After a short stint on the patio and then temporarily closing again, TallBoys and La Cocina have plans to reopen once again — only this time they’re taking over The Dusty Monk Pub’s spot, too.
Back in March 2020, Jo Schneider and her two sons Eli and Ben made the decision to shut the doors to TallBoys, but then created the new concept dubbed as LaCo — meaning “Love and Community” — in November 2020.
The new take on the restaurant allowed them to share the beautiful patio at 201 N. Court Ave, and in turn, serve dishes from both menus. Now, TallBoys is moving into the old Dusty Monk spot — with an opening date of sometime in mid-September — while continuing to serve visitors on the outdoor patio as well.
“The concept is that we’ll have a brunch menu with half of it being La Cocina items and the other half TallBoys items,” said Ben Schneider. ” Then we’ll still serve a wider menu throughout the entire restaurant later in the day. You will also still be able to do walk-ups in ‘the Monk’. We’re going to change the vibe in there to be more like the TallBoys vibe, and then have it be open as a bar in the evening.”
With that being said, later at night, bar-goers will still have the option to grab a bite.
“It’ll have a limited menu,” said Schneider. “Sort of like an appetizer menu, but we’ll have the TallBoy Burger and Tallboy Tots — probably without the egg on it as like a dinner dish.”
The reopening of TallBoys and La Cocina, along with the revamping of the Dusty Monk, is exciting for the family but there’s also some more in the works in the historic Presidio District area.
“We’re working on closing down the street in between Ceres and La Cocina,” said Schneider. “So, sometime in October, we’re hoping to get working on that so it’ll be a ‘streatery’ for Ceres, Tallboys, and La Cocina during the day. Then, we’ll have it as overflow at night where people can drink and hang out, and then there’ll be a limited menu out there as well.”
They’re still working on finalizing that bit of the new renovations, but stay tuned for more announcements about the reopening. Also, for fans of live music, that’s returning to the patio, too, with a possibility of holding additional sets out in the new streatery area.
The official opening date for TallBoys is still undetermined, but the Schneiders are aiming for sometime in mid-September.
TallBoys and La Cocina are located at 201 N. Court Ave. For more information, visit lacotucson.com.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
