During the holiday season, a sign on the door of Devilicious Eatery in Old Town Temecula said the gastropub was temporarily closed and would reopen on Jan. 13.

Jan. 13 came and went. The sign remained up and the restaurant remained closed.

Scenes like that have been repeated throughout the Inland Empire during the first half of 2025.

Many of the restaurants that closed had long but mostly unwritten histories in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Here are some of the restaurant closures we heard about in recent months.

Riverside County

Beaumont

Ramona’s Restaurant: This family-owned eatery at 249 W. Sixth St. opened in 1972 and was known for its Nasty Burrito, made with chile relleno, chile verde with three sauces and two eggs. Citing the rising cost of doing business and city-mandated upgrades, it announced its closure weeks in advance, giving regulars plenty of time to say goodbye before the day arrived on Jan. 11.

Menifee

Mason Jar Brewing Company: This family enterprise at 29683 New Hub Drive was founded by Robert and Grace Carter in 2014. The couple sold it in May and it rapidly transformed into Grey Iron Brewing Co., but not without a sendoff on May 30.

Murrieta

Famous Pudn: Owners closed their shop at 24520 Village Walk on Jan. 16 but continue to sell their signature banana pudding and other treats at farmers markets and on the fair circuit.

Riverside

Getaway Cafe: This longtime UC Riverside hangout in Bannockburn Village closed in the small hours of April 30 in a dispute with its landlord, the university. Students and community members rallied to its defense and petitioned the university to save it. Hundreds packed the restaurant on its last night, putting in orders for its signature pizzas such as Blazing Chicken.

The Salted Pig: Known as one of the Inland Empire’s first gastopubs, The Salted Pig made waves when it opened at 3700 12th St. on Valentine’s Day in 2011. It moved to a busier location at 3750 Main St. in early 2020 and closed almost exactly five years later. Owner Ronaldo Fierro, a former city council member, said at the time he wanted to move back to the original location. There have been no updates to its Facebook or Instagram pages, and at press time, the home page of its website still read, “Closed from 1/8/25 to 1/12/25 for staff vacation.”

Temecula

Devilicious Eatery & Taproom: San Diego-based food truck Devilicious appeared on the second season of the Food Network’s “Great Food Truck Race” in 2011 before opening this brick-and-mortar restaurant in 2015. It was known for its bacon-wrapped, deep-fried mac & cheese bites. It had an adjoining speakeasy, the Apparition Room. They were at 28693 Old Town Front St.

San Bernardino County

Montclair

The Canyon Montclair: This House of Blues-style nightclub occupied a large space on the top deck of Montclair Place. Several big-name acts in pop, rock and folk played the venue, which opened in 2019. Creator Lance Sterling abruptly closed it in early January, citing the rising cost of labor and a lack of support from the shopping center.

Rancho Cucamonga

Luna Modern Mexican Kitchen: This upscale restaurant was at 7881 Monet Ave. in Victoria Gardens. It was known for its fish, seafood and specialty fajitas. After a decade, it announced its closure on Facebook on March 3. The original in Corona is still open.

Redlands

Jojo’s Grill-a-Dog: This build-your-own-dog brand got started as a food truck and opened a brick-and-mortar store in the Mountain Grove Shopping Center in 2016. In December, county health inspectors visited the site and found it being cleared out. The space, next door to Farmer Boys at 27471 San Bernardino Ave No. 210, is being turned into a Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream shop.

Surfer Joe’s Pizza: This business at 2351 W. Lugonia Ave got started in 1991 in San Bernardino, where it was known for its grinders as well as its pizza. It announced its closure on Facebook in June with the intention of finding a new location.

San Bernardino

Golden Dragon: Customers came to this old school restaurant at 1042 W. Highland Ave. for wonton soup, egg rolls and shrimp with lobster sauce. It first opened on Thanksgiving Day 1959, serving turkey dinners as well as Cantonese cuisine. It closed this winter “due to unforeseen circumstances,” according to a handwritten sign posted on its door thanking customers for “being part of the journey.”

Lucy’s Mexican Restaurant: This eatery served wet burritos and enchiladas to the northern part of the city since 1968. According to Yelp users the service was amazing. It vanished quietly after passing a health inspection in early January. The property, at 4151 N Sierra Way, is listed on several real estate sites.

Rally’s: Two drive-thrus closed, leaving Moreno Valley the closest location for the fast food chain.

Upland

Viva Vegan: This plant-based Mexican restaurant, known for its birria, closed its location at 1490 E Foothill Blvd. in May after four years in operation.