Essington Road's New Breakfast, Lunch Restaurant: Omelets, Pancakes, Skillets, Burgers, 4 Kinds Of Steak

JOLIET, IL — Joliet Patch remains the region's primary news source for stories focused on the Joliet restaurant and bar scene. In another exclusive, Patch interviewed the new owner and staff for the Juybe's Breakfast and Lunch. Joliet's newest sit-down restaurant opened Tuesday at 1121 Essington Road, which is part of the Essington Shoppes business plaza.

Juybe's is now open seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The restaurant property was empty for more than a year. It previously served as both Angie's Pancake House and Loco's Mexican Restaurant and Cantina, when Mario De La Torre was its owner.

The new restaurant owner and his team remodeled the former Loco's, repainting the interior, adding lighter colors. The remodeling and interior decorating took about three months to finish.

The Focus Of Juybe's: American Breakfast And Lunch Cuisine: Owner Tells Patch

"A lot of people, when they walk in, are like, 'Wow.' It's not so dark anymore, it's bright,'" remarked Jonathan Hernandez, who is owner and manager of Juybe's.

He said his restaurant is named after several of his relatives. The focus of Juybe's is American breakfast and lunch cuisine. He said his pancakes "are sweet. They have a unique taste to them."

Lunch entrees are served beginning at 10:30 a.m. Lunch items include a side of soup or a salad.

The menu includes skillet steaks, sirloin, New York strip and the ribeye, which is the most expensive item on the entire menu, at $23.95.

Other lunch entrees include the chicken vodka pasta, chicken alfredo pasta, fish and lemon chicken. The fish menu will rotate seasonally. For now, it's salmon.

"Two people cook. One is focused on breakfast and the other on lunch, so the flavor will be unique," Hernandez emphasized.

Photos of the entire menu are posted below at the very bottom of this Joliet Patch story.

Juybe's has three types of burgers, a classic burger, a spicy hot burger and a BBQ burger that comes with caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese and barbeque sauce.

"We're Trying To Push The Pastas And The Steaks"

The five lunch sandwiches are: BLT, turkey club, Philly steak, Philly chicken and chicken avocado. All sandwiches and burgers include a side of fries or coleslaw. Additional sides on the menu include broccoli, asparagus, spinach and mashed potatoes.

"We're trying to push the pastas and the steaks," Hernandez pointed out. "We've got four options for steaks."

On the breakfast side, the omelets include veggie, Mexican, Classic Denver, spinach & mushroom and the build your own omelet. There are varieties of breakfast specials, waffles, pancakes and French toast. The breakfast is served all day.

Hernandez said Juybe's will hold its grand opening on Nov. 1 and details are still being finalized.

However, he wants everyone to know that Juybe's is now open every day for breakfast and lunch.

"The menu is all finished. And we're going to have everyday specials and something every week, too," he noted.

Hernandez said the vodka chicken pasta, the BBQ burger and the meatlover's skillet are some of the menu items he believes will stand out. He and his staff have a combined 30 years of experience in the restaurant and food industry.

"I know there's competition, but we've also been inspired by them," he said. "We're just trying to be unique and to be on our own."

For more, visit the website for Juybe's Breakfast and Lunch.