Owners of Joey’s Red Hots open New Lenox Mexican restaurant

New Lenox — The owners of Joey’s Red Hots have started a new kind of restaurant venture in New Lenox with the opening of Don José's Cantina and Taqueria.

The Mexican restaurant, located at 1080 E. Lincoln Highway, is a change of pace for owners Anthony Nardo and Nick Iozzo, who already operate seven Joey’s locations in New Lenox, Crest Hill, Orland Park, Orland Hills, Justice, Riverdale and Chicago.

“We wanted to do something different and to bring something different to the area,” Nardo said. “The neighborhood is a bit lacking in choices for higher-quality restaurants, the kind of places you can go on date nights. We wanted to bring a new option for that.”

Nardo and Iozzo are longtime friends and entered into the new business with their friends Ryan and Chris Kucala, brothers from Frankfort who own their own plumbing business and assisted the duo in building the Joey’s locations. The group remodeled the building for Don José's themselves in the style of a “modern, old-style cantina.”

“We’ve all been friends forever, and we’ve been pondering this idea for the last few years,” Nardo said. “We all bring something different to the table, and Mexican is all of our favorite food, so we thought, ‘We’ve got to do this,’ and the food is absolutely phenomenal.”

To create their upscale menu, which they describe as a “seamless blend of traditional Mexican cuisine with contemporary flair,” the owners hired chef Britt Arlen to run the kitchen and design the entire menu.

“We want people to realize this is totally different from Joey’s. We truly believe you will be impressed from the moment you arrive.”

—  Anthony Nardo, owner of Don José's Cantina and Joey's Red Hots

All the menu’s offerings are made fresh to order and include Mexican staples such as birria, tacos and fajitas, as well as a tuna tartare with kiwi-celery Augachile and, Nardo’s personal favorite, a carne asada dinner served with a sweet potato and peanut puree.

“It’s out of this world,” he said. “We try to have something for everyone on the menu.”

Once the group of friends set their minds to creating the new restaurant, Nardo said it took them about six months to renovate the space and get ready for their Aug. 14 opening. Their reception in the community so far has been enthusiastic.

“It’s been awesome,” he said. “The community support has been tremendous, and people are raving about the food.”

Nardo is a lifelong New Lenox resident who attended Providence Catholic High School, while Iozzo resides in Mokena, the Kucalas are from Frankfort, and Arlen grew up in the Orland area and recently relocated to New Lenox after spending time in Chicago. Nardo said opening the business in their community has been particularly special.

“We’re all in the area, and it makes it even better to give back to the community I’ve grown up in,” Nardo said. “Having those relationships in the community and getting to get involved just makes it all more special.”

Don José's is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner starting at 11 a.m.

Currently, it is not taking reservations, so customers are served on a walkup basis, although takeout options also are available.

“The chips and salsa have been hugely popular,” Nardo said. “We’ve had people calling to just order those for pickup, but if you do come for dine-in, there’s never been a long wait. We’ve been super busy, especially on the weekends, but we have a fast table turnaround.”

Despite the speed of service, Nardo emphasized that the restaurant is not a fast-food establishment.

“We want people to realize this is totally different from Joey’s,” he said. “We truly believe you will be impressed from the moment you arrive.”