Mexican Icon La Serenata de Garibaldi Shutters in Boyle Heights

Tough news for Boyle Heights today, as the long-running La Serenata de Garibaldi has officially closed its doors. Stopping by yesterday afternoon, the beloved 1st Street restaurant was all buttoned up, and repeated phone calls over the weekend don’t lead anywhere.

Rumors of the impending closure of La Serenata have been swirling for months, but only this past week did they officially call it quits. Word on the street is that the property has been bought up by a consortium of restaurant tycoons looking to jump into the address, but nothing is confirmed on that front yet. The move would certainly make some amount of sense though, given the recent real estate boom in Boyle Heights.

The 32-year-old restaurant had previously been a mainstay for the neighborhood, helping to anchor that part of town with big weekend family meals and lots of margaritas. The LA Times even reviewed the place back in 2010, calling it a nostalgic pick for its local ties and long-running menu of seafood favorites. La Serenata’s sister location in West LA remains open.