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My son and I had the carnitas and carned asada tacos at Cascabel Taqueiria, they were excellent, some of the best I have ever tasted. It is between 80th and 81st on second avenue, east side of the avenue. Good selection, interesting appetizers.
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Cascabel
1538 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10028 -
La Esquina Taqueria has an authentic fish taco at only $3.50......its grilled, not deep fried and wonderful.....fyi, burritos are not authentic mexican....tex mex or cali-mex people.
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re: hptr
Benny's Burrito has a decent taco,, But the best ive had was on Starr St off St Nicolas, in Ridgewood,brooklyn,, in a taco factory they serve cooked food, with chickens running around in there. Its not the "cleanest' looking place but youd think you were in mexico. 6 different types of tacos. The marinated pork was my favorite.I think they were 2 for a $1
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Tehuitzingo is quite good but the best tacos in manhattan, perhaps in all of nyc, are from TACO MIX on 116th between 2nd and 3rd aves. Please, anyone who has posted about the virtues of big enchilada, etc, you owe it to yourself to take the 6 train to 116th and experience the real thing - not a burrito, mission style or otherwise, to be found. Most of the store fronts you will see on 116 east of 3rd ave are commendable, but taco mix is the pick of the litter. The best tacos I've had outside mexico city.
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The lady from Guerrero that has a taco stand on the corner of 116th st and 2nd Avenue in front of the Minaya Grocery. She makes the tacos fresh from scratch and cooks them up as you watch seperately just for you. She has several fillings (chicken, steak, carnita enchilada and chicharon (red and green). The tortillas are the size of dinner plates! She uses fresh cheese from Oaxaca and her homemade salsa verde has chunks of avocado in it. The last time we were there she charged $2.50 per "taco" (it seems more like a cross between a taco and a quesadilla). Everything is topped off with lettuce and crema. No cilantro, no onion. It is a different taco than the ones I am used to but it is so good and fresh.
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As a SoCal native, I fervently believe that rice does NOT belong in burritos (unlike the San Fran mission style). That said, burritos should include grilled meats (carne asada) OR pinto beans (not both), salsa or pico de gallo, sour cream or guac and perhaps cheese.
Haven't really found anywhere that serves just the way I know them. Uncle Moe's on 19th Street and 5th Avneue is okay. So is Big Enchilada on 13th and University(the fantastic refried beans are their saving grace). Cosmic Cantina on 3rd Ave and 12th St is good, but only if you are looking for a healthier, non-authentic burrito (i.e. wheat tortilla, black beans).
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cheflauren
Sep 19, 2006 09:27 PM
if you want a tasty tightly rolled eat with your hands burrito, try the takeout at kitchen market in chelsea.
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cheflauren
Sep 19, 2006 08:01 PM
suenos in chelsea does a great happy hour with a plate of delicious assorted tacos and 2 for 1 heradura margaritas.
i believe the tacos are available all the time but the authentic mex margaritas make it worth the bargain.
all of sue torres' food is quited delicious, albeit a little high end. -
I stumbled into a baja cantina type joint in LIC-1st stop off the 7 train out of Grand Central near the Vernon-Jackson stop.
For the life of me I can't remember the name but it sounds like a California vinyard. Anyway, their bbq pork taco's are killer. Best I've had in NYC. I've subsequently tried their beef & chicken tacos but they pale in comparison to the pork ones. These are soft tacos & I have even taken bbq hounds from Memphis here who couldn't believe how good the pork tacos were... I wish I could remember the name of this place-it is near a Chase bank on a main street within a block of the subway stop. Perhaps someone who knows the name could post it along w/the address. Great place though...›1 Reply-
re: Fallon
I couldn't let it go so I racked my brain for 30 minutes than called my wife who remembered the name of the place in LIC-it is called Willow Creek (told you it sounded like a vinyard) & is located at 10-93 Jackson Ave at 11th Street-it also goes by the names The Cave & The Creek as they show movies there at night, have music, etc. Anyway, it apparently has morphed into more of a scene w/steeper prices than before but try the killer bbq pork soft tacos-you won't be sorry...
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i like the taqueria on Church Ave between dahill rd. and story st. in Kensington, and not just because it's 1 minute or less from my house. straightforward authentic tacos(a little cilantro, a little chopped red onion, a wedge of lime) and $2. doubled-up tortillas, as they should be, and kickass chorizo. also good tortas.
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if i'm at a trendy downtown joint that serves fish tacos, then fine, i'll shell out the $15 for them. but if you want the real deal, tehuitzingo is it. for that same $15 we were given enough food for 4 and cervezas to wash it down. i recommend the tripe and tongue tacos. the pig ear, not so much unless you like the jelly-like texture (and maybe you will!). bear in mind that the ladies here don't speak a lick of english, which is all the more fun because you have to guess which is what.
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re: cma212
Both, and have quite enjoyed each. Paladar seems more pan-Latino than strictly Mexican; La Palapa has simple and perfect authentic tacos, small but tasty chalupas, and prices that would be laughable anywhere other than Manhattan, where they're pretty much in line with comparable places. Pio Maya (written about elsewhere on the board) is a terrific inexpensive alternative; haven't had tacos there, but everything else (burritos, sopes, etc.) has been really fine.
