Taco 'bout sad news

South Austin loses a little more 'weird' as longtime Tex-Mex restaurant announces closure

Maria's Taco Xpress is the latest beloved South Austin business to close.

After three years in limbo, the fate of Maria's Taco Xpress has been revealed. The iconic South Austin Tex-Mex eatery has been sold to a local investment firm for an undisclosed sum. Maria Corbalan, the restaurant's owner and namesake, said in a release that her staff will continue serving customers through the end of the year.

“When I came to Austin from Argentina as a young girl, I fell in love with this city and its people. My restaurant has allowed me to touch so many lives over the years and for that I am incredibly grateful,” said Corbalan.

Corbalan has owned the restaurant since 1997, when it first started as a food trailer. In 2006, the brick-and-mortar opened on a 1.1-acre plot of prime South Austin real estate.

In addition to serving her expansive menu of tacos, enchiladas, and famous migas plates, Corbalan said she will be handing over the Maria's Taco Xpress name to her employees so the brand might continue on.

“I will continue to serve everyone until the end of the year and then I am giving the business name, equipment and a trailer to my employees of 20 years," she said. "They have been amazing, especially during these recent hard times, and I hope they can bring the same delicious tacos to Austin for many years to come. The best gift the community can give me is supporting my employees on their new endeavor.”

As for the future of 2529 S. Lamar Blvd. (and the larger-than-life statue of Corbalan on the premises), that remains unknown. CBRE, the LA-based commercial real estate firm that represented Corbalan in the sale, said the property is officially under contact, with the deal expected to be finalized in November.

The new owners are unknown, though a release notes that they are based locally. Real estate advisory firm Weitzman Group is working with the new owners on securing a tenant.

Maria's Taco Xpress is yet another long-running South Austin business to close in recent weeks. Bead It, the quirky South Lamar craft shop, closed on September 27 after nearly two decades on the South Lamar strip.

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Taco News

Popular Austin taco truck Con Todo wraps up business after 3 years

contodotacos.com

Con Todo is closed, but Chef Joseph Gomez is looking forward to the future.

A very popular Austin taco trailer at Celis Brewery has suddenly shut its ordering window. Con Todo chef Joseph Gomez made the announcement on his Instagram account, which was previously the business' account.

As Gomez points out in the message, the account predated Con Todo and will survive it, too, under his own name. It's a clear handle for what the chef plans to do: continue his career and the things Con Todo stood for, but not under the Con Todo name or project.

"Sorry for delay on posting but, after much thought, I’ve made the difficult decision to close the doors to Con Todo 😢. This is one of the hardest choices I’ve ever had to make," Gomez wrote. "Con Todo wasn’t just a business — it was my livelihood, my passion, so deeply personal to me. For those of you who know me, you understand how much heart, soul, time, effort I put into it."

Gomez lists several identities and callings he plans to continue expanding: among them, advocacy, cooking, writing, and being "a proud ADHD weirdo."

"My commitment to supporting migrant workers’ rights remains is as strong as ever, and I’ll continue that work through new projects, as I always have," he writes. "You’ve heard me talk about this mission before, and this year is going to be especially important to take a deep dive into it and explore what’s happening on the border towns where I am from. I won’t be quiet about it."

Gomez and Con Todo have garnered acclaim from food industry and media sources including the James Beard Foundation, Texas Monthly, and CultureMap's own Tastemaker Awards; however the chef doesn't seem too concerned with formal praise from the Michelin Guide as he signs off with the snarky Spanish "#michelinmisnalgas." (He had already been using the hashtag for years prior to winning a recommendation from Michelin in November 2024, and the team did attend the ceremony.)

According to Con Todo's website manifesto, cuisine at Con Todo was both deeply personal to Gomez and representative of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), so it seems likely that Austinites will get to enjoy eats in the same style from Gomez going forward.

"In the mean time, keep an eye out for me doing pop ups, events, talks, panels and a little pot stirring," Gomez writes. "Nos vemos pronto!"

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