Enjoy Cinco de Mayo at these suburban spots
Cinco de Mayo is Sunday, and while it’s a yearly observance held on May 5 to celebrate Mexico’s victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, it’s become more of a celebration of Mexican American culture, especially food and drink. Here’s a sampling of what some suburban restaurants are offering.
Bar Louie
619 E. Boughton Road #A, Bolingbrook, (331) 246-0500; 2835 Showplace Drive, Suite 139, Naperville, (331) 444-2050; and 17W350 22nd St., Oakbrook Terrace, (630) 478-8040; barlouie.com/. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo all weekend at Bar Louie with $3 Sauza silver sidecars, $3 Corona bottles, $4 Modelo drafts, $5 Mexican candy shot and $8 Dos Sauza margaritas.
Bien Trucha Group
A toda madre: 499 N. Main St., Glen Ellyn, (630) 474-0969, atmrestaurant.com/. Bien Trucha: 410 W. State St., Geneva, (630) 232-2665, bientrucha.com/. Quiubo: 120 Water St., Naperville, (331) 702-2711, quiubomx.com/. Pre-order the carnitas package for four for $75 that includes slow-cooked braised pork, poblano rice, beans, cilantro and onions, morita salsa, tortillas and limes. Pickup is on Friday or Saturday, May 3-4, at a toda madre, Bien Trucha, Quiubo or BTG Kitchen in Lombard.
The Beacon Tap
1374 Lee St., Des Plaines, (847) 715-2772, thebeacontap.com/. It’s Cinco de Derby May 4-6 at Beacon Tap. The fun starts with a DJ’d brunch from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 4, ahead of the Kentucky Derby Tailgate party from 4-6 p.m. featuring burgers, brats, dogs and elote for $15 per person. Come back on Sunday for live music from 1-4 p.m. and specials that include a $13.99 taco plate, a $14.99 fajita plate, $4 Modelo drafts, and $5.50 margs and palomas from 4-6 p.m.
Blanco Cocina y Cantina
2022 Spring Road, Oak Brook, (630) 320-2034, blancococinacantina.com/. Blanco offers specials Thursday through Sunday, May 2-5, including $5 Dos XX beers, $25 beer buckets and featured drinks like the Odelay margarita and the Arriba! shot, which represents the colors of the Mexican flag when purchased together. All margaritas will be upgraded to Gran Centenario tequila for the weekend. On Sunday, guests can enjoy live mariachi music and diners will receive a drink token for a $1 classic or skinny margarita on their next visit.
Eddie Merlot’s
201 Bridewell Drive, Burr Ridge, (630) 468-2098; 185 N. Milwaukee Ave., Lincolnshire, (847) 276-2000; and 28254 Diehl Road, Warrenville, (630) 393-1900, eddiemerlots.com/. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with the special spicy pineapple margarita made with Flecha Azul Blanco tequila (aka Mark Wahlberg’s tequila).
El Gran Agave
1650 Maple Ave., Lisle, (630) 541-8959, elgranagave.com/. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with margaritas and traditional Mexican cuisine at the restaurant and tequila bar.
Fat Rosie’s
940 Milwaukee Ave., Lincolnshire, (224) 377-2395; 4504 W. Touhy Ave., Lincolnwood, (847) 594-3100; 22 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville, (630) 328-0060; 870 N. Meacham, Schaumburg, (847) 807-2850; and 28 Kansas St., Frankfort, (815) 534-1640; fatrosies.com/. The fun begins at 3 p.m. with mariachis at all five locations, LED robots, DJs, lucha libre and more.
FONDA Cantina
1735 Benson Ave., Evanston, (224) 714-2866, eatatfonda.com/. The Mexican outpost from the George Trois Group will be offering a four-course dinner in partnership with Código 1530 tequila at 6 p.m. Sunday, May 5. Dinner starts with passed appetizers of baby octopus, grilled shrimp and mushroom bruschettas with Código 1530 Mezcal, followed by halibut with Código 1530 Reposado. The main course of chicken in white mole sauce is paired with Código 1530 Tequila Blanco Still Strength. Finish the night with flan and a pour of Código 1530 Extra Anejo Tequila. Tickets are $69 per person and are available through OpenTable.
Guzman y Gomez
120 McHenry Road, Buffalo Grove, (224) 481-2042; 5459 Northwest Hwy., Crystal Lake, (779) 220-9671; 1519 N. Naper Blvd., Naperville, (331) 457-5991; and 795 E. Golf Road, Schaumburg, guzmanygomez.com/. For Cinco de Mayo, Guzman y Gomez will be serving $3 frozen margaritas (including the new strawberry margarita) and Coronas with the purchase of food on Sunday.
Hey Nonny
10 S. Vail Ave., Arlington Heights, (224) 202-0750, heynonny.com/shows/rico-santana-tribute-band-3/. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, May 5, for the 7:30 p.m. show featuring the Rico! Santana Tribute Band. Tickets are $18-$35.
Ivy
120 N. Hale St., Wheaton, (630) 665-2489, ivyofwheaton.com/. On Sunday, May 5, enjoy $40 tequila flights (four half-ounce pours) and $20 chorizo nachos. Receive a Cierto Tequila sampler and raffle ticket with the purchase of the flight.
