Peek inside the new Minneapolis restaurant taking over Betty Danger’s

If everything is bigger in Texas, that explains Joe Radaich’s supersized idea of opening Big Star Tipsy Taco Bar in the former Betty Danger’s, the can’t-miss northeast Minneapolis restaurant with a Ferris wheel.

After spending a couple of winters in Austin, Texas, the restaurateur became enamored of the city’s scene, from the colorful decor to the taco-meets-barbecue cuisine. And he’s bringing both to his latest project, which is expected to open in May.

Radaich has given the space an overhaul, opening up the dining room, adding floral touches and Southern-style art. Pops of candy apple red, cotton candy pink and white are splashed throughout the cavernous restaurant, at 2501 NE. Marshall St.

“Just in case you’re thinking you’re having a Betty’s memory, you’re not,” said Radaich.

Well, the Ferris wheel and mini-golf course might ring a bell.

“I would walk through [the restaurant] and say, ‘I love the bones.’ The kitchen and the bar are like a dream, the way that they built it,” said Radaich, who toured the space a few times before buying it in November. “And then I’d walk outside and I’d look at the Ferris wheel and go, how can I concept this? How can I integrate this?”

With room for 190 diners outside, including 64 on the Ferris wheel, and 180 inside, the food had to be something that can be produced quickly. He found the answer in tacos.

Radaich, who was behind such Twin Cities spots as Sporty’s Pub and Grill and Como Tap, went to work on a concept, writing a preliminary menu and cocktail list.

“Austin has a big taco culture, and my observation is that it’s unapologetic Tex-Mex; they eat what they love,” said Radaich. He also noticed the crossover between taco and barbecue.

“That’s what I was really excited about,” he said.

Like the culture it’s inspired by, the menu at Big Star Tipsy Taco Bar is designed to be playful. And, true to its name, there are a dozen varieties on the menu.

Fillings range from traditional like carne asada, barbacoa, brisket and carnitas, cooked low and slow thanks to the addition of a smoker, to a smash burger taco, a delightfully messy, cheesy patty wrapped inside a fried tortilla and topped with fried Hatch chiles and pickled onions. Non-meat eaters will find offerings like elote-fried potato and breaded cauliflower tacos. Rounding out the taco menu: fried chicken, bone-in pork ribs, yellowfin tuna and fried shrimp ($7-$10).

“There’s no quest for authenticity here. It’s supposed to be fun,” he said.

Led by chef Christian Castrillon, the menu lends itself to vegetarian and gluten-free options, and most sides are meat-free. Shareable appetizers ($13-$18) range from salsa flights and guacamole to elote corn dogs, fried cauliflower bites and “interactive” Queso Fundido, a skillet of chorizo and a melty Oaxaca cheese blend (messily) scooped up with locally sourced corn tortillas.

“You can eat it with a knife and fork and it probably will be less messy, but it’s not as fun,” Radaich said.

Mains ($19-$22) feature salads and fajitas, with fries making appearances in both versions. Save room for dessert ($8-$13), which includes a cookie skillet, banana pudding, apple pie bake and doughnuts.

Drinks will focus on agave spirits, said bar manager Stef Tupy.

“We’ll have harder to find, or a little more obscure, choices but we’ll have a good selection to make everybody happy,” she said.

Among the creative cocktails (from $9) are the Peace Love & Margarita, featuring roasted dandelion liqueur, Paladar Reposado, orange demerara and bitters, and the Tom & Jack Go To Cancun, a mashup of a Jack Rose and Tom Collins with a mezcal and tequila base.

General manager Joe Henkin leads the front-of-house operations.

The four-season garden room, with high ceilings and a fireplace, is the heart of Big Star’s outdoor space.

“This room, for me, really kind of brings together everything that’s awesome about this place,” Radaich said. “It’s bright, it’s airy. When the garage doors are up and the weather’s good, it connects the two patios together.”

One of those patios is the mini-golf area, which was once lined with fiberglass animals. Some of the animals will stay — Radaich has a soft spot for the gorilla — but real animals will move in as it becomes a dog-friendly space. (Look for a dog menu, too.)

Another is the “sky patio,” which sports its own bar and the Ferris wheel. A third outdoor space might not have a carnival ride or golf, but it will likely have an outdoor screen come fall.

An event space near the sky patio will double as a karaoke lounge and have the ability to host corporate events, parties and weddings that can spill over toward the Ferris wheel. An entire second kitchen and serving window, once envisioned as a space to prepare a quicker patio menu, could host pop-ups for up-and-coming chefs, Radaich said.

It’s worth noting that the indoor space will be full-service dining, and the patios and garden room will ring orders by QR code.

“I know QR codes can be a little polarizing,” he said. “I think that it will give people the flexibility to design the experience they want. When you have a QR code, you never feel like you’re getting kicked off the table when they drop the check.”

Big Star will start with dinner service, with brunch added “relatively quickly.” Lunch will follow, and Radaich ultimately expects the hours to be seasonal, with more days and longer hours during the warm-weather months, and scaling back during the colder ones.

For now, he just wants it to be a place to gather, the bigger the group the better.

He mentions another Texas influence, the famous Austin Motel, and its marquee with rotating sayings. One, “Let’s get together,” resonated. He envisions Big Star Tipsy Taco Bar as the place for birthday parties, bachelorette parties, friend gatherings, pre- or post-event stops and entertaining out-of-town guests.

“What can we do that’s a unique experience?” he said. “That always comes up when people are visiting. We can’t all fit at Matt’s Bar. That’s definitely an impetus behind this place.”