La Mex: 'We're Real Happy With The Results'

JOLIET, IL — One of West Jefferson Street's most popular sit-down restaurants is back in business after being temporarily closed for seven weeks during the new coronavirus outbreak. La Mex Restaurant, 3157 West Jefferson St. reopened for carryout business this past weekend.

La Mex has been in Joliet for more than 20 years. La Mex Joliet's Facebook page shows 24,049 check-ins by social media users.

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Restaurant manager Talia Valdez told Joliet Patch's editor that La Mex is now staying open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Her restaurant is only allowing one customer inside at a time to pick up their carryout orders.

Patch asked Valdez how La Mex's first weekend of being reopen went.

"It was good, and we were really happy with the results," she said. "We're just trying to get in the rhythm."

For years, about 80 percent of La Mex's business came from sit-down customers and people ordering drinks at their bar. During its seven-week closure, La Mex remodeled parts of the restaurant, fixing the bar and adding new flooring.

Valdez said she's optimistic La Mex will be able to start offering margaritas to go within the next few days or so.

"We're waiting on the flight bottles," she said. "We've had a number of customers ask if we are selling margaritas to go."

Seeing so many of La Mex's loyal customers return this past weekend to place a carryout order was uplifting, Valdez said.

"We saw a lot of friendly customers, so that was so exciting," she said.

La Mex is offering its daily lunch specials Monday through Friday, the staff said. Dinner specials are available Monday through Thursday. Some of La Mex's most popular meal selections include the burritos, enchiladas and chimichangas.

To order carryout, La Mex's phone number is 815-729-2686. To check out the online menu for La Mex, go here.

Joliet Patch continues to write about the city's small local restaurants and businesses during the ongoing health crisis. Patch created a simple survey to let everyone know they are open and their current hours of operation. About 140 Joliet businesses have been added to Patch's list so far. If you want to add your business to Joliet Patch's list of open and closed businesses, you can do so here.

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