Fire forces Bubba Chinos on 38th to close indefinitely

Outposts of Bubbachinos -- the burrito-and-green-chile chain owned by Leonard Cordova, a grandson of the original Chubby's owner, Stella Cordova -- have expanded so quickly in this town over the last few years, we can barely keep up...

By Laura Shunk

March 6, 2012

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Outposts of Bubbachinos -- the burrito-and-green-chile chain owned by Leonard Cordova, a grandson of the original Chubby's owner, Stella Cordova -- have expanded so quickly in this town over the last few years, we can barely keep up.

But the prolific chain is down one: The location on 38th Avenue and Stuart opened just over a year ago, but when we stopped by today, the place was dark, and signs were posted warning would-be patrons that the restaurant is closed until further notice due to a fire.

While the structure appears to be very much intact, there's visible smoke damage, particularly above the back door:

The spot has been boarded up, and there's no evidence of renovation going on inside the building -- meaning that "until further notice" could be a very long time.

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Laura Shunk was Westword's restaurant critic from 2010 to 2012; she's also been food editor at the Village Voice and a dining columnist in Beijing. Her toughest assignment had her drinking ten martinis and eating ten Caesar salads over the course of 48 hours. She still drinks martinis, but remains lukewarm on Caesar salads.

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