Oswego approves liquor and gaming licenses for Taco Dále Cantina

Ahead of Taco Dále Cantina’s planned opening in downtown Oswego by the end of August, the restaurant now has a liquor license.

At the Aug. 4 Oswego Village Board meeting, trustees approved a liquor license for Taco Dále Cantina, located at 123 W. Washington St. in the space that formerly housed Tap House Grill.

In addition, trustees and Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman approved a gaming license for Taco Dále Cantina. The restaurant will have to wait six months after it opens before it can offer gaming.

Voting no was village trusteee Andrew Torres. Trustees James Cooper and Karen Novy were absent from the meeting.

At the April 8 Oswego Village Board meeting, Torres had voted against reducing the time new restaurants and nonprofit businesses in downtown Oswego have to wait before they can offer gaming from one year to six months.

Taco Dále has locations in Aurora, Batavia, Bolingbrook, Lisle and Romeoville. The cantina concept would be new.

Taco Dále co-owner and president Ilda Rodriguez said the restaurant looks to set itself apart from other Mexican restaurants in Oswego.

“We know we’re going to be successful because we know what does really well with Taco Dále,” she had said at a previous Village Board meeting.

Plans are to open the restaurant by the end of August, Rodriguez said. A soft opening is set for Aug. 19 and the Oswego Area Chamber of Commerce plans to host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the restaurant from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 22.

Tap House Grill, which had been at 123 W. Washington St. since 2008, closed its doors in February. Tap House Grill had announced on social media that it was closing its doors.

“We have enjoyed being a part of this town and engaging with this community for many years, and this is not the outcome we wanted,” Tap House Grill said in a Feb. 24 Facebook post announcing its closure. “Unfortunately, with every factor impacting restaurants today, we are just not able to continue to make it work.”