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Acapulco Restaurant, a 66-year-old Mexican icon, is shutting down 38 locations. After more than six decades of serving margaritas and coastal cuisine, the beloved chain is disappearing from communities across Southern California. Just one outpost remains standing in Long Beach, fighting to survive a dramatic collapse.
🔥 Quick Facts
- Chain Age: Founded in 1960 in Pasadena, California, spanning 66 years of family dining
- Locations Closing: 38 locations closing total, including Glendale, Downey, and Costa Mesa
- Long Beach Survivor: Only location at 6270 Pacific Coast Highway remains operational and operating
- Parent Company: Owned and operated by Xperience Restaurant Group (XRG) headquartered in Cypress, California
From 66 Years of Glory to Sudden Collapse
Acapulco Restaurant and Cantina first opened in 1960 in Pasadena. The original location established the foundation for what would become a beloved Southern California institution. Multi-generational families celebrated births, anniversaries, and special moments in these festive cantinas filled with mariachi spirit and fresh-caught seafood. The brand expanded across decades, reaching peak presence with dozens of thriving locations throughout Los Angeles, Orange County, and surrounding regions.
Today, that legacy crumbles. Locations in Costa Mesa closed after 43 years, Downey shuttered after 23+ years, and Glendale closes after 57 years of service to its neighborhood. Each closure represents not just a restaurant closing, but entire communities losing gathering spaces they visited weekly.
Acapulco restaurant closing 38 locations, 1 survives in Long Beach
ChatGPT services operating normally, no outages reported May 13
The Glendale Location’s Dramatic Final Chapter
The Glendale Acapulco, located at 722 N. Pacific Avenue, closed on May 10, 2026 after serving the same community for 57 consecutive years. What makes this closure particularly poignant is its fate. The building has been approved for demolition to make way for a two-story self-service car wash, replacing nostalgia with convenience.
Staff members at the Glendale location reported that despite recent optimism about staying open, orders came down abruptly to shut operations. The location’s last days saw patrons arriving to say goodbye, ordering favorite tableside guacamole one final time and taking photos in the festive dining room.
Long Beach: The Surprising Survivor
At 6270 Pacific Coast Highway in Marina Pacifica, Long Beach’s Acapulco Restaurant and Cantina remains operational as the last standing location from a once-sprawling empire. This waterfront gem offers diners margaritas with sweeping marina views, fresh Mexican coastal cuisine, and the famous Sunday brunch buffet. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., the Long Beach outpost welcomes guests seeking the full Acapulco experience before it disappears permanently.
| Location Detail | Information |
| Address | 6270 Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach, CA 90803 |
| Hours | 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM Daily |
| Status | Sole Remaining Location – Still Operating |
| Price Range | $20 – $50 per person |
| Special Feature | Marina views, Sunday brunch buffet |
Reservations are available through OpenTable and the official website. Diners should call (562) 596-3371 to confirm hours or for immediate seating availability during peak dinner hours, especially on weekends.
“After more than 23 wonderful years serving happy guests, our last day of service will be soon.”
— Acapulco Staff, Final Closing Announcement
Understanding the Chain’s Financial Struggles
Xperience Restaurant Group, which owns the Acapulco brand, faced mounting pressure from changing dining habits and rising operational costs. The parent company previously filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018 while operating under the Real Mex restaurants umbrella. This earlier restructuring should have positioned the chain for recovery, but market dynamics continued shifting away from traditional sit-down Mexican cantinas toward fast-casual and delivery-focused concepts.
The restaurant industry’s post-pandemic challenges, combined with labor cost increases and real estate pressures in California, created impossible economics for multiple locations. Individual restaurants in prime real estate markets, like Glendale, simply became more valuable as land than as operating restaurants.
Is This the End of an Iconic California Tradition?
With only one confirmed location remaining in Long Beach, will Acapulco Restaurant and Cantina finally disappear from California’s restaurant landscape? The future remains uncertain. Though the chain has survived previous closures and restructuring since 1960, the rapid collapse of nearly all 40 locations suggests a complete wind-down rather than strategic consolidation. Diners who treasure Tuesday night family dinners, festive weekend celebrations, and fresh seafood beneath warm cantina lighting should visit the Long Beach survivor soon, before this chapter closes forever.
