Jalisco’s Cocina y Bar is now open in old Hacienda Beer Co./BBC space on North Avenue

After months of random hints and actual planning, a new Mexican restaurant, Jalisco’s Cocina y Bar, has officially opened at 2018 E. North Ave. The high-profile East Side space had been vacant for the past nine months. It was previously home to Triple Taproom & Kitchen, Hacienda Beer Co., G-Daddy’s BBC, and a host of other businesses.

The new Jalisco’s is owned by Ruben Herrera, and is part of a decades-old family tradition. The Herrera family opened the first Jalisco’s in 1987 at 1035 S. César E. Chávez Dr. (it’s still open today), and a second location in 1990 at 2124 N. Farwell Ave. (it was sold and transformed into Judy’s On North in 2019). The new Jalisco’s is Ruben’s first restaurant. (Judy’s On North closed in 2023 due to a fire, and eventually relocated to 2124 N. Farwell Ave. It’s now known as Judy’s Cantina.)

Here’s a handy sign, previously posted in the front door, that explains the tradition:

The interior of the North Avenue space has been given a quick but colorful makeover. Both the main dining area and the back bar are now clearly home to a Mexican restaurant. (The space was previously occupied by another Mexican restaurant, El Matador, in the 1970s.)

As for the food and drink, well, it’s Jalisco’s! It’s good! Take a gander at the menus:

A takeout menu lists Jalisco’s hours as 9 a.m. – 2 a.m. seven days a week, though a server told us the current hours are 11 a.m. – midnight. Either way, it’s nice to have some more late-night food on North Avenue. And it’s doubly nice to have a formerly empty space enjoying a new life. Welcome, Jalisco’s! Good luck!