Jan. 22, 2019

A colorful, flavorful transformation has taken place inside the old Borrowed Bucks Roadhouse.

When Vinyl Taco opens — Jan. 31 is the target date — customers will find original artwork by Fargo artist Rando and fresh “boutique” Mexican street food.

“Everything we make here is fresh,” said Kirk Keupp, who’s part of the Fargo-based ownership group that also had Borrowed Bucks, which closed in 2017. “Nothing comes out of a can. All of our sauces and salsas are made from scratch.” The tortillas are made in-house.

Vinyl Taco’s vibe is ’70s classic rock. Bartenders will spin vinyl albums, playing an entire side before switching to another album. Autographed guitars from Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles hang on the wall. The restaurant commissioned Rando to do a half-dozen paintings, tabletop artwork and three tile mosaics, all of rock legends.

The theme of the classic “Saturday Night Live” sketch “More Cowbell” plays out with artwork adorned with a cowbell that customers can shake as they leave and a colorful metal cow that serves as a mailbox for postcards that customers can send to friends and family.

The food will be colorful too. Street tacos will come in several traditional varieties: barbacoa, carne asada, chicken fajita, chicken tinga, gringo and steak fajita. Specialty versions include barbecue chicken, buffalo chicken, cilantro lime chicken, crispy fish, crispy chicken and mango, pork belly agridulce, shrimp a la parilla and vegetarian.

Diners also will find chimichangas, enchiladas, burritos and more. Tacos Molcajete will come to the table in a grill-heated bowl filled with meat and veggies, and diners will build their own tacos.

The space seats 90, with stools around a bar that fills the center of the room, booths along two of the walls and high-top tables along the other two. There’s a garage door that will open to the patio when the weather is nice. Outside, the seating space will be illuminated by low fire pit walls and strings of lights.

Vinyl Taco has a liquor license, so the margaritas will be full-strength and feature fresh fruit and freshly squeezed lime juice. The bar will have eight beers on tap and more than a dozen bottled choices.

Hours will be 11 a.m. to midnight daily. Customers must be 21 or older.

The other part of the building, which is south of the Western Mall, will be Vinyl Social Club, which will open shortly after Vinyl Taco, Keupp said. It will feature “a DJ-driven sound and a lot of activity for people.” He’s waiting to release details on the club until the opening date is closer. He’s still hiring bartenders and servers. The club will share the kitchen with Vinyl Taco but have a separate menu. Hours will be 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

Keupp has spent most of the past year guiding construction, finding treasures to fill both spaces and hiring staff. He said Sioux Falls has been good to the bar and restaurant group, which also has two Vinyl Taco locations in North Dakota; a dozen JL Beers locations, including two in Sioux Falls; and the remaining two Borrowed Bucks bars in North Dakota.

“We had 25 great years with Bucks. … I’m excited for this.”