Opened at 148 Gaul Drive since October 2019, Blue Tequila also has a second location at 15 First St. N.E. in Le Mars, Iowa.
Both Lopez and Ortiz bring plenty of restaurant experience to Siouxland.
“We owned a restaurant outside of Peoria, Illinois, for many years,” Lopez said.
A decision to be closer to family precipitated their move to Siouxland.
“We love the area and Sergeant Bluff has been so good to us,” Lopez said.
That was especially true when Gov. Kim Reynolds declared a statewide health emergency in March which effectively ended indoor dining at restaurants in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
“We had to close our dining room but people still ordered food for takeout,” Lopez explained. “They wanted to see Blue Tequila stay open because the community wanted to support its small businesses.”
Which was good news since the family owned restaurant quickly acquired a reputation for creative cuisine and an unusually large menu.
Blue Tequila’s Pollo Feliz, a chicken and beef dish served in a pineapple, is the creation of veteran restaurant chef Eduardo Ortiz, who has more than 20 years of food experience.
“My husband Eduardo is always coming up with new entrees and, as soon as he introduces something, we add it to the menu,” Lopez said.
This includes specialty dishes featuring steak, chicken, pork, seafood and vegetarian offerings in addition to more traditional Mexican fare like tacos, burritos and enchiladas.
