Being nominated as one of the top burritos places in the country ought to be cause for celebration, but for local favorite Taqueria Cancún, the situation is anything but bright. FiveThirtyEight reports:

The taqueria has been without a lease for more than a year, since the building’s owner, whom [Taqueria Cancún’s co-owner Gerardo Rico] described like a patron saint, passed away. The owner’s family isn’t sure what to do with the place, so Cancún is currently on a month-to-month lease. I asked what would happen to the restaurant. “Who knows,” he said, taking a deep breath.

If that is not enough of a kick to the gut, it turns out that the restaurant’s very popularity may in fact be contributing to a potential recent drop in quality.

Between [comedian Marc Maron’s] endorsement and extra customers from some competition, there had been lines out the door for weeks. His employees were overworked and tired. Rico was worried the quality of the food would decline.

With such a precarious lease situation, and such high demand for property in the Mission, the possibility that Taqueria Cancún may be forced to close its flagship location on Mission and 19th is very real.

At least we can take comfort in the knowledge that if Taqueria Cancún goes the way of so many of their other displaced peers, we’ll always have Tacolicious and Bandidos.

[Photo: Andrew Mai, via SF Eater]