Antiguo Lobo, a Mexican restaurant and tequila bar from Restaurateur Jesús Oñate Jr., is coming soon to downtown Chamblee, at 5370 Peachtree Road, according to a press release Wednesday.
Meaning “old wolf” in Spanish, Antiguo Lobo will pay homage to Jesús Oñate Jr.’s father, Jesús Oñate Sr., serving authentic multi-regional Mexican fare alongside an agave-based beverage program for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday.
Oñate Sr., a restaurateur credited with opening one of the first authentic Mexican restaurants in Georgia, came to the United States from his hometown Jose de La Paz — a small village in the state of Jalisco in Mexico — in 1971. He started his Atlanta restaurant career by opening his first restaurant in Chamblee, eventually owning five Monterrey restaurants, one El Sombrero, The Lazy Donkey, and eight El Ranchero restaurants throughout Georgia before he passed in 2018.
Jesús Jr. grew up in his family’s restaurants and was given the responsibility of his first restaurant, Monterrey #2 in Smyrna when he was 20.
“My family’s roots in Mexican restaurants in Georgia date back to the ‘70s, when my father first moved here from the western Mexican state of Jalisco,” Jesús Jr. said in the release. “I’m honored to carry on my father’s legacy with this new restaurant, which is a homecoming of sorts as my father opened his first restaurant in the U.S. in Chamblee.”
The menu will blend Mexican cuisine inspired by the food Jesus Jr. grew up eating with dishes he discovered throughout years visiting and eating in the country. The team will source locally wherever possible, lending a Southeastern twist.
The restaurant’s signature dish, “Molcajete El Monstruo,” will be served in a volcanic rock mortar (“molcajete” in Spanish) and feature a choice of steak, grilled chicken or shrimp; green onion; grilled queso fresco; tomato; nopal cactus; tomatillo cream salsa; rice and beans.
Antiguo Lobo will offer a wide list of agave-based spirits and specialty cocktails made using in-house creations like infused tequila and mezcal. There will also be house-made margaritas with fresh juices and agave nectars.
Set in a building that was formerly a vintage antique store, the restaurant’s design will mirror the Mexican restaurants where Jesús Jr. grew up working in further tribute to his family’s history and deep roots in the community.
The interior will feature a black distressed tin ceiling, exposed brick walls, and concrete floors. An expansive mural dedicated to Jesús Sr. will depict images reflective of his life, including a 1977 Pontiac Can-Am, the first car Jesús Sr. was able to purchase when he came to the United States. Old-school booths, sarape accents, and a vintage bar complete the 1,265 square-foot space with seating for 60. Open-air dining will be available via a large patio in front of the building.
Antiguo Lobo will be Jesus Jr.’s fourth restaurant, along with Zapata in Norcross, Taqueria on Broad in Atlanta’s Five Points neighborhood and Monterrey of Marietta.
