When Dia Y Noche opened its doors at 6601 Northway, it brought an innovative dual concept to Greendale. 

Dia Cafe brought a bright, cheerful new coffee shop to the area, infused with Latin-American flavors. Meanwhile, Dia Restaurante & Bar introduced dinner service with a rotating menu highlighting dishes from countries in South America and the Caribbean. 

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But, as the restaurant nears the end of its fourth year in operation, the Drilling family is making adjustments that more closely meet the needs of local families while continuing to highlight unique dishes and cocktails.

Among the changes is the addition of lunch service, now offered Tuesday through Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.  The extended hours mean the restaurant is open throughout the day Tuesday through Saturday as well as on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for brunch service.

Guests can also take advantage of happy hour discounts  Tuesday through Friday between 3 and 5:30 p.m. on tequila-based cocktails, beer and select food items including tacos, guacamole and nachos.

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But the biggest changes are likely to be noted in the lunch and dinner menu, which now showcases dishes from Mexico.

“Over the past three years we’ve featured dishes from a wide variety of countries,” says Allison Drilling, who handles operations at the restaurant. “Including Puerto Rico, Argentina, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic… And, although we have chefs in our kitchen from not only those countries but also various regions in Mexico,  we’ve never focused on Mexican food. So, we’re taking the opportunity to focus on one of the most diverse countries in the world.” 

That means giving guests crowd favorites like Mexican street corn ($8.50) and guacamole ($9.50) along with main dishes like birria tacos filled with slow-cooked beef, queso fresco, onion and cilantro inside crisp tortillas with consomme dipping sauce and lime ($18.50).

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But it also means highlighting more intricate dishes including tender bone-in chicken cooked in long-simmering, complexly flavored mole ($18.50).

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Guests will also notice a favorable change in terms of the restaurant’s pricing, which – despite high food costs – has been moderated to include options at a variety of levels.

Drilling says that, moving forward, they are also likely to integrate specials that feature dishes from a wider variety of Latin American countries.

“We want Noche to be a place where you can bring your kids after soccer practice and feed your family on a weeknight,” says Drilling. “So, we’ve really focused on offerings that allow that.”

Noche has also made it a point to retain a diverse drink menu that features a wide range of cocktails – from the crowd-pleasing Pisco sour of Peru (pisco, lime, simple syrup) and the Brazilian Caprinha (cachaca, lime, simple syrup) to the delicious Puerto Rican Coquito (coconut milk, rum and cinnamon cream) – along with wines from Argentina and Chile and beer from a wide range of countries including Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Peru and Mexico.

In the end, Owner Mike Drilling says it’s about meeting people where they are.

“Noche is experience-driven. It’s about the atmosphere, the service,” says owner Mike Drilling. “We want it to be fun, interesting and casual. But that also means we have to deliver the best possible food. And that’s where we are continuing to focus our energy.” 

Dia Cafe is open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Dia Restaurante & Bar is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (kitchen closes at 9 p.m.) and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (kitchen closes at 10 p.m.). Sunday brunch is served from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.