Mexican restaurant Don Pisto’s says goodbye to North Beach. The 14-year-old restaurant will close permanently on June 23, they announced on Instagram, Tablehopper first discovered.
But that’s not the end of Don Pisto’s — in 16 months, the restaurant will reopen in Baja California.
“We want to thank all of our loyal guests, amazing neighbors and friends we’ve made along the way,” Don Pisto’s Instagram post read. “We would like to say a special thank you to all of our amazing employees and friends in the North Beach restaurant industry for their support. It’s been a great 14 years and we hope to see you all at our new location in Baja.”
SFGATE was unable to reach Don Pisto’s owner, Pete Mrabe, for comment in time for publication.
Don Pisto’s opened in 2010 and turned heads with its guacamole-topped hamburguesa and bottomless brunch. In 2018, former San Francisco Chronicle food critic Michael Bauer praised Don Pisto’s for its unique take on Mexican dishes, specifically a 2-pound lobster cooked in pork fat and served with tortillas, beans, and rice.
“I don’t know of any other Mexican restaurant that offers a hamburger, but then again, I don’t know of any other Mexican restaurant like Don Pisto’s in North Beach,” Bauer wrote.
Mrabe also owns Asian fusion spot Chubby Noodle with locations in North Beach and Cabo San Lucas. When Chubby Noodle moved from the marina to its current North Beach location in 2019, Mrabe was met with displeasure from investors. They claimed they were pushed out of the resettlement, Eater reported at the time. That same year, a former colleague filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Mrabe and Chubby Noodle, but it was eventually settled.
