Casa de Tres Reyes opens in Des Peres
From the owner of Three Kings Public House and culinary stars Andrew Cisneros and Marcos Godines, the new restaurant offers approachable Latin American fare in a family-friendly environment.
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Courtesy of Tres Reyes
Derek Deaver wants you to know one thing right up front about his latest restaurant, Casa de Tres Reyes, which opens Tuesday, November 1, in Des Peres.
“This food is seriously good,” Deaver says. “I think that when people come in here, they might not be expecting it to be as impressive as it is, but they are going to eat this food and think that they are at an upscale restaurant even though it does not have that price point. I want people to think, ‘Woah. This is way better than I thought it would be.’”
The Background
Customers who walk into Casa de Tres Reyes for the first time can be forgiven for having such tempered expectations. Located in a small strip mall just off Manchester Road in Des Peres, Deaver’s latest endeavor takes over the former Rib City space and promises approachable Latin American fare served in a family-friendly environment.
Photo by Cheryl Baehr
Chefs Marcos Godines and Andrew Cisneros
Once you scratch beneath the surface, however, Casa de Tres Reyes reveals itself to be a culinary powerhouse, anchored by two supremely talented chefs: Andrew Cisneros (of Publico, Privado and Jalea fame) and Marcos Godines (who was also at Publico before leaving St. Louis to work for famed Chicago chef Rick Bayless).
Deaver admits that the vision for Casa de Tres Reyes escalated into what it is today thanks to Cisneros and Godines, even if he started with humbler ambitions. Known for his popular Three Kings Public House restaurants, Deaver began thinking about opening a Latin American concept at the start of the pandemic as a way to both empower his Latinx cooks and appeal to area families who might be looking for a new option for this popular cuisine. The idea really began to take shape when he found out the former Rib City space in Des Peres’ Colonnade Plaza was about to become available, so he reached out to the owner and worked out a deal to take over the storefront and worked with his cooks on sketching out a concept.
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
After a series of staffing changes that gave him the feeling something was missing, however, Deaver decided to reach out to Cisneros. As Deaver explains, he'd gotten to know the talented chef when Cisneros was doing his Peruvian pop-up Brasas, inside the former Original J’s Tex-Mex and barbecue restaurant. Deaver loved his food and felt like Cisneros was the perfect person to help him carry out his vision for Casa de Tres Reyes. Together, they worked out a menu of high-quality yet accessible Latin American fare; once Cisneros’ former colleague Godines came on board, Deaver was confident they’d nailed it.
“I really wanted to do this right, and I feel that this has evolved into this great Latin American restaurant that will have great food, but will still be at a good price point,” Deaver says. “We want this to be family-friendly. You’ll get chips and salsa when you sit down. Mom and Dad can have a margarita. Then you’ll get guacamole or queso that tides you over. And the next thing you know, you’re getting your food. We want to be good but still be fast and with a fair price—both of which will appeal to families.”
The Menu
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Customers at Casa de Tres Reyes can expect a menu of such Latin American favorites as tacos filled with smoked brisket, pork belly or cauliflower cooked al pastro style, Tex-Mex style fajitas, chicken enchiladas and chorizo empanadas. Fans of Cisneros’ thrilling St. Charles Peruvian restaurant Jalea will be happy to see a few of his touches overtly on the menu, including his yucca fries (pictured at right), served with Peruvian pepper cheese sauce and aji verde, as well as his outstanding sanguchitos, which are Peruvian-inspired sliders filled with smoked chicken salad and pickled red onions.
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Carne Asada Fajitas - with bell peppers, red onions, and jalapenos, served in a cast iron skillet with black beans, sofrito rice, guacamole, house crema, house salsas, and warm tortillas, garnished with cilantro and lime.
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Chilaquiles - house chips topped with salsa roja or roasted tomatillo salsa, and house queso, garnished with cotija, pickled vegetables, and charred avocado
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Chicken Enchiladas - chili-braised chicken, salsa roja and roasted tomatillo salsa, topped with crema, guacamole, cotija, cilantro, and green onions, served with sofrito rice and black beans
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Sanguchitos - Peruvian-inspired sliders filled with smoked chicken salad and pickled red onions in a rotisserie sauce
The Atmosphere
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
If Deaver credits Cisneros and Godines with creating outstanding food, he's equally impressed with what his wife, Kasey, has done with the décor.
Outfitted in dark colors, succulents, beaded chandeliers and mosaic murals, the Casa de Tres Reyes dining room exudes both warmth and sophistication.
There are even personal touches here and there, such as a wall of multiple backlit inlaid mosaic pieces (pictured at right), each created by Deaver’s four children, nieces, and nephews.
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
The Hours
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
To begin, Casa de Tres Reyes will be open from 3–9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 3–10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant and bar will also offer a late-night happy hour beginning at 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.
Once things get up and running, Deaver hopes to add lunch service and eventually takeout capabilities, which will not be on offer right out of the gate. “We’re doing everything in phases, because we don’t want to take on too much right away,” Deaver says. “Like with this entire process, we are taking our time, because we want to make sure we get it right.”
Photo by George Mahe
