Mexican Barbecue Restaurant Closes Quickly on South First

N’Esperado, the relatively recent barbecue restaurant from the team behind Indian-Tex-Mex restaurant Nasha, is now closed. An Eater tipster noticed “for lease” signs in the windows of the 1816 South First Street restaurant. It appears to have closed sometime this week.

The South First address’ rent seems to have been the issue behind N’esperado’s shuttering. Co-owner and co-founder Mahesh Shinde is looking to relocate the restaurant, as he told Eater: “We are looking for the right place with affordable rent.”

The menu features a mix of barbecue and Tex-Mex dishes, like quesadillas, queso, eggplant sandwiches, enchiladas, and tacos, and entrees like carne guisada and carne asada. There was even barbacoa beef, pork ribs, and chicken.

Before N’esperado moved in back in late August, the space was home to Mexican seafood restaurant Alcomar from the El Chile Group, which closed after nearly three years because of a “proposed rent increase.”

The Shindes (Mahesh and Anusuih) opened Nasha on East 7th Street in fall 2014. They also ran South Congress Indian restaurant New India, but that closed over the summer.

• All Coverage of N’Esperado [EATX]