Hampden’s favorite taco spot is (mostly) officially back.
Holy Frijoles reopened its bar section on Wednesday evening to a crowd of happy customers. Almost exactly one year before, an electrical fire set the building ablaze, leaving one of Hampden’s longest-running restaurants shuttered for the next 12 months.
Owner Geoffrey Danek told Baltimore magazine this summer that Holy Frijoles would reopen in August, and he made good on that prediction. Former customers have eagerly awaited the day, ready to see the renovated space’s expanded kitchen and dining area, which have been flip-flopped in the new layout.
Management wrote on Facebook on Wednesday that they’d be reopening the bar that night, and would start serving tacos once again with a limited menu on Friday evening. However, they’ve run into some problems with the new computer system, which has prevented them from having the kitchen fully up and running, manager Patrick Kelly said on a phone call Thursday.
“Our plan is to be open” by the weekend, Kelly said, adding that the bar and restaurant should be able to resume day and nighttime operations by Monday, tentatively.
Customers will be pleased about the redesigned interior, he said. Holy Frijoles has kept many of its old fixtures, such as classic pinball machines and artwork, while making some major additions.
“It’s beautiful…the aesthetic is great inside,” Kelly said. “Expect a lot of the same, and a lot different.”
