Because of the pandemic, times have been tough, especially for restaurants. From having to close back in March to slowly opening their doors back up to the public in June, it has been a truly challenging time in the industry. That did not stop Zoubir Mesbahi from opening the Vista Vibes restaurant this summer. Vista Vibes, formally known as Coco Cabana, is located off Lavista Road and features live music and upscale southern cuisine.
“A lot of people pop their head in thinking we are associated with [Coco Cabana],” said Brandi McLoyd, the events and guest relations manager. “We’ve done a good job about walking around the neighborhood ourselves as a management team, introducing ourselves to our neighbors, inviting them in, especially for lunch. For the most part, I think it’s just one of those things where Tucker has been missing something like this.”
This southern upscale cuisine is not just Georgia cuisine, but features dishes from throughout the south that will have your palette wanting more. This menu includes some staples like fried chicken and peach cobbler, but other dishes, too, including mussels, frog legs, and blackened salmon. In the front of the restaurant you can also see the large black custom grill used by the cook for some of the popular smoked wings and ribs that you can smell from a mile away.
And while the food is spot on, the music adds a type of ambience that enriches the dining experience.
“On Fridays we have our resident musical director [and] also this incredible saxophonist….He knows a lot of people in this industry so he is constantly booking talent here. We’re really mostly sticking to jazz or jazz fusion,” McLoyd explained.
Some people may wonder why Tucker was chosen for this type of upscale food and entertainment. McLoyd tells us Mesbahi knew that this is what Tucker was missing and needed.
“He was looking for something outside of the City, something that you had to get to rather than it being the center of everything. I know parking was a big reason of why he chose this space,” she added. “I think he realized that Tucker was missing a nice high-end venue like this….It just being a place where people can kind of get away from the busyness, madness, and noise of downtown and have a nice dinner somewhere and enjoy some live entertainment.”
You can check out Vista Vibes at vistavibesrestaurant.com or visit them in person at 4073 Lavista Road in the Northlake Festival plaza.
