The teams behind Fishmonger and Asian brewpub Hopstix have partnered on a new taco concept. Dos Burros will debut Thursday in the former Lady Ha Vietnamese Kitchen space on the Eastside Beltline, according to an Eater report.
Preparations for the new eatery moved quickly, said Skip Engelbrecht, who co-owns Fishmonger with Nhan Le. Three weeks after signing the deal with Andy Tan of Hopstix, the space has been transformed into a Mexican concept.
“You can tell it’s us,” Engelbrecht said of the new eatery.
Engelbrecht, Le and Tran redecorated and redesigned the space to suit their own style; it’s more colorful now, Engelbrecht said, and they transformed Lady Ha’s bubble tea bar into a full bar.
Dos Burros will serve simple Mexican taqueria food. It’s the type of cuisine you might expect to see on Buford Highway, Engelbrecht said. It’s fast-paced and easy to eat on the go, he said.
Credit: Courtesy of Skip Engelbrecht
Credit: Courtesy of Skip Engelbrecht
Tan approached Engelbrecht and Le around two months ago about developing a concept to replace Lady Ha, which served Vietnamese street food. He found that the eatery didn’t translate well for the Beltline lifestyle.
“The crowd was just looking for something more kind of grab and go, so that way they can enjoy the Beltline,” Tan said.
When Engelbrecht and Le saw the space, they knew they wanted to sell tacos. The idea for this concept began more as a joke with Le’s late partner, Angus Brown, who died suddenly in 2017. Le and Brown had talked about naming a taco shop Dos Burros, but it never turned into a full concept until now.
“That sort of popped back up in our mind and it made sense to us to bring back that feeling with Angus,” Engelbrecht said.
This marks a return to the Beltline for Engelbrecht and Le, though they had told themselves “never again,” Engelbrecht said. They co-owned 8Arm with Brown, a restaurant that went through many iterations before closing in 2022 after the land was sold to a development company. Since then, they’ve turned their attention to Fishmonger, which has found impressive success with three locations in Atlanta, two planned for Nashville and a Bib Gourmand designation in the inaugural Michelin Guide Atlanta.
Chef Domingo Galardo, who has worked with Le for about 14 years at his Vietnamese restaurant So Ba, will helm the kitchen. Galardo has also done several pop-ups at Le’s Octopus Bar, so this position was perfectly suited to him, Engelbrecht said.
“This is the food that I grew up with, and I’m so happy to share it,” Galardo said in a text message.
There will be tacos, burritos and a few appetizers, but as Dos Burros gains momentum, Galardo said he plans to add daily specials and brunch.
“The menu is something you would see in the streets of Mexico,” he said.
Credit: Courtesy of Skip Engelbrecht
Credit: Courtesy of Skip Engelbrecht
Joshua Grubb, who worked at Fishmonger, was appointed as bar director and manager. The bar program will include elevated margaritas, cocktails, wine, and beer from Hopstix.
Tan plans to create specialty brews for Dos Burros, like something with Oaxacan corn for a Mexican lager, he said. Initially, they will offer Hopstix’s Kung Fu Hops IPA and the Rice & Shine lager made with jasmine rice, but he plans to add a black rice lager brewed with long black rice in the coming weeks.
“I think it’s gonna be a fun space,” Tan said. “People can just walk down the Beltline and hang out for a drink or two before they move on to another spot.”
699 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta. instagram.com/dosburrosatlanta.
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