Chef Michael Hernandez is hoping to open his new restaurant in the Central Stickney area in two weeks.
Hernandez is executive chef for DUNE by Laurent Tourondel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and he has been working for over a year to get Burger Papi opened at 5728 S Archer Avenue. This follows his previous restaurant Diez Y Ocho in Pilsen closing down. He opened his first restaurant in 2015, and he is hopeful Burger Papi will be a success.
“This has been a dream come true,” Hernandez said.
The restaurant recently took to social media to post their menus. Papi’s appetizers include nachos, wings and onion rings, as well as chicken sandwiches, a BLT and burgers. Along with the food, they serve craft beers, mixed drinks, shots and wines.
Two of the signature menu items will be the al pastor lamb chops with pineapple sauce, as well as the Papi burger with Papi sauce made by Hernandez.
While a May 15 opening is the goal for Hernandez, there is potential to run into a delay. He believes having the kitchen open until 1 a.m. will be popular with guests, and as the business will be close to Midway Airport he is confident it will draw a large crowd of travelers.
“We are a melting pot, just a diversity of culture,” Hernandez said.
