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A smiling sun.
Fat Rosie’s has move into a large location in Naperville.
Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago

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Inside Naperville’s Fun New Taqueria With Mexican Seafood Bar

Fat Rosie’s has moved across the street into a large location with a respected chef at the helm

Ashok Selvam is the editor of Eater Chicago and a native Chicagoan armed with more than two decades of award-winning journalism. Now covering the world of restaurants and food, his nut graphs are super nutty.

In Naperville, where city officials have craved to create a restaurant row of their own, Fat Rosie’s is growing up. The Mexican restaurant opened four years ago, the fourth location — Frankfort opened in 2015, and Lincolnshire and Schaumburg followed. The Naperville location opened four years ago. On Thursday, staff moved across the street to a larger location with a new menu helmed by venerable Mexican chef Dudley Nieto.

A chef holding a pan with flames.
Chef Dudley Nieto has warming things up in the suburbs.
A vaquero holding a plane with drinks and sparklers.
Fat Rosie’s will still find a way to appeal to suburban diners.

Nieto, who curated Pilsen Gourmet (which takes place Friday), joined the operation about a year ago in anticipation of the move. Scott Harris — the same Scott Harris behind Mia Francesca and who was also involved in the Purple Pig — founded Fat Rosie’s, catering to a suburban crowd mostly interested in boozy and sugary margaritas and chips and salsa. To be fair, it sure sounds a bit like Andersonville.

A dining room with colorful donkeys.

The space is three times as large as the restaurant across the street.

But, now seven years later, many Americans, even those who live outside urban areas — sorry Chris Chelios — are demanding more. Nieto developed a new menu with an Ensenada bar, channeling the Mexican coastal city. The bar will serve consome de camarón, cachetona de pulpo y camarón, oysters, ceviche, and more. Nieto says the seafood experience will be unlike any other in the area.

The restaurant, now open, is named after a donkey Harris allegedly saw at an agave farm in Mexico. Take a tour through the space below.

Fat Rosie’s, 22 E. Chicago Avenue, Suite 111 in Naperville, hours not posted.

A smiling sun.
The restaurant is allegedly named after a donkey the founder saw at a Mexican agave farm.
Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago
Cachetona de pulpo y camarón
There will be a daily ceviche special.
Arroz la tumbada and the Cantarito
Jalapeño Cucumber Margarita
Jamaica Margarita
Purple Basil Margarita

Mia Francesca

3311 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60657 773 281 3310

The Purple Pig

444 Michigan Avenue, , IL 60611 (312) 464-1744 Visit Website

After

1338 W. Fulton Street, Chicago, IL Visit Website

The Mexican

1401 Turtle Creek Boulevard, , TX 75207 (214) 210-5700 Visit Website
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