Bakersfield Tacos, a project three years in the making, appears by all outward appearances to be permanently closed. The Ohio City taco and tequila concept, which launched in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood in 2012, opened on W. 25th (a block south of Lorain) in 2017.

While attempts to contact the owner have been unsuccessful, the restaurant has been largely cleared out, the location is no longer on the corporate website (which still lists info for Indianapolis, Columbus, Charlotte, Nashville and Pittsburgh), and interested future tenants have been sniffing around the premises.

Current odds on the next restaurant being a taco-themed eatery currently stand at 60-40 in favor. 

This article appears in Sep 2-8, 2020.

For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.