Mezcaluna Restaurant

A pandemic won’t stop U.S. restaurants from opening. First-time owners took the plunge to build their dream restaurant; a warm and inviting Mexican lounge centered around serving traditional Mezcal. The space, a former desolate Red Robin restaurant set in a shopping center, was going to be transformed into an eclectic and inviting Mexican restaurant.

We partnered with Draw2Build, a local architecture firm In Portland, to turn this former fast food spot into a locally owned Mezcal restaurant. The restaurant centers around a circular bar unit whose center displays a column of spirits. A wooden ladder leads to the spirit citadel. Inset lights bath the collection in a myriad of colors: blue, purple, red, and yellow. Their dining room features barrels that run through the space sitting overhead on steel frames and set flush with the wall as modest dividers; an homage to the delicate process of making mezcal. Customers leave Mezcaluna admiring how it “feels very Vegas-like and upscale”.

Mezcaluna has just opened to the public. Diners are already raving about their new local culinary destination, “5 stars for turning the formerly Red Robin Express into this beautifully decorated Mexican restaurant.” Its warmly lit interior with dark wood accents draws passerby into the restaurant. It is a complete dining experience with precisely chosen design elements so each diner is transported from suburban Oregon through a culinary portal to Mexico.