A brand new restaurant called Marina’s Bistro will be coming to Uptown, located at 4554 N. Magnolia Ave.
This will be the company’s first brick-and-mortar, following a successful debut as Marina’s Cafe, a ghost kitchen based in Avondale. Now owner Eric Roldan is getting ready to take his business to the next level with a permanent location in the former home of Uptown Dry Cleaners spot in the Magnolia Plaza. Roldan tells What Now Chicago he expects to open in late January 2023. The restaurant will start with dinner service, including takeout and dine-in, before eventually expanding to brunch, according to Block Club Chicago.
“We feel like we have found the perfect location in Uptown,” Roldan said in a statement. “It’s a diverse community currently lacking in Puerto Rican cuisine. As one of the only Puerto Rican restaurants in the area, we’re excited to bring our flavors and style to the neighborhood.”
When the new restaurant opens next year, customers can expect traditional Puerto Rican foods that aren’t often found in Chicagoland. Some menu items to be found on the menu include mofongo and Lechon Asado. Marina’s Bistro will also have vegetarian options, including a jibarito with plant-based meat alternatives. In the dining room, customers can also expect to see a mural of the owner’s late mother, which the business is named after.
“There’s a certain stereotype that Puerto Rican food is fattening, Puerto Rican is fried,” Roldan previously said. “We want to change people’s concept of what Puerto Rican food is. It’s not just your stereotype.
