Courtesy of Mi Barrio
Known for its potent margaritas, flavorful tacos, and little red building on Memorial Drive, Mi Barrio served as a fixture of Grant Park for more than 20 years. It shuttered in late 2024 after owners Jesus and Martha Lopez announced their intention to retire.
Now, Mi Barrio is back. A few months ago, Grant Park Market owner Greg Hutchins invited the Lopez family to pop up on Sunday and Monday evenings. They’ve been serving an abbreviated menu of Mi Barrio favorites there ever since.
“People wanted us to still be in the neighborhood,” says Maggie Lopez, daughter of Jesus and Martha. “My parents have been doing this for almost 30 years, and to just stop was hard. The opportunity came and we took it.”
“We try to serve a little bit of everything that we used to serve in our old restaurant, so we have about 10 items at a time, and it changes daily,” she continues.
Courtesy of Mi Barrio
Offerings may include chicken mole, chile rellenos, chicken tortilla soup, queso, chips, and salsa. Select items are prepped in advance at a ghost kitchen in East Atlanta, while all meat is cooked to order. There’s a full bar, too.
Maggie’s sister Elise Aguilar says Mi Barrio plans to pop up at the Market on “Taco Tuesdays” starting this summer, too. (Check Grant Park Market and Mi Barrio’s social media pages for timing and details.)
The return to Grant Park Market is the latest chapter in a much longer story—one that began decades before Mi Barrio ever had a permanent address. Mexican native Martha Lopez started selling tamales at construction sites more than a quarter-century ago and opened the brick-and-mortar in 2003. According to Maggie, by 2020, the building was falling apart.
“We didn’t forget about our customers. We still love them and hope to see them soon,” she says.
