Latin American restaurant to keep serving bold flavors with new name, Atascadero location
Latin American fusion eatery Don Q Restaurant has a brand new name and a new location.
The restaurant is now going by the name Mr. Q and is open in a new spot in the heart of downtown Atascadero overlooking the historic Sunken Gardens Park and The Rotunda.
The new restaurant has promised to bring a “unique menu including many different spirit infused dishes,” according to a news release.
Oscar Cruz, owner and founder of family-owned Mr. Q restaurant, said he didn’t want the restaurant to be just another traditional Mexican restaurant.
“We started working on new recipes,” Cruz said.
From one-of-a-kind sauces for enchiladas to creamy soups, Mr. Q’s menu items burst with different Latin flavors, colors and salsas.
Some dishes Mr. Q is known for include the chile relleno with different saucy, spicy and tangy flavors, as well as his famous poblano soup.
Why did the name change from Don Q?
Cruz said it was easier and quicker to transfer a new liquor license, administered by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, to a new location rather than operating the two restaurants under one permit.
“By the time the restaurant will be open, if we start to do all the paperwork, it might take a while to have a license transferred to the new location,” Cruz said. He said ABC suggested to him that a new license might be ready in time for a restaurant to open up under a new name.
The menu included appetizers like bandito poppers and mango passion fruit ceviche, ranging from $14-$16. Seafood includes Dom Perignon chile relleno with sauteed shrimp and queso fresco, while steak dishes include chimichurri and other ribeye or New York Strip dishes. Salads and specialties are priced from $17.50- $39.95.
One specialty dish of Mr. Q’s is El Patron chile relleno, which comes with poblano pepper filled with al pastor meat, onions, pineapple and Monterey Jack cheese.
“It’s been really popular, that one,” Cruz said of the menu item, which is covered with orange pico de gallo and jalapeño cream sauce, on top of queso fresco. “It’s a really nice dish with different flavors and experiences.”
Cruz said Mr. Q tries to offer different Latin flavors and different experiences for everyone, and that includes vegan and vegetarian options like Jim Bean enchiladas, tacos barcelo served with vegan chile verde and fernet pasta with an option for gluten free brown rice pasta. These options range from $18.95-$23.95.
Mr. Q’s also offers an array of beverages, including lime peach, strawberry and mango margaritas, as well as a selection of beers, wine and house sangria.
Cruz said nothing was in the restaurant’s news space before Mr. Q, as it was a brand new construction by an Atascadero developer who revamped La Plaza property.
With room to seat 40 people inside and another 10 to 15 in the outdoor patio seating, Cruz was excited about re-opening the same family-style restaurant under a new name.
Cruz said he’s been excited about spending more time with his two daughters who work at the new location, in addition to spending time with the rest of his staff.
“It’s more like a family,” Cruz said of getting to also spend time with his staff. He added that he’s been “very fortunate” with the people who have come on board as employees.
For more information
Mr. Q opened the last week of January at 6500 El Camino Real, Atascadero in La Plaza.
Mr. Q is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 4 to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The lunch menu is available from 11:30a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, visit mrqrestaurant.com or call 820-216-0034.
