World-class dining options are an expected part of the US Open experience, but the brand-new Dobel Tequila Club is proving to be a gamechanger. The centrally-located covered outdoor restaurant adds authentic Mexican cuisine to the 2024 US Open’s menu, courtesy of iconic chef Enrique Olvera.
Maestro Dobel Tequila made a splash at last year’s US Open, as the “official” tequila of the tournament. It also served up a “featured cocktail”—the Maestro Dobel Ace Paloma—which fans could enjoy at a full-service bar in Arthur Ashe Stadium and at mobile carts throughout the tournament.
The Dobel Tequila Club cements Maestro Dobel’s presence on the grounds. While the elevated dining may feel exclusive, the area is open to all—and may even provide some respite from the record-breaking US Open crowds.
Resting on top of the US Open Collection store between Fountain Plaza and Court 6, fans can sip on Ace Palomas and enjoy Chef Olvera’s two signature dishes: suadero tacos and shrimp aguachile. Olvera is a world-renowned Mexican chef, known for reinventing traditional Mexican cuisine.
With numerous restaurants in the U.S. and Mexico, including the award-winning Pujol in Mexico City, Olvera isn’t a stranger to formulating menus. However, capturing the essence of the US Open was an exciting endeavor.
"Cooking is all about context,” Olvera said. “We know that people here are watching tennis. Of course the food is important, but we wanted it to be more convivial and more social.”
He and his team chose shrimp aguachile for the freshness, which fans might enjoy around lunchtime. The meal features a red leche de tigre marinade, avocado, celery, cucumber, and tostados.
“Normally, seafood stands in Mexico only operate during the daytime,” Olvera explained. “So, it’s more like a day session dish.” For night session attendees, he recommended the savory suadero tacos, which combines beef, avocado, salsa cruda, onion, and serrano.
Olvera said both dishes “harmonize” well with tequila cocktails, because “they come from the same culture.”
Mexican culture and traditions are infused in every Olvera offering. “We’re in love with our culture, so we want to preserve those traditions, recipes and techniques,” he said. Olvera routinely brings that philosophy to high-level cuisine, while also celebrating nearby farms by sourcing local ingredients.
“We are trying to celebrate the best of both worlds,” Olvera said. “And also have small accents of our own personalities.”
Glimpses of his personality come through in both dishes at the Open. In Mexico, Suadero Tacos typically use only cilantro. At the Dobel Tequila Club, Olvera adds spring onions. He also incorporates ginger into the Aguachile salsas, which isn’t a traditional practice.
As a tennis fan himself, Olvera felt honored to feature his dishes at the US Open. He’s attended the Open as a fan for years with his business partner. “We would come often and I’d tell him, ‘It would be nice to have something here one day,’” Olvera recalled.
“Mexican culture is about celebrating life and enjoying yourself, and I think the US Open is about exactly the same,” he said.
