The Padros opened Highland Tap & Burger in 2010 and followed up with Bar Dough next door in 2015; last year they added Sloan's Lake Tap & Grill to their collection and will soon have another Tap & Grill at the Belleview Station development in the DTC. The couple follows a business model that gives employees an ownership stake, so Edmunds, who started with the company at Bar Dough, will be an owner of Señor Bear.
Edmunds has been working with other chefs on the team, including Bar Dough's Max MacKissock, to develop a menu that draws from the Latin American culture of many regions. So you'll see mofongo from Puerto Rico, handmade corn tortillas from Mexico, aji chiles from Peru, and chorizo from Argentina, among others items. But don't expect traditional combinations and platings; while the inspiration, ingredients and techniques remain true to their sources, there's also plenty of experimentation and modernization.
The bar program is equally rooted in Latin American ingredients, with a cocktail roster based on tequila, mezcal, rum and pisco. Happy hour — or Hora Loca, as it will be called — promises to be a festive affair, with fun and creative bites to pair with the drinks.
With Señor Bear, the team becomes as much of a fixture in LoHi as Frank Bonanno is at Seventh and Grant (with Bones, Mizuna and Luca) or the Kizaki Brothers are (with Sushi Den, Izakaya Den and Ototo) at South Pearl and Florida.
For more photos of the newest LoHi eatery, see our complete Señor Bear slideshow.
Señor Bear is small but well designed to maximize the space; it was previously home to the Squeaky Bean and Jezebel's.
Danielle Lirette
King crab with avocado, pickled shallot, serrano chiles, puffed rice and coconut-chile broth.
Danielle Lirette
A few of Señor Bear's cocktails (left to right): Primer Hombre, Rubor, Verde Jugo, Contento Fruta.
Danielle Lirette
