Torro’s Mexican Cuisine in Lockport adds Monday hours

Lockport — Margarita Mondays are now a possibility for fans of Torro Mexican Cuisine in Lockport.

The restaurant, located at 16529 W. 159th St., announced at the start of the year that it has changed its hours. Since Jan. 6, Torro is now open seven days a week, a change from its previous schedule that saw the restaurant closed Mondays.

“It seemed like a good time to make the change,” said Torro’s manager Omar Popoca. “People are starting to know about us more, and a lot of restaurants around here are closed on Mondays, so it seemed like an opportunity for us to be busy.”

Torro in Lockport is a family owned and ran Mexican cuisine highlight by fresh and homemade recipes. (Gary Middendorf)

Torro will be open from from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The change has prompted the owners to hire more staff to accommodate the extended hours.

On Jan. 8, following the change, Papoca said the staff was “surprised” by the turnout.

“We did pretty good,” he said. “We didn’t think it would be very busy the first Monday, but we had a good number of people.”

Going forward, Papoca said the management is considering options for Monday drink and dinner specials to promote the new hours.

“We already have margarita specials on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so we’re looking at a possible beer or cocktail special for Mondays, and possibly a dinner. We haven’t decided yet.”

Papoca noted that the restaurant and bar’s margaritas have become a fan favorite item, with multiple flavors including jalapeño cucumber, jalapeño strawberry and coconut, their newest flavor, becoming incredibly popular.

Torro prides its menu on its fresh, homemade specialties. Some of the popular staples on the menu include the birria taco dinner, the spicy chicken pozole soup and the restaurant’s crispy corn chips and salsa, which are made in-house daily.

Torro in Lockport Mexican cuisine’s popular three Birria Taco Dinner, a house specialty made with beef topped with cheese, onion, and cilantro served with consome. (Gary Middendorf)

The takeoff of the Mexican eatery’s popularity has mostly taken place in the past year when the current owners and management took over the business.

When Torro first opened in 2022, it was created as a fusion restaurant blending Mexican and Asian – primarily Japanese – flavors and featuring sushi on its menu along with Mexican dishes.

“That didn’t work out very well,” Papoca noted. “So when we took over, we switched entirely to Mexican, and that seems to be working better. The community has been very welcoming of the change. People are liking it, and the reviews have been very good.”