Don Juan’s Cantina
650 N. Northwest Highway in Park Ridge
DJsCantina.com

(847) 430-3535

History in short
Maria Concannon, who opened Don Juan’s in Edison Park back in 1982, was a visionary of sorts, widely credited for bringing authentic Mexican food to the area.

“She’s educated so many people about Mexican food and culture,” co-owner Jake Concannon says of his mom, now 84 years old, and part of a family that included 12 kids and family dinners around the table where everyone would talk about their day. “The culture, the hard work, the training. She has always had a dedication to her food and the quality of everything she makes.”

“She remembers each and every customer’s name, and usually their children’s names or grandchildren’s names too.”

Jake and his two siblings grew up in the family kitchen and all got involved in the restaurant industry. Jake began washing dishes and cutting tomatoes at Don Juan’s when he was young before moving up to hosting and bartending responsibilities.

“My mother has educated so many people about Mexican food and culture. The culture, the hard work, the training. She has always had a dedication to her food and the quality of everything she makes.” — Co-owner Jake Concannon

After 37 years in Edison Park and facing Covid restrictions, maintenance issues with the building, and rising Chicago fees, Jake knew it was time to depart in favor of his hometown of Park Ridge. Jake and Mike Corvo Jr., a longtime friend, regular customer and general contractor, decided to join forces on the new venture and began the buildout of the new location in the Village Green shopping center, which opened in August of 2021.

Both realized that building a restaurant during the pandemic would be risky, but they were confident the Don Juan’s name still had longevity in it and that forming a partnership — and shifting to Park Ridge — was best approach to reinvent the brand.

“They were like family and always made us feel at home,” Corvo says of the Concannon family. “Don Juan’s in Edison Park was always our place. I asked my wife Phedra to marry me there, I had my bachelor party there in the blizzard of January 1999, and we celebrated numerous birthdays and anniversaries, as well as my father’s funeral luncheon.”

Loyalty is key
To say there’s a bit of loyalty at Don Juan’s would be a major understatement, as multiple servers have been with the restaurant for nearly four decades. They are also seeing third generations of customers now. “Like many of our customers, my three kids were first introduced to Don Juan’s in the womb,” says Corvo. “My oldest is now 27 and visits every time he’s home.”

Only the best ingredients: Hand sourcing the freshest ingredients is something Jake learned directly from his mom. It’s the only way her recipes would work. “We hand pick everything from the vegetables to the steak and seafood — I buy it myself,” Concannon says. “Even the mangoes for the salad, I move four or five cases out of the way to get to the better ones.”

Hand sourcing the freshest ingredients is something Jake learned directly from his mom. It’s the only way her recipes would work. “We hand pick everything from the vegetables to the steak and seafood — I buy it myself.”

The vibe: Don Juan’s can best be described as cozy, contemporary and eclectic, all while remaining true to its culture with several pieces of authentic Mexican artwork. An L-shaped bar with neon blue lighting, exposed pipes and wrought-iron light fixtures are particularly eye appealing.

In an interesting design feature, the restaurant is enclosed in fiberglass about 10 feet out into the sidewalk, because the plan was to always to keep the sliding door open to mimic the welcoming approach in many of the restaurants in Mexico.

Thanks to a heated tent and heat lamps on the sidewalk, alfresco dining on the flower-laden patio will remain an option through the end of October. Bonus: The Don Juan’s staff even provides patrons with Mexican blankets on chillier evenings.

What we’re eating and drinking: Off a loaded and diverse menu, which offers something for the whole family, specialties include the queso fundido appetizer with chorizo, the homemade guacamole, wild mushroom and chili poblano, the deep-fried Burrito Don Juan, breaded chicken Milanese, sizzling fajitas and the carne asada.

On a recent visit, we enjoyed the Baja fish tacos, made of breaded mahi mahi on flour tortillas with chipotle mayo and a spicy slaw. They’re served with a mixed salad and delicious dressing we need to steal a bottle of. And we couldn’t turn down the carne asada — a generous 10-ounce strip of tender steak that’s grilled to order and served with tomatoes, onions, avocado slices, rice and beans.

Boasting a full bar, the drink options are plentiful, whether you’re in the mood for a Mexican lager or a specialty frozen strawberry margarita (our favorite). And Don Juan’s is your place to go for tequila, as they offer more than two dozen options, and plenty of mezcal.

The quality of the food and the quality of the margaritas is what has been bringing us here for 32 years. … They have truly treated us like family since the beginning. And that’s so important.”

Planning a party?
While Don Juan’s doesn’t have a specific catering menu, they are more than willing to handle parties and events of all sizes and customize your order to account for any dietary restrictions. Don Juan’s also offers a lot of creative meals that are perfect for families on the go like the “Nacho Lovin’ for your Oven” or take-and-bake enchiladas.

From the patrons:
“The quality of the food and the quality of the margaritas is what has been bringing us here for 32 years, as well as the attention to detail the staff takes. They knew us, they knew what we liked, what our kids liked… they’d even take the kids into the kitchen to get ice cream. They have truly treated us like family since the beginning. And that’s so important.”

— Eileen and Terry Sweeney

A lot of people tell me they feel like they’re on vacation when the come here, and that’s what I enjoy hearing the most. It’s a family place and always has been.”

From the ownership:
“A lot of people tell me they feel like they’re on vacation when the come here, and that’s what I enjoy hearing the most. It’s a family place and always has been, and we have the best, most authentic Mexican food in the area. We pride ourselves on all of that.”

— Jake Concannon

“From the kitchen to the bar, we are blessed with an amazing staff. I knew the only way I was interested in partnering in a Park Ridge-based business was doing it first class. We’ve lived in Park Ridge since 1979 and we’re proud to live here. Park Ridge has an amazing host of restaurants, which means there’s a lot of competition in our market and things had to be as perfect as we could make them. I knew the Don Juan’s Cantina brand had huge potential, and I think we’re hitting our stride.”

— Mike Corvo, Jr.