In a heartfelt message shared on social media, owner Maritza Briceño announced that El Zarape Mexican Eatery at 3038 Adams Avenue will close after its lease expires, bringing an end to what she described as "10 unforgettable years."
"After 10 unforgettable years, our lease is coming to an end and we will not be renewing it," Briceño wrote. "This chapter may be closing, but our gratitude will last forever."
The announcement thanks loyal customers, neighboring businesses and the surrounding community that supported the restaurant throughout its decade in business. Briceño also encouraged customers to continue visiting the original El Zarape location on Park Boulevard, although that restaurant is no longer operated by the founding family.
The closure represents another chapter in the gradual reshaping of the El Zarape brand, which has been part of San Diego's Mexican dining scene for nearly three decades.
Maritza Briceño opened the original El Zarape on Park Boulevard in University Heights in 1997, building a reputation for affordable Baja-style Mexican fare, oversized burritos and fish tacos that helped establish the restaurant as a neighborhood favorite long before San Diego's taco scene gained national attention. As the business grew, additional locations followed, including El Zarape Cantina at 3201 Adams Avenue in Normal Heights in 2009 and the North Park-area Mexican Eatery at 3038 Adams Avenue in 2016.
Over time, however, the three restaurants took separate paths. The original Park Boulevard location remains open today but is owned and operated by Jesus Fuentes Vasquez rather than the Briceño family. In mid-2024, El Zarape Cantina in Normal Heights was evicted from its longtime space after approximately 15 years in business, ending another chapter for the brand. The property has since been transformed into Bosforo Restaurant & Bar, a Turkish-Italian concept that opened earlier this year.
With the closure of the Adams Avenue Mexican Eatery, the Briceño family's direct involvement in brick-and-mortar El Zarape restaurants will effectively come to an end. Unlike 2024's eviction in Normal Heights, the North Park closure does not appear to stem from legal proceedings or financial distress. Instead, Briceño indicated the decision comes as the restaurant's lease reaches its conclusion and will simply not be renewed.
The announcement offers little indication about what comes next for the family. Rather than announcing a relocation or replacement restaurant, the message focuses on gratitude, thanking longtime patrons, first-day supporters and neighboring businesses including Avalon Tattoo, Cal Coast Bicycles, Carrillo's Auto, Cold Stone Creamery, Enigma, Fuzz Coffee, Little While and Salon VIP.
"We're so grateful to have been a part of this community," the message reads. "Please continue to support these amazing local businesses that make our neighborhood so special."
The departure adds to the growing list of longtime independent restaurants that have disappeared from Adams Avenue in recent years as rising operating costs, lease negotiations and changing neighborhood economics continue reshaping one of San Diego's most established commercial corridors. For many longtime customers, El Zarape represented a familiar neighborhood staple rather than a destination restaurant, serving generations of residents through changing ownership structures, neighborhood evolution and the post-pandemic restaurant landscape.
While the El Zarape name will continue through the Park Boulevard location, the closing of the Adams Avenue restaurant marks the end of the founding family's final restaurant bearing the name they introduced to San Diego nearly 30 years ago.
El Zarape Mexican Eatery will remain open at 3038 Adams Avenue until the expiration of its lease. The owners have not yet announced a final day of service. The original El Zarape at 4642 Park Boulevard remains open under separate ownership.
Originally published on July 14, 2026.
