Courtesy of Muchacho
Muchacho opened its third location, taking over a historic house at 129 Church Street in Decatur, and giving the neighborhood a new spot for coffee, tacos, and margaritas, with free parking.
The restaurant resides in a 1940 Craftsman bungalow, formerly Kevin Gillespie’s Revival. Rather than gut the house, the team leaned into its residential bones. Original wood floors sit alongside vintage rugs and light fixtures. Ordering is counter service, which keeps the mood casual. Like the Muchacho locations in Reynoldstown and the Westside, the look draws on beachside surf shacks.
“We wanted enough similarity that it feels familiar while still fitting naturally into the neighborhood,” says founder Michael Lennox, who lives nearby. In addition to Muchacho, Lennox owns and operates Tiger Sun, Ranger Station, The Electric Room, and two Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall locations, including one that opened last month on the Westside.
At Muchacho Decatur, the biggest change compared to the other locations is how the space is set up. The indoor dining room is smaller, with about 50 seats. The yard more than makes up for it. Nearly 7,000 square feet outdoors makes it the largest patio in the Muchacho family. A dedicated outdoor bar serves food and drinks from late afternoons to evening. Heaters and fire pits are on hand to keep the patio comfortable as the weather cools.
Courtesy of Muchacho
In the front yard, a play area with stacked logs, a fort, and miniature picnic tables built from reclaimed barn beams offers a space for children to get out some energy. “We’ve seen firsthand how family-oriented Decatur is,” Lennox says.
At the back of the property, a vine-covered steel frame shaped like a roofless greenhouse and decorated with a chandelier and disco ball holds a big table for private dining (although anyone can sit there when it isn’t booked).
Live music is also a bigger part of the plan at this location. “Decatur has a rich, proud history with live music,” Lennox says. The team intends to honor it with more performances.
Courtesy of Muchacho
Despite the new surroundings, the food and drink menus match those at the other Muchacho locations. Exclusive Decatur dishes may be added over time. For now, familiar offerings include a chicken burrito, al pastor taco, and chicken club sandwich with zhug aioli. For dinner, there’s a seared salmon bowl with cilantro rice, mango-coconut sauce, avocado, cucumber and cabbage salad, and spiced pepitas. For breakfast, look for the egg white ranchero omelet, served with a corn tortilla, Oaxacan beans, cilantro rice, jalapeño salsa, avocado, tostones, and crispy tortilla crumbles. There’s also a seasonal fruit toast currently made with persimmon.
“The idea is Muchacho can be a place you can come any time of day or night, and it will naturally suit the mood you’re in with versatile menu options,” Lennox says.
At the coffee bar, drinks are made with matcha from Atlanta-based Muracha and a custom blend of Chrome Yellow coffee. Come afternoon and evening, the bar lineup includes margaritas, a frozen Mexican espresso martini, and seasonal cocktails like the Chai Hard Mule.
Courtesy of Muchacho
