Hole-in-the-wall, Mexican-late-night taco spot El Taquito, located along Main Highway in the heart of Coconut Grove, has closed its doors after 15 years in business.
The restaurant took to Instagram on Monday, October 28, to share the sad news with its followers with a nostalgic video.
The caption reads, "Dear valued customers, as we announce the closing of our beloved Coconut Grove location after 15 incredible years, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for making El Taquito Grove your go-to spot for authentic Mexican tacos. From the lively college nights at UM to family gatherings and visits from celebrities, we’ve shared countless memorable moments with you. Your love for our tacos al pastor and carnitas, which became staples in this community, has been truly inspiring."
"Fly high, El Taquito," wrote a longtime customer on the post. Another commented, "Please, no!"
The caption concludes, "Thank you for believing in our concept and supporting our small, cherished place. While we say goodbye to this chapter, we invite you to join us at our locations on Calle Ocho, in Little Havana, and Fort Lauderdale. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for everything! El Taquito Grove."
A Hit Among University of Miami Students on "Grove Thursdays"
El Taquito opened its small outpost with only an ordering counter and a few barstools along the sides of its tiny shop back in 2009, long before the renaissance of the fancy CocoWalk and Coconut Grove we know so well today.The spot was open weeknights until midnight and then Thursday through Saturday until 2 a.m. Therefore, you can only imagine that it was especially popular on "Grove Thursdays," which was known to attract hoards of University of Miami students living nearby in Coral Gables and the Grove.
On Thursdays especially, students would hit up the formerly raunchy bars like Barracuda's, Sandbar (which is now totally updated and clean), and Moe's (R.I.P.) that even had a mechanical bull inside. Then, they'd zig-zag their way into line at El Taquito, which usually would have a line out of the door of hungry young men and women waiting to get their hands on perfectly cooked and simple al pastor or carnitas tacos to properly coat their cheap, beer-filled stomachs.
"Your love for our tacos al pastor and carnitas, which became staples in this community, has been truly inspiring," says El Taquito to its regulars.
Yelp photo
Although the location in the Grove was the one that started it all, El Taquito has three larger and more expansive locations with much larger and more sophisticated menus elsewhere. One of said locations is along Calle Ocho in Little Havana at 1380 SW Eighth St. The other two locations are in Kendall at 13911 SW 42 St. and in Fort Lauderdale at 917 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd.
El Taquito. Locations in Miami and Fort Lauderdale; eltaquitomexicanrestaurant.com.
