With over 40 establishments that call Century Square home, the dynamic, multi-use center offers everything from trendy breakfast bites to luxury hotels.
For couples looking for a cute date, Century Square has no shortage of food, shopping and entertainment. Current vendors include Mess Waffles, Piada Italian Street Food, Pokeworks, Zoës Kitchen, Hemline, Grass Stains, Kendra Scott, Lululemon, Star Cinema Grill and much more. Created by Midway, a real estate investment and development firm, the site was designed with the intention of bringing an urban feel to a central area in the Brazos Valley. Pleasing to the eye, the location also sports picture-worthy murals and statues — the most recent being the Gig ‘Em statue carved by Reverand Butter from a large oak in the area lost to the winter freeze.
As Century Square has grown, new restaurants and shops have popped up. Opened in September of 2021, Velvet Taco is a notable new restaurant with an unexpected menu and “very late” hours.
Velvet Taco manager Zachary Gonzales said the restaurant has something new happening every day, but Tuesdays are excitingly hectic, as the restaurant gets ready for its weekly taco feature. According to its website, Velvet Taco puts a new spin on Taco Tuesday, offering a new weekly flavor inspired by global cuisine.
“It’s a lot of scratch recipes, starting early in the morning, continuing throughout the day and hopefully getting a busy night time dinner crowd,” Gonzales said. “It’s different than any place I’ve worked at for sure.”
Regarding the menu, Gonzales said it consists of gourmet tacos inspired by recipes around the world.
“The tacos are anything from the traditional Indian dish of Chicken Tikka Masala to a regular American-style bacon burger taco or chicken and waffles,” Gonzales said. “It’s kind of off-the-wall, fancy tacos. My favorite drink off the menu is the Kick Ass Margarita. We have both frozen and on the rocks, and they’re made with premium tequila, so they’re awesome. My favorite taco is the Angus Brisket, No. 12.”
Another notable spot is longtime resident Mo’s Irish Pub, which exceeds the expectations of a typical pub, manager Justin Roueche said.
“Mo’s is unique,” Roueche said. “We can turn into a sports bar, we can turn into a rehearsal dinner spot, we can turn into a ring dunk, we can turn into a graduation party. Our space is super malleable, so it just matters what people are looking for. We’re blessed with this giant space.”
Roueche said the restaurant has been known to organize trivia nights, but is hosting more music-related events as of late.
“In the past, we’ve had fish races and turkey bowling, all kinds of crazy things,” Roueche said. “Our most recent event is a philanthropy concert to help with Type 1 diabetes and Camp Sweeney. All the proceeds will be going to that. We’re also doing a UFC fight and an ugly sweater contest, [and] we’re doing live music. We have a four-piece rock band that’s playing, so we’re super adaptable to do all kinds of fun stuff.”
According to its website, Mo’s was inspired by traditional Irish pubs and culture and features a multitude of drinks for those over 21; their signature Mo’s Mules include the Aggie Mule and Texas Mule. Mo’s also offers brunch and late night snacks, as well as its Irish-American menu.
“It’s the traditional American burgers and some common stuff, but it does have traditional Irish food like fish and chips and shepherd’s pie,” Roueche said. “We make our own bread, make our own mashed potatoes, sauces, etc., so it’s delicious.”
At the center of Century Square is The Green, a grass gathering area that is the destination for various events like small concerts, trivia nights and outdoor games.
Events at The Green include movie nights, The Front Porch live music series and exercise classes. During the holiday season, The Green hosts various festive events like the Brazos Gingerbread Build-off, a holiday artisan market and the daytime New Year’s Eve event for kids.
In addition to the events that occur on The Green, education senior Susie Burke said Century Square’s restaurants and boutiques offer a practically endless combination of activities to fill up one’s day or weekend.
“There is so much to do,” Burke said. “Sunrise yoga with Lululemon, a candy shop. There’s so many great places to eat and a couple bars to hang out with your friends at. And the stores tend to run a bit pricey, but their clothes are quality. My favorite restaurant there is Hopdoddy [Burger Bar]; me and my mom go there a lot. I also like Merge Boutique because they have the cutest clothes.”
Burke said she can attest that Century Square is a great spot for dates, as it is where she had her first date with her boyfriend.
“Me and Lucas went to Piada, and we’ve been dating for almost two years now,” Burke said. “We go back all the time. There’s something about the ambience.”
According to the Century Square website, the Midway leadership team is comprised of many former students of Texas A&M who are deeply engaged in the university’s culture and its vision for the growth of the Brazos Valley.
“Redefining the Brazos Valley, Century Square’s 60 acres creates a dynamic community center where people work, shop, play and connect,” its Facebook page reads.