Dish-Houston

Yet another closing announcement hit the email inbox of Houston area publishers today. River Oaks beloved Taco Milagro is officially closing it's doors. The last day of business will be Sunday, May 26, 2013. 

The blue diner style letters and huge patio have been a staple of the inner loop casual restaurant scene at Kirby Drive & Westheimer Road for over 15 years. 

It is sad that there is a list of closings as of late, just this year alone we've lost the original Cafe Adobe location at Westheimer and Shepherd, Marfreless in the River Oaks Shopping Center, Blanco's near Richmond and now Taco Milagro. Thankfully Cafe Adobe has other locations so we can still participate in it's kitschy decor and over the top frozen margarita and it looks like, according to Candice Schiller, one of the partners with Schiller Del Grande Restaurant Group, which owns and operats Taco Milagro, it will have another life somewhere else.

“A lot has happened to Kirby in the past decade,” said Schiller . “It has become a street of upscale restaurants; most of them well financed multi-unit groups. Our little counter service taco shop can’t pay those kinds of rents. We are however – looking for a new version of Taco Milagro somewhere a bit further out.” 

What it boils down to is greed. People are developing Houston right out of Houston. A city is not interesting unless it has it's little spots where the locals hang out. With 4 of those gone this year alone we are quickly losing our personality as a sleepy little town, which true Houstonian are and prefer to be. It is really ok to push out the Mom and Pops by using high rent as the weapon just for a dollar now? Are Houston's inhabitants really that sheepish that they will go to whatever is in front of them? Kenneally's has it right, owner John Flower's owns the property and can't be pushed out by high rents. He understands Houston needs it's sleepy little places where the locals love to go.

Gustavo Torres, who has run Taco Milagro for 8 of those 15 years said,

“I’d like to personally invite all of the many customers I’ve come to know over the years to stop by for a final margarita on the patio. I’ll be here till the end, and thanks.”

Thanks, Gustavo. We'll see you there. 

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