A Texas Taco Bar With a Patio Is Part of a Massive Lincoln Park Development

Developers and restaurant groups are paying even more attention to Lincoln Park with the additions of Bobby’s Lincoln Park, Dog Haus Biergarten, Parson’s Chicken & Fish, Nighthawk: AM, and the upcoming Galit. Velvet Taco, the chain with a Gold Coast location, is the latest to announce an impending arrival. The Texas company intends to open inside Lincoln Common, the luxury apartment building being built on the former Children’s Memorial Hospital site south of the Lincoln/Halsted/Fullerton intersection.

Velvet Taco opened its only Chicago location in February 2015 inside a small two-level space overlooking the infamous Viagra Triangle near Rush Street. The Lincoln Park location will be more in line with the chain’s Texas locations. The 2,572-square-foot will also include a patio, according to a news release. The chain has eight locations in Texas.

Velvet Taco [Official Rendering]

There are plenty of taco options in the area including the legendary Taco & Burrito Palace No. 2, Allende, and Las Fuentes. Then there’s Fiesta Mexicana, the neighborhood staple that suddenly closed earlier this month. Velvet Taco will attract a late-night crowd as it does in Gold Coast, but the tacos have more of an international approach with chicken tikka, Cuban pork, and Buffalo chicken varieties. There’s also plenty of veggie options including a paneer and falafel options.

The news release projects a mid- to late-2019 opening. Stay tuned for updates.