'Drink Us Dry:' Newly Opened Astoria Eatery Closes With A Bang

ASTORIA, QUEENS — Less than a year after it opened, a Mexican restaurant in Astoria is closing its doors.

Tacostoria opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant at 36-05 30 Avenue in Dec. 2020, after running a popular, frozen-drink-focused pop up the summer before.

The restaurant’s owner, Rocco, told Patch in a written statement that after 15 years of operating different restaurants out of the storefront he made the “difficult decision” to not renew his lease, effective later this month.

While Rocco did not respond to Patch's inquiries about what prompted him to decide to end the lease now, he did say that the saddest part of his choice is leaving Astoria, which he described as “without a doubt one of the best communities in NYC.”

“I have met so many wonderful Astorians over the years,” he wrote, noting that he especially loves how much people care about the neighborhood and its creative energy. “From performers to crafters to entrepreneurs, it truly is a destination of renaissance,” he wrote.

Tacostoria, which celebrated its grand opening with a free food and drink promo, is holding a similar kind of closing weekend, dubbed the “drink us dry” event. The two-day event takes place on Thursday Sept. 16 and Friday Sept. 17, after which the eatery will close.

The closing extravaganza includes unspecified deals on drinks, like classic margaritas, frozen margaritas, beer and shots, plus special deals and discounts on food, including 2 for 1 specials.

While the details of the “drink us dry” closing event remain vague, the restaurant does clearly suggest that customers consider making an online reservation.