Dos Amigos Extends Mission to New Bar, Tres Leches 

“If you go anywhere in Mexico City, there’s so many different iterations on how to consume tacos,” says owner of Dos Amigos, Jorge Bouras. “One of those is polished. It’s more elevated. There’s modern architecture and plating,” Something he considered when developing the style for his new bar, Tres Leches. The upscale and swanky bar is breaking the mold of what a Mexican bar in America can look and feel like.  

The bar opened in October of 2023, located underneath Bouras’ fast-casual Collegetown burrito establishment. The name Tres Leches helped distinguish the bar from the restaurant and redefine the feeling. “We’re trying to sell the experience and not just the product, part of the product includes the space,” Bouras says. The bar is outfitted with elegant fixtures – an intentional investment in the space to create an elevated bar experience in Ithaca. 

Bouras and his business partner, Wes Johnson, joined Rev in 2019, receiving mentorship from Entrepreneur in Residence, Susan Flemming. Bouras says the space has helped him build connections. “This is a great community of people helping us grow,” he says.  

The bar had always been a part of the vision for Dos Amigos, which opened their brick and mortar in 2019 – though it was put on hold during the pandemic. “We had this idea of a crazy avant-garde mixologist experience that we weren’t seeing in Ithaca,” Bouras says. It had an off-beat sense of humor and an eye for dramatics – like cocktails served in strange glassware or from IV bags. 

While the details shifted, the creativity remained. “You won’t see a cocktail like the stuff we have on the craft side anywhere else,” says Jorge. There, you’ll find interesting drinks inspired by Mexican flavors – like poblano, corn, and mezcal – all developed by expert mixologist, Sammie Katz. The recipe developer and bartender crafted the menu to feature the classics “as well executed as you can have them” alongside the new favorites. All use fresh-squeezed citrus juice, homemade syrups, and top-shelf liquors.  

Tres Leches’ commitment to quality links it to the restaurant above. Both follow the same mantra: “Making life a little better,” and are committed to the idea that a for-profit business can have a social impact for good. The restaurant above is a “scratch kitchen”: they use all fresh ingredients and make everything in-house. They also believe that a restaurant job should support its employees by providing opportunities for growth and a living wage. 

Dos Amigos will celebrate 10 years of making life a little better in 2025. “I think that there’s power in food to turn someone’s day, life, moment, around for the better,” Bouras says.