via mattron's flickr
Even years and years ago, when Fat Baby was the newest offender to set up on the Lower East Side, there were still plenty of old school joints to balance out the new developments. But lately more and more of those establishments have been shuttering and moving out of the neighborhood: The Living Room, Motor City Bar, and Pink Pony are the latest casualties, and there's even a rumor about a change afoot at Lolita (though our sources tell us nothing has happened with that yet). Now the beloved El Sombrero—also called The Hat—is in danger.
Everyone's favorite place to pick up a to-go margarita has been in their Ludlow Street spot since 1984, but now Vanishing NY reports that it's "on its last legs." A waitress there told them:
"They are not closing yet! They are trying to stay open! The rent has been steadily going up and they have a lease for a few more years, but in 2012 we took a nose dive. We have been losing our regular customers steadily, due to them not being able to pay the rents on the LES and being forced out. It just keeps going down.
Most Mexican restaurants on the LES are very chic now with a smorgasbord of a million kinds of tequila and fancy appetizers. El Sombrero was famous for their frozen large pints of margaritas that packed a wallop. They are still $8. A big burrito with rice and beans, heavy with cheese is still $9. It was cheap...
The waitresses would dance with the customers at any given moment. Working class, artists, gang bangers, and their families mixed together. El Sombrero doesn't fit either one. It was a working class/poor neighborhood place. I think that's the sad fact, we don't fit in any more."
Guess it's time to check in on how the also beloved and nearby El Nuevo Amanecer is doing? If you're in their parts, we highly recommend the frozen marg, which is like, 90% grain alcohol.
