Atlanta-based Mexican restaurant opening in Jax

[coredumped]

The land, which has two parcels, is being cleared to make way for a Cabana Grill restaurant at 10422 San Jose at the corner of Oak Bluff. A $575,000 building permit has been issued for the 3,482-square-foot restaurant with a drive-through, the Times-Union's Roger Bull reported in July. Another restaurant is planned for the site, but has not been confirmed, Bull said. In January, the City Council approved a land use and rezoning bill that would let two restaurants and a bank kiosk be built there.

Fiesta Restaurant Group is test marketing Cabana Grill, a new concept. Fiesta owns and franchises Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana. The Cabana Grill, a fast-casual Mexican restaurant, offers items such as tacos, quesadillas and tostadas, according to a website. The first one opened in the metropolitan Atlanta area and features fresh-made tortillas and a salsa/pepper bar.

http://jacksonville.com/reason/call-box/2014-08-22/story/call-box-say-hola-new-mexican-restaurant-planned-san-jose-and-oak

I'd like to see things like this happen more often - companies in Atlanta expanding to Jax before going nationwide

[spuwho]

Pollo Tropicale does well in Jacksonville so I am not surprised the franchise owner wants to test market another product in the area.

[InnerCityPressure]

If this even resembles the Taco Cabana franchise in Texas, then I'm all in.  The freshly prepared tortillas are great and the marinated flank steak fajitas are better at this fast food joint than anything I've found in Jax.  Granted, I like my Tex-Mex cheap and dirty...

[CityLife]

The land, which has two parcels, is being cleared to make way for a Cabana Grill restaurant at 10422 San Jose at the corner of Oak Bluff. A $575,000 building permit has been issued for the 3,482-square-foot restaurant with a drive-through, the Times-Union's Roger Bull reported in July. Another restaurant is planned for the site, but has not been confirmed, Bull said. In January, the City Council approved a land use and rezoning bill that would let two restaurants and a bank kiosk be built there.

Fiesta Restaurant Group is test marketing Cabana Grill, a new concept. Fiesta owns and franchises Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana. The Cabana Grill, a fast-casual Mexican restaurant, offers items such as tacos, quesadillas and tostadas, according to a website. The first one opened in the metropolitan Atlanta area and features fresh-made tortillas and a salsa/pepper bar.

http://jacksonville.com/reason/call-box/2014-08-22/story/call-box-say-hola-new-mexican-restaurant-planned-san-jose-and-oak

I'd like to see things like this happen more often - companies in Atlanta expanding to Jax before going nationwide

While not a chain, a well known Atlanta restaurateur is considering opening a new place in Jax....and this isn't the Brooklyn Station thing I mentioned in another thread.

[fsquid]

interesting and not much info about that franchise on the net.

[coredumped]

Looks like they're now open. I haven't gotten a chance to check them out but it sounds like I'm having mexican this weekend

[spuwho]

[I-10east]

Cabana Grill plans to add a second Jax restaurant at River City Marketplace.

Cabana Grill opened its first Jacksonville restaurant in Mandarin at 10422 San Jose Blvd.

Cabana Grill was created by San Antonio-based Taco Cabana, which has more than 170 company-owned and franchised restaurants in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Its parent company is Fiesta Restaurant Group Inc., which also operates the Pollo Tropical chain.

In addition to its Mexican cuisine, it also offers beers and margaritas.

Cabana Grill also plans a second restaurant in North Jacksonville at Parkway Shops at River City Marketplace.

Fiesta Restaurant Group Inc. said late last year it would test-market Cabana Grill, a new concept, and chose Jacksonville's Mandarin area as one of at least two test sites. The first opened in April in the Atlanta area.

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=544575

[Overstreet]

I'll have to give 'em a try. Since returning from Houston I'm sour on Mexican food in Jacksonville. It isn't good compared to what we got in Houston.  Of course there, cilantro, tomatios, queso-fresco, avocado and  several kinds of peppers are staples in most all cooking.  Here........not so much even at the Mexican food places. 

[copperfiend]

I have not been. But from what I have heard the service is good. The restaurant is clean. But the food is extremely bland.

[Overstreet]

Different..........clean, quick service, nice fresh salsa bar with fresh cilantro. I would prefer a little firmer tortia with perhaps a slight toast on the flat top. It should have a little tooth and not tear so easy, but it was OK after some adjustments.  Not spicy but you could add some. The cilantro and lime rice was not very cilantro or lime but a nice break from normal "mexican rice". This should have easily visible "green stuff" in the rice and didn't.  Not all Mexican food  is spicy. I'll have to go back to get a better feel for the place. It is a step above the typical cheap chips and bad salsa place normally found in Jacksonville.

[I-10east]

The San Jose Cabana Grill has shut down.

One of the two restaurants that opened after a long rezoning conflict in Mandarin has closed.
Cabana Grill on San Jose Boulevard shut down earlier this week. The restaurant opened a little more than a year ago as part of a new brand created by Fiesta Restaurant Group, the Texas-based owners of Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana.

Despite resistance from some homeowners in the area, two years of negotiations and at least one rejection by the city, the property at the corner of San Jose Boulevard and Oak Bluff Lane was rezoned in 2014 to allow two restaurants. Two buildings were built with Cabana Grill opening in December 2014 and Chick-fil-A opening in March 2015.

It was only the second Cabana Grill. The first opened suburban Atlanta in April 2014. But that closed last summer and has been converted to a Pollo Tropical.

There's already a Pollo Tropical a mile farther south on San Jose Boulevard, so Fiesta will not reopen the Cabana Grill building on San Jose and instead market it for subleasing.

As far as the Cabana Grill brand, Todd Coerver, COO, said the idea was to create a version of Taco Cabana outside of Texas, where those stores are located. The company has decided to focus on revitalizing Taco Cabana rather than continuing with Cabana Grill, he said.

http://jacksonville.com/business/2016-01-06/story/cabana-grill-shut-san-jose-boulevard

[coredumped]

I went twice, it was just OK. I don't understand how Pollo tropical stays in business though.

[Overstreet]

Most of my friends that went thought the food was too plain. Of course they also think Taco Bell is good.  I don't think they really knew how to season their own food with the salsa bar.