New restaurant opens in downtown Arlington Hts.
Mago, a new restaurant in downtown Arlington Heights, has a lot familiar about it.
The site at 155 W. Campbell St. near Metropolis Theatre housed Carlos & Carlos, which closed in July.
The chefs and owners are Juan Luis Gonzalez, who was at the Fuego Mexican Grill, which a couple of months ago reopened as Salsa 17 Mexican Grill, and Ric Munoz, who was chef at recently revamped The Grand Station, two other downtown Arlington Heights restaurants.
Right now, Mago is the rare site in downtown where diners can bring their own bottles of alcohol. The owners hope to obtain a liquor license eventually, said Gonzalez.
Mago, which means “magic” in Spanish, features Mexican and Latin cuisine with new twists.
For example, besides the classic fire-roasted pepper salsa, diners receive complimentary habanero peanut salsa and a tomatillo avocado version.
Besides nine versions of tacos and burritos, enchiladas and fajitas, the menu includes a pork chop with shiitake mushrooms and an Argentinian-inspired beef filet topped with roasted chili butter.
The lunch menu includes tortas, a Cuban-style burger, and jibarito or plantain sandwiches.
The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Call (847) 253-2222. A website is planned at magodining.com