After 56 years, the Red Lobster seafood restaurant chain’s oldest continuously-operating location closed for good following years of financial storms.
Days after the seafood restaurant served its final customers on May 24, a representative with El Jalisco confirmed that the Mexican restaurant will relocate from its current location at 2022 N Monroe St. to the former Red Lobster building at 2583 N Monroe St.
The new operation will open in fall 2026. Representatives also said the current El Jalisco building will be demolished after the relocation is complete. Records online show that demolition permits have not yet been filed for that property.
The restaurant’s relocation comes as foundational work continues on the neighboring Tallahassee Police Department’s new headquarters, set to anchor the corners of Tharpe Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
In 2019, the city acquired the Northwood Center — Tallahassee’s first indoor mall and home of the city’s first Publix supermarket — as well as a 30-acre lot in a public auction for $6.8 million after it sat nearly idle for years.
A city spokesperson said at the time that the now demolished Hooters and nearby El Jalisco had multi-year, individual leases and were not within the development footprint of the coming police station.
El Jalisco’s success
This family operation is known for offering authentic Mexican cuisine including quesadillas, fajitas, burritos, enchiladas and more to pair with its specialty cocktails.
El Jalisco, recognized as winners of “Best Mexican Restaurant” in Tallahassee for the last 15 years in a row operates five locations on: 2915 Kerry Forest Parkway, 2065 W Pensacola St., 3197 Merchants Row Boulevard and 719 Apalachee Parkway.
“Despite the multitudes of success that we have been able to achieve as a company in the past, we are far from done in terms of expansion,” the company site said. “We shall continue to carry on the same traditions of devotion towards this restaurant that the family expressed since day one.”
This article includes previously reported information.
Kyla A Sanford covers dining and entertainment for the Tallahassee Democrat. New restaurant opening up, special deals, or events coming up? Let me know at ksanford@tallahassee.com. You can also email your suggestions for a future TLH Eats restaurant profile.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee’s historic Red Lobster gets El Jalisco as new tenant
Reporting by Kyla A Sanford, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kyla A Sanford, Tallahassee Democrat | USA TODAY Network
