A well-known St. Louis restaurant brand is saying goodbye. Brothers Adam and Jason Tilford announced Monday that Session Taco’s two remaining restaurants and their sister concept Lapez Mod Mex will serve their final meals on Saturday, October 17.
The locations
The closures include Session Taco on Delmar in the Loop (6235 Delmar), Session Taco in Soulard (908 Lafayette), and Lapez Mod Mex in the Central West End (398 N. Euclid). All three are set to open at 4 p.m. for the final days of service.
How it began
The group started in 2013 as Mission Taco Joint on Delmar, serving MexiCali-style tacos, nachos, burritos, and margaritas. In 2023, parent company Gruma Corporation, which owns Mission Foods, sued over the name. The restaurants rebranded as Session Taco in September 2024, a change the owners have acknowledged was difficult and costly.
Why they’re closing
In their farewell message, the brothers cited the lingering effects of the pandemic, a tough economy, rising costs, and the trademark fight. They described themselves as a small family-owned company and said the news hit hard. The chain had grown to as many as nine locations by 2022 and has closed six since. The Central West End space switched from Session Taco to Lapez Mod Mex last December.
What fans can do
- Visit before Saturday for a last meal and support the staff working through the final days.
- The Session locations plan to give away remaining merchandise during late-night happy hour.
- If you hold gift cards, check the restaurant’s social media for updates, since the group has said they apply to its remaining locations.
The bigger picture
Restaurants everywhere have faced higher food and labor costs and shifting customer habits. The Tilfords’ story is a reminder of how many local owners are navigating the same pressures, and how much neighborhood restaurants mean to the communities that support them.
