Car-themed Cuda's revs up Antioch with comfort food, high-octane cocktails

Co-owners Julio Delgado and Paolo Stefani sought to combine their love of cooking and classic muscle cars when they opened Cuda's Bar & Grill in Antioch last June. Taking over the space at 27054 W. Grass Lake Road, they have turned it into a popular spot with locals, focusing on year-round business rather than the seasonal lakeside offerings common to the area.

Motif: The tavern offers a separate family-friendly dining area with five booths, three tables and a view to the open kitchen. The classic car theme predominates in the roomy bar area including 20 stools covered in a variety of automotive logos. The bar is wood with corrugated metal featuring salvaged bumpers for bar rails and actual vintage car trunks for the bar backs. A large stone fireplace anchors the opposite wall and Mason jar pendant lights with retro Edison bulbs complement the vintage wood floors. The walls are decorated with muscle car memorabilia along with a nod to Chicago sports teams.

Past the bar, high-top tables rest on painted oil drums anchored in tires. Two of these accommodate larger groups for drinks or dining. A stage, two well-lit pool tables and video poker games complete the entertainment area. You can watch classic car auctions or sports on four flat-screen TVs with a fifth available in the dining area.

Food: The bar offers a full menu with signature comfort foods like hand-stretched pizza, burgers with bacon cured on site and custom macaroni and cheese. Appetizers are fresh, never frozen, and include hand-breaded chicken tenders and brisket nachos on house-made chips. On our bartender's recommendation, we tried the PBR beer can chicken sandwich with provolone cheese and the house barbecue sauce served on garlic butter-grilled French bread. We also sampled the bison burger stuffed with Gouda cheese, chiles and caramelized onions and a side of hand-cut, sweet potato fries. Portions were generous with tender meat and a sweet, smoky taste to the house sauce. Saturday's special was a nearly three-pound burrito with pulled pork, smoked PBR chicken, ground beef, charro beans, lettuce, cheese and salsa for $12.

Both owners vowed to have fun and do things right in their first venture. To them this means smoking their own meats and making as much as possible from scratch. They also offer cooking lessons, including curing bacon and making jam, and host a pig-roasting contest during the summer.

Liquid consumption: High-octane Mopar Cocktails are the house specialty. Mopar is short for motor parts and is specific to Chrysler muscle cars, including the bar's namesake. These concoctions are based on a classic Long Island iced tea with ingredients added to mimic Mopar colors: Sub-lime, Hemi-Orange, Tor-red, Rum Crazy and Pink Panther. Served in a 32-ounce Mason jar, they're a delicious bargain at $8. The bright green Sub-lime was deceptively potent and tasted like a crisp lemon-limeade. On Saturday nights, $2 bottle domestic beers are on special with craft beers also available.

Crowd: The atmosphere is casual and relaxed. The bar area was almost empty when we arrived around 6 p.m., with a few families in the dining area. By 8, the band was warming up to a full crowd ranging from 20- to 60-year-olds. Two families with younger kids lingered over their dinners enjoying the music at one of the bar's larger tables.

Music: The band played classic rock and blues and featured a female lead with a smooth voice. The music was great, and couples danced the entire time we were there. Live music is offered on Fridays and Saturdays with something for everyone, including '70s, '80s, blues and rock.

On Tuesdays, J.B. Richie hosts an open jam session, and Wednesday is karaoke night, emceed by Magic Mike. For fans of country music, you may want to stop in on Thursdays for free line dance lessons. You can choose your own jams from the jukebox at other times.

Service: The bartenders were welcoming and knowledgeable, suggesting menu and drink items with obvious pride in the fresh, house-made specialties. Our server took time to review a special cocktail recipe and prepared it to perfection. Whether behind the bar or delivering food, she updated us regularly on the status of our order and answered questions, making easy conversation. Co-owner Stefani oversaw the kitchen and walked the bar area checking on food delivery.

Parking: There are plenty of free spots in the large lot.

Overall: Classic car enthusiasts will enjoy the planned cruise nights and custom car shows in the warmer months. Families, music lovers and anyone drawn to a neighborhood bar atmosphere with homemade comfort food will find Cuda's worth the drive.

Cuda's Bar & Grill

27045 Grass Lake Road, Antioch, (224) 788-9145, <a href="http://cudasbarandgrill.com">cudasbarandgrill.com</a>

<b>Hours:</b> 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday