Tortilleria and agave bar with skyline views opening in west Charlotte
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
"Maíz," "agua," and "sal" are the Spanish words for corn, water and salt, the ingredients used to make tortillas. And "más" is Spanish for "more." Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios
Maíz, Agua, Sal — or MAS for short — opens in west Charlotte on Thursday, April 11.
Why it matters: It's a new Mexican-inspired tortilleria and agave bar by the owners of Craft Tasting Room and Lincoln Street Kitchen and Cocktails.
The vibe: The inspiration for MAS came from the owners' travels to Mexico City to visit friends. Co-owner Alyson Davis tells Axios they're going for authentic food, drinks and atmosphere.
- It'll be open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- The 5,000-square-foot restaurant has 125 seats indoors, outdoors and at the bar.
Dig in: Its food menu consists of tacos made with house-made tortillas and flavors like al pastor (shaved off the trompo and tacos al vapor (steamed tacos with shredded beef filling).
- It'll also have authentic Mexican dishes like pozole, mole, carnitas and gorditas.
- Chef Jonathan Olvera will lead the kitchen at MAS. His Mexican roots inspired much of the menu.
"I've been drawing inspiration from family recipes ... there will be no Tex-Mex or fusion in the mix."— Chef Jonathan Olvera
Sip on this: The MAS cocktail menu focuses on mezcal and tequilas. It's led by bar manager Amanda Britton, the renowned mixologist who is also behind The Green Room in South End. The bar has close to 200 different bottles of mostly agave spirits from Mexico.
- There are eight hand-crafted cocktails on the menu, plus nonalcoholic drinks.
- Four agua frescas are available by the glass ($5) or in pitchers ($16).
- MAS also has Mexican beer available by the can or mixed bucket.
Stop by: MAS is located at 1018 Jay St., part of the Lower Tuck development, near Not Just Coffee.
- It'll be open 8am-9pm Tuesday-Friday, 10:30am-10pm Saturday and 10:30am-4pm Sunday.
What's next: Eventually, MAS will have pre-packaged tortillas available for sale.
Go deeper: The most anticipated new restaurants and bars in Charlotte
Editor's note: This story was originally published Dec. 15, 2021 and updated on April 9, 2024 to reflect the restaurant's opening date.