A new Spanish tapas restaurant expects to open for business soon at Pentagon City’s Westpost shopping center.
El Mercat Bar de Tapas plans to open its second location in mid-August at 1301 S. Joyce Street, where Asia Bistro closed last fall. From offerings to ambience, owner and veteran chef George Rodrigues hopes to make diners feel like they’re really in Spain.
“People that are from Spain, or they’ve been to Spain … they come to our restaurant and they usually say, ‘hey, it’s like I was transported back to Barcelona, or transported back to San Sebastian,'” Rodrigues said. “That’s what we’re trying really to get people to feel.”
Rodrigues founded El Mercat in 2022
- The first El Mercat opened three years ago in Rockville, Md., with a menu offering about 30 different kinds of tapas, or Spanish-style small plates.
- Similar offerings await in Pentagon City, with El Mercat’s bacon-wrapped dates, cod fritters, ham croquettes and crab dip with Spanish goat cheese.
- “One thing that I’ve always loved about Spain is their style, the way of life,” Rodrigues said. “It’s really more laid-back, family- and friends-oriented. That’s the idea of tapas … everybody’s sharing.”
It will have table-side service
- Unique to the Pentagon City location, El Mercat will feature a jamónero cart, a traditional Spanish ham stand with table-side carving service.
- Its beverage offerings will include a variety of Spanish wines, sangrias and seasonal cocktails, like spritzes.
- An open dining room with views of the kitchen can seat about 120 guests, including 24 at the bar and five to six at the chef’s counter. Rodrigues is currently awaiting permits for outdoor patio seating.
New brunch and lunch items
- El Mercat’s American brunch incorporates Spanish flair. New menu items might include chorizo and eggs and torrija, a dish similar to French toast.
- For lunch, Rodrigues hopes to offer a variety of sandwiches, including BLTs. These are set to debut a couple weeks after the restaurant opens.
Photos 4-6 via El Mercat Bar de Tapas/Facebook.
