60-Year Mexican Staple Barragan’s to Close in Glendale Next Week

Soon enough, there will be only one Barragan’s left in greater Los Angeles. The longstanding big plate Mexican restaurant micro-chain has enjoyed nearly 60 years of success with multiple locations across Echo Park, Glendale, and the Valley, but as of August 15, only one will survive.

In a note passed around to customers this week, the original Barragan family notes that the company’s 38-year-old Glendale location in Central Avenue is not long for this world, saying:

We are retiring our Glendale location after 38 wonderful years... We are grateful to the Glendale community and our longtime customers who have made this journey possible. Four generations of Barragan family and our dedicated staff look forward to seeing you in Burbank and we approach our 60th anniversary.

No official reason for the closure is given, though large, aging across the city have been falling at a rapid pace in recent years, spurred on by real estate redevelopment, changing tastes, and a glut of new competition. Barragan’s famous Echo Park location closed in 2013 for much the same reason, with the family selling the Sunset Boulevard property off to become the Lost Knight and, now, Adamae and attached bar Lowboy.

Barragan’s emerged in the 1960’s to become a prominent chain for casual Mexican and Mexican-American fare in greater Los Angeles, just a generation or two removed from the old so-called “Spanish cafes” that dotted the city, skirting racism and redlining to sell Mexican food to the growing Southland.

The Barragan’s closure notice also states that the company will attempt to relocate as many employees as possible to the Burbank location. The final day of service in Glendale will be August 15.

Barragan’s Glendale. 814 S. Central Ave, Glendale.

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