Some might think: Just what Houston needs, another Mexican restaurant. As a big fan of Mexican food and drink, I think: the more the merrier. And considering that this spot took over a legendary Montrose bar, I was even more interested.

La Grange opened a little over a month ago and calls itself “a bar that serves coastal Mexican cuisine.” It took over the space that gay bar E.J.’s occupied for several years. La Grange is owned by Rob and Sara Cromie (Raven Grill and Picnic) and Harres Exezidis, with whom the couple also co-own Cottonwood and Liberty Station.

There are three bars for your drinking pleasure: one indoor, one outdoor at ground level (the koi pond from E.J.’s remains) and one outdoors upstairs. The outdoor patio bars have both shade from large umbrellas and a breeze from large outdoor fans, but on a Saturday in July it is still warm and ever so slightly sticky.

As noted, La Grange calls itself a bar. But chef Daniel Ajtai has wrangled some filling menu items in the theme of coastal Mexican dishes: We tried the campechana (photo below), shrimp tamales and salsa trio, as well as the queso. If you’re looking for a heartier meal, select from the different fajita options and stacked enchiladas – you won’t go home hungry here. They’re also offering brunch, should you be open to a new Sunday morning destination. Finally, check out La Grange’s late-night menu. The kitchen serves select items until 1 am.

If you’re craving a little bit of Mexican and you’re partial to margaritas, this is your place. Linda Salinas developed the cocktail menu, and the classic margarita is worth trying. On the other hand, every mixed drink on the menu was clearly designed for easy patio drinking. Beer makes up about half of the drink menu, while Mexican classics like horchata (this one’s boozy) and micheladas have a place on the menu, too. Naturally, the trendiest spirit of the year – mezcal – dots the specialty cocktail list. Mexico’s low-brow libation, sotol, is also here. (If you’re into classic drinks with a new riff, order the sotol old fashioned. It’s made with mole bitters!)

I wasn’t surprised to see that La Grange was buzzing and busy on Saturday around 7 pm – I spotted several industry colleagues and even a pastry chef friend – and they had all visited prior to that day, telling me that it was a new favorite weekend spot. While one of us at My Table had less-than-great service the weekend before dining indoors, my personal experience was the opposite – our waitress was checking on us every 5 minutes and reappearing with new drinks almost too often.

The rains have abated and Houston’s long hot summer seems to finally be here. La Grange is perfect for long cold drinks on the patio. See you there.