The new Don Juan Mexican Grill in Newburgh is special. Here's why.

NEWBURGH, Ind. – You might think it would be hard for a new Mexican-themed restaurant to stand out in an area saturated with such eateries, but Don Juan Authentic Mexican Grill in Newburgh manages it with a unique menu and a fresh take on classics.

Here’s what makes Don Juan special.

It’s 'Chicago-style' Mexican food

While many of the dishes are authentically Mexican, the whole restaurant package is a unique Chicago style. The owners are Maria Hernandez and Juan Jimenez of Chicago. Juan is originally from Morelos in Mexico, and Maria is first-generation American.

Pollo asado − or grilled chicken − restaurants are a big deal around Chicago. Rather than the enormous menus we’re used to seeing here, these places specialize in marinated grilled chicken and round out the menu with a smaller selection of Mexican favorites.

Hernandez and Jimenez have owned a successful pollo asado restaurant in Chicago for six years. They have family here and decided to move down and introduce the concept to the Evansville area.

Some ingredients are coming from Chicago

If you want true Chicago style, you need what you need. The bread for the torta sandwiches and the particular cut of beef Hernandez uses for tacos and carne asada come from her favorite vendors in Chicago.

The grilled chicken

Pollo asado is the star of the show. The marinade is the secret. Hernandez and Jiminez are the only people who know the recipe. They started making it for family parties, and those who had eaten it started asking to order it. So, they opened a little spot in Chicago and found it successful.

Individual plates or family dinners are offered with grilled chicken, with or without sides.

Menu items you might not expect

There are a few American dishes on the menu as well − some sides are family favorites that Hernandez and Jimenez enjoy and which go well with the family-sized packs of grilled and fried chicken they offer.

Fried chicken – This chicken is soaked in the same marinade as the grilled chicken, then coated with seasoned flour before being fried. There is no egg or milk in the coating. Note that the chicken is fried to order, not held under lamps, so call ahead or be prepared for a 25-minute wait. Fried chicken is offered as plated dinners or in family-sized meals with or without tortillas and salsa.

Wings - Chicken wings may be grilled or fried and tossed in barbecue or buffalo sauce

Potato salad - This is a hearty version of the classic with carrots, peas and a creamy dressing with a nice tang.

Macaroni and ham salad - This is a cold salad with macaroni and diced ham in a mayonnaise dressing.

Spaghetti - Tossed in a homemade tomato sauce scented with cumin, garlic and more spices, it's the Mexican-American version of the Italian favorite.

Authentic Mexican dishes

There are many more dishes on the Don Juan menu from nachos to burritos, but here are some we wanted to point out. All the meats for tacos are cooked fresh to order and all the marinades are made from scratch.

Sauces – Homemade red and green sauces are offered with dishes on the table. The red is spicier, but neither will blow you away.

Barbacoa - Long-marinated and long-simmered beef chuck with spices and broth. It is offered by the pound, as a family meal or plate special on weekends, and during the week barbacoa is used to fill quesabirria tacos.

Cactus salad - Tender, lemony cactus, fresh diced tomato, onion, cilantro and lime juice are combined in a refreshing salad. This is great scooped up with the thick and crunchy tortilla chips.

Tinga - Tinga is shredded chicken breast in a light orange-red sauce, and is often flavored with chipotle. At Don Juan, it's the house marinated grilled chicken which has been shredded and sautéed quickly in a lighter tomato sauce with onions, so it's not spicy for the kids.

Sopes- Sopes are hand-made cornmeal boats filled with meat and toppings. The shells are freshly shaped from cornmeal masa and cooked on the flat top, not deep fried, so they're less crisp and more soft and savory. If you like them crisp, ask and they'll pop them in the fryer for you.

Horchata and agua fresca de jamaica - Creamy horchata and tangy-sweet dark red jamaica or hibiscus beverages are made from scratch.

Kids menu at Don Juan

With an emphasis on family dining, Don Juan offers a kids' menu with chicken tenders, a small cheese quesadilla and fries or one taco with fries.

Don Juan Authentic Mexican Grill

• Location: 4011 Indiana 261, Newburgh

• Phone: 812-518-3171

• Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; closed on Monday.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: New Don Juan Mexican Grill in Newburgh, Ind. is different and special.