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Broadway’s Boca ready for an even bigger presence on Capitol Hill with plans to add new Argentine asadora to join its ‘restobar’ and bakery

A meat-y addition is coming (Image: Boca)

By Kali Herbst Minino

Boca, the “Argentine, funky neighborhood grill,” as the owner calls it, has plans to expand again on Capitol Hill. But it won’t be adding a new Argentinian grill to another part of the city. It is growing on Broadway — the second time in two years the Boca family has grown on Capitol Hill’s core street.

Owner Marco Casas-Beaux tells CHS the restaurant will grow by expanding into the adjacent retail space next door to add an Argentine asadora — a traditional grill.

“I want to tell the people of Seattle—it’s very pretentious of me to say the people in Seattle— Something really unique is coming in, and they’re going to be truly, truly impressed, and they’re going to be immersed, go out for dinner every night, in Buenos Aires,” Casas-Beaux said.

Boca’s lease includes the neighboring Infinity Nails & Spa as subtenants. The salon was already in the space when Casas-Beaux opened the restaurant, and he says the plan is for the business to move on. Boca can then take out the wall and expand the space.

If anyone opens an asadora, Casas-Beaux says it’s going to be him. It’s been his dream to expose Seattle to Argentine asado. He says customers have to see it to understand it.

“We don’t smoke our meat, this is a grill, but it’s very different, you’d have to see it to understand,” Casas-Beaux said. It’s not a smoker, it’s not like an oven, there’s nothing like that in Seattle.”

Casas-Beaux has run restaurants in seattle for 31 years, including two sister restaurants, Boca Grill at Queen City and the Boca Argentine Pizzeria and Bakery which opened on Broadway in the old Pagliacci space last summer.

He credits the success of the restaurant to authenticity.

“It’s a very unique concept, we buy nothing but the best, and we sell it at a reasonable price,” Casas-Beaux said. “We want to give the people great value, we try to keep it so they can come here one, two, three times a month.”

On top of his current restaurants, some of Casas-Beaux restaurant experience includes running Cactus in Madison Park, owning a tortilla factory with his brother, running Buenos Aires Grill, and owning two restaurants in Mexico. He says he was lucky, or talented, depending on who you ask.

“All the restaurants that I do, they are for me. The bakery is because I miss Argentina, Boca is because I miss my grill the Argentine way. I hope that the people like that I like, so far it seems to be working,” Casas-Beaux said.

As the asadora becomes a reality, Casas-Beaux hopes his daughter will take over the restaurants. Andrea Casas-Beaux is already helping to keep Boca’s spaces successful up and down Broadway.

“I want to go home, I want to enjoy fishing in Patagonia, I want to go enjoy,” Casas-Beaux said. “I’ve been in Seattle for too long, I’m thoroughly grateful. I think I’ve given Seattle some very good restaurants over the years. I’m very proud of that, but it’s time for me to enjoy my life too.”

Boca Restobar and Grill is located at 416 Broadway E. Learn more at bocarestobar.com.

 

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4 Comments
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Time for a change
Time for a change
1 year ago

Great news! BOCA is one of the best restaurant experiences on Capitol Hill. Their new bakery is also delicious. I am sure this will be something special.

Local
Local
1 year ago

> “All the restaurants that I do, they are for me.”

Yeah you can tell they’re really mature passion projects due to the level of detail and flawless execution, and that there’s no existing restaurants in the area that are similar so he’s doing it from scratch.

Liz
Liz
1 year ago

I’m so excited about this! If I could only go to one restaurant every day, it would be Boca Cafe. I feel like I’m on vacation when I’m there. Both their restaurants have added some much needed charm to Broadway, and the staff at each is always so lovely, as is the very cool, stylish owner.

d.c.
d.c.
1 year ago

really enjoy this place and glad they’re finding success. and agree that it’s definitely its own thing!