Located right next to Broadway Station, Agavero Guac & Margs opened its doors recently, bringing authentic, high-end Mexican cuisine to West Broadway.

Owner Sergio Barragan Pelayo said he selected South Boston as a location to cater to the neighborhood’s young adults seeking a great restaurant concept, while maintaining the best flavors from the kitchens he has worked in throughout his life. Barragan Pelayo moved from Mexico to Eugene, Oregon, in 2000. He worked his way up in his uncle’s restaurant, Chapala Mexican Restaurant, before flying cross-country in 2018 to work with family at Ocho Cafe.

Originally, Agavero was planned to be the fifth Ocho Cafe location before Barragan Pelayo opted to strike out on his own.

He said that he fell in love with the space immediately and brought in Guadalajaran artist Diego Armando Camberos to spend a month creating interior murals, bringing a little piece of the city to Boston.

“We’re trying to bring in the culture of Mexico in the food and drinks, but we still want to have it in a different concept,” he said. “In Guadalajara, they’re bringing up these new restaurants with new fancy ideas. That’s what we wanted to bring up here, because it’s kind of like a completely new version of Mexican restaurants.”

South Boston is no stranger to new restaurants. 11B West Broadway has seen two other establishments come and go in the past decade – Stephi’s in Southie in 2018 and Purple Shell just last year. Barragan Pelayo said keeping the restaurant family-owned and operated will ensure Agavero’s longevity in the neighborhood. “It’s not gonna be a chain, you know,” he said. “We’re going to be there for sure.”

A cousin of his is flying in from Colorado with his family to run the day-to-day operations while Barragan Pelayo splits his time between Agavero and Ocho Cafe’s Plymouth, MA location.

Barragan Pelayo said he is especially excited about the low-carb and vegetarian options – not just meatless versions of their regular entrees, he added. The menu will prioritize authentic flavors and fresh ingredients, something he hopes will keep Agavero competitive in the neighborhood’s already competitive restaurant space.

Though Agavero opened just after MICHELIN Guide’s debut in Boston, Barragan Pelayo shared that he is confident his restaurant will achieve a similar level of notoriety. “Right now we’re going to work on that, and I think we’re going to be able to achieve many things,” he said.

Agavero is now open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

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