New Mexican restaurant to replace downtown Wheaton sushi spot

The downtown Wheaton restaurant scene is growing with the addition of a planned Mexican steakhouse that will also serve seafood.

The proposed restaurant, to be called Tequila Limon, is slated to take over a former sushi place, Downtown Wheaton Association Executive Director Allison Orr confirmed. The brick corner building at Front Street and Wheaton Avenue, across from Ditka’s, recently sold, she said.

“The new owner had a large part in bringing in this new restaurant, so we're super excited to see what they have in mind and excited to welcome them to our downtown business community,” Orr said Wednesday.

Local liquor commissioners have recommended approval of a full liquor license for the new restaurant. Tequila Limon will offer fine cuts with a Mexican flavor and seafood cocktails along with a full bar, an interpreter for the license applicant told the commission last week.

“The applicant plans to redecorate it, but the floor plan will be pretty much the same as it was previously with the sushi restaurant,” said Jim Kozik, the city’s planning and economic development director.

The space was previously occupied by Sushi Mono.

In other downtown dining developments, Positano Ristorante will be opening soon on the first floor of the First Trust building just across from the Wheaton French market pavilion, Orr said.

It will mark the second Positano location in the Western suburbs. In Oakbrook Terrace, Positano has served up Italian comfort food: rigatoni in a vodka tomato cream sauce, pappardelle in Bolognese, and, for starters, meatballs over polenta.

In Wheaton, Positano will fill the former Wok-n-Fire space along Liberty Drive.