From Italian Wine Bar to Mexican Restaurant, Pachengo’s Opens at Buckhead Village

After announcing the closure of their Italian wine bar Storico Vino at Buckhead Village in June, Pietro Gianni and Stephen Peterson replaced it this week with a Mexican restaurant called Pachengo’s.

The Storico Vino space underwent a quick overhaul, transforming the moody wine bar into an airy taqueria set off by white walls and tiles throughout the restaurant.

Gianni and Peterson are known for their lively Italian restaurants in Atlanta, including Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante, Forza Storico, and Yeppa and Co., which opened earlier this year at Buckhead Village.

So, why the shift to Mexican food?

“Many of our staff members at our restaurants are from Mexico and other countries around South America, and we sat with them one day to discuss the idea [of Pachengo’s] and see what they thought,” Gianni told Eater in June of opening a Mexican restaurant. “[Pachengo’s] gives our employees, some who’ve been with us since the beginning at Storico Fresco, a chance to present their food and culture to our guests.”

Led by Mexico City natives and husband and wife Omar and Guadalupe Santamaria, expect a selection of tacos, burritos, and tostadas, along with queso con chorizo and enchiladas suizas. The menu also includes a family meal option where chefs of the restaurant get to present their takes on the traditional staff meal typically offered before the day’s service begins. Breakfast dishes like huevos rancheros and chilaquiles will be added to the menu on the weekends in the coming months. Look for tequila cocktails and a tight selection of wines from countries around South America from the bar.

Gianni and Peterson recently opened vibey cocktail bar Dryver Bar inside Yeppa and Co. at Buckhead Village, a bar themed after and dedicated to Formula One racing and luxury sports cars. The duo is in lease negotiations for a second Pachengo’s to open on the west side near Forza Storico and plan to open a second location of their multifaceted Italian restaurant Yeppa and Co. on the ground floor of the Junction at Krog District building along the Eastside Beltline in the Old Fourth Ward.

Currently open for dinner at 5 p.m. Starting August 21, Pachengo’s opens daily at 11 a.m. for both lunch and dinner.

3065 Peachtree Road, Atlanta.