Bartaco is coming to Brookline.
The small national restaurant chain, owned by the same company as Barcelona Wine Bar, is planning to open a location at 1634 Beacon Street, in the heart of Washington Square.
The address is the former site of the Fireplace Restaurant and the short-lived seafood restaurant Porto Maltese, which shut down in 2018 after less than a year of operation.
There are currently 27 bartaco locations around the country, including one in Boston’s Seaport.
“Inspired by a healthy, outdoor lifestyle, bartaco combines fresh, upscale street food with a coastal vibe in a relaxed environment,” the company says on its website. “Bartaco is specialty cocktails crafted with fresh-squeezed juices, beer out of a bottle, and hand-held foods delivered on metal trays.”
The Brookline Select Board approved liquor, food and entertainment licenses for the new 116-seat restaurant last year, authorizing it to serve food and drinks and play music during its operating hours of 11 a.m. – 2 a.m.
The company has not yet announced an opening date, and did not respond to a Brookline.News request for comment, but work is underway inside the building and bartaco has started hiring staff for its Brookline restaurant.
The Seaport location earned praise from the Boston Globe in 2019, which credited it with “absolutely succulent taco trios and the cheeriest service a customer could hope to encounter.”