In the past few months three restaurants opened near campus: a taco bar, an Asian fusion restaurant and a neighborhood bar and grill. These restaurants cater specifically to students, offering special promotions for game days and other events.
After its grand opening on Tuesday evening, Barrio: Tacos + Tequila + Whiskey became Eddy Street’s newest addition. The taco bar has locations around the Midwest and East Coast and is best known for its diverse menu and lively atmosphere. “You get to choose from different shells, proteins, cheeses, toppings and sauces and kind of create your perfect taco or bowl. You can come in multiple times and do a completely different food experience,” owner Jake Hawley said.
Barrio functions as both a restaurant and a bar, with late-night hours on Fridays and Saturdays and an extensive cocktail menu. “We’re open until midnight during the week and until 2 a.m. on the weekends as another late-night food option. You can have the same experience at Barrio at noon as you can at midnight,” Hawley said.
Using fresh ingredients and homemade recipes is a high priority for the restaurant. “We prepare everything in house fresh daily, which is a big part of what we do. We don’t freeze anything that goes into our food. It’s prepped every single day from scratch,” Hawley said.
The restaurant also serves brunch on weekends, with a mimosa bar and breakfast tacos. “We do brunch on the weekends — Friday, Saturday and Sunday — from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. We serve a bunch of different breakfast tacos, bowls and stuff like that. The brunch would be great for game days especially,” Hawley said.
Although they have locations across the country, Barrio’s South Bend location offers a distinct experience. “You’ll see a lot of Notre Dame themed art … we’re going to do special events on game day. We’re going to close half the restaurant … and host a tailgate party with the rest of it as table service. We can rent out some of the space to big groups and we do catering as well,” Hawley said.
Next door to Barrio, Jinya Ramen Bar is an upscale Asian restaurant serving ramen, sushi, rice bowls and artisanal cocktails.
Jinya Ramen Bar opened over the summer, and students are already enjoying the new Eddy Street spot. Junior Grace Ann Kinsale visited the restaurant last week and shared that “Jinya provides a more upscale dining option to the area with a wide menu that includes vegan ramen.”
“That’s something you don’t usually find around here. It’s a refreshing addition to the Notre Dame dining scene,” she said.
A short drive away in downtown South Bend, Manny’s Sports Bar is a bar and restaurant that opened on Aug. 1.
The restaurant features a patio, 30 TVs and various arcade games and serves a variety of bar foods and late-night snacks. Manny’s has also hosted various events since its opening, including a watch party for the Notre Dame vs. Miami game sponsored by Teeling Whiskey.
Junior Emma Murphy attended the watch party and said she enjoyed her experience. “I loved the open air concept where we were able to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air. [It] felt like I was back home on my patio watching the game. The picnic table setup was warm and inviting and the staff matched the casual and welcoming atmosphere,” she wrote.
