Longstanding Mexican restaurant El Torero will be closing their Chamblee restaurant Saturday, December 21, after more than four decades in business. The restaurant, located at 5575 Peachtree Boulevard in Chamblee, occupies a former Taco Tico and first opened in June 1981.
ToNeTo Atlanta reported on the closure of the Brookhaven area El Torero in Brighten Park (Loehmann's Plaza) in August 2017 after 25 years in business.
The Chamblee restaurant celebrated 43 years in business this past June, and while it's unclear why exactly Magana has elected to close, several readers indicate a reported increase in rent was a contributing factor.
According to DeKalb County tax records, the roughly 2,100 square foot restaurant sits on about a third of an acre and was built in 1970. The property was purchased in 2022 by Suesandalon LLC., an entity controlled by Sue and Udi Sandalon.
A former Pizza Hut located just north of El Torero closed in 2016 and was later replaced by an Enterprise Rent-A-Car office.
The building is more than 50 years old and the parcel is incredibly small, so it will be interesting to see if something replaces El Torero soon or if the property becomes vacant.
Do you plan to visit El Torero one last time before they close? What is your favorite independently owned Mexican restaurant in metro Atlanta? What would you like to see open in place of El Torero in Chamblee?
Please share your thoughts below.
14 comments:
The Taco Tico was great, 4 tacos for $1.
They’ve never quite been the same since they had a short shutdown a couple years ago but I hope they find another location, they will be missed
Eli, do you happen to know if that building used to be a Wendy's or Hardee's/Burger Chef before Taco Tico? I grew up in Rhode Island and there was a local restaurant chain in the 80s called Pub Dennis that also used that same design. But I know that's not what used to be there....LOL
When I worked in Duluth we ate there at least once a week. The food was good, service was great and prices reasonable. Just don't have any reason to visit that area anymore or I would probably still eat there.
Best Burittos and overall combo dishes. I will miss it after going there since 1989. Th eowner is great.
I will miss their face melting margs.
Well at least I managed to get their salsa recipe the day before they closed. My server sold it to me for $20. If been after that recipe for 30 years. He also scribbled down the enchilada sauce recipe. I’m set, I will continue to eat at the satellite blvd location. I had been eating at the Chamblee El Torero the year after it opened.
I worked next door and had eaten there before, but when I saw them mopping the tables before they opened for business, I no longer supported them. My colleague even brought it up to them, and they still continued. I guess I'm indifferent on the closure.
Care to share? I will pay.
That's so sad. When I lived in Norcross and drove to work past Doraville, I would eat there frequently. Now that I'm up in Brasleton and work from home, I'm never around that part of town.
Rotel, lime juice, jalapenos
The same mop they used on the floor?
what does cleaning tables before opening mean to you
This shook me. Affordable food and the strongest margs I’ve ever had. Kind staff too. I ate there last November and wish they had told me.
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