New Northwest Side Mexican Restaurant Opening Soon

Site of Cinco Lokos, 3430 N. 84th St. Photo taken Feb. 27, 2025 by Sophie Bolich.

After several whirlwind months of preparation, Cinco Lokos is set to open its doors in Nash Park. The Mexican restaurant will officially launch on Saturday, March 1, bringing family recipes from Veracruz — and its predecessor’s famed fish fry — to the neighborhood.

The new restaurant replaces the former Celtic pub, Thistle and Shamrock, at 3430 N. 84th St.

Speaking at the premises Thursday, owner Izabella Arteaga bounced from bar to kitchen to dining room, chatting with employees and putting finishing touches on decor ahead of a private soft opening.

“I’m just excited to see what everybody feels,” she said, adding that she’s looking forward to seeing faces old and new throughout the coming weeks.”

Personal touches are evident throughout the family-owned restaurant, from Arteaga’s hand-painted sugar skulls lining the bar to the colorful artwork displayed throughout the space.

“I’ll continue to add little things — that’ll happen all the time,” Arteaga said. “But little by little, we just wanted to get this place up and running.”

While every new venture comes with its unknowns, Arteaga is well-prepared, having spent much of her childhood in her grandmother’s restaurant on Milwaukee’s South Side.

“I grew up in the restaurant industry,” Arteaga said, noting that by age 10, she was already ferrying chips and salsa to diners’ tables. She landed her first official job at 14, gradually working her way up from serving to bartending and other positions.

In addition to her role in the hospitality industry, Arteaga works at Froedtert Hospital. “It’s been busy,” she said with a laugh.

Arteaga’s fiance, Fidel Coatzozon, is also an industry veteran. When the couple met eight years ago, he was operating Cinco de Mayo Fiesta at 8412 W. Morgan Ave., and Arteaga was quickly brought into the fold.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, Cinco de Mayo Fiesta wasn’t seeing its usual crowds, so the couple decided to embark on a new venture and shutter the Morgan Avenue business. Cinco Lokos takes the first half of its name from the previous establishment. The second, Arteaga explained, is “because we’re all crazy here.”

The menu at Cinco Lokos, with inspiration from family recipes, centers dishes from Veracruz, a region known for its use of seafood and tropical fruits.

Featured items include ceviche, fish tacos, shrimp diablo, birria and calamari prepared with sauteed vegetables and onions. In addition to its large selection of Mexican dishes, including breakfast, Cinco Lokos will bring back Thistle and Shamrock’s famous fish fry and homemade potato pancakes, using the original recipe courtesy of Thistle and Shamrock owners Jack Lepold and Richard Heil.

The restaurant will also serve specialty cocktails such as mangonada, a frozen drink infused with chamoy and tajin, which will be garnished with fruit-flavored paletas. A selection of margaritas includes flavors like chipotle pineapple, jalapeno lime and more. Mexican beers and “a huge selection of tequila” will also be available.

Arteaga said her family members are “huge sports fans,” so the restaurant’s TVs will be set to sporting events whenever possible. The business also offers a handful of amusement machines.

Area Alderman Lamont Westmoreland praised the upcoming restaurant. “This fantastic new business in the neighborhood will provide the community with another great place to come together, and I welcome Cinco Lokos to the 5th District,” he said in a statement. “I look forward to an exciting grand opening with delicious food and great company!”

The grand opening will take place from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Visit the Cinco Lokos Facebook page for future updates.

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