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Tacopolis is shuttering after less than a year. | Tacopolis\/Instagram<\/p>\n
Less than a year after opening Tacopolis<\/a>,one of San Antonio\u2019s most celebrated chefs is shifting gears. Alejandro Paredes, who skyrocketed to national acclaim with Carnitas Lonja, is retiring the concept at 1604 Fredericksburg Rd. in favor of a new Gulf mariscos eatery, El Fish Demon.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to be shutting down Tacopolis as a taqueria, and we\u2019re going to be opening a seafood restaurant here at the same spot,\u201d said Paredes in an Instagram Reel<\/a>.<\/p>\n The chef says that the recently spotty hours at Tacopolis were due to health problems, but that the taqueria was not \u201creally working.\u201d The main culprit was the price of meat, which was unsustainable with the low prices at the Deco District restaurant.<\/p>\n The closing was not a complete surprise. In January, Tacopolis held a “Make Rent” event<\/a> to help recoup profits lost by ICE patrols on the street and weather-related foot traffic drops.<\/p>\n Tacopolis opened in July 2025, serving tacos and quesadillas stuffed with pollo, chorizo, carne asada, birria, chuleta, or champi\u00f1\u00f3n. Before the debut, Paredes had largely been out of the public eye since December 2023, when he made the shocking decision<\/a> to close Carnitas Lonja and sibling restaurant Fish Lonja. Both were widely considered among San Antonio\u2019s best restaurants, earning accolades from the James Beard Foundation<\/a>, Esquire magazine<\/a>, Eater<\/a>, and the New York Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n Although Tacopolis did not receive as much national press, Texas Monthly<\/a> did call it \u201cdefinably our new favorite.\u201d CultureMap echoed that sentiment, naming it a contender for our annual Tastemaker Awards Best New Restaurant tournament<\/a>.<\/p>\n Paredes promised that El Fish Demon would open sometime in the week of April 27 after it printed new menus and gave the interior a new coat of paint. The menu has not been released in full, but he said it would include ceviche, aguachile, tostadas, and fish tacos.<\/p>\n