Madame Zuzu’s
1876 First St., Highland Park, (847) 926-7359, madamezuzus.com/. Reserve your spot now for the Cinco de Mayo brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 5, featuring live music by Marbin and a brunch including torta sandwiches, tres leches desserts and drink specials. Tickets at Eventbrite.
MAGO
115 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights, (847) 253-2222; 641 E. Boughton Road, Bolingbrook, (630) 783-2222; and 100 W. Higgins Road, South Barrington, (847) 844-4400, magogrill.com/. It’s Cinco de MAGO, meaning there will be live music at all three locations Thursday through Sunday, May 2-5. On Saturday, enjoy the Kentucky Derby with $12 tequila juleps all day at all locations.
Old Republic
155 S. Randall Road, Elgin, (224) 535-9544, oldrepublicbar.com/. The fiesta starts on the patio at noon Sunday, May 5, with live music until 10 p.m., cerveza and michelada specials and Sammy’s Mexican Grill Food Truck serving tacos, churros, horchata and more until 6 p.m.
On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina
1512 S. Randall Road, Algonquin, (847) 960-3915; 1915 Glacier Park Ave., Naperville, (331) 472-8740; and 535 N. Lakeview Parkway, Vernon Hills, (224) 433-5450; ontheborder.com/. On The Border is celebrating Five Days of Cinco with specials and their new duck margaritas Wednesday through Sunday, May 1-5, including $5 Cinco Rita, $5 Mexican draft beer and On The Border’s signature queso for $5. Daily drink specials starting at $9.99 include the Pineapple Rita on Wednesday, 1800 Meltdowns on Thursday, The Perfect Patron on Friday, Blue Duck Oasis Rita and Duck Island Breeze Rita on Saturday and Sunday, and the Spicy Ghost Rita on Sunday.
Cinco de Mayo Bar Crawl
Parkway Bank Park, 5501 Park Place, Rosemont, (847) 349-5008, rosemont.com/thepark/event/cinco-de-mayo-crawl/. Gather friends for the Cinco de Mayo Bar Crawl from 6-10 p.m. Friday, May 3. The crawl includes food and drink specials at Adobe Gila's ($6 Corona family drafts, $6 Tequila Sunrise, $7 Mexican candy shot, $7 beef or shredded chicken nachos, $8 beef or chicken tacos); Bub City ($6 Miller Lite draft, $6 Back Porch Tea and Easy Peasy vodka lemonade, $7 margarita, $8 nachos); Crust Brewing ($6 Hazed & Confused IPA, $6 ranch waters, $7 spicy margs, $7 pizza empanadas, $8 pretzel bites); KINGS Dining & Entertainment ($6 Modelo, $6 Kings lime margarita, $7 Kings flavored margarita, $7 elotes, $8 chicken tinga flautas); Pete's Tiki Tiki ($6 Corona or Modelo, $6 paloma shots, $7 tiki-rita); Saltwater Coastal Grill ($6 Corona, $6 beach please paloma, $7 sea señorita margarita, $7 elotes, $8 seafood cocktail); and Sugar Factory ($6 beer, $6 Remordimiento shot, $7 Empieza la Fiesta Margarita, $8 chips and salsa). Tickets are $10 in advance and can be purchased at eventbrite.com/ or $15 the day of.
Salsa 17
17 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights, (847) 590-1122, salsa17grill.com/cinco-de-mayo/. It’s not exactly a dining special, but how could you not want to head to Salsa 17 from 10 a.m. to noon on Cinco de Mayo for their annual Chihuahua race? If you want to enter your pooch, they consider any dog under 20 pounds to be a Chihuahua for the purpose of the event. It’s $10 per pup; register by Thursday, May 2. All proceeds from the race go to The Buddy Foundation.
Sullivan’s Steakhouse
244 S. Main St., Naperville, (630) 305-0230, sullivanssteakhouse.com/. Light up your Cinco de Mayo with their Spicy Margarita, served with a flame on top.
Tacos Guanajuato
20771 N. Rand Road, Kildeer, (847) 847-1056, tacosg.com/. Tacos Guanajuato will celebrate Cinco de Mayo Sunday, serving unique tacos and burritos.
Timothy O’Toole’s Pub
5572 Grand Ave., Gurnee, (847) 249-0800; 412 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, (847) 984-2599; and 10 W. Grand Ave., Lake Villa, (847) 979-0600; timothyotooles.com/. Timothy O’Toole’s fetes Cinco de Mayo with food and drink specials Friday through Sunday, May 3-5. Beverage specials include Strawberry Key Lime Margarita ($12), Watermelon Guava Margarita ($14) and Modelo Especial in pint or jumbo sizes ($6, $9). Food specials include nachos ($13), grilled garlic shrimp tacos ($15), birria beef bowl ($17) and more.
Twin Peaks
17W744 W 22nd St., Oakbrook Terrace, (331) 307-7940, and 28252 Diehl Road, Warrenville, (630) 393-9747, twinpeaksrestaurant.com/. Cinco de Mayo specials include the classic $5 Michelada and house margarita and the $10.50 Casamigos Pool Party Margarita.
Yerbabuena
4734 Main St., Lisle , (630) 852-8040, yerbabuenacuisine.com/. Normally closed on Sundays, Yerbabuena will welcome guests Sunday, May 5, with a mariachi band and food and drink specials.