Antigua Mexican Grill coming to Huntley

Huntley will have a new restaurant coming later in the year, with the owners hoping to open up by the fall.

The Village Board at its meeting last week gave the final nod to Antigua Mexican Grill to open up along Route 47.

“It looks really good,” Trustee Niko Kanakaris said.

Trustee Mary Holzkopf also recommended the business seek out grants through the village.

Antigua owner Luis Rodriguez said Sunday a new building will be constructed for the restaurant and he hopes to open in the fall. Before he can break ground, he will need to submit final plans to the village and get permits.

With the approval on Thursday, Rodriguez said he hopes to start building “as soon as possible.” He said he thinks he could receive permits in the next couple of months.

Once opened, 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 thinks Huntley will be a “really nice community” and will be a positive addition for Antigua. While it was approved last week, Rodriguez said he’s owned the land he will build on since 2020.

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

—  Antigua Mexican Grill owner Luis Rodriguez

The lot is zoned for such a business, but the restaurant also requested a few breaks from the village’s code, which were approved Thursday at the Village Board meeting.

Those were approvals for a new eight-foot fence to be installed in the back of the property and where it could put its garbage on the property, Village Planner Scott Bernacki said at the meeting.

Developers also asked to move where it puts its garbage on the property and to only have a 34-foot front yard rather than the 50 feet required by the village, according to village material. They asked for a similar break with their parking lot.

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.”