Over the past few years Turlock’s downtown scene has experienced a revitalization, forging a new identity for itself with a combination of craft beer and nightlife destinations. After nearly a year of anticipation, Downtown Turlock again adds to its newly formed reputation as a Central Valley hotspot with the opening of Memo’s Cocina and Tequila Bar.
“We definitely wanted to bring more of a city feel to Turlock,” owner Karina Ramirez said. “It’s more of an experience here. When they come here, they’re not going to realize they’re in Turlock.”
Boasting a patio area, cocktail lounge, dining area, and a bar with nearly 100 different tequila varieties, Memo’s is everything its owners wanted it to be when they conceived the idea four years ago— a destination for authentic Mexican food with a modernized twist.
From healthy and Paleo friendly eating options to fresh cocktails made to order, Memo’s will attempt to stand out amongst the plethora of Mexican restaurants in Turlock by offering unique items in an up-scale environment.
“We want it to be more of a slower-paced restaurant. We don’t want to be flipping our tables constantly, we want the guests to relax and enjoy the beautiful restaurant we have to offer,” Ramirez said.
“Nothing is premixed, everything is mottled. There’s nothing like that around here,” she added. “It’s like the customer is opening a fresh bottle every time.”
Ramirez and her husband Guillermo—also owners of Las Casuelas—drew their inspiration for Memo’s from the Bay Area where they found the restaurants to be distinctly different from those in the Valley. Like many of those Bar Area restaurants, Memo’s plans to cater to those who truly love tequila by offering artisan tequila blends as well as several varieties of mezcal, a sister liquor to tequila that has seen an uptick in popularity throughout the state of California.
“We go to different restaurants and love trying new food and new drinks. We like to see what’s new and we felt like we could do it; we wanted to bring it to Turlock,” Ramirez said.
Turlockers will get the chance to experience the handcrafted drinks and plates of Memo’s seven days a week with operating hours established at 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The restaurant will officially open Wednesday after a 10:30 a.m. ribbon cutting ceremony that will feature Turlock Mayor John Lazar.
Memo's is located on the corner of Main Street and Broadway.
