Mexican restaurant the Painted Burro is expanding again, and it’s taking over some prime real estate. After over three decades in Harvard Square, affordable Tex-Mex staple Border Cafe announced its closure in 2021; it had been temporarily closed since a 2019 fire, but the pandemic turned the closure permanent. Now, the spacious Church Street address will be home to a new location of the Painted Burro, whose original location opened in Somerville’s Davis Square nearly a decade ago. There are also Painted Burros in Bedford and Waltham, plus offshoots called Burro Bar in Brookline and Boston’s South End.
The new Painted Burro could open in spring 2022. The other locations serve tacos, tortas, enchiladas, and lots more, and they feature lengthy tequila and mezcal lists. (Meanwhile, Border Cafe remains in operation in Saugus and Bedford, and there are several locations in New Jersey and Delaware, too, but the now-defunct Harvard Square location was the original.)