The name and location are changing but the blue cheese butter remains.
Lafayette’s beloved El Charro, which closed last December after 73 years, is moving into the space currently housing Maria Maria in Walnut Creek. According to Diablo Dish, El Charro will be part of a revamped Maria Maria at 1470 N. Broadway.
Dubbed The Original El Charro 1947, the restaurant will serve the large portions of enchiladas, tacos and burritos that El Charro devotees have come to count on over the years, alongside some of Maria Maria’s more elevated offerings. Look for an opening by year’s end.
Longtime El Charro owners Laura and Dave Shields made the announcement that they were closing the restaurant on Facebook late last year. Within hours, messages began pouring in, sharing stories of Lamorinda families who spent their birthdays and anniversaries there.
In December, Laura Shields told The Mercury News that financial losses from the pandemic closure of indoor and outdoor dining was the main reason for shuttering the restaurant. They used up the first round of their PPP loan and applied for the second round, but with the potential sale of the property looming at the time, they didn’t see a way forward, Laura said.
An email to El Charro’s owner was not immediately returned. Stay tuned for details.
Source: www.mercurynews.com