‘Fiesta aficionados’: Fat Rosie’s bringing the party to Oak Brook when seventh location opens Friday
Fat Rosie’s is bringing the fiesta to Oak Brook.
The high-energy, local Mexican chain will open its seventh suburban location at 3011 Butterfield Road on Friday, May 23.
CEO John Iannucci said they like to think of themselves as “fiesta ambassadors” as they embrace their new motto “Fluent in Fiesta.”
“We’re super excited, our language is fiesta,” Iannucci said. “That’s the way we look at the experience here, we want people to join in the party.”
Those aren’t empty promises. At any given time in a Fat Rosie’s, you’ll see a “shot plane” carried by, sparklers going off, horns being played and giant hats being donned at a table with a lucha libre ring full of tequila shots.
“We’re fiesta aficionados,” Iannucci said.
The 7,000-square-foot restaurant, which seats about 350 inside and out, features lively hues and authentic decor brought in from Mexico, including a thatched-roof palapa and custom art like alebrijes, the brightly-colored, fantastical creatures depicted in Mexican folk art.
In addition to the large bar and dining room, the space includes a private event room, an open-air patio in the front and will soon feature a four-seasons patio with a water view in the back of the restaurant. That area will be ready in about a month.
Iannucci said Fat Rosie’s fills a void in the dining landscape when it comes to chain restaurants. They’re just as serious about their food as they are about their fun.
“There’s just not a lot of modern, upscale Mexican food,” he said. “We see Tex-Mex all the time, but we don’t have a real competitor that is in the same space with the full-service experience.”
He said while the menu represents many regions of Mexico, there’s an emphasis on dishes from Oaxaca and Jalisco and features elevated cuisine while still offering some dishes “that will get your hands dirty.”
House specialties include the Cochinita Pibil, a dish from the Yucatán Peninsula with achiote-marinated slow-braised pork wrapped and cooked in banana leaves.
“When we talk about where we’re from, this is what Fat Rosie’s is about, this is authentic,” Iannucci said. “You’re not going to find banana-leaf wrapped pork just anywhere.”
On the flip side is the El Patron Gordo Burrito, an enormous three-pounder stuffed with grilled steak, rice, beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream, queso Chihuahua, French fries, avocado and habanero salsa. If you eat it in 12 minutes or less it’s free.
The drink menu features over 60 different tequilas curated by Beverage Director Victor Tenorio. There are more than a dozen different margaritas, including twists like the Jamaica made with hibiscus syrup and the Purple Basil with muddled blueberries, basil and agave.
The house cocktail list is highlighted by the Agave Old Fashioned, the G4 Ranch Water, Paloma Rosa and the Pepino Picoso, featuring mezcal, cucumber puree, lime juice, habanero syrup and agave nectar.
A wide variety of beer, wine, Mexican soda and mocktails are available as well.
The Oak Brook location joins a Fat Rosie’s lineup that includes restaurants in Naperville, Schaumburg, Frankfort, Lincolnshire, Lincolnwood and Rosemont. Iannucci said they plan to expand their footprint in Illinois as well as other states including Florida and Tennessee.
The new location takes over a space that used to house a catering and events company in the Oak Brook Promenade shopping center. Iannucci said they had hoped to open by Cinco de Mayo but hopes the wait was worth it for diners.
“Oak Brook is in such need of great Mexican food and this type of experience,” Iannucci said. “It’s such a great community and we had over 4,000 people sign up for our ‘friends and family’ night, so it’s really cool. We can’t wait to deliver on what we’ve promised.