A new Sunday Roast is coming to Glasgow - and it has a Mexican twist.
El Jefe’s in Finnieston is bringing "quirky, unique Mexican food" to the city’s West End alongside live entertainment.
The restaurant was previously open for around four months on Great Western Road, before closing in February, and reopened on Argyle Street at the end of August.
Dave Wade, who is co-owner with business partner Jonathan Lessani of The Brunch Club, says the restaurant has been a goal for around a decade.
Dave, who also owns The Parlour on Vinicombe Street, explained: "My background was more bartending than the kitchen side, but I always had an interest in tequila and Mexican food.
"I did a pop-up called Mexicana Cantina at SWG3 about 10 years ago so in a way this has been a project I’ve been desperate to do but there never seemed to be the right location for it or the right time to launch it.
"But I’ve had an interest in Mexican food and tequila for well over 10 years so there’s something quite interesting about seeing that coming to fruition."
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As well as offering a variety of food and drink, the restaurant also has live entertainment and Dave says they've tried to create a 'one-stop shop' for people to spend an evening out.
He said: "For us, the two core bits of this, we wanted value for money for people and we wanted to have a real focus on live entertainment.
"What we want is a comfortable atmosphere where people can enjoy great food and great drinks at a reasonable price and that to be accompanied by friendly service as well but to be accompanied by live music and some kind of entertainment.
"We’re hopefully offering most of what you’re looking for across the course of an evening in one place."
Head chef Steven Gallacher has worked in restaurants for 15 years after he got his first job at age 16 in Pancho Villas in Merchant City.
He says he "loved" working in a Mexican restaurant and jumped at the chance to work in one again when he was approached by El Jefe’s to join the team after they moved to Argyle Street.
"They approached me and asked if we could get a team together and try and do some quirky, unique Mexican food, something a wee bit different that’s going to draw attention to Finnieston," Steven says.
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"I was really looking forward to it because I go out to eat quite a lot but me and my girlfriend always say there’s no good Mexican in Glasgow so to be part of making it is a really good opportunity.
"It’s really authentic.
"The owners have been over to Mexico a few times and they’ve come back with ideas and we’re bouncing off each other and I think it’s the fact we want to have fun with it and explore different avenues with different foods.
"I’m trying to create a lot of vegan stuff as well to fit in with what’s trending.
"I’m trying to get all the chefs engaged as well and get them interested in coming up with ideas."
Steven was asked to create a menu for a Mexican Sunday roast, which will also feature live music for a "fun" and "colourful" event which will be "less formal" than other Sunday lunches.
The dish will feature meats such as a leg of lamb, half Mexican chicken and Chateaubriand, as well as a range of sides including creamed corn, Mexican roast potatoes, Tex Mex gravy and queso Chipotle cauliflower.
Steven explained: "The owners came to me and said 'have you any ideas for Sunday roast' and I said I’d have a wee look at it.
"It’s a different twist on it.
"It’s for sharing so it’s for a social gathering, it’s not just about coming and going home, it’s about creating an event.
"The mariachi band will be in on a Sunday for it as well.
"We’re all looking forward to it, it’s a really good vibe."
And it’s not just on Argyle Street where the fun will be as Dave and Jonathan are set to open El Camino on Waterloo Street in November.
Dave added: "That’s going to give us an exciting opportunity on the live music side because that has a 3am licence where it’s a larger space that covers three floors.
"We’ll be offering a similar style in terms of the kitchen, there’ll be some tweaks as far as the drinks are concerned and then what we’re hoping to do is offer a really great platform for people to book events."
The Mexican Sunday roast will be available at El Jefe’s from Sunday, November 6, while a monthly brunch will also begin on Sunday, October 30.
El Jefe’s is located at 1166-1170 on Argyle Street in Finnieston.
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