Photo by Kristina Hernandez.
Want to get away to the Caribbean but can’t afford it? Head over to Mango Mike’s in Alexandria for a couple of hours and hang out with bartender Andres Lazo while he serves up a specialty margarita, pina colada or mimosa. As Andres will tell you, you just can’t go wrong at the Sunday brunch with island flare at Mango Mike’s.
On Tap: How did you get into bartending?
Andres Lazo: I started behind the bar shucking oysters and became a bartender from there.
OT: What’s the greatest part about working at Mango Mike’s?
AL: It’s a lot of fun working with the people here. I’ve been working with some of them for 25 years.
OT: What are the must-have items behind the bar?
AL: Bacardi Rum and a bottle opener.
OT: What’s the best thing about being the guy behind the bar?
AL: You girls are the best thing. I met my wife bartending 11 years ago.
OT: Do you have any advice for aspiring bartenders?
AL: Work hard and don’t be lazy.
OT: What’s the most popular drink for brunch?
AL: Mimosas.
OT: How many bottles of Champagne do you go through during brunch?
AL: Because we have an all-you-can-drink menu of mimosas, we go through three to four cases any Sunday.
OT: Do you have a signature drink?
AL: I don’t have a name for it but my customers love it. There are about eight different kinds of rum in it.
OT: It’s a hot summer day and you’re sitting on the patio outside. What’s the best drink to have?
AL: A frozen mango margarita. It’s our special margarita — it’s orange and really good. It’s one of those rare frozen drinks you have more than a few of.
OT: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from bartending?
AL: It’s like being a kindergarten teacher except they are older now. You have to have a lot of patience.
OT: If you could open a bar, where would you open it and what would you call it?
AL: I’d name it ChuCho’s [my nickname] and open it in Arlington.
OT: Have you had any celebrity encounters?
AL: Matthew McConaughey came in once at our old location to watch the Redskins game. He was really drunk and wore a bandanna.
OT: Did he have his shirt on?
AL: Yes.
OT: Do you have a favorite hangout?
AL: My house in Annandale. It’s great.
Catch Andres after 4 p.m. Monday-Friday and on Sundays during brunch at Mango Mike’s.
Mango Mike’s: 4580 Duke St., Alexandria, VA; 703-370-3800; www.mangomikes.com
[googleMap name="Mango Mike's" width="770" height="235"]4580 Duke St., Alexandria, VA[/googleMap]
