According to a post on the restaurant's Facebook page on Friday night, Tacos Atoyac in Central Phoenix has closed its doors indefinitely.
The restaurant, owned by Oaxacan Pablo Lopez and Chilean-born Dan Maldonado, opened in 2010 and has become known as one of the Valley's best places for excellent, affordable street-style Oaxacan food -- think, tacos, tamales, and a "heavenly mole."
See also: Havana Cafe in Phoenix to Close After More Than 25 Years
The post stated simply that "Tacos Atoyac will be closed indefinitely."
The restaurant provided no other information about why it has closed or if/when the owners plan to reopen. Chow Bella has reached out to the owners but has yet to hear back.
Maldonado and Lopez met while they were both working at Phoenix's Moon Valley Country Club, Maldonado as a sous chef and Lopez as a dishwasher. The two became friends when Lopez introduced Maldonado to his homestyle Oaxacan cooking and eventually became business partners when they opened Tacos Atoyac.
The restaurant is a favorite with Valley food lovers, who flock to the no-frills Mexican street-food joint for the juicy grilled lengua, luscious pork al pastor, and tlayuda -- a dish reminiscent of a Mexican pizza made with a dinner-plate-size crunchy tortilla covered with a bean spread.
This loss to the Valley food scene comes on the heels of the closure of decades-old Karsh's Bakery, which shut its doors for the final time on Wednesday, March 26. The restaurant had been in operation since the early 1960's and closed due to increased competition and lack of business. On Monday, March 31 Coronado Cafe in Phoenix will also close. That long-time Phoenix restaurant is being renovated by former-Kai chef Michael O'Dowd.
Stay tuned for more details as we get them. In the meantime, we'll have our fingers crossed that Tacos Atyotac will reopen -- and sooner rather than later.
