Former Hotel Tortuga space now slinging 99-cent slices on 14th Street

A 99-cent sliceria is up and running now at 246 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... the name appears to be 99¢ Pizza with a special board highlighting 99¢ pizza. 

This space was previously Hotel Tortuga, the inexpensive Mexican restaurant that bowed out at the start of 2020 after 10 years in business under two sets of owners.

The Marshal seizes Hotel Tortuga

A bad sign at Hotel Tortuga on 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue — the Marshal came calling late last week ... and the space is now in the legal possession of the landlord...


[Photo by Shiv]

No word yet about a closure here. The Hotel Tortuga website is offline, and their social media properties haven't been updated since 2018. The phone is also out of service.

A new owner took over the inexpensive Mexican restaurant in November 2017. Staff and menu essentially stayed the same.

The previous owners, David and Jean LaPointe, first opened Hotel Tortuga in 2010. They also ran Curly's Vegetarian Lunch one block to the east on 14th Street until the end of 2011.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Hotel Tortuga, under new management, will reopen soon still as Hotel Tortuga

Hotel Tortuga, now with morning espresso service on 14th Street

[Photo from Monday morning]

Back in October, Hotel Tortuga temporarily closed as new ownership took over the Mexican restaurant on 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Hotel Tortuga reopened in early November with Lance Marlo, who previously operated Luna Espresso on the Upper East Side, as the new owner. He bought Hotel Tortuga from David and Jean LaPointe. (The LaPointes opened Tortuga here in 2010. They also ran Curly's Vegetarian Lunch one block to the east on 14th Street until the end of 2011.)

"We still have the same menu, serve breakfast all day, carry vegan, vegetarian and traditional meat options. There may be possible menu changes in the near future as per the new owners," Idalja, the manager, told me. (The previous staff remains as well.)

They also still offer the $7.95 lunch special from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ...



One change: Hotel Tortuga has a new La Marzocco espresso machine and are open in the mornings for some espresso drinks ...

A post shared by Hotel Tortuga (@hoteltortuganyc) on Dec 15, 2017 at 11:38am PST

Hotel Tortuga is also awaiting a new liquor license. You can get a Mexican Coca-Cola in the meantime though.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Hotel Tortuga, under new management, will reopen soon still as Hotel Tortuga

Hotel Tortuga, under new management, will reopen soon still as Hotel Tortuga

One EVG reader confirmed what another reader left in the comments: Hotel Tortuga is currently closed.

However, a reader yesterday said that the Mexican restaurant (with plentiful vegetarian options) on 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue will return. Signs on the door say that the space is under new management, and they will reopen soon as Hotel Tortuga.

David and Jean LaPointe opened this Hotel in 2010. They also ran Curly's Vegetarian Lunch one block to the east on 14th Street until the end of 2011 when their lease expired. As Dave LaPointe, a founder of Burritoville, wrote at the time: "[T]he new lease terms proved just too much for a little vegetarian place..."