A new Mexican bar is getting ready to open up in Hudson Square later this year.
Agua Santa Taqueria is a brand new bar and restaurant concept from owner Sean Heaphy. The restaurant is described by Sean as a “restaurant with one bar that will focus on the sales of Agua Santa beer and a limited Mexican food menu.” For those of you who don’t know, Agua Santa, meaning “holy water” in Spanish, is a brand of Mexican lager from Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company that has become especially popular thanks to its crisp and refreshing flavor. Made from high-quality pilsner malt, flaked maize, and noble hops, Agua Santa’s tagline is “Sabor sin Sacrificio” – Flavor without Sacrifice.
Now, Sean is getting ready to bring his Agua-Santa-centric bar to Hudson Square, where he has acquired the space at 282 Hudson Street. 282 Hudson previously housed Local & Vine, a popular local haunt that offered regional beer and wine to go alongside charcuterie and bar snacks. The location originally began as an unlicensed after-hours club that hosted SNL after-parties and was also the location where the Blues Brothers originated, and soon Agua Santa Taqueria will be continuing the space’s longstanding traditions.
The location currently offers an estimated 1,000 square feet of space and is expected to seat a total of 92 guests between the interior and planned sidewalk & roadbed cafes. According to his recent liquor license application with Community Board 2, Sean will be adding a kitchen to the space as well as street seating and interior and exterior alterations. While he has not yet revealed the menu for Agua Santa, the name clearly indicates that the menu will be taco-forward at a minimum.
Despite the many changes planned for the space, it does not appear that there will be any changes made to the bar that so many people have come to love over the years. Sean is currently proposing a 26-seat sidewalk cafe and 32-seat roadbed cafe for Agua Santa and is proposing operating hours of 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM Monday through Saturday, and 12:00 PM – 11:00 PM on Sunday. While Sean has not yet released any social media profiles for his new bar, curious readers can try out Agua Santa beer for themselves while ordering directly through their website.
