Growing restaurant group Antigua Mexican Grill expanding to Huntley

A new Mexican restaurant, part of a growing group of eateries, is expected to open in Huntley by the fall.

The village board last week gave final approval for Antigua Mexican Grill to open at 10716 Route 47, the site of the shuttered Tobacco Hut.

"It looks really good," Trustee Niko Kanakaris said of the restaurant plan.

Antigua owner Luis Rodriguez said a new building will be constructed for the restaurant. Before he can break ground, he will need to submit final plans to the village and get permits, which he expects to receive in the next couple of months.

When it opens, it will be Antigua's third location in McHenry County. The first opened in Crystal Lake in 2018, and the second in Algonquin last year, Rodriguez said.

"We decided to go to Huntley because we have many customers there," Rodriguez said. "I see a lot of potential in Huntley because it's growing really fast."

Rodriguez said he's owned the land since 2020. The lot is zoned for such a business, but the restaurant also requested a few variations from village code, which were approved by the village board.

They include approvals for a new 8-foot fence at the rear of the property and a variation on where the restaurant can keep its garbage, Village Planner Scott Bernacki said. The restaurant also received approval for a 34-foot setback from the road, rather than the 50 feet normally required.

Antigua Mexican Grill offers a traditional Mexican cuisine inspired by Rodriguez's hometown of Zacatecas, Mexico, according to the restaurant's website.

Considering itself a "step up from your normal taqueria," it utilizes older recipes.

"We really love this community," Rodriguez said. "I hope everybody loves this location the way they love our other ones."