Mattapoisett’s What The Taco Closes for Good After Dispute Between Owners

Mattapoisett is one of those seaside towns where small things can become big stories.

Take the town's new Mexican restaurant, for example. When Megan St. John, a 35-year-old from Fairhaven, decided to launch a food truck outside of Mahoney's Lumber in Mattapoisett, the town was ecstatic. The food truck filled a void. Up until the February 2023 opening of the What The Taco food truck, you couldn't get Mexican food in town.

"Gazelle wrote an article about my food truck, and because of that, we were an instant hit," St. John said.

What The Taco's Rise and Fall in Mattapoisett

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She wasn't wrong. Just over a year later, she and Dave Nicolosi opened the brick-and-mortar version of St. John's food truck concept.

What the Taco Closed for the Season

However, nine months later, when the winter rolled around, What The Taco closed for the holidays. "Closed for the season," read the sign in front of the Route 6 restaurant.

Mattapoisett is used to seasonal businesses. Some of our faves such as Turk's Seafood, Oxford Creamery and the Slip (down by the wharf) close down each year and return in the spring.

The holidays came and went, and What The Taco remained closed. Turk's reopened in March, then a reduced form of Oxford Creamery in April, and even the Slip was back in business, but What The Taco remained closed.

READ MORE: Oxford Creamery For Sale, Downsizes Menu

Mattapoisett started asking, "What the heck with What The Taco?"

Will What The Taco Ever Reopen?

The answer is an unequivocal no, according to owner Dave Nicolosi.

"It won't open again as What The Taco. Could it reopen as an Irish pub or a different restaurant? I really hope it does!" he told Fun 107. "I sunk a lot of sweat and money into that restaurant, and I'm not getting it back. The whole place has been renovated.  I really hope someone comes along and buys the place and is successful with it."

What Happened?

Nicolosi told Fun 107 that the building's owners have a desire to sell the property.

There is also a dispute between St. John and Nicolosi that the two apparently cannot overcome. Each of them has filed no-trespass orders against the other, meaning neither of them can go to the restaurant. That certainly makes it hard to run a business.

Whatever the reasons, the true loser is the town of Mattapoisett. The tacos and burritos have disappeared from the town, and they don't look like they're coming back anytime soon. The colorful, sombrero version of Salty the Seahorse painted on the side of the building will just act as a tease as we drive past it on Route 6.