NEW YORK -- El Teddy's, a once-trendy Mexican restaurant that became a fixture in lower Manhattan and on late-night television, is down to its last Saturday night.

The restaurant, known for its potent margaritas and giant replica of the Statue of Liberty crown on the roof, appeared in the opening credits of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" for nearly a decade. It will close Saturday after failing to recover from the 2001 terrorist attack on the nearby World Trade Center.

Only 10 dinners were served last Saturday in the 11,000-square-foot space in Tribeca, owner Christopher Chesnutt said.

"Tour buses go by, but they don't stop," Chesnutt said Wednesday. "Business has been going down, down, down."

The fate of the 2,500-pound, 40-foot-wide Statue of Liberty crown remains uncertain.

In 2001, the Landmarks Preservation Commission rejected a request by some Tribeca residents to protect the fanciful facade, which also includes a stained-glass canopy inspired by Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi.

"People did not want to see that icon disappear," said Bruce Ehrmann, chairman of the local community board's landmarks committee, "especially for one more button-down faux historic building to rise in its place."

Chesnutt was less sentimental.

"The romance with the building is over," he said. "I would say this as a cautionary tale: Landmarks that nobody uses are no longer viable."