Chef Jason Dady scribbled down an idea for a Mexican-inspired food hall 14 years ago in his journal.
“I never thought anything else of it ever again,” he said. “It wasn’t like I was out actively looking to where that was going to go.”
Until four years ago, when the owner of the Shops at Rivercenter, Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp., approached the San Antonio restaurateur to help transform the mall’s 40-year-old food court. It seemed like the perfect fit for the concept lingering in his back pocket.
Photo Courtesy Mexico CWATy
“I think in their mind, I would do a barbecue kiosk, a burger kiosk or taco kiosk, but I told them about this idea I’d had for a long time and realized this might actually be the right spot for it,” Dady said. “What makes sense is that we’re right in the heart of the river. You’ve got the foot traffic, the conventions, all the things that give it the possibility of making a project this big successful.”
Over the last decade, the idea has evolved into something bigger than he’d imagined, but one thing has remained the same — the name. Mexico Ceaty officially opened in the former Rivercenter food court on April 20.
Photo Courtesy Mexico Ceaty
The 25,000-square-foot space is Dady’s biggest project yet, “and the biggest risk we’ve ever taken,” he said. It was a nearly $8 million investment for the San Antonio restaurant group and employs nearly 200 people.
Mexico Ceaty feels like a trip through Mexico. It draws inspiration from brands like Eataly, which pays tribute to Italian cuisine throughout each of its food stalls. Dady’s food hall is inspired by his travels to Mexico over the years and weaves in the culture of San Antonio.
“As a whole, everyone is looking at us as the anchor for the revival of this area,” Dady said. “The No. 1 quote I hear over and over again is, ‘Man, I haven’t been in the Rivercenter mall in 15 years.’”
Photo Courtesy Mexico Ceaty
At the heart of Mexico Ceaty is The Plaza, designed to feel like guests are walking through the streets of Mexico, surrounded by cart vendors. There’s the Mercado, selling artisan goods, imported foods, Mexican wines, spices, fresh tortillas, salsas and tamales. Visitors also get a front-row view into the Tortillería, where tortillas are handcrafted from Masienda’s heirloom masa varieties. For a fresh bite of ceviche, the Cevichería raw bar displays all the seafood that can be cured in lime and tossed in herbs.
The Frutería adds a splash of color with large jugs of aguasfrescas and hand-cut fruit. Baja Burritos, Bowls & Tortas invites guests looking for a quick yet filling meal with menu items like the El Jefe Burraco Burrito, Dady’s signature, with a crispy beef taco stuffed inside a bean and cheese burrito and topped with enchilada gravy. Street Taco, Guisados & Flautas, meanwhile, fries up handmade corn tortillas as the base for its slow-cooked barbacoa or chicharron soaked in an herby tomato broth.
Photo Courtesy Mexico Ceaty
“We wanted to make sure that no matter your budget, you can experience this,” Dady said. “If you’ve only got $10 to spend, you can come get pastries and a paletta, but if you want to sit down and have beef fajitas and shrimp en brochette, while sipping super high-end tequila, knock yourself out. Nobody’s priced out of this place.”
For the main events, the food hall boasts signature concepts. Tres Arcos is Mexico Ceaty’s full-service Tex-Mex restaurant with a mole tasting flight, wagyu fajitas and a signature La Reserva margarita made with barrel-aged tequila that Dady’s team hand-picked from Jalisco. Dulce & Aroma is an all-day panadería café led by chef Stephanie Beyers, a San Antonio UNESCO chef ambassador from Mexico City and the founder of Eat Chingon.
Photo Courtesy Mexico Ceaty
For drinks, Dos Cantinas offers a 300-seat bar overlooking the River Walk, while El Último is the food hall’s hidden agave tasting room with a curated collection of artisanal mezcals and aged tequilas.
Throughout Mexico Ceaty, large-scale murals by local artist Colton Valentine and floral installations by David Garcia of Statue of Design adorn the walls.
“You can start your day here with a breakfast taco or pastry, come back for lunch or happy hour, and finish off with a sit-down meal and a nice mezcal,” Dady said. “There’s something for everyone.”
Photo Courtesy Mexico Ceaty
Three months in and the food hall typically sees around 5,000 people on a given Saturday. Once word makes its way down the entire river, Dady hopes to expand the food hall to other cities, including Mexico City itself. He’s already received interest from major metros throughout the U.S.
Looking back, Dady said he wants to tell his 35-year-old self who scribbled down the idea for Mexico Ceaty more than a decade ago, “I told you so.”
“Having a belief in it and vision for the design process was difficult,” he added. “How do you take a food court that’s 40 years old and then turn it into this? Now, when people walk in and take a second to soak it up, that’s the most rewarding part.”
Mexico Ceaty
849 E. Commerce St., River Level