1st Soul Food Restaurant Opens In Aurora Since 2018: City

AURORA, IL — Soul food has returned to Aurora after a seven-year absence, city officials said.

JJ-N-MeMe's Custom Meals, which opened its doors at 525 Station Blvd. on Aurora's far east side on March 29, is the first soul food restaurant to open in Aurora after the last one shuttered its doors in 2018, according to Director of Communications Clayton Muhammad.

Owned by Aurora native and chef LaTanya Reme, JJ-N-MeMe's is "already earning a reputation for soul food done right." The menu features collared green eggrolls, oxtails with gravy, hot honey fried chicken, four-cheese macaroni, pork chops, and peach cobbler desserts.

"A beloved figure in Aurora’s culinary scene, Chef LaTanya has built a loyal following through her food truck, which has delighted crowds at local festivals, concerts, and community events," Muhammad wrote in a news release. "Now, she brings her signature soul food flavors to a full-service restaurant — serving up dishes that are as heartfelt as they are flavorful."

JJ-N-MeMe's, whose name is a nod to Reme'sson (JJ) and daughter (MeMe), opened its doors to a packed house, with customers lining up outside the door. City officials celebrated the new restaurant with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the city's 23rd this year.

"The restaurant is poised to be a cornerstone of the community," Muhammad said.

JJ-N-MeMe's is the first of three women-owned soul food restaurants opening in Aurora "in the near future." Mandy's Soul Food, which closed in Bolingbrook to relocate to Aurora, is reopening at Fox Valley Mall, and Jaime Gilmore, the owner of Lizzy J's Cafe in Chicago's Fulton Market neighborhood, is set to soon introduce a new cafe in downtown Aurora.

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