Placing its al fresco patrons directly on one of the Strand’s busiest corners, popular Galveston restaurant Riondo’s may have served its last three-layer lasagna Bolognese or limoncello cheesecake.
Acclaimed for its carefully prepared Northern Italian cuisine and bustling happy hours, Riondo’s announced on social media last week it would temporarily close while “restructuring.” But instead of reopening in a few days, as many of its loyal customers assumed, on Saturday morning an admin of the Galveston Eats Facebook group posted a photo of a lockout notice asserting the restaurant owed more than $19,000 in rent. By 6 p.m. Monday, an hour or so after Chron called the phone number listed on the lockout notice—no one picked up—even that piece of paper had disappeared.
Instead of a menu, Riondo’s website now displays a message stating that the restaurant is “closed indefinitely” and thanking its patrons, promising, “we will forever cherish the memories.” Its Facebook page also now lists its hours as “Permanently Closed.”
Riondo’s opened in 2014 in the Hutchings-Sealy Building, one of the island’s most historic structures, by chef Edgardo “Rico” Caminos and business partner Don McLaugherty. Curiously, the building is one of several historic downtown properties acquired in the past few years by Caminos’ son, local attorney and investor Facundo Caminos. Another is the Thomas Jefferson League building a block or so away, whose tenants include the long-anticipated El Tiempo set to open next month.
Although some Riondo’s customers greeted its sudden closure by complaining about the difficult parking conditions around the Strand, others vowed it was worth driving down from the mainland for and expressed shock at the news because “it’s always crowded when we go,” as one Dickinson resident wrote.
“A magical classic place,” mourned another fan.
Dining and Cooking