Huntington's Faz's Tex-Mex Grill to close
A chicken burrito at Faz's Tex-Mex Grill in Huntington. Credit: Newsday/Melissa Azofeifa
A Huntington eatery that has been in town for decades, Faz’s Tex-Mex Grill, is closing on Nov. 17.
"It’s heartbreaking," co-owner Shawn Zad said, citing high rent and rising costs to run the business since the pandemic. "After four years battling and doing the best we can, spending money to pay the expenses, even the grocery prices [went up] and inflation is so high."
Zad owns the eatery with his brother, Faz Esmizadeh, who opened the Tex-Mex fusion eatery in Huntington in 1992. Esmizadeh is a "genius" when it came to cooking, Zad said, having learned about the cuisine after spending time in Acapulco, Mexico, and San Antonio, Texas.
The business is no stranger to moving around — it’s had three homes in town since its inception.
Faz's first location was on New York Avenue, then Gerard Street, before moving to its current location on Wall Street. in 2013.
Until the last day of business on Nov. 17, customers will be able to enjoy the casual eatery’s variety of burritos and burrito bowls, such as their juicy chicken burrito ($11.97), hard- and soft-shell tacos, fajitas, enchiladas and even pizza.
Ron Epstein, a Huntington commercial real estate broker, said Faz’s Tex-Mex Grill is his "go-to spot" as he ate his usual order of ground chorizo chili with lettuce and tomato on a tortilla on a recent afternoon.
"It’s an institution," he said. "I’m disappointed it won’t be here."
Since the announcement of the closure, Zad said customers are even helping in his search for a new space.
"They’re giving us a call [saying], ‘Go to this location.’ ‘I found this location.’ ‘Don’t go,’ " he said.
Faz’s Tex-Mex Grill, 28 Wall St., Huntington, 631-271-4333, faztexmex.com. Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Sat., noon to 10 p.m. Sun.
Melissa Azofeifa is a restaurants reporter with Newsday's FeedMe team. Having grown up on Long Island, she loves talking about food and its impact on culture. A graduate of Stony Brook University, she joined Newsday in the fall of 2024.
