After more than two decades as a fixture on the American upscale dining scene, BOA Steakhouse has crossed its first international border. Innovative Dining Group (IDG) opened BOA Steakhouse Mexico City at Goldsmith 66 in the Polanco neighborhood — the brand's seventh location overall and its first outside the United States.
The opening comes on the heels of rapid domestic growth: BOA added three U.S. locations in Austin, Las Vegas, and Napa Valley in under three years. Mexico City represents a deliberate pivot toward international markets, with IDG targeting a city known for sophisticated dining culture and strong consumer appetite for premium restaurant experiences.
The Menu Strategy
Executive Chef Brendan Collins — whose résumé spans Michelin-starred kitchens in London and acclaimed Los Angeles restaurants — anchors the culinary program in California-influenced steakhouse cooking while weaving in market-specific dishes. Steaks sourced from Creekstone Farms and Westholme Australian Wagyu form the core, with large-format cuts including a Tomahawk and Brooklyn-Style Porterhouse designed for table sharing. A Japanese A5 Wagyu flight drawing from Miyazaki, Iwate, and Hokkaido prefectures rounds out the premium beef offering.
For Mexico City specifically, Collins developed a handful of exclusives that nod to local culinary identity: a Josper-grilled striped bass served Baja taco-style with chipotle and heirloom corn tortillas, a Wagyu Gordita with black lime and aged cheddar, and a Lobster Fra Diavolo built on fresh-daily house-made spaghetti with Calabrian chili. The approach — importing a proven brand identity while adapting the menu to local palates — mirrors a model that has worked well for other upscale U.S. concepts entering Latin American markets. For operators watching restaurant expansion trends, the selective localization strategy is worth noting: BOA preserves its signature tableside Caesar salad and Parker House Rolls while giving the new market its own reason to visit.
Cocktails and Operations
The cocktail program reflects a similar global-local balance. Signature drinks include the Smoke Show (Wild Turkey Rye with cherrywood smoke) and the Jade Spritz, which pairs espadín mezcal with Lillet Blanc and prosecco — a nod to Mexico's strong mezcal culture. Non-alcoholic options built on fresh tropical ingredients extend the beverage menu for a broader dining audience.
Operationally, the Polanco location runs lunch service Sunday through Friday starting at 11:30 a.m., with brunch on weekends and dinner service extending to 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Those hours reflect the longer dining windows common in Mexico City's upscale restaurant segment.
"The city has an extraordinary dining scene, an incredible energy, and culture where the dinner table becomes a place for meaningful connections," said Lee Maen, Founder and CEO of Innovative Dining Group. "We're excited to introduce our vision of the contemporary American steakhouse to a city with such a strong culinary identity."
For hospitality groups tracking upscale restaurant international growth, IDG's move into Mexico City signals continued confidence in cross-border expansion for established American fine-dining and upscale-casual concepts. With BOA now operating across West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Austin, Las Vegas, Napa Valley, and Mexico City, IDG has built a portfolio that extends well beyond its Los Angeles roots — and Polanco suggests the brand is not done.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
