Uncle Julio's North Ave, Mexican restaurant in Lincoln Park, Chicago, US
Uncle Julio's North Ave was a Mexican restaurant at 855 W North Avenue in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. The menu featured hand-trimmed meats cooked over mesquite fire and house-made tortillas prepared with fresh ingredients.
The restaurant opened in 1992 in Lincoln Park, at a time when the neighborhood was still developing and before major retail stores arrived on the street. It closed for good in 2023 after rental costs made the location no longer viable.
The restaurant brought traditional Mexican cooking to Chicago, including guacamole prepared tableside in a molcajete and sauces made daily from original recipes. Diners could watch these preparations happen right in front of them.
The North Avenue location closed permanently in 2023 and is no longer open to visitors. Those who want to experience the same menu can find other branches of the chain in the Chicago suburbs.
Five couples who met while working at the North Avenue location went on to form lasting relationships, a detail that few regular customers ever knew about. This side of the restaurant's story played out entirely behind the scenes, away from the dining room.
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