FORT WORTH
California-based Rio Mambo Tex Mex y Más remained open in Fort Worth on Tuesday, but three suburban locations closed as the 2-year-old restaurant chain continued to shrink.
Rio Mambo locations in Burleson, Colleyville and Weatherford have closed, according to a worker at the Fort Worth location at 6125 SW Loop 820 in Cityview Centre.
Rio Mambo’s parent company, Xperience Restaurant Group, has also closed The Rim Scratch Craft Eats restaurant in Fort Worth.
Rio Mambo, founded by local restaurateur Brent Johnson, opened on the fateful day of Sept. 11, 2001, at 6125 SW Loop 820. That location remained open Tuesday.
The company grew to multiple locations before it was bought in 2023 by Xperience, owner of the 75-year-old El Torito national chain.
Rio Mambo has operated several restaurants including this past location in Arlington. Srar-Telegram archives
The closings come on the heels of other corporate chain Tex-Mex restaurants closing, including the Dallas-founded On the Border chain, several locations of Fort Worth-founded Fuzzy’s Taco Shop and more than half the locations of Amarillo-founded Abuelo’s Mexican Restaurant.
The original Pappasito’s Cantina location on Richmond Street in Houston will close Sept. 13.
Local Tex-Mex restaurants closing include the North Main Street location of La Playa Maya in Fort Worth, to become a Panther City BBQ; the Hurst location of Pulido’s Kitchen & Cantina, which had been remodeled and reopened just last year along with two other Pulido’s.
The Rim, which promoted “food with soul,” closed July 26 in the Waterside shops in Fort Worth.
Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Bud Kennedy is celebrating his 40th year writing about restaurants in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He has written the “Eats Beat” dining column in print since 1985 and online since 1992 — that’s more than 3,000 columns about Texas cafes, barbecue, burgers and where to eat.
Support my work with a digital subscription