Photos by Jason DeRusha
Updated April 9 with news of a name change.
Just one more month until the ferris wheel at Lowry Avenue and Marshall Street in Northeast Minneapolis spins again, thanks to Big Star Tipsy Taco bar, now Hey Y’all Tipsy Taco Bar. Update as of April 9, the restaurant “rebranded in response to trademark concerns,” according to a release. There’s a very popular Chicago-based group of taco restaurants called “Big Star,” and no doubt they weren’t thrilled with this. Why Hey Y’all? We “selected the new moniker Hey Y’all to better represent the Austin-inspired atmosphere, Tex-Mex+BBQ menu, and Texas hospitality,” they said, adding the grand opening will be Saturday, May 6.
The inside is ready, the food is ready, the city of Minneapolis approvals aren’t quite ready. I really think people are going to go nuts for it—Big Star Hey Y’all has aesthetics and vibes bursting through the walls. Think Austin, Texas cute and quirky mixed with top-notch cocktails and delicious food.
Owner Joe Radaich showed me around the space—every surface has been touched and changed other than the carpeting. Bold wallpapers, tons of florals. There are Instagram spots and neon signs; the whole place is a vibe. I know, some of you are cringing, but the feel in here is good. Radaich opened Sporty’s Pub and Grill, Como Tap, Domo Ramen, and NE Arcade, and is such an operations guy he didn’t want me to take his photo because he doesn’t want this to be about him.
It is HUGE: There’s a giant outdoor patio, an indoor garden space, and an indoor dining room and bar. “We’re doing QR code ordering in the patio areas where there will be servers here in the dining room. It’s very polarizing, right? But when you are at a table that has a QR code, you never feel like the server wants you to check out. So, you can do a brewery vibe where your friends come, maybe someone comes a half hour later, or somebody’s hungry, somebody’s not hungry. There’s no pressure,” Radaich told me.
The kitchen is run by Christian Castrillon, a veteran of Sea Change, Scena, and food truck—he’s been around. Stef Tupy is running the bar; she spent five years at Marvel Bar and helped create Dario’s cocktail program. “The design of the menu is meant to let you choose your own adventure. Do you want one taco and some chips? Great. What are you feeling right now? You’re not locked into this $30 plate,” Radaich explained.
The bar menu is divided into Old School, New School, and Micheladas. “With the new school drinks, we really wanted to make it fun and Instagrammable, and we have mocktails, too,” Radaich said. I tried the “Peace Love & Margaritas” with Paladar Agave Reposado and Wild Moon Roasted Dandelion Liqueur. Such a balanced and fun take on the classic marg.
And the “Tom & Jack Go To Cancun” is a combo of a Tom Collins and a Jack Rose: mezcal and tequila with a peach-berry simple syrup. The mezcal is subtle smoke and the syrup brings lightness—another winner.
“We’re really excited about the different facets or different areas of this place. We feel like if you eat and you’re done eating, you can move to the patio for an after-dinner drink. Or you can play mini golf before you eat. There’s multiple ways to engage,” Radaich added.
The IG/TikTok crowd is gonna go nuts for the cheese pull on the queso fundido. Chorizo Oaxaca and Chihuahua cheese, served in a skillet with a pile of corn tortillas, and then you go in for a grab of it.
They’re bringing a bit of a Tex-Mex/barbecue mood to the food as well. “We’re gonna have a brisket taco. We’re gonna smoke the carnitas. We’re smoking the tomatoes for one of the salsas. So that’s gonna add a nice dimension,” Radaich explained, but this is not in any way trying to pass some authenticity test.
“We have a fried chicken taco that has a nice slaw and a comeback sauce on it. We’ve got the smash burger taco (with Hatch chile, plus fried and pickled onion), we’re doing a double decker taco where the flour tortilla has a cheese blend, and we’re getting a little cheese skirt happening, then a hard shell beef taco is inside,” he said.
“We actually have a list, every menu item. What’s the magic? What does this have that nobody else has, you know? We want the food to get there and people to go ‘Wow!'” said Radaich.
You can check out the menu before opening day, and Radaich expects this will be a busy spot with the weather warming come June.
Hey Y’all Tipsy Taco Bar, 2501 Marshall St. NE, Minneapolis, heyyallmpls.com
