Thank you so much to those of you who showed up at Esquina last night, it was great to be among so many friends. Things went well for an opening night with throngs of customers – no major disasters (only a few minor ones). In our effort to get our doors open, we haven’t gotten everything that we want completed – website, written menu, etc. – but it is all coming soon.
In the meantime, here is a bit of clarification on how Esquina works.
**Esquina is open 7 days a week from 11am – 10pm.
**Esquina does not accept reservations. Orders for food are taken at a counter with the menu on a chalkboard. We deliver food, drinks, and desserts to your table.
**Esquina has a very cool bar with fun cocktails that you will want to drink.
**Esquina’s cuisine can be described as ‘upscale taqueria’ (my description, not Robert’s). What do I mean? Come down and check it out!
**Esquina is located at 801 Massachusetts Street in downtown Lawrence. Street parking can be tough sometimes, but there is a large parking lot behind Esquina, accessible from Vermont Street (one block west of Massachusetts.)
Thanks for being so awesome, I hope to see you soon.
Molly Krause Creates 
Congratulations on the new baby! Spring Break is coming; maybe I will get there with my daughter and grand-daughter!!
congratulations on the arrival of your beautiful new baby!
Congrats on the new restaurant, & thanks for bringing to Lawrence a much-needed taqueria. Hats off to you and your contractors – you all put together a great place in a very short amount of time.
I dined there last night. Here are my first impressions:
1. Interior: I liked the wood floors, spearmint-green walls, and curved bar. The big windows are nice, and the sidewalk sitting will be great during summer days. The mirrors on the walls provide depth…and a good opportunity to check out your hair while waiting in line. Seating was not my favorite – I found the chairs to be rather small and did not like the lack of a good back support. I did however like the big table in the center, which should work well for big groups or for customers who like to socialize.
2. Mood: Not loud, but not quiet either. The sound system at the bar was playing gangsta rap when I ordered a drink (was it Notorious BIG?), which was a interesting surprise, more LA than Lima.
3. Service: Nice and polite. The two-cash register system was a tad confusing for some people in front of me – many people were trying to place orders at the cash register, which stood idle as customers were narrowing down dinner selections at the ticket register. The cards that indicate servers the order could be improved – they were hard to see when laid flat on the table and the lights were low.
4. Food: Lived up the the expectations associated with the Molly & Robert Krause. Definitely more interior-Mexican/South American than Tex-Mex. The three kind of tacos I had (shrimp, fish, and chicken) tasted fresh and exotic. They all shared the same backbone: softshell tortillas and slaw. This approach probably helps keep costs in check, but it also takes away some of the individuality and identity of each taco. The chicken was the clear winner of my triumvirate – meat had a soft yet hearty texture. The shrimp and fish tacos were good too, but they were a bit runny. The chips & salsa (a la carte) were excellent. Chips were thin, crisp, with a nice touch of what appeared to be paprika. The salsa was very good, redolent of roasted tomatoes and red peppers. Also very good was the black bean soup, which had a potent, spicy bite.
5. Drinks: Did not try any of the mixed drinks, although they looked very interesting. Short list of wine, but the chardonnay I had was excellent.
I ate there last night and enjoyed it. I had the 3 taco combo with Chicken, Pork and Shrimp. All were tasty, but the chicken was my favorite. I’m anxious to try some of other item. The Place looks great, but I still miss Round Corner.
The meal last night was superb; my boyfriend and I split three tacos (potato, fish and steak), cheviché and guacamolé because we wanted to try as much as possible.
All of it was just spectacular. I can’t wait to try some deserts, not to mention some of the cocktails once I turn 21 in July.
‘Upscale Taqueria’ is the perfect description – it absolutely blew my mind that I spent the same amount I would have at, say, La Famillia or Celito Lindo, and had a meal that was WORLDS better.
(Brief aside: Molly, I called you over to our table by name to tell you how great everything was, and you seemed very confused that I knew your name – I meant to explain, but you seemed busy, so anyhow: I know your name through the images on this blog and because I dined at your house once. Sorry if I creeped you out or anything of the sort!)
Anyhow, I look forward to trying the rest of the menu!
I wasn’t creeped out, but rather suffering from general confusion last night! Looking forward to seeing you again…
Congratulations Molly & Robert!!! We will be excited to come down and try it soon! xoxo Betsy
Congratulations! We stopped in today, I think you refilled our water in fact – but I was too flustered by the fact that HOLY COW I THINK THAT’S MOLLY KRAUSE that I stupidly, just sat there and didn’t tell you just how much we looooooved the food.
I’ll just tell you now: you did a beautiful job with the space! The fish taco was fantastic. And the pork, loved that salsa. And the Peruvian potao, and the rice and beans, and…
Amazing place. Congrats again!
Mmmm. Yum. Pork taco is as close to yummy Pastor on the streets of Aapulco.
Y B Torronte is the perfect liquid for this meal.
I will be freqeunting Lawrence much more often now!!! Burger and tacos!
Molly,
We can’t wait to come in and check things out. Currently we are in Mexico so will look forward to carrying on with you all soon. 🙂
congratulations on the opening it looks gorgeous from the pictures.
Congratulations you guys!!! It looks (and sounds) amazing. Can’t wait to try it out. We will definitely be in this week. Will Zach be there to hug me at the door?
He will be behind the bar…
I just had the best burger I have every had in my life. The classic, with duck fat fries at Dempsey’s. I have been all over the country and a few places abroad and one of my favorite things to do is eat the local food. Being new to lawrence it is so nice to find Esquina and now Dempsey’s. I can’t wait to tell my Kansas City friends and get them in town for beers and burgers.
Thank you and I look forward to what you are going to do next…