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A small stretch of South Fourth Street will be growing a little more vibrant this summer as The El Camino Inn prepares to open their doors. The venue is under the same management as next door neighbor Little Palace (as well as The Rossi and Club 185) and will feature taco-truck style tacos served up indoors.
“We wanted to do tacos, but keep it American,” explains co-owner Tina Corbin. “We’re going for a kind of San Diego 1970s-era tex-mex dive bar feel.”
The new bar/restaurant will open in a space that was formerly attached through an interior entrance to Little Palace and previously served as a private lounge where greek parties often hosted afterhours bellydancer nights. El Camino will have its own exterior entrance and will be roughly the same size as Dirty Frank’s, located two doors down.
“We’ve been working on a concept for the space for awhile, but haven’t been in any hurry to open,” says Corbin. “We’re still in the process of buying a lot of second-hand finishes for the space from vintage stores and off eBay, but we’re hoping to open in June at the latest.”
In addition to tacos, the El Camino Inn will feature an affordable selection of canned beers, a limited bar and a small variety of tequilas.
Corbin says that the success of Little Palace is what drove them to moving forward with opening a second Downtown restaurant.
“The area is growing and definitely has been successful,” she says. “The Columbus Commons is about to start filling in, but I also like this area because it’s not too congested right now.”
Love the low key vibe of their operations.
Can’t wait for the tequilla and tacos!
This is turning into one of my favorite streets in Columbus!
I hope the service resembles Club 185 and the Rossi (outstanding) and not the Little Palace (horrendous).
Otherwise, very excited about this new spot.
“previously served as a private lounge where greek parties often hosted afterhours bellydancer nights”
how interesting.
Opens this weekend!
I’m surprised no one has posted on the food or experience. I went. Here is my take. I’m going to sound like an old curmudgeon. I am. Overall, it was not as bad as this will likely sound. The barmaids are kind of hot and they know it. They primp and prawn costantly in front of the mirror at the bar. They struck me as immature but I found it amusing. One was wearing a halter top and kept checking herself out in it. The other devoted her attention the younger, better looking twenty something that walked in at the same time I did. Both on duty the day I went, a Saturday afternoon, were totally abusing the turntable and records-sending the tonearm skidding across the records repeatedly with total insolence-like they felt a grudge at having to play music on an old fashioned record-playing-thingie. Perhaps they were miffed they only had three well-worn records to play over and over. That would make me a bit insolent too. My drink (the recommended house cocktail-”Paloma?”) was very good, a mix of Mexican lime flavord soda and tequila. My burrito was totally and laughably forgettable. It had no distinct flavor whatsoever. Perhaps I should have gone for the tacos, but I doubt they hold a candle to Lydia’s over on Long Street, five minutes away? The house chips are very good. Overall, It’s not a bad place to hang out, but not a great one either.