According to manager Dave Davis, El Tepehuan is closed today to address issues with the sewer line. The restaurant will reopen tomorrow (October 20) for takeout orders only. Davis says a new opening date for the dining room will be announced after this (and other problems that came up during the soft opening) has been resolved. Here's our original post from October 16:
Nearly two years ago, El Tepehuan lost the lease that it's had since 1978 on its home at 3457 South Broadway in Englewood. Even then, plans were in the works to move the restaurant just down the street, to 3495 South Broadway. But the seasons came and went and there was little sign of progress at the new location; a temporary banner flapped in the wind and the window remained papered over. But recently a colorful new exterior paint job and signs appeared, and just like that, the neighborhood favorite was back open. El Tepehuan opened today (Monday, October 16) with a full house for lunch.
In November 2015, J. Miguel Corral (son of original owner Graciela Corral) launched a food truck called El Tep to serve burritos and other street food in front of the Brew on Broadway while construction continued at the restaurant's new home. But soon the truck vanished, and things didn't look promising that El Tepehuan would ever reopen.
The new dining room is bigger than that of the original El Tepehuan just up the street.
Mark Antonation
Dave Davis, Graciela Corral's husband, adds that El Tepehuan's original menu has been implemented and that many of his wife's recipes that were dropped before the restaurant closed two years ago have been reinstated. The original chef is back in the kitchen too, and Davis notes that they're in the market for a couple of line cooks to join the team.
Opening day was a busy one for the restaurant, and Davis says it was unfortunate that many customers had long waits for food. But he also says it's great to see so many people show up. "There's some real meaning there and it showed our customer's commitment to El Tepehuan."
Join Englewood in welcoming back a neighborhood gem: El Tepehuan is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Wesdneday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. A new website with the full El Tepehuan name and menu is also in the works.
