Barroco's Lakewood outpost on Madison Avenue has closed after 15 years of service, the family behind the restaurant announced Monday, leaving locals suddenly without one of their go-to neighborhood spots for arepas and cocktails. The family-run, Colombian-influenced restaurant says it will keep its Larchmere location open while service at its Crocker Park site remains on pause.
The news blindsided many longtime regulars who had treated the Madison Avenue dining room like a second living room, especially for late-night drinks and comfort food. One day it was a staple, the next it was a memory.
As reported by WKYC, the Vergara family posted on Facebook that they had "built more than a business" in Lakewood and were "closing this chapter as a family." The outlet noted that the Madison Avenue restaurant had been open for about 15 years and that the owners described the Crocker Park closure as temporary.
Online, Barroco still looks very much alive in Lakewood. Barroco’s own website continues to list locations in Lakewood, Larchmere and Crocker Park and shows the Madison Avenue address for the Lakewood outpost, according to Barroco's website. The Larchmere restaurant remains listed there as an active location for reservations and menu items.
Ordering platforms tell a different, more sobering story. On Toast, the Lakewood page shows the restaurant as "Currently not accepting online orders" and flags the spot as closed for now, while the Crocker Park ordering page shows a similar pause in service. Those online updates match what the owners put in their Facebook message and what local outlets have reported.
Neighbors Reacted Online
News of the shutdown traveled fast through Lakewood's digital grapevine. Local diners and former staff headed to message boards and social media, with users on Reddit posting photos from inside the restaurant and reporting canceled reservations as the reality sank in.
A Reddit thread quickly became a kind of farewell guestbook, capturing the earliest wave of community reaction. Patrons traded memories of Barroco's arepas, late-night cocktails and the role the Madison Avenue spot played in the neighborhood's dining scene.
What Comes Next For The Space
For now, the future of the Madison Avenue address is a question mark. The Vergara family has not shared a specific timeline for any potential reopening or whether they plan to reuse the property themselves.
What they have made clear is that Barroco will continue operating at Larchmere while the family "closes this chapter," according to WKYC. For Lakewood regulars, that means the closest arepa fix is now a drive away, at least for the time being.
