Red Bridge Mexican restaurant draws crowd; library to open in August

Red Bridge Barrio opened June 4 at Red Bridge Shopping Center. Photo by Kathy Feist 

Mexican restaurant opens in Red Bridge; library to open in August

By John Sharp

A line of new customers awaited the June 4 public opening of Red Bridge Barrio, a casual Mexican restaurant and bar with a large outdoor patio located in the northeast corner of the Red Bridge Shopping Center at 11118 Holmes Rd.

Chris Ridler, one of the restaurant’s owners who grew up just blocks from the shopping center, said he was pleasantly surprised by the size of the crowd and that he is pleased to once again be part of the Red Bridge community.

The restaurant’s extensive menu includes assorted appetizers; duck, fish, pork, shrimp and steak tacos; a build your own street taco platter; chicken, ground beef, kale & mushroom and seafood enchilada platters and an enchilada sampler; burritos; chimichangas; empanadas; fajitas; kabobs; salads; and sandwiches.
Dishes on the menu range from $10 to $17.

It also offers over 25 types of tequila, nine different specialty margaritas and a wide selection of Mexican and local craft beers in bottles, cans and on tap, as well as specialty cocktails and wine.

The restaurant is open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight Friday, 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.  The kitchen closes at 10 p.m. daily.

Another opening is expected at the shopping center in August when the Red Bridge Branch of the Mid-Continent Public Library (MCPL) moves into its larger space with good visibility from Red Bridge Rd. in what was once a bowling alley at 453B Red Bridge Rd. adjacent to Euston Hardware.

The new library will occupy about 14,350 square feet, over 2,300 square feet more than at its present site, and will include a new community room and collaboration spaces, new public computers and improved Wi-Fi access, new more comfortable furnishings and an outdoor seating area.

The current branch will be closed about four weeks to move books, equipment and other items to the new facility, according to Jim Staley, MCPL director of community relations and planning.  Staley said patrons will be given as much advance notice of the closing as possible.