Jan. 8, 2025

Guatemalan and Mexican food is returning to the original location of Jacky’s Restaurant on East Eighth Street.

Leslie Reyes, the daughter of Jacky’s founder Jacky Vanloh, and Roberto Lopez, who has worked for Vanloh and most recently Reyes for almost a decade combined, are opening Antigua Taco House. The owners hope to open in late January or early February.

Lopez said the concept will be similar to Jacky’s Burrito Express on West 12th Street, which Reyes operates with her brother, Wilson. Customers will order at a counter, and servers will bring out the food.

The menu is still being developed, but there will be “more variety of enchiladas … and a few more choices,” Reyes said, including more taco options and combo meals. Burrito Express’ top sellers like the birria taco, birria burrito and California Burrito, which has a choice of meat, fries, nacho cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole, will be served.

Hours likely will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The full menu will be available all day, Lopez said. That includes breakfast items like chilaquiles, huevos rancheros and burritos with scrambled eggs, hash browns and a choice of meat.

Antigua Taco House will have a beer and wine license.

With the change to counter service, the interior has been remodeled a bit, Lopez said. Some seating has been removed, but there’s still room for 80-90 diners at tables and booths. A wall separating the two dining rooms has been opened partially.

Reyes now owns the building at 702 E. Eighth St. where her mother opened her first restaurant in Sioux Falls in 2009. That location closed in 2022 and for a short time that year housed T-Juanita Street Food and Cheladas. It has been vacant since then.

Vanloh, who originally is from Guatemala, has had additional locations throughout the years. Jacky’s Restaurant on East 10th Street has been open since 2016, and another Jacky’s Burrito Express opened last year on West 41st Street.