South Austin Institution Maria's Taco Xpress Isn’t Shuttering Just Yet

The giant welcoming female figure at the front of Maria's Taco Xpress will soon wave goodbye to South Austin: the funky taco restaurant is closing, as reported by Austin 360. Its potential last day will be on Saturday, April 1, with a party, of course.

Update, March 28: Maria’s Taco Xpress isn’t closing just yet. A notice posted in front of the restaurant vaguely states that it might happen within the next two months.

The titular Maria Corbalan said that sales haven't been that great recently and high property taxes forced her to sell the South Lamar address to an unknown person or persons. The copyright of the name Maria's Taco Xpress will remain under her care, so that her staffers could potentially extend the life of the restaurant somewhere else. She told Austin 360:

I’m not selling the name because perhaps my employees will be able to continue the business. That would be my gift to them [...] I could not have done this without my guys. I keep a tight relationship with all of my guys, and I am really going to miss them.

Maria's opened as a taco trailer over 20 years ago, but had to leave its original location for the then-new Walgreen's. It remained nearby, relocating next door and grew into a full restaurant and cocktail spot.

This marks yet more change for South Austin, with the recent shutters of longtime restaurants like El Gallo and La Feria (which relocated to Jollyville), as well as other closures, like Snack Bar, Opal’s Divine Penn Field, Doc’s Motorworks Bar & Grill on South Congress, and Olivia (which was turned into another Lucy’s Fried Chicken).

• Maria’s Taco Xpress on South Lamar is closing [Austin 360]
• All Coverage of Maria’s Taco Xpress [EATX]