D Boca N Boca, a Mexican restaurant more than three years in the making, is finally set to make its debut in Summerhill this month.
Located at 39 Georgia Ave. in the mixed-use development (also called Summerhill) from real estate developer Carter, the restaurant comes from Helio Bernal, who has run The Real Mexican Vittles pop-up since 2017. Though Bernal has hosted pop-up events for the past few weeks at the restaurant, D Boca N Boca will open officially May 26.
Bernal signed on the space in March 2019. The project was delayed due to numerous unforeseen issues, including the pandemic.
He always had his eye on Summerhill as a home for his new restaurant, stoked by memories of coming to Atlanta with his father from their native Chicago in 1996 for the Summer Olympics and loving the feel of the neighborhood.
The restaurant’s seasonal menu, which will feature several dishes familiar to The Real Mexican Vittles customers, includes appetizers like chipotle meatballs and guacamole with pomegranate seeds and smoked pepitas; a zucchini, baby corn and arugula salad; and black bean soup with ancho peppers and other chiles.
Credit: D Boca N Boca
Credit: D Boca N Boca
Other offerings include six tacos served on tortillas made with heirloom corn. Among fillings are chorizo, ribeye, mushroom barbacoa and fried fish; and entrees will feature mole chicken, cauliflower steak with chipotle cashew dressing, and Caribbean red snapper with grilled vegetables. Flan and churros will be available for dessert.
On Sundays, the brunch menu will include enfrijoladas, chorizo con huevo and chilaquiles.
Bernal said he expects at least some of the menu to change by the end of August.
“I have thousands of pages of recipes from each of my grandmothers that I’m going to work through,” he said.
The full bar will offer a selection of tequilas and mezcals, two canned Mexican beers and several locally-brewed beers on draft. Other beverage options include a housemade Michelada, several wines with a focus Spanish wines, and four or five aguas frescas like horchata, tamarindo and cucumber.
The D Boca N Boca interior space holds seating for about 50, including communal tables and an eight-seat bar. There is seating for an additional 50 guests on an outdoor patio, with firepit-style tables and a 20-seat high-top counter toward the back.
Bernal said he was going for an “intimate Tulum feel,” inside with exposed brick, flowers and greenery throughout the space, and a more “edgy and eclectic” vibe outside.
D Boca N Boca’s opening hours are 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Tuesday-Saturdays. Sunday brunch hours will be 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
The Real Mexican Vittles will continue to do pop-ups and catering after D Boca N Boca opens.
D Boca N Boca joins several food and beverage tenants that have opened on Georgia Avenue between Martin St. and Hank Aaron Drive over the past few years, including Big Softie, Little Tart Bakeshop, Junior’s Pizza, Maepole, Woods Chapel BBQ, Halfway Crooks Beer, Hero Doughnuts, Hot Dog Pete’s, Little Bear and How Crispy.
Set to open in the coming months are Duane Nutter’s restaurant Southern National, arcade bar Press Start and cocktail bar Redacted Basement Drink Parlor.
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