The old restaurant sign at 2845 Santiam Highway had an addition on Feb. 27, 2023.
“Coming Soon,” says the banner covering up the old San Blas Mexican Restaurant sign at the corner of Santiam Highway and Bain Street in Albany. The question is: How soon?
The old restaurant started as a Chinese place years ago. It’s been closed for a long time, and for at least the last five years the building has been in an unfinished stage of remodeling. Every few weeks somebody asks me if I can find out what’s holding things up.
On Thursday, on the phone, I reached Marcos Garcia of Northstar Quality Construction, who had applied for the latest building permit, which was granted in August 2022.
“Five months,” he told me when I asked him for an estimate of when the construction would be done. “Maybe six.”
I asked him what had slowed things down. The phone connection was not the best, but as I understood him he wasn’t free to discuss it.
In the meantime, though, there’s progress on a related front.
Next week, on Wednesday, the Albany City Council is scheduled to recommend approval of a full on-premise commercial liquor license for the new restaurant, Rancho Hacienda Real. (Final approval is up to the state liquor commission.)
The police chief’s recommendation to approve the license identifies the applicant as Jorge Brambila.
Brambila, of Hillsboro, is president of Rancho Hacienda Real Inc., which gives the Albany restaurant’s address, 2845 Santiam Hwy. S.E., as its place of business.
So chances are that in a matter of months, people passing by the place will no longer be asking what’s happening at the corner of Santiam and Bain. (hh)
The remodeling project at Santiam and Bain on the evening of March 14, 2023.
Sounds fishy that this Albany address is the company’s headquarters. Have I understood that correctly?
Where do you think the company address should be?
This restaurant, started out as an “All You Can Eat Buffet” it was called “Kings Table”….then it was a chineese place….
And, I would like to report, great Mexican food! Check out their menu on Wallace Road in Salem – and the nice architecture! I’ll be there!
Yes! We love to eat there! The food is soo good!
Wasn’t this an all you can eat in the early 70s
I have a memory that the original use of this building was a Kings Table buffet. Just wondering if my memory is correct. Does anyone know?
I remember when this building was the “King’s Table” buffet in the 70s.
My Uncle used to bring the high school students who worked on his ranch in the summers here for an end of season celebration. They probably made no profit on that day. LOL
I remember when it was a Kings Table, but now I am dating myself.
From the looks of the building once they get the exterior work done there is going to be a lot of water damaged and rotten wood underneath. Must be some very liberal building inspectors in Albany.
“Must be some very forgiving building inspectors in Albany.”
There i fixed it for you!
Nothing liberal about this hot mess.
Their place in Salem is fantastic, great food, service, and wonderful fresh tortillas made on site. My assumption is that they’re suffering from the same issues as everyone else, outrageous building costs and difficulty staffing. Hopefully both improve soon, lumber is coming down and with luck they can find folks to get it going.
Thank you, Hasso, for the update! I’m one of your readers who has been asking for an update!
But can Albany support yet another Mexican food restaurant?
I can make fresh Tortillas at home & Fry Bread.. I hope they Fresh Lengua on the Menu. At least it’s not another Subways or McD’s.
Just what albany needs, a 5th Mexican restaurant within a quarter mile of each other.
Jersey Mike coming to old bank (Ben Franklin?) building in Fred Meyer parking.
How about another “New” Kings Table? Instead one with Mexican dishes too?