Lakeview East’s Mexican restaurant Barcocina is expanding to a second location in West Town, located at 1814 W. Chicago Ave.
The new location will move into the former home of Telalitlan, which closed in 2020 after serving West Town for 47 years. Thankfully the Mexican restaurant was able to reopen last year in Lincoln Park. Now, Barcocina will move into the spot at an unknown time. However, a banner is already hanging outside the building, which recently had a mural of a massive fish painted on the side by local artist Joseph Renda Jr. This will be the company’s third location, with another site in Baltimore, MD.
“Barcocina fuses traditional Mexican cuisine and various multicultural cooking techniques into modern Mexican fare,” according to the company’s website. “Our fresh ingredients and three distinct beverage categories will let out your sweet, smoky, and spicy side while you drink to the joys of life. Come gather with friends in walls lined with open-air garage doors among rustic reclaimed wood and sensual fireplaces. You will feel the warmth of relaxing on a sunny beach and the coziness of a mountain cabin in the comfort of Chicago.”
As for the mural, Renda Jr. has partnered with the West Town Chamber of Commerce for this temporary painting, titled “I Swear It Was This Big!” The artist tells Block Club Chicago the new West Town mural was inspired by memories of fishing with his grandfather. The mural, which is also inspired by nature and humanity’s connection to it in the present day, will be on display for the next four to six months.
“We can view it in a way that is positive to where we have a positive connection with nature,” Renda tells Block Club Chicago. “Or we can do it in a way that we’re using nature for our benefit. That’s deforestation, oil spills, and stuff like that are stripping resources off the earth. I want the viewer to look at the paintings and choose what their path is and what they want to take in the future.”
