Bar Zorro, Evarito's Rooftop Bar in Downtown South Norwalk, Your New Summer Spot!

[Photography by Shamika Pandit]

If you’re strolling around South Norwalk, flip your Ray-Ban aviators on and glance up at the corner of N Main and Washington streets. You see that? The string lights, and oh, wait, there are people up there! And they’re drinking! They’re clearly having fun but you’re down there being lame. Go into Evarito’s and take the elevator to the roof. The doors open, you walk up the ramp’s slight incline, and you’re instantly transported to a tropical oasis. Brightly colored drinks are flowing, cans of Corona are being popped open, and tacos are getting crushed in three bites or less. I bet you feel the opposite of lame. Your cool factor just increased tenfold. 

Welcome to Bar Zorro! 

“Zorro,” in this case, isn’t just the infamous Mexican masked vigilante that you’re thinking of. It’s the Spanish term for “fox,” and if you know anything about Evarito’s, you know that their mascot is the emoji fox. Either way, we’re glad Bar Zorro is FINALLY here! 

We first teased Evarito’s alter ego when we previewed the restaurant a year ago, saying it would, at the very least, be open in the spring. They delivered on their promise with a pre-Memorial Day debut. According to owner Christian Burns, the total process for Evarito’s and Bar Zorro took five years because of approvals and essentially having to build the place from scratch. “All there was up here was the elevator tower and the stair tower,” he said. “Our landlord Joe Crisuolo (who owns Nick’s Pizza and his own construction company) built it out, and I did the furniture, lighting, and picked all the color themes.”

The palms, desert greenery, wicker chairs, tilework, and colors of teal and yellow really make the place pop. It certainly doesn’t feel like Norwalk or Fairfield County for that matter. “People that are coming up here have been like, ‘I’m not in SoNo…this feels like vacation or a rooftop bar in New York City,’” Burns said. “Our objective is for people to feel like they’re removed from the daily grind.”

You’ll certainly feel that way at the black-and-white Aztec patterned bar where they’re slinging an abbreviated menu of Evarito’s fruitier cocktails. Six different fresh juice margaritas, a few frozen drinks, and three lighter beverages (including the crushable Watermelon Smash) are some of your options aside from wine and a variety of ice-cold beer cans. 

 Attached to the bar there’s a structure that houses a small kitchen. You’ve gotta eat, right? Most of the rooftop grub is recognizable if you’re familiar with Evarito’s; chips & guac, Mexican street corn with blistered shishito peppers, ceviche, and a couple of tostadas are offered. They’re also featuring their full menu of tacos, because let’s face it, drinks plus tacos is exactly what we want. 

Bar Zorro’s menu does have a few rooftop-only specialties. Rooftop Nachos are a heaping pile of tortillas topped with a homemade Mexican cheese sauce, fresh pico, pickled jalapeños, roasted shishitos, beans, and dollops of sour cream. You can add chopped chorizo or shredded chicken. Do both. 

For dessert—and going along with Bar Zorro’s escape from reality vibe—are paletas, aka, homemade fresh fruit ice pops. It’s the perfect refresher on a steamy day.

Coming soon to Bar Zorro, Burns teased an expansion of the raw bar, and plans to serve whole two-pound lobsters, and a Mexican take on a New England lobster roll.

One should also look out for events. Already slated is a Summer Solstice Party and a ticketed fireworks bash so you don’t have to deal with the hassle of the beach crowd. There will inevitably be more on the horizon.

We’ll catch you up there, with a salt-rimmed margarita in hand, of course.  

Evarito’s + Bar Zorro

16 N Main Street; South Norwalk

(203) 939-1620; https://www.evaritos.com/

[Photography by Shamika Pandit]