Introduction to TNT Ramen
SOUTH CHICAGO — A South Chicago family who owns several shops on a Commercial Avenue block opened the neighborhood’s first ramen shop this month.
The Opening of TNT Ramen
TNT Ramen opened Aug. 1 at 8929 S. Commercial Ave. in South Chicago, replacing the former TNT Mexican Restaurant. The limited menu features three kinds of ramen — tonkatsu, chicken paitan and vegetable — with add-ons like a sweet brûlée egg and chili oil, as well as chicken karaage, cucumber salad and an assortment of drinks. Ramen bowls cost $12-$14, while the chicken karaage is $9 and the cucumber salad is $5. The restaurant is open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday.
Mission and Inspiration
TNT Ramen aims to get neighbors familiar with the rich soup as “an affordable, great meal,” said co-owners Antonio Macias Jr. and Maricruz Macias. “We’re inspired to serve the closest thing we could make to Japanese ramen here in the city,” Maricruz Macias said.
Antonio Jr., Maricruz and Mia Macias pose for a portrait at TNT Ramen, 8929 S. Commercial Ave., in South Chicago on Aug. 21, 2025. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
The dining area at TNT Ramen, 8929 S. Commercial Ave., in South Chicago on Aug. 21, 2025. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Background and History
It’s been three years since Manuel Perez, longtime owner of TNT Mexican Restaurant, approached the Maciases about buying the business as he prepared to retire, Antonio Macias said. The Maciases, who also own La Fruteria and Macias Produce on the same block of Commercial Avenue, bought the shop despite lingering hopes that Perez wouldn’t actually retire, they said.
Development and Partnerships
TNT Ramen chef Abby Wylder and head of creative Finn Madden, both former culinary school classmates of Maricruz Macias, left their corporate jobs to bring the restaurant to fruition following the purchase. Wylder and the Maciases took trips to Japan in the run-up to the shop’s opening, sampling ramen and hashing out their desires for the restaurant. The trips led them to focus on quality over quantity with an affordable, bare-bones menu that requires “a lot of labor” for each dish, Maricruz Macias said.
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