Inspired by head chef Miguel Escobar and sous-chef Carlos Cahue’s hometowns in Guerrero and Michoacán, Mexico respectively, the new Benson Avenue eatery Fonda aims to bring culinary memories of Mexico to downtown Evanston. 

The restaurant’s owners hosted its grand opening Tuesday night and will open to the public Wednesday. Underneath the rustic lighting fixtures of the dining rooms, conversation at the opening flowed easily in the open but cozy space.

The menu features reinvented Mexican staples like tacos alongside entrees like carne asada and enchiladas de pollo estofado.

“(Fonda is) needed in Evanston — there are a couple Mexican restaurants here but there used to be a lot more,” Evanston resident Elizabeth Bandolik said. 

She and her mother, Kathy Bandolik, have known Michael Lachowicz, Fonda’s senior managing partner, for 20 years. 

The prospect of a late night taco window — a takeout counter Fonda is planning to launch and keep open until 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays — appealed to Elizabeth Bandolik because of its convenience. 

“It’s not another bubble tea (place), which makes me happy,” Bandolik said.

Attendees were offered the gobernado and al pastor tacos. The former is a shrimp taco accentuated with manchego cheese, while the latter is a pork taco featuring hints of grilled pineapple and cilantro. 

To compliment the dishes, tequila-based cocktails like margaritas and palomas were circulated during the event. 

“(The) tacos are great,” Communication senior Grant Albright said at the event. “I see one over there — I hope they don’t take it all.” 

Schaumburg, Illinois residents Juana Dzh and Emily Kyar had a tray of tacos and drinks in front of them and were awed by the restaurant’s atmosphere.

The dining space is split into two sections, the eponymous Fonda and the Cantina. 

“I feel like I’m in a resort in Tulum. It has a very nice lounge feeling,” Kyar said about the Fonda area of the restaurant. 

Dzh added that the interior design was detail-oriented, likening the Cantina section of the restaurant to a hidden gem, which felt like a speakeasy. 

Albright said he could envision the space being repurposed for different types of events. 

“You can come here for any event. You can take your parents here, go on a date or you can just come with friends,” Albright said. “They decorated it exceptionally well. It feels very high end for Evanston.” 

Albright added that Fonda’s environment was conducive for community-oriented events, which was exciting to see after pandemic life. Like Albright, Kathy Bandolik said she was most impressed by the vitality of the space, which she credited to the design.

“I love to people watch, and I see everyone is comfortable in this space… This’ll work,” she said. 

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