Sendero Cantina & Cocina has opened at 7700 Madison St. in Forest Park, bringing Oaxacan-inspired Mexican food and a full bar to the former Casa Humilde brewery space.

Owner Jose Lopez opened the restaurant in early September, according to the Forest Park Review. Lopez previously co-owned Casa Humilde, which closed in February after a year and a half in business when the two brothers who ran it went their separate ways.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place Oct. 24, featuring a mariachi band, a churro truck and live Mexican music in the evening.

"It was months of brainstorming and seeing what the right situation would be for the new project, the new brand, and also trying to find the right people, the right concept, and a team that's in line with what we want to create," Lopez told the Forest Park Review.

The biggest change from Casa Humilde: Sendero holds a full liquor license. Casa Humilde sold only beer, seltzers and food. Sendero now offers Mexican wine, agaves, tequilas and a cocktail list of six to eight drinks at a time.

Sendero plans to brew its own beer off-site, including a Mexican lager, pale ale and non-alcoholic lager, and distribute it in local stores. Casa Humilde's beer had been brewed at District Brew Yards in Chicago.

The food menu keeps some Casa Humilde fan favorites while adding Oaxacan-inspired dishes from a new chef partner, Lopez told the Review. The two head cooks from Casa Humilde stayed on. Classics like burritos, tacos and birria remain alongside newer items such as chicken wings tossed in homemade sauces like pineapple serrano and mango habanero.

Among the standouts are tlayudas, a 14-inch corn tostada with black bean spread, Oaxaca cheese, pickled onions and salsa roja. "The most Oaxacan thing we have," Lopez said of the southern Mexican staple. "In Oaxaca, it doesn't come cut up or sliced or anything, so you just go at it and break into it, either with your hands … or with a fork and knife."

A kids' menu includes quesadillas, tacos and a churro sundae with vanilla ice cream.

The interior got a refresh with a new color scheme and tile backsplash around the bar. More TVs were added for sports viewing. Lopez told the Review that Sendero shows every Chicago Bears game on Sundays. An outdoor patio, closed for the season, will feature a 16-foot-wide LED screen for sports and movie nights when warmer weather returns.

Weekly programming fills the calendar. Thursdays bring Lotería, a Mexican game similar to bingo, with drink deals from 7 to 9 p.m. Fridays feature karaoke starting at 8 p.m. Saturdays bring DJs and live bands on a small stage in the back of the restaurant.

Lopez told the Review that weekend brunch and Tazita coffee, made with beans from Mexico processed by Sendero, were planned to launch in November.

Sendero is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Hours are 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 3 p.m. to midnight Fridays, noon to midnight Saturdays and noon to 8 p.m. Sundays.