The Bethesda Taco Wars have claimed their first victim. Mexicue has closed at 4733 Elm Street in downtown Bethesda, according to a sign in the window. Other signs warn locksmiths about any attempt to open the doors without authorization from the property owner, and of trespassing. This usually indicates that the business has been locked out of the space by the property owner for failure to pay rent, or for other actions that violate the lease agreement.
4733 Elm Street may not be vacant for long, as word on the street suggests more than one prospective tenant has already indicated an interest in the space. Mexicue arrived in the market just as Tacombi and Chaia Taco were also opening on the next block, where there was already a popular Fish Taco restaurant. Taco Fresco hadn't been open that long already on Highland Avenue at that point, and now we have La Catrina Bar & Lounge open, with Los Ricos debuting by this summer.
Mexicue lasting only six months gives you a new appreciation for the resiliance of Fish Taco and Gringos & Mariachis in downtown Bethesda. Not to mention other longtime local favorites like Guapo's, Uncle Julio's, Casa Oaxaca, California Tortilla, and Tia Queta. The Bethesda Taco Wars have just begun!
18 comments:
Mexicue was decent, but that space is cursed. Doesn’t help that street parking has been taken away on Woodmont for the unnecessary bike lanes.
These small businesses open with high expectations, just cannot compete with the existing restaurants. Consumers do not seem to be interested in new venues. Shame!
Mexicue may have been a new arrival, but the "venue," the space in which the business was located, has been there a while now.
It is a pity the business owners didn't calculate that tacos and guac for $7.50/per and $15 respectively are a pretty steep price for what is essentially "street food." At those prices and with so many other taco options available, who's going to go back for seconds if the product is anything less than superlative? Bethesda is teeming with people willing to give new places a try, but perhaps the cuisine and price point were a mismatch; too expensive for what was offered, be it quality or quantity.
The only "taco" place I miss is the one that used to be under where Tommy Joe's is now. That place was fantastic and the staff was great...and they honored CASH.
Too many (even one is too many) violent arned carjackings at that corner...
Nationwide, 60% of new restaurants fail within the first year, 80% fail within the first five years. A very tough business, especially in a compact downtown with about 200 existing restaurants.
Yeah, this was bound to happen and may continue. French cafes and taco joints abound in a really small area and few are very good. I had high hopes as well for Tacombi but I'm afraid that it's not only expensive for the concept but it's also not very good though hyped thus the initial high hopes. Went twice but won't be back. Just got back from Charleston. Want to know what an authentic Tex-Mex joint is supposed to look like? Rancho Lewis is maybe the best of its kind anywhere. Beyond belief good. Nothing we have is even close.
@4:51 That's news to me, can you give any details. I don't recall ever hearing of any reported on that corner.
Charleston, a great place for Tex-Mex! LMAO! Good one.
Just because a restaurant has a successful concept in New York City, does not mean it will be successful in Bethesda. The truth of the matter is that Bethesda has little to no street traffic in comparison to NYC, so these restaurants have a much smaller pool to serve. If the product does not stand on its own in combination with being outrageously priced, Bethesda will turn its back on them quickly.
7:34 - Not informed on Charleston. Let me enlighten. I'll grant you not a taco hotspot, but John Lewis, a Texas transplant, runs one of the better bbq places on the east coast. And wanted some other flavors of home, Tex-Mex. Rancho Lewis is better than anything we have and possibly even NYC. When you've waited in line for 45 minutes and tried it, report back. Bethesda joints pale in comparison.
When the multiplex Regal theater closed, many restaurants were impacted. Presumably this one included since that corner was much more active when the theater existed up the street.
Also, closing off Elm doesn't help. There is parking on street, only if you know where to look.
With Elm and the theater closed, it's a dead corner.
We went to the shops on that side of Bethesda yesterday. The block with Bethesda Ave, Bethesda Row was teeming. It has a nice selection of not run of the mill boutiques. The crowds rapidly dropped off a block away though. The restaurants by the Woman's farmers market never seem to do well either.
Learning
@7:33 AM: See here --> http://robertdyer.blogspot.com/2022/12/armed-carjacking-in-downtown-bethesda.html
@7:43 AM: That's a good point, but in this case, I think the restaurant concept and pricing is to blame for its failure. "The Salt Line" is going to be in a huge location half-a-block away across street up Woodmont, which is on the very northern edge of Bethesda Row (Where Kapnos used to be) and I have every belief that it will be successful based on how well its other regional locations do. (DC [Navy Yard], Ballston)
@7:43 AM - Now that's a streeeetch, linking the aga old closing of a theater to the failings of a single restaurant, or even multiple spots for that matter. You are really grouping for some excuse other than the poor management of this and other occupants at that, perhaps cursed, location.
l love one of the manager of mexicue Restaurant I forget her name but she was very nice lady god blessed her 🙏🏻 silvia
I love one mexicue manager her name I forget but It was very nice lady hopefully she is ok god blessed her 🙏🏻
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