Curtin leads a menu of more than a dozen seasonal tacos (meat, seafood, vegetable, and some gluten-free options) with in-house masa tortillas, empanadas sourced from Buenas in Somerville, plus pupusas, elote, crudo, and salads; the restaurant also carries over the “Buy the Kitchen a Six-Pack” option from Dorchester and will sell house-made tortillas to go. The bar emphasizes tequila and mezcal alongside cocktails, mocktails, sangria, beer, wine, and fruit-flavored margaritas (winterberry, prickly pear, guava, and more); two South End exclusives are the Road to Jalisco (blanco tequila infused with strawberry and vanilla beans, mezcal washed with olive oil, amontillado sherry, banana, black pepper, and cinnamon tincture) and the Mucho Guapo (reposado tequila with green chartreuse, pistachio, lime cordial, lemon juice, egg white, apple bitters, and sea salt tincture). Dinner service begins at 4 p.m. (debuting Wednesday, February 12), with hours into the late night and reservations to be added on OpenTable within the first week." - Dana Hatic