Building on the success of its wildly popular, party-hearty Mexican restaurants in West Palm Beach and Boca Raton, Big Time Restaurant Group and Rocco Mangel have opened a third Rocco’s Tacos (1313 Las Olas Blvd., 954/524-9550), this one on Fort Lauderdale’s busy but business-challenged Los Olas Boulevard.
The latest addition to the Rocco’s empire takes over the space once home to Johnny Vinczencz’s Smith & Jones. Its 6,000 square feet seats 200 diners indoors and out, and features more than 225 tequilas, along with a custom-made blown-glass chandelier at the entry, vintage movie posters, vivid tribal masks said to ward off evil spirits, and â”The Wrestler Room,”a space devoted to the exploits Mexico’s WWF-style luchadors.
Of course, there’s food too, from chef Adam Dombrowski, including hand-made corn tortillas cooked fresh on the restaurant’s comal (flat Mexican griddle). You can get those tortillas in Rocco’s Baja-style fish tacos, not to mention pork, beef and mushroom tacos. Other dishes include shrimp sautaed in tequila-chipotle butter, mole poblano and my favorite, Mexican “street corn” grilled and slathered with cotija cheese, cilantro and chilies. Now, that’s a party in your mouth.
