La Fiesta Patio Cafe — a Universal City spot specializing in health-conscious Tex-Mex — abruptly closed its doors Tuesday after previously announcing via social media that it planned to shut down in mid-June.
The family-owned business had been in operation since 1974, offering its vegetarian-friendly take on enchiladas, chalupas and more before meatless eating gained much of a foothold in the Alamo City.
The business announced its sudden closure in a Instagram Tuesday Instagram post, apologizing to customers for ceasing operation weeks before promised.
“As of today Tuesday, May 27th 2025, we are permanently closed,” the post read. “We have been saying for a while ‘mid-June’ and we apologize for the unexpected early closure. This is permanent.”
A subsequent post was captioned “We had a beautiful run but now it is over. Thank you. Take care of yourselves and each other.” Loyal customers expressed shock and dismay in the comments of the posts. Many thanked the restaurant for the memories, while others begged for its famous chili-sauce recipe. Others stated that they’d dined at the location for more than 30 years — since they were children — and had continued the tradition with their own kids. “This is a sad day,” one person wrote. “I have so many wonderful memories of eating at that location as a kid, when you first moved there, all the way to the past few years bringing my own kids there.”
The restaurant, located at 1421 Pat Booker Rd, bills itself as “Tex-Mex at its healthiest,” eschewing traditional lard-based cooking for peanut oil and leaning into fresh ingredients, whole grains and legumes already abundant in the cuisine. The menu also offered tofu and alfalfa sprouts as healthy alternatives. Potentially leaving room for hope, La Fiesta’s owners stated in the Instagram post: “If and when there is any news of future location we’ll keep you posted.”
Its website also states, “We are moving — as soon as we find a new location.”
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This article appears in May 14-27, 2025.
