Opening Report: Garcia Brogan's in Waltham; Mala in Allston

1) WALTHAM — As anticipated, the second location of an Irish cantina — err, Mexican pub? — opened on Moody Street in Waltham over the weekend. Garcia Brogan's, which has had a Lowell outpost since 2009, offers Mexican dishes as well as Irish pub fare. It has an impressive list of both whiskeys and tequila; the inaugural Yelp reviewer reports a good number of draft beers, too, and homemade margaritas. She also says the new owners spruced up the space, which formerly housed Irish pub The Skellig. Garcia Brogan's is open daily from 11:30 a.m. - 1 a.m. (it closes at midnight on Sundays) and has live entertainment many nights of the week. Status: Certified open. 240 Moody St., Waltham. (978) 446-0005.

2) ALLSTON — A new place for spicy noodles has arrived in Allston. According to a Chowhound thread posted yesterday, Mala recently opened in the space vacated by Afghani restaurant Ariana's move to Western Ave. With its namesake, DIY noodle bowls (cuisine from a Chinese province less represented on the Boston culinary scene), Mala's first assessments compare it with another relatively new spot, MDM Noodles in Brighton, and that's not a bad thing. "We love MDM and are really happy to see more spicy noodles in the 'hood,'" one Chowhound user said. Status: Certified open. 129 Brighton Ave., Allston.