Cantina Diablo's Ready to Open in Royal Oak

The bright red paint was still drying Sunday evening on the devil’s pitchfork door handle of the new Cantina Diablo's restaurant/bar in downtown Royal Oak.

Little details aside, this newest eatery hopes to draw big crowds when it officially opens to the public on Wednesday for dinner. Its second location – the first Cantina Diablo's opened in Ferndale about two years ago –  replaces the much-loved Memphis Smoke at 100 S. Main St., which closed its doors in December.

And Memphis Smoke, it clearly is not.

Whereas Memphis Smoke thrived on live music, a dark smoky feel and basic barbecue, Cantina Diablo's smolders with a modern glow of red lights, more than 70 flat screens lining the restaurant and a menu that fuses Tex-Mex with classic Texas barbecue. The owners bought Memphis Smoke’s large meat smoker, but that’s about the only way Cantina Diablo's resembles its predecessor. It's completely remodeled and re-imagined with a dance floor and stage where the Memphis Smoke bar used to be. 

“I’m really excited for something this new to come into Royal Oak,” said Brooke Santa Maria, the general manager of Cantina Diablo's in Royal Oak. “The vibe is definitely sexy, fun and funky.”

Those who happen to be strolling downtown Royal Oak on Memorial Day can drop in for the “soft opening,” during which the entire menu will be served. Monday and Tuesday is the time during which management plans to work out any service kinks ahead of the official grand opening on Wednesday.

The Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the official ribbon-cutting at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Although an invitation-only party follows until early evening, management said they will not turn away anyone who happens to drop by.

“That’s just not our style,” said Jenn Hatcher, the general manager of Rosie O’Grady’s in Ferndale, which is owned and operated by Cantina Diablo's owners. Hatcher is helping to oversee the opening of Cantina Diablo's in Royal Oak. 

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, expect hard partying to mark the opening weekend in Royal Oak. There will be a live DJ, a mariachi band and live dueling Spanish guitarists. There also will be plenty of “Diablo girls,” who will be spray-painted red in order to look “devilish,” Hatcher said.

After the opening week, Santa Maria said patrons can expect a vast menu of freshly prepared food and some of the best late-night entertainment in Metro Detroit. There will be a live DJ every Thursday, Friday and Saturday and a large dance floor.

"It won't be your typical Top 40 music," Santa Maria said. "And when we dim the lights, the entire restaurant glows red. It's super cool."

The rooftop is expected to open in mid-July, which will be adorned with couches, fireplaces and flat screen TVs. 

"We'd love to do live music on the rooftop," Hatcher said. For now, however, the city still has an ordinance against live outdoor music because of noise concerns. That had been an initial concern for owners last year as they tried to work through the deal to buy Memphis Smoke. 

The Cantina Diablo's menu in Royal Oak greatly expands on the one served in Ferndale. Everything is prepared fresh, even the avocado and Tex-Mex egg rolls. In Royal Oak, you'll be able to order more barbecue-inspired dishes such as whole split chickens rubbed with signature spices and smoked, in addition to traditional Tex-Mex fare like fajitas, tacos and enchiladas. Side dishes include jalapeno macaroni and cheese that is baked and crusted on top with panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and jalapenos, and comal roasted garlic broccoli that is cooked over an open flame. A grilled caesar salad is made with romaine lettuce and is also grilled over an open flame.

Kitchen Manager Guadalupe Gonzalez, a chef and native Texan, said the new items in Royal Oak will be offered at the Ferndale location in the coming weeks. 

"We're going to be turning the food up a notch," Gonzalez said.

If you go

What: Cantina Diablo's 

Where: 100 S. Main St., at the southwest corner of 11 Mile Road

Parking:  There is metered parking behind the restaurant and on the street in addition to parking decks a couple of blocks away.

Prices: Dinners range in price from around $10-$23.

Hours: Monday-Wednesday, 4 p.m to midnight, Thursday and Friday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight