Maz Mezcal Leaving East 86th Street Home After Nearly Four Decades

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A beloved Upper East Side institution is preparing to close its longtime home — but not to say goodbye.

Maz Mezcal, the family-run Mexican restaurant at 316 East 86th Street (between First and Second Avenues), will serve its final meal at that address on Saturday, November 8, the restaurant announced Saturday on Instagram.

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“For 39 years, Maz Mezcal has been more than a restaurant — it’s been our family’s heartbeat,” the restaurant wrote. “This building at 316 E. 86th has held laughter, tears, celebrations, and generations of memories. Our next chapter is beginning — we’re moving (new address coming soon).”

The post continued to state that the restaurant will “carry the spirit of Maz Mezcal into a new space; still here, still home, always family.”

When East Side Feed reached out to ask why the restaurant is leaving its current location, owner Mary Silva’s son-in-law and the restaurant’s manager, Conor, explained that rising costs played a key role.

“Last year the building changed over to new management,” he said. “From the second we had a conversation with them they said they won’t offer us a lease extension unless we came up to their price — which was about $10K more per month than what we were paying at that time.”

Conor expanded to tell us that it’s the “same landlord holding company that owns the building,” but “last year, a new generation of the family took over the holding company. They wanted a major increase in rent, personal guarantee, as well as stressed their desires for a ‘national’ corporate tenant in the space.”

The space at 316 East 86th Street is currently on the market, though a price isn’t listed.

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Maz Mezcal has been part of Yorkville dining culture since 1987, when Eduardo and Maria Silva opened the restaurant following the closure of their earlier spot, El Sombrero, which had operated nearby since 1972. Known for its festive atmosphere, margaritas, and family-oriented warmth, Maz Mezcal expanded in 2001 to include a larger bar and has remained one of the neighborhood’s most enduring Mexican restaurants.

Eduardo Silva, a U.S. Army veteran who served in the 101st Airborne, ran the kitchen daily for decades before his passing in 2020. His wife Maria, daughter Gabrielle, and son-in-law Conor have continued to carry on his legacy — maintaining a loyal following of locals who describe the restaurant as a true neighborhood fixture.

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