Matador: Charleston's Top Spot for Tequila and Mezcal

In a neighborhood full of Southern spots focused on whiskey and wine, Matador proudly brings a Mexican spin to Charleston’s historic Old Town, where most visitors to the charming city end up sooner or later—usually sooner. It occupies a large corner space in a circa-1860s saddlery warehouse and has been here for about three years as the first East Coast beachhead for a small bar and restaurant group with a few locations in the Pacific Northwest.

You enter into the spacious bar, showcasing a saloon atmosphere and 19^th-century feel, with old, worn wood floors, brick walls, and a long, curved dark wood bar, flanked by a row of heavy wooden booths opposite it. In keeping with the name, walls are decorated with a variety of bull-themed artwork, skulls, sculptures, and bullfight posters, as well as agave-harvesting and cutting tools. Behind the bar is library-style shelving with a rolling ladder displaying the extensive spirits selection, focused on agave, and arched openings in the old brick interior walls lead to large dining rooms. Upstairs is the mezcaleria, a smaller bar, open on Fridays and Saturdays, and \ used for tastings and education at other times. This is a great place to become educated about agave.

The list is substantial, but the highlight is the educational mezcal flights, each includes three 1 oz. pours. They are organized in a progression, with Beginner I and II, Advanced I and II, and Aficionada. Each has a detailed description, and the entry-level primer features Illegal joven, Banhez Artesanal, and Del Maguey Vida Puebla, for $16. The first Advanced flight has Real Minero Largo, Mezcales de Leyenda Guerrero, and Tileno Tepextate for $36, while the crown jewel features Chacolo Ixtero Amarillo, Código Ancestral Papalome, and Coyote Sotol Vibora for $41. There are also six house flights for tequila, starting at $18, but these are broken out by style, Blanco I and II, Reposado, Anejo, Extra Anejo, and El Presidente, the highest tier, which has Centenario Leyenda, Herradura Seleccion Suprema, and Partida Elegante for $80.

Likewise, the lengthy tequila list, over 160 in all, is broken into Blanco, Reposado, Anejo, and Extra Anejo, and each of these is split further into descriptive sub-sections such as “Fruit & Citrus,” “Pepper & Spice” and “Earthy & Floral.” These start at $8 for Lunazul and run up to $300 for Clase Azul Ultra, though that’s an exception, as the second priciest is $85, for Patrón Piedra. There are many good choices under $20, including G4 Reposado ($14), Tequila Ocho Anejo ($18), and El Mayor Extra Anejo ($20). For cocktail fans, they offer a dozen takes on Margaritas, including the DG Rita, made with Don Gato Blanco tequila, Cointreau, lime, lemon, agave syrup, and cranberry juice ($15). If you love tequila, you might want to visit on “Top Shelf Tuesday,” offered every week, when all pours over $16 are half price. You can enjoy extra anejo splurges such as Tears of Llorona and Código Origen for $27 and $30, respectively.

They have more than 60 mezcals, plus a handful of sotol options, ranging from Del Maguey Vida Puebla at $11 to Siete Misterios Pechuga at $55, though most are less than $20. There is also a separate menu of mezcal cocktails, like the Oaxacan Old Fashioned, with Siete Misterios Doba-Yej, orange bitters, agave syrup, and orange peel ($14), and the Mezcalerita, Koch Elemental Espadin, triple sec, orange, lemon, lime, agave syrup, orange bitters, and a Tajin rim ($13).

Matador is a big restaurant with a lengthy menu to match, spanning all the Mexican-American standards, tons of tacos, enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas, and combos, but this is a hot sauce loving region and their locally popular signature is a spicy habanero sauce that can be found throughout the menu, in steak burritos, chicken enchiladas, prawns, and as a dipping sauce. Happy Hour offers only food specials, not drinks, but they are pretty liberal with the schedule, 4-6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to midnight every day of the week—including Top Shelf Tuesday.