This morning I bring you good news from Oak Cliff. The former red-roofed taqueria at the corner of Bishop Avenue and Davis Street—once home to El Padrino until last winter—won’t be bulldozed like we expected. Previously, observers speculated the taco shop would disappear after the Lombardi group withdrew its interest in the site. In May, we found out that Sarah Lombardi decided not to go forward with her plans to open a frozen custard and hot dog place with the land she leased.
Instead, the stand could be serving takeout within a couple of months, said Monte Anderson of Options Real Estate. Just this weekend, Tony Alvarez—a partner at Hattie’s just around the corner—signed a lease to occupy the food stand and the adjacent Oak Cliff Mercantile building, Anderson said.
Alvarez and Anderson plan to parcel the Mercantile into three spaces. One will house an “artistic” concept by Alvarez that doesn’t involve dining. Plans for the other two spaces are still in the works.
The food stand will be “renovated and fixed up, just like Tony did at Hattie’s,” says Anderson. But it’s certainly not coming down. “You don’t see me involved with things that are torn down,” Anderson stated. His projects in Oak Cliff include restoring Texas Theatre, the Belmont, and the historical firehouse that now houses Gloria’s.
