Sureste Mexican (3730 Foundry Way), the acclaimed food stall inside the City Foundry STL Food Hall, will officially close and relaunch as Taqueria del Sureste this Thursday, July 31, according to a press release.
“The word ‘taqueria’ is very recognizable,” says co-owner Jeff Henry. “I think what we were doing before wasn’t as easy for people to grasp.”
Jeff and his brother, chef Alex Henry, also own El Molino del Sureste (5007 S. Kingshighway) in the Southampton neighborhood.
The new concept will pivot to a taco-focused menu, offering a more concise selection that is designed for speed and consistency. “It’s definitely taco-centric,” Jeff explains. “We’ll have a core menu of six to eight tacos and two or three rotating specials each month. Several of the labor-intensive, taco-adjacent items—like the salbutes and panuchos—have already been phased out.”
The duo is also introducing family-style taco packages. “We want to be mindful of the current economic climate and more in tune with people’s budgets,” Jeff says. The packages, which serve four or six people and include dips, will be priced at a discount.
The rebrand comes with a new name and logo that aligns with their larger brand identity. “Del Sureste is the brand,” Jeff says. “El Molino and now the Taqueria are the specific concepts.” The new logo uses the same typeface as El Molino’s.
Operations will now be supported by the commissary kitchen at El Molino, which will supply the Taqueria with freshly milled masa, house-butchered meats, locally sourced produce, and ceviche, one of the likely rotating specials. “The commissary kitchen will function more like a true commissary,” Jeff says, noting that spit-roasted and flat-grilled items will still be made onsite at the Taqueria.
The transition officially takes place July 31. “We’re painting the place this afternoon,” Jeff adds. “It’ll look different—but not drastically so.”
The Backstory
The brainchild of Alex, Sureste Mexican opened at City Foundry in 2018. A former executive chef at Nixta and Cleveland-Heath and a 2018 Eater Young Gun semifinalist, the chef based the concept on the cuisine of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, where he spent his childhood in Mérida.
Signature dishes included cochinita pibil (citrus- and spice-marinated pork slow-roasted in banana leaves), as well as multiple kinds of tamales and ceviche. Henry also nixtamalized his own corn for tortillas and butchered whole animals in the compact 500-square-foot kitchen, resulting in a constantly evolving menu.
In 2023, the Henry brothers opened El Molino del Sureste (“The Mill of the Southeast”) in the Southampton neighborhood. The space serves as a traditional molino, with Alex milling nixtamalized corn in full view of guests. In addition to a nighttime menu of Mexican-inspired dishes and drinks, El Molino also sells fresh tortillas, and it wholesales them to other local businesses.
Later this summer, the brothers will host the Milpa Dinner Series, a three-night event at El Molino del Sureste celebrating the ancient, sustainable farming method known as milpa, which centers on corn, beans, and squash. The series runs August 20 (corn), August 27 (beans), and September 3 (squash). For tickets, click here.
📍3730 Foundry Way, Midtown
📞 314-760-4957
⏰Hours: 11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sun-Tue; 11:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. Wed-Thu; 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. Fri-Sat
El Molino del Sureste
📍5005-5007 S. Kingshighway, Southampton
📞 314-925-8431
⏰Hours: 5 to 9 p.m. Tue-Thu; 5 to 9 p.m. Fri-Sat
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