By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A new restaurant specializing in street tacos and tequila is coming to the former Vintage 501 at State and Second streets in downtown.
Taco Libre is a new brand from restaurateur Matt Idzikowski, who closed Vintage 501 in August after a dozen years in business.
“It was time for something new for that space,” Idzikowski said. “I was able to purchase the building, which then made sense for me to reinvest in that area.”
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Taco Libre will have a variety of street tacos with beef, chicken, carnitas and other recipes unique to the store. “There will be a variety of tacos that will by my own creations,” he said.
There will also be margaritas on draft, an array of tequila and mezcal selections and whiskey.
“It’s definitely more of a bar atmosphere with awesome food, so it’s kind of a flip-flop from Vintage,” Idzikowski said. “We’re still going to be kid-friendly and have a family-friendly feel.”
The restaurant will also have a new look when it reopens as Taco Libre.
“We’re adding glass garage doors in the front to give it that more downtown Chicago feel,” he said.
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The restaurant will also have food available through Uber Eats and Door Dash, and there are plans to add video gaming.
The restaurant’s name is a play on lucha libre, a style of professional wrestling that originated in Mexico, and its logo is of a luchador holding a taco in one hand and a cocktail in the other.
Idzikowski also owns Prime Italian Steakhouse, 6565 Lexus Drive, and the You’re Bacon Me Crazy food truck. He’s a majority owner of Omakase, about a block west of Taco Libre at 223 E. State St.
He said the goal is to open Taco Libre by the end of October or the first week of November.
“We’re super excited to put a new cornerstone in downtown Rockford,” he said. “We can’t wait to reopen our doors to downtown Rockford.”
Stay in the loop | Taco Libre
Where: 501 E. State St., Rockford (corner of State and Second streets)
On the web: tacolibrerockford.com is coming soon
On Facebook: facebook.com/tacolibrerockford
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas