In a sign of improving times for the local restaurant industry, the Tacolicious team is in expansion mode again, this time taking over the recently shuttered Village Rotisserie space at 4063 24th Street in Noe Valley.
Two and a half years ago, in the depths of the pandemic in November 2020, Tacolicious was one of the local institutions that found itself in pullback mode after years of expansion. The casual but upscale Mexican mini-chain shut down locations it had opened in San Jose and North Beach, the latter of which had been open for seven years at that point.
In addition to Tacolicious locations in the Marina (the original) and the Mission, the chain opened outposts in recent years in Palo Alto and in Southern California's Manhattan Beach — both of which survived the pandemic and remain open. But a small Market Street outpost devoted to tacos de guisado (with braised meat), called Tacolicious Chico, opened in the fall of 2019 and that was quietly closed down as well.
There was also a short-lived Mexican rotisserie concept from the team called MF Chicken, which was offered via delivery during the pandemic out of Tacolicious's kitchens, and that chicken may have found a new home via the Village Rotisserie space.
As Tablehopper reports this week, Tacolicious owners Joe Hargrave and Sara Deseran, who are longtime residents of Noe Valley, snapped up the Village Rotisserie spot with plans to open a new concept that doesn't yet have a name — but it sounds like it will be Mexican, and there will be tacos. Also on the menu, the well-loved Marina Girl Salad from Tacolicious, some rotisserie chicken, and a couple of tortas.
The 24th Street space has a large back patio for outdoor dining, but only a handful of indoor tables and counter spots. It's currently configured for a fast-casual, counter-service format, which isn't something the Tacolicious team has done before, so, hence the new concept — though it's not clear if a remodel may be in the works.
There are plans for weekend brunch at the new spot, and there will be beer and wine — but no margaritas for now.
Village Rotisserie debuted less than two years ago in the former Le Zinc space, and as Eater reported at the time, it was the project of Australian sibling restaurateurs Priscilla Dosiou and Thomas Glenwright — who also own Hotel San Francisco, the FiDi cocktail bar. The idea was for a modern neighborhood chicken shop like one finds in Sydney. The place closed in early April and Yelpers seemed to say there were some failures of execution, and service.
Per Tablehopper, the Tacolicious folks are aiming for a fall opening, with the name still to come.
Top image: Sam M./Yelp
