VISALIA
Iconic Visalia restaurant BT’s Buns and Torts closed its doors this week after 36 years serving customers.
The popular restaurant, known for its Mexican food, pebble ice and pink to-go taco salad containers, closed Aug. 17 after more than three decades on South Money Boulevard in Visalia.
Customers were greeted by a letter posted Monday morning at the restaurant letting them know it had shut its doors, according to news reports. It is unclear why the restaurant closed.
According to The Visalia Times Delta, in the letter, BT’s staff thanked customers for “allowing us to serve you for 36 unforgettable years. We will always cherish the memories and the people who made this journey so special.”
BT’s website said the restaurant was a “destination for authentic Mexican cuisine in Visalia,” brining the “rich traditions of Mexican cooking to the heart of California.”
People took to social media to share memories of local eatery.
“BT’s was a local favorite to many Visalians. Though BT’s is closed, I hope they truly understand the impact they had in the community and in people’s lives,“ wrote Angelina Mendez-Diaz Jones, a Visalia photographer, who shared a photo of a high school senior photo session that incorporated the restaurant street sign on the background. “BT’s may be no longer, but it will always be in this photo and in the memories of those who loved it.”
A Facebook post by the Visalia Stringer news site about the restaurant closure had thousands of likes and comments, with many people reminiscing about the food, or family or youth memories.
This story was originally published August 20, 2026 at 1:07 PM.
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María G. Ortiz-Briones
The Fresno Bee
María G. Ortiz-Briones is a reporter and photographer for McClatchy’s Vida en el Valle and the Fresno Bee. She covers issues that impact the Latino community in the Central Valley. She is a regular contributor to La Abeja, The Bee’s free weekly newsletter on Latino issues. | María G. Ortiz-Briones es reportera y fotógrafa de Vida en el Valle de McClatchy y el Fresno Bee. Ella cubre temas que impactan a la comunidad latina en el Valle Central. Es colaboradora habitual de La Abeja, el boletín semanal gratuito de The Bee sobre temas latinos.
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