Last week a reader tipped me off to some news that EMMY’S SPAGHETTI SHACK was going to be moving, and before I could figure out where to, some ABC license activity revealed all: EL ZOCALO. I know, our trusted late-night pupusa joint—yes, the one that makes it feel like forever until your pupusas arrive, but whatever, you’re drunk and hungry and those things are handmade and the service was never that great to begin with, but damn—is sadly leaving us. Sigh. Eater got more details on the change: El Zocalo has been open since current owner Victoria Reve’s mother opened it in 1965, but now Victoria is ready to retire (after serving how many drunk people?!) since she started running it in the ’70s.
The good news is that the space is going to a neighbor, Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack, which has been in the neighborhood for 13 years and is another female-owned business at that. Emily Kaplan is reportedly planning to move Emmy’s to the more spacious digs in November. With the move, hours will run later, there will be more wines, and more to-go options too. As far as the original location, it sounds like it will function as an annex until they determine what they want it to be. And this means I need to go tie one on soon and come in for a loroco con queso and a revuelta at 2:15am before El Zocalo sadly leaves us. We called to get an official date on the closing but unfortunately no one at the restaurant could confirm for us. 3230 Mission St. at Valencia, 415-282-2572.
The exterior of El Zocalo. Yelp photo by Ed U.
