Fire destroys Magic Taco Corp. in Islip Terrace

A popular Islip Terrace taqueria was destroyed by a fire that broke out early Saturday, firefighters said.

Magic Taco Corp., at 3321 Sunrise Hwy., burned down in the blaze reported to firefighters shortly after 6 a.m., said Tom Quagliara, chief of department for the Islip Terrace Fire Department.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known, Quagliara said. The business did not appear to be occupied when the fire broke out, and no one was injured, authorities said.

The brightly painted shack -- featuring a handful of indoor and outdoor tables -- is known for serving a range of traditional and gourmet tacos as well as unique dishes. Patrons could be seen there most days having soft white corn tacos with Berkshire pork belly, slow-roasted porchetta, grilled jerk chicken and a range of other foods.

A recent Newsday story on local tacos described Magic Taco Corp. as a "bare-bones little shack with serious food on the menu."

A post on the restaurant's Facebook page Saturday said the business would be closed "indefinitely" due to the fire.

"We are all safe," the post read. "Nobody was on site at the time. As details emerge and our situation becomes more clear, I will update this page to let you all know what is happening."