New restaurant opens in New Douglas

Martin Nambo’s dream has come true.

Nambo recently opened Mucho Yummy, a Tex-Mex and American food restaurant at 402 W. Deck St. in New Douglas.

On Saturday, his restaurant will hold a grand opening ceremony, with a ribbon cutting at 4:30 p.m. This will be followed by live music by Jack Fantastic at 7 p.m. There will also be food and drink specials, and a number of giveaways on that night.

Nambo says the grand opening is his way of welcoming customers to his house.

“Mi casa, su casa,” he said.

A family-style restaurant, Nambo leased the building in April and spent several months renovating what was the former Mossie’s Cafe & Lounge, which sat vacant almost two years.

Nambo moved to the U.S. in the early 1990s from Acapulco, Mexico. He always dreamed of opening his own restaurant.

“Little by little, my dream became a reality,” he said.

Shortly after he moved to the U.S., he accepted a job, working on a horseradish farm in Collinsville.

“After working eight to 10 hours in the fields, I told myself I better learn English, because I don’t want to do this the rest of my life,” he said.

He later went on to work in a steel mill, which he found “too hot” of a job. So he started to sell food from the trunk of his car in Fairmont City.

Nambo has spent the last 24 years working as a server at a number of area restaurants, including Cancun Restaurant in Swansea, Casa Gallardo, Olive Garden, Crackle Barrel and Hard Rock Cafe.

He opened Mucho Yummy in October with his fiancee, Iris Martinez of Caseyville. Martinez is the restaurant’s primary cook. Nambo also helps to cook breakfasts, which are served on weekends.

“But I prefer to be talking and dancing with my customers,” he said.

Among the most popular appetizers on the menu is the Sampler Plate, which features grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, chicken wings, a grilled Quesadilla and a yummy dip.

The Pollo New Douglas Salad, featuring marinated grilled chicken topped with grilled onions and tomatoes, green peppers, mushrooms, Mexcian sausage and cheese dip served over lettuce is also a big hit, Nambo said.

The expanding menu also includes chimichangas, fajitas, burritos, tacos, Quesadillas, and nachos.

Nambo realizes “people can’t eat Mexican food everyday,” so he also offers an “American” menu, which includes hamburgers and fried chicken (served on Sundays).

A full breakfast menu, including biscuits and gravy, eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, ham, and omelets is offered only on the weekends, beginning at 7 a.m.

“When we opened, our menu was only one page,” said Nambo, who is the father of three sons, Melvin, 5, Marvin, 10, and Martin Jr., 12.

Nambo is planning several events at the restaurant in the coming weeks, including:

▪ Saturday, Dec. 19 , live music by Just Us Friends, who will perform from 7 to 11 p.m.

▪ New Year’s Eve, an acoustic classic rock band, will perform from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.

This story was originally published December 10, 2015 at 3:29 AM with the headline "New restaurant opens in New Douglas."