Cheeky Tiki Mugs and $5 Tacos Are the Draws at Cambridge's Newest Mexican Restaurant

"Cambridge got a new over-the-top restaurant that will mesh Mexican cuisine with 1990s mall culture - 13-foot-tall Aztec-inspired statues, a lush jungle interior, cheeky tiki mugs, and $5 tacos. This is what you'll find at Gato Exotico, the new dining destination from the team behind playful, immersive American Chinese restaurant Wusong Road in Harvard Square. Gato Exotico is the latest addition to CambridgeSide, a longstanding Lechmere-area mall that's been reimagining its food options, starting with swanky food hall and bar CanalSide, which opened last year."

""I grew up going to CambridgeSide and have strong memories of spending time there as a teenager after school at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School," Doo tells Eater. "That is the spirit we wanted to capture with Gato Exotico [...] bringing that sense of community forward with modern food, cocktails, and an immersive atmosphere that nods to the playful thematic dining experiences of the 1990s.""

"But Doo acknowledges that he's not an expert in Mexican cuisine. Wusong Road's sous chef and Mexico City native Sergio Enriquez and his mother, whom the kitchen staff affectionately call "Doña Anna," created the menu and will manage the kitchen at Gato Exotico. The wide-ranging menu runs the gamut from small, street food-inspired bites to large, shareable plates. Find $5 tacos, enchiladas, carne asada, and more."

Gato Exotico opened December 2 at 100 Cambridgeside Place as an over-the-top dining destination pairing Mexican-inspired food with 1990s mall nostalgia. The interior features lavish tropical plants, thematic wrought-iron lighting, and 13-foot Aztec-inspired statues to create an immersive, playful atmosphere. Chef-owner Jason Doo aimed to evoke memories of spending time at CambridgeSide as a teenager while collaborating with Wusong Road sous chef Sergio Enriquez and his mother Doña Anna, who developed and will run the kitchen. The menu spans $5 tacos, street-food bites, enchiladas, carne asada, and large shareable plates, joining other recent food-focused mall renovations.

Read at Eater Boston