Courthouse’s Taco Bell Cantina expected to open by the end of the year

Expect to be chowing on chalupas and sipping cervezas at Courthouse’s Taco Bell Cantina by the end of the year.

Construction on the newest Taco Bell Cantina location at 2039 Wilson Blvd is anticipated to start within 30 days, a company spokesperson told ARLnow, with the hope that it opens prior to the end of the year.

The spokesperson also confirmed to ARLnow that this would be a Cantina location, as opposed to a regular Taco Bell.

The main difference between the two is that the former sells alcohol, including beer, wine, sangria, and “Twisted Freezes.”

The placement of the fast food chain restaurant-bar combo seems intended to attract a late-night crowd, within stumbling distance of a number of local bars. And the Courthouse location will have a special feature that might help that late-night crowd get their Crunchwrap Supreme just a bit faster.

“This location will be similar to [other Taco Bell Cantinas] in offerings, but will also have a convenient walk-up window,” the company spokesperson wrote.

In May, the company applied for a building permit for work on the 2,166 square-foot first floor of 2039 Wilson Blvd. That work is set to include adding a new HVAC system plus new plumbing, electrical systems, furniture, and kitchen equipment. A new restroom will also be added.

The Cantina will have a 48-person dining room to go along with the walk-up window.

This will be the third regional location of Taco Bell’s popular spin-off. There are currently Cantinas in Old Town Alexandria and in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of D.C.

The space at 2039 Wilson Blvd was once home to the Peruvian restaurant, bar, and hookah lounge Guarapo Lounge. However, it closed nearly six years ago and the space has remained vacant ever since.

This will also be a return to the neighborhood for Taco Bell. A location of the fast food chain once stood on the hill between Rosslyn and Courthouse, near where the 7-Eleven and Ace Hardware are today.

But that Taco Bell closed more than a decade ago, along with the beloved bar Dr. Dremo’s, when buildings were demolished to make way for new development.