HARBORWALK'S CHAMELEON: New Dancing Iguana to offer the spectrum: From family-oriented cuisine to the $85 tequila shot

Poppy’s Dancing Iguana Tequila Bar & Grill is set to open April 5 with a distinctive style, new to the Destin mix.

Owner A.J. “Poppy” Tuso has opened multiple restaurants in the Destin area, including Poppy’s Seafood Factory in the Village of Baytowne Wharf, each with different offerings. Tuso also owns Poppy’s Crazy Lobster Bar & Grill, just yards away from this new venture.

The Dancing Iguana replaces Pat O’Brien’s, which closed in October. At the time, officials from the transplanted New Orleans icon blamed a “weak” Destin economy.

But the team at the Iguana believes they have the recipe for success with an unmatched combination of Latin cuisine that will bring dining to a “whole new level.”

“We’re going to have Coastal Mexican cuisine,” said Dancing Iguana assistant director of operations Tyler Jarvis. “And we’re going to add Argentinean and Cuban infusion as well.”

The traditional Mexican offerings will include entrees such as the “Enchiladas Tres Ways” and the “Burrito Grande,” but Dancing Iguana customers will be able to order coastal fare such as the “Langosta a la Yucatan” and some of chef Orion Cordoves’ personal favorites such as the “Mojo-Marinated Grilled Quail Breast.”

On top of traditional dishes and unique creations produced by chef Cordoves, who is originally from Cuba, the Dancing Iguana will also offer the largest tequila bar in Northwest Florida, sporting over 100 tequilas.

“We’ll have any kind of tequila customers could want,” said Jarvis. “We’ll even have one that is $85 a shot.”

Customers who sample all the tequilas become a member of Iggy’s Sombrero Club and get a permanent plaque on the bar.

The Dancing Iguana is located at the west end of HarborWalk, next to the Destin bridge.

“A Mexican restaurant is more family-oriented than a hard core bar,” said landlord and Legendary Inc. CEO Peter Bos. “The renovations [the Dancing Iguana] has made are really spectacular.”

The formerly open patio of Pat O’Brien’s has been transformed into a climate-controlled eating area with a new awning.

“The harbor is really coming alive,” said Bos. “The Dancing Iguana is helping to make it a high-energy area.”