Guapo’s GO Taqueria • Charcoal Chicken is aiming for an April opening in Gaithersburg, bringing the local restaurant group’s fast-casual concept back to the area.
In November, we reported that coming soon signage had gone up at the former California Tortilla location at 12211 Darnestown Road. The new Guapo’s will replace the long-running fast-casual Mexican spot, which closed last fall.
The closure marked the second California Tortilla shutdown in Gaithersburg within the past year. The company’s location at 255 Spectrum Avenue in the Spectrum Town Center closed in November 2024, leaving the city without any remaining California Tortilla restaurants.
Guapo’s GO Taqueria • Charcoal Chicken is operated by the same family behind the long-running Guapo’s Restaurant chain. The fast-casual concept currently has three locations in Northern Virginia and offers a more streamlined menu than the full-service restaurants. The focus is on rotisserie charcoal chicken, tacos, burritos, and Latin American sides prepared fresh daily.
The return to Gaithersburg will be familiar to longtime locals. Guapo’s previously operated a fast-casual restaurant at 411 North Frederick Road starting in December 2010. That location closed in 2017, when Ixtapalapa Taqueria took over the space.
