Big Star Will Get Bigger, City Officials Say

One of Wicker Park's most popular restaurants is making room for more.

Big Star taqueria, 1531 N. Damen Ave., is expanding its outdoor patio to a next-door parking lot, according to DNA Info, as well as leasing an adjacent 1,500-square-foot indoor space.

The publication reports:

Currently home to the Caravette Real Estate company, Ald. Joe Moreno (1st) said he met with the owner of the building at 1537 N. Damen Ave. who "expressed Big Star's interest in growing" to him.

Moreno said he had not seen specific floor plans for the expansion and is only aware of the fact Big Star's take-out window will be moving to the adjacent building and there will be patio seating added to the parking lot separating the two buildings.

The restaurant—known for its tacos, whiskey and tequila—opened in 2009 and has been making headlines ever since. 

READ: Big Star Named Second-Best Bar in Chicago

Yahoo's Food & Wine blog recently compiled a list of the best taco spots in the country, naming Big Star No. 2. 

READ: Big Star Among Country's Top Taquerias

The article praises the eatery's "excellent spit-roasted pork and beer-battered fish" tacos as "impressively fresh" and hails its beer menu as one of the best in the city.

Big Star's menu is inspired by Mexican street food in a space "reminiscent of a California honkey tonk, according to owners.

"Executive Chef Paul Kahan and Chef de Cuisine Justin Large have crafted an eclectic menu inspired by Mexican street food in a space reminiscent of a California honky tonk," its website says.

"The food, liquor and cocktail programs change continuously to complement the seasons, and always features six beers on tap, and an ever-growing selection of our house-selected single barrel bourbons and whiskeys, picked by staff members at distilleries in Kentucky."

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