Best New Restaurant in Redmond

Like most of Central Oregon, Redmond is growing. With that has come a swanky new hotel downtown, an awesome push for more public art, a host of new breweries (and a distillery) in recent years—and now, the advent of Carnaval Mexican Grill. Plenty of places in Redmond serve up the Mexican fare that people know and love, but at Carnaval, that fare comes with a healthy dose of ambiance, too. Located in the heart of downtown Redmond, where other new businesses are giving the area a new look and feel, Carnaval beckons with its fresh logo, bright, clean exterior and swanky wood-lined bar—wood that the owners reclaimed from the first location of the Redmond Hospital.

“We have both worked in the restaurant industry for over 15 years,” explain owners Yadira and Emmanuel Medina on Carnaval’s website. “We love cooking and serving up great food for the people of Redmond. So, we decided to start our own restaurant and show locals we can cook amazing authentic Latin American food.”

The menu is a delight of upscale takes on classic Latin American ingredients: Purple Spanish octopus graces the appetizer menu, while Oaxacan-style chile-marinated pork, braised beef short ribs and grilled fresh Northwest organic salmon are highlights of the dinner menu. And the drinks? Carnaval has a full menu of cocktails made with mezcal, the traditional and complex spirit made from agave. Looking for a date night spot? It’s clear that Source readers have found their spot in Redmond.