Consider the spork.

It’s a pinnacle of streamlined design, a feat of modern ingenuity for your mouth. Plus, it’s sort of fun to say. Spork.

Much like another innovative hybrid, the bäco...

Welcome to Bäco Mercat, the Lazy Ox chef’s new shrine to sporks and his famous bäcos, hoping to soft-open for lunch service on Monday.

If you haven’t heard, a bäco is sort of like... a flatbread taco. (Which makes it sort of like a wrap and sort of like a slice of pizza.) You might’ve seen ’em on the menu before at Lazy Ox.

And now they’ve got a place to call their own: this worn-in new eatery carved out of an old Downtown bank building, with cement floors, swiveling school chairs, 10 draft lines and booze served neat—no fussy cocktails here. And yes, if you want utensils, you’re getting a spork. Just go with it.

As for those bäcos: the flatbread will be topped with crispy pork belly and beef carnitas, or crispy shrimp and grilled tomatoes—you’ll have a half-dozen options total. So it’ll be a good go-to for a quick, filling lunch or a leisurely dinner date with somebody who’s not afraid to get a little messy.

Tends to be your type.