Tacos Before Vatos opens cantina at Clayton’s Rail in Morris

Fans of artisan-made Mexican food have a brand-new Morris destination at Tacos Before Vatos, which has opened a cantina in Clayton’s Rail at 721 Liberty St.

It’s the second location for the eatery founded in 2023 in Crest Hill by husband-and-wife Marco and Bri Alcantar.

“It’s authentic, it’s fresh, it’s made to order,” said Bri Alcantar about the dishes prepared on the spot, under the guidance of her husband, the primary chef. “Nothing … is canned. Everything is made from scratch. We are different."

In addition to classic Mexican favorites, patrons will notice less common ingredients such as cecina, similar to Italian prosciutto. It’s specially marinated by Marco Alcantar, as are many of the meats. He prepares homemade chorizo sausage in-house, and another of his signature items is marinated skirt steak.

The family recipes are complemented by some fresh twists cooked up by the couple.

Marco Alcantar created the breakfast concha sandwich, using a bakery’s brioche-like, shell-shaped pastry. The sweet concha is dipped in seasoned egg before hitting the flattop grill. It’s served with chorizo topped with a sunny-side-up egg and American cheese, accompanied by seasoned, house potatoes.

The full-service restaurant offers guests a choice between mild and spicy sauces. Marco’s special mild salsa is served with the chips. Other sauces are available for the table, and can be purchased to take home.

“We have fresh corn elote,” Bri Alcantar said of the richly flavored, street-food favorite. “We boil it fresh right off the ears. [The corn’s] not frozen.”

To prepare their quesabirria dish, a beef stew is cooked for hours and served as tacos with consommé for dipping on the side, she said. The tacos come with cheese, onion and cilantro, paired with rice, beans and limes. The tortillas are dipped in the savory consommé and lightly fried.

“We ate lunch at their location in Crest Hill, loved everything that we ordered off the menu, and signed on the dotted line. ”

—  Lois Darlington, owner of Clayton’s Rail where new catina is located

The name Tacos Before Vatos translates to tacos before dudes, a playful moniker designed to be something creative that catches attention, she said. The cantina opened Feb. 9.

“We’ve been experiencing a lot of great positive support, feedback, welcoming – it’s been pretty great so far," Bri Alcantar said.

She praises the support of Clayton’s Rail, whose owners are Lois and Scott Darlington.

“When Tacos Before Vatos was exploring expansion opportunities in Morris, they randomly called Clayton’s Tap to see if we had a kitchen available for use … it was a blessing in disguise because we had just closed the kitchen at Clayton’s Rail, and planned to only use it for special events, catering, etc.," Lois Darlington said in an email. “We ate lunch at their location in Crest Hill, loved everything that we ordered off the menu, and signed on the dotted line. We couldn’t be more pleased with our decision, and are excited for 2025!”

Bri Alcantar said the couple is working with the bar staff at Clayton’s Rail to introduce an array of margaritas and other Latin cocktails. Also featured are smoky drinks for dramatic visuals and added flavor complexity.

On the nonalcoholic front, Tacos Before Vatos prepares a homemade horchata (rice water) beverage and a hibiscus tea called agua de jamaica (hibiscus in Mexican Spanish). Other aguas frescas will debut in the summer, and new seasonal cocktails will be added.

On Tuesdays, full-size tacos are discounted and margaritas are half-price. Margaritas also will be half-price on Thursdays, when a different entree will be a bargain each week.

Bri Alcantar currently is spending her time at the Morris location, while the temporarily closed Crest Hill space undergoes renovations and prepares to add breakfast offerings, with a target to hopefully reopen sometime in March.

Tacos Before Vatos is purchasing a food trailer that should be out and about soon, Bri Alcantar said, noting bookings have begun. It will be available for festivals and private occasions in addition to their tent-setup option at events.

The Morris location serves food beginning at 11 a.m. daily except Mondays, staying open until about 10 p.m. and until 6 p.m. Sundays. Later weekend hours are possible during the summer. Tentative plans include adding a Sunday brunch.

Tacos Before Vatos caters corporate and private events.

“We are also known for our taco boxes – a big hitter," Bri Alcantar said of the takeout item.

One type of taco box contains 20 regular-size tacos, and comes with onion, jalapeño, cilantro and limes, along with two salsas and freshly prepared rice water.

Another offers 25 mini tacos with onion and cilantro or lettuce and tomato – the respective Mexican and American styles. The package includes rice, beans, chips and guacamole, limes and two salsas. Another hit is the restaurant’s nacho box with a choice of meats.

To learn more, call Tacos Before Vatos at 815-710-5150 or visit Facebook at tinyurl.com/bdf8z3v4. A sister establishment to Clayton’s Tap, Clayton’s Rail is a sports bar that offers pool, events and gaming machines among its attractions, including The Alley patio reopening in warmer weather.