PILSEN — Dia De Los Tamales has transformed a previously vacant lot on 18th Street plagued with tall grass and graffiti into a hip new patio.
Jeni Wahl, co-owner of the Pilsen restaurant known for their creative tamale recipes, said she expects the restaurant's new patio to be a neighborhood hot spot. The restaurant will host a grand opening for the patio during Pilsen's Second Friday, a monthly art walk, this weekend.
Dia De Los Tamales, a tamales shop in Pilsen, will open their new patio to the public this weekend. [DNAinfo/Stephanie Lulay]
Before the patio build out, the vacant lot sandwiched between the restaurant and a home was little more than overgrown weeds and grass. As the tamales business grew, Wahl approached the lot's owner about renting the space.
"We knew it was there and the shop is tiny, and we wanted more seating. This just seemed like the perfect solution to making that happen," Wahl said. Wahl, who is Cuban American, owns the restaurant with her husband, Sam Wahl, and the restaurant's executive chef Keith Carlson.
Wahl wanted to have the patio completed earlier this summer, but the trio has been busy serving up their tamales on the festival circuit. In addition to stints at Lollapalooza and the Pilsen Food Truck Social this year, Dia De Los Tamales supplied food for Coachella in Indio, Calif. and Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tenn.
As part of the move to open the patio, Dia De Los Tamales will also expand their menu, adding small plates, guacamole and fun egg rolls to the mix. The restaurant is known for their regular and rotating menu of non-traditional $3 tamales, which include the buffalo chicken, a roasted chicken with Frank's red hot sauce and house blue cheese dressing; the Chicago Beef, featuring slow roasted Italian beef, provolone, au jus and giardiniera; coconut curry chicken with a spicy peanut sauce and cilantro; and apple cobbler, which features a buttercrust masa and salted blonde caramel sauce.
Dia De Los Tamales is known for their creative versions of tamales. [DNAinfo/Stephanie Lulay]
Journeyman carpenter Tyler Kruckenberg, who is also Wahl's neighbor, built the patio's furniture and a gate that leads to the patio was painted by FEDZ, also known as Fernando Caldera, a local artist.
Pilsen artist FEDZ was commissioned to paint the gate at Dia De Los Tamales that leads to the new patio entrance. [DNAinfo/Stephanie Lulay]
Dia De Los Tamales built the patio space on a neighboring vacant lot on 18th Street in Pilsen. [DNAinfo/Stephanie Lulay]
The patio is B.Y.O.B., dog friendly and can be rented for events, Wahl said.
Dia De Los Tamales opened at 939 W. 18th St. about 2 ½ years ago. The restaurant is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11-7 p.m. Sunday.
Dia De Los Tamales is located at 939 W. 18th St. in Pilsen. [DNAinfo/Stephanie Lulay]
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