Buckhead Favorite Rock ‘N’ Taco Relocating To Roswell This Fall

ROSWELL, GA — Get ready to rock, Roswell. This fall, after a successful six-year run, Rock ‘N’ Taco, Buckhead’s beloved late-night gourmet taqueria and epicenter for live, original music is moving to larger, more spacious digs on Canton Street in Roswell. Atlanta entrepreneur Brad Hancock has teamed up with John Michael Brunetti, one of the founding owners of Midtown mainstay Cypress Street Pint & Plate, to relocate Rock ‘N’ Taco to 928 Canton Street in Roswell’s ultra-popular downtown district. At 7,000 square feet, the new space more than triples the size of the old location.

“Everything you love about Rock ‘N’ Taco — all the great cover bands, live rock karaoke and our authentic taqueria menu — is staying the same, we’re just moving it to a larger, state-of-the-art space in one of Roswell’s fasting-growing zip codes,” Brunetti said.

For Hancock, the relocation is like coming home. In the mid-1980s, the space at 928 Canton Street was the home of his father Brad Hancock Sr.’s iconic Montego Bay restaurant, where he biked to work after school to wash dishes, run food and where his love for the hospitality business first began.

“I was thrilled when it came back on the market, and knowing the building so well, I knew firsthand it would be the perfect space for Rock ‘N’ Taco’s new home in Roswell,” Hancock said. “In a lot of ways, this represents a homecoming for me.”

The 99-year-old structure, originally a Ford car dealership when it opened in 1920, is enjoying a rock ‘n roll-fueled renaissance, thanks to a $1.5 million makeover, including restoring the original garage doors that will open onto Canton Street, revealing Rock ‘N’ Taco’s new 30-seat private dining room, perfect for corporate events, holiday parties and rehearsal dinners. In addition, Atlanta audio experts HiFi Buys installed a state-of-the-art audio and video system, making the stage at Rock ‘N’ Taco one of Roswell’s best-sounding live venues. Sports fans will catch all the action viewing games on a 9 x 13-foot screen and on 28 additional televisions throughout the building.

The Rock ‘N’ Taco menu also is receiving an upgrade with the addition of healthy salads, more entrée and taco offerings, and new cocktails like the Jimi Hendrix Experience-inspired Purple Haze (complete with dry ice garnish), Rock ‘N’ Taco’s cocktail menu will be smoking — literally.

Hancock and Brunetti want to build on the venue’s success serving as a springboard for local singer-songwriters who have gone on to compete on NBC’s “The Voice” and ABC’s “American Idol” TV singing competition shows. They have installed equipment so that bands have the option to capture live sets on video to later upload for fans on their YouTube channel, website or social media pages.

Starting in early spring after football season ends, Rock ‘N’ Taco will kick off its 10-week Original Music Series hosting 10 to 15 bands per night. Each band will battle in a bracket-style competition on the restaurant’s large stage, culminating in a semifinal round and awesome prizes. Follow Rock ‘N’ Taco on social media for updates and how to register.

“We have all this homegrown talent that’s developing here, and we want to provide a home for these acts as they blow up to the next level,” Brunetti said. “We want people to be able to say they saw their next favorite artist when they were just starting out on our stage.”

For more information, visit rockntacoatl.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.