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LA Twitter Mourns Loss Of The Weirdly Named Cugurt
The legendary Cugurt. Photo from Bayer B. via Yelp
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There are certain names that will stick in your brain forever. And if you live in or near Los Feliz, one of them is Cugurt.
Sadly, the unsettlingly-named strip mall Mediterranean restaurant has been replaced with a new business. One that somehow, against all odds, has an even less appetizing name: HOT CHICKO'S.
Since its opening, Cugurt has sparked a healthy debate on Yelp, where users have suggested that the name signifies either a combination of the words 'cucumber' and 'yogurt,' 'cumin' and 'yogurt' or a combination of the owners' names Curtis and Gurtrude (the owner's names are a mystery to us, so we'll just go with this).
But that's neither here nor there becuase the restaurant (but really the name) has garnered a passionate following on Twitter, helmed by Los Feliz resident Andrew Woods, who Tweeted the RIP when he saw the sign for HOT CHICKO's go up.
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RIP to a true original. An icon. RIP Cugurt 😢 pic.twitter.com/UPN1S8oKEI
— Andrew Woods (@JimJarmuschHair) September 3, 2020
Cugurt actually closed in late 2019 and was replaced for a short amount of time by Mel's Café, before the space was taken over by Hot Chicko's.
Even actor Kumail Nanjiani joined in the virtual gurt-eulogy to say that he calls his wife "Cugurt."
For what its worth, the food was good. Not life-changing, but solid. One guy on Trip Advisor said the restaurant #crushedit on his falafel order, so.
Here's what the rest of internet is saying about this tragedy. RIP Cugurt.
We will never 4get u.
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We all loved to harp on cugurt but did we ever cu any of their gurt???
— brenna (@BonniePuns) September 4, 2020
We'll always have Window Pizza.. pic.twitter.com/v0lSRprCYZ
— Paul Brittain (@PaulBrittain3) September 4, 2020
A Cugurt is a Pokémon that evolves into a Hot Chicko
— brenna (@BonniePuns) September 3, 2020
NOOOGURT!!!!
— Alex Blagg (@alexblagg) September 4, 2020
Cugurt dared to have Reseda energy right in the middle of Los Feliz. Can you say the same https://t.co/3QNTo7NjNj
— Ariana Lenarsky (@aardvarsk) September 4, 2020
When I drove past Cugurt with friends, I always said “You know who played the grand opening of that place? John Cugurt Mellencamp.” Few laughed. Never ate there. RIP. https://t.co/L6DxHCwapV
— Patrick Walsh (@thepatrickwalsh) September 4, 2020
Cugurt could survive its disgusting name but not the pandemic.
— Desi (@DesiJed) September 3, 2020
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If you need us, we will be at Yoga-urt, dreaming of better days.
Correction: A previous version of this story neglected to mention that Cugurt closed in 2019 and was replaced by Mel's Café before the space was taken over by Hot Chicko's. LAist regrets the error.
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