Grandma Irma's Cocina Feeds Everyone
After 36 years as a waitress, Irma Ceballos opened her own Mexican restaurant in Little Village, where family recipes and unconditional hospitality have made her a neighborhood pillar.
No matter what language you speak, how much money you have, or what type of food you like, you will be fed at La Cocina de Irma.
The restaurant, located at 4224 W 31st in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, is run by Irma Ceballos, mother of five and Cicero resident. Previously, Irma worked at another Mexican restaurant, Taquaria Los Comales, for 36 years as a waitress. After so many years of working for someone else—and with her natural ability to connect with people—she was inspired to follow her dreams and open up her own space, where she could share her family recipes and warmth with the community.
It’s a family affair, from her husband being a dishwasher to her kids cooking and serving, every person working at the restaurant is a family member.
The Sanchez family before and during a breakfast rush. | NaBeela Washington/15 West
“Working with my family is fun. We bump heads a lot, but it's definitely fun,” said Miguel Sanchez, Irma’s son, who recently quit his job as a salesman at Home Depot to work for the restaurant full-time.
“I was a little hesitant at first,” said Irma’s youngest daughter Fernanda Sanchez after hearing her mom’s idea to open a Mexican restaurant. “After COVID, I could see businesses were still struggling. And that's when my mom told me, ‘The only thing you can regret in life is not going for it.’”
The restaurant opened in December 2023. Before that, Irma was selling her cooking from her personal kitchen on the weekends for a little over a year and a half, almost two years. She offered three dishes: barbacoa, menudo, and carne en su jugo. Each weekend, she would make 250 gallons of each dish, and they worked until they sold out.
“We would start at six in the morning, and we would finish at four or five in the afternoon. Full-time job. The whole kitchen and the house was destroyed completely. But, it was pretty good,” said Miguel.
This demand inspired Irma to open up a brick-and-mortar.
The restaurant has a wide range of customers, from teachers and students from the neighboring school (Little Village Lawndale High School), to warehouse workers, to retired neighbors. The restaurant has long been known as a welcoming space for everyone in the neighborhood, with many regulars referring to the owner as “Grandma Irma” for her warmth and generosity.
During an ICE raid back in April, while agents were conducting immigration enforcement actions nearby, they entered the restaurant only to use waste facilities, but Irma insisted on serving them coffee and food without charge. This act of kindness, along with the restaurant’s open-door policy, reinforced its reputation as a safe space, a place where people could find comfort and community even in uncertain times. As Fernanda put it, “We were trying to not provoke more worry, there’s already enough in this world. So I feel like this place is a little safe spot.”
Beyond creating a safe space, the family has won over customers through warm hospitality.
“There are many other restaurants in the area. So at first, people were a little hesitant to try us. But I'm a very giving person. I'm like, ‘I'll give you a taco. Try this out. You let me know how it is. I won't charge you for it,’ and they fell in love.” said Fernanda. "Now everybody's receiving us with open arms.” Miguel said the restaurant not only does dine-in service, but provides lots of to-go orders, often feeding teams of workers for their lunch break, with entrees starting at $3.90.
The restaurant offers a large menu, with over 70 items. Dishes include chilaquiles (both green and red), mole (which can be sweet or spicy), steamed beef, quesabirria, burritos, huaraches, sopes, and potatoes with a spicy homemade sauce. They also serve a variety of fresh-squeezed juices—like orange, green, carrot, and beet juice—as well as Café de Olla, a traditional Mexican coffee.
Pictured [Left] Papas Bravas, [Right] Hamburguesas con papas fritas | NaBeela Washington/15 West
"This food reminds me of homemade food, really, really good. Sometimes it just reminds me of how my mom made the menudo,” said Maria, who travels from Melrose Park to eat at the restaurant.
Many of the recipes are family traditions from the Chihuahua and Sinaloa areas of Mexico, and all the sauces and aguas frescas are made in-house. Many of the ingredients they use are sourced from community members, buying watermelons, cactus, and other produce from local vendors.
“Even the coffee just takes you back. We get people trying the coffee, and they start crying. They say ‘This has brought back so many memories from when I used to live in Mexico,’” said Miguel. Miguel explained that their Café de Olla is a traditional Mexican coffee, made in a pot with ingredients like orange peels and cinnamon, though the full recipe is a family secret. “Even people who say they don’t drink coffee end up loving it,” he said. “It’s not your typical Starbucks or Dunkin’; it’s something special that really brings people back to their roots.”
However, the menu has the ability to change with what Irma wants to cook.
“If someone sees the menu and they're like, ‘I just don't like any of this,’ my mom will be the type to say ‘What do you like? I'll see what I have,” said Fernanda.
This willingness to accommodate any customer reflects Irma's philosophy for her restaurant's purpose.
“I am happy, but my mission is never complete—I must feed many people. Here, every person, even the most humble, is welcomed with love and respect. Whether they have money or not, in my kitchen they will always find a full plate and a full heart, and they will leave satisfied,” said Irma.
