Carlos Pancake House opens downtown Crystal Lake

Carlos Pancake House opened Saturday in downtown Crystal Lake.

Carlos Pulido – who owns several Mexican restaurants in the area – owns the new eatery, which will serve American and Mexican favorites. Menu items include breakfast chimichangas, huevos con chorizo, Santa Fe chicken sandwich, fiesta pancakes and Carlos French toast.

Pulido said he has wanted to open a pancake house since he opened his first restaurant and decided on the downtown Crystal Lake spot when he was driving by with his wife.

“We just want to be unique with Mexican food,” said Eddy Vazquez, waiter at Carlos Pancake House.

Vazquez said the business hopes to sell alcohol in the future.

The space previously was home to Retro Bistro but has been vacant for the past year after the owner, Chef Chris Barth, was diagnosed with cancer and decided to close to focus on his health.

Pulido co-owns Carlos Mexican Grill 3 Inc., 282 W. Virginia St., Crystal Lake. He opened Carlos River Café, 1707 Nish Road, Crystal Lake, first and later opened Carlos’s Mexican Grill, 2 W. Grand Ave., Suite 111, in Fox Lake.

Carlos Pancake House will be open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. seven days a week and is located at 83 N. Williams St.

For information, visit the pancake house's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/carlospancakehouse or call 779-220-9693.