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re: cma212
I second la esquina as well (in Soho/nolita area - the "diner" part of the restaurant. Grab a few and sit across the street in a park with a beer from a deli.) They're simple, small, and on the double corn-tortillas with a wedge of lime, so you can try out a couple (pollo rostizado, steak, and the grilled fish tacos are my favorites.) I lived in SD for some time and to be honest, I didn't care for the tacos there. Tried most of the places from the CA Chowhound board and found most to be wanting. Am familiar with the LA style as well, and for that, I'm a fan of Florencia 13, which is in the village, and is run by a family that just aims to please - super-friendly and fun place.
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Great Burrito on 23rd (at 6th ave.) serves terrific mexican-style tacos. (everything else is good, too.) Don't be deterred by the pizzas on display: the staff and clientele are all spanish-speaking, and the tacos and tortas are fantastic, esp. the al pastor and the chorizo. I think the most expensive taco is $2.50; it's not plush, but it's my favorite manhattan taco. Oh, and they're open 24 hours, for those late-night cravings.
Pearl
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a_and_w
Aug 9, 2006 10:24 PM
Wingman, saw your earlier post on this place, which sounds intriguing. Do they use rice in the burritos? Do you eat it with a knife and fork or your hands? Thanks.
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re: a_and_w
yeah, good question a and w...burritos in ny are stuffed to the gills with far too many items (including rice) and are not rolled tightly therefore requiring a knife and fork. burritos is so cal are wrapped super tight so you can walk and eat - like a slice here (actually drive and eat would me more apt for so cal), and are stuffed with meat, more meat, and maybe some onions, maybe some cilantro , maybe some guac. a bean and cheese burrito typically does not include a pound of rice like on the east coast, just bean and cheese. and yes, the meat is usually in a steam table cause the meat has been stewing for hours.
i need a burrito! a real burrito! please show me the way to one!-
re: billyeats
Woodside Al
Aug 10, 2006 09:48 PM
It really depends where on the west coast you go though. Burritos in the S.F. Bay area definitely have rice and beans stuffed in them. Many of the americanized mexican joints in NYC serve this Cal-Mex so-called "Mission-style" burrito, which is really a S.F. style food.
Unlike in California, where the majority of the Mexican population are from nearby northern Mexico, most Mexicans in NYC are from the Puebla area well to the south. Burritos, and flour tortillas for that matter, are not really a part of the cuisine of most NYC Mexicans. So while most of the authentic Mexican restaurants in NYC (i.e. those operated by and primarily for Mexicans) will serve something called a burrito, it is generally not going to be one of their strong points. This is one of the main reasons why people who come to NYC from California often complain about "the lack of Mexican food" in NYC, when it's not at all true.
On the other hand, tacos seem to be universal, and there are several places that serve fine ones. If you're at all interested in the outer boroughs (yes, I know which board this is, but still...) you should check out the Roosevelt Ave. strip in Jackson Heights and Corona Queens, or the 5th Ave. strip in Sunset Park Brooklyn (Tacos Matamoros is, to me, a real standout). Unlike in California, where much of the meat is indeed slow cooked and served from steam tables, these places make many of their tacos out of fresh grilled items, or best of all from the gyro-like al pastor spit.
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re: billyeats
cheflauren
Sep 19, 2006 09:36 PM
if you want a really tasty-tightly rolled-eat with your hands-burrito (may not be cali style) try the take-out at kitchen market in chelsea.
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re: a_and_w
Depending on if I got the mole burrito or not determines if i eat it with my hands or a knife and fork. There is some rice in the burritto but nothing close to the amount of rice you would get from most places in Manhattan. The carne asada burrito has a great flavor of cilantro and charred beef, while the chicken burritto is also delicious. It's a heavy burritto about 4 inches wide and 6 inches long filled with meat, onions, guac on request and cilantro - by far the best I've had in the city and made even tastier with the inexpensive price.
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wleatherette
Aug 9, 2006 08:30 PM
zaragoza grocery, on avenue a btw 13th & 14th. the beef tongue tacos are out of this world (veal not far behind).
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re: wleatherette
I heard about Zaragoza Grocery quite a while ago, but when I walked in there I was totally turned off by the run down surroundings, the dirty counter and the fact that all their taco preparations were pre-made. There were 3 or 4 things in a steam table - not exactly fresh. Plus I detected a "what are you doing in here" attitude. I walked out, probably never to return. Are their tacos really that good? I doubt it.
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re: Foodboy
wleatherette
Aug 10, 2006 01:14 PM
they can't prepare a batch of slow-cooked meat from start to finish in 5 minutes while you wait. nothing has ever tasted old or otherwise off, and i've never been given any attitude by the smiling, friendly guy who is usually behind the counter. doubt all you want. it means more delicious tacos for me, i guess.
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Ali B
Aug 9, 2006 07:58 PM
I have heard the Tehuitzingo Deli and Grocery (695 10th Ave at 47th St) has great tacos, but I haven't tried them yet.
This is what the Daily News said about it on Jan 30, 2005: "Walk to the back of this Hell's Kitchen grocery store and you'll find a hidden Mexican taqueria with a blackboard that lists the tacos: $2 for most, but $2.50 for tongue, goat or tripe."
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re: Ali B
Ali B
Sep 19, 2006 04:11 PM
Just reporting back.... I have since been to this spot 3 or 4 times... there is a whole restaurant on 10th ave at 47th with some of the best tacos I have ever had... FULL of savory meat that you can hear them pounding in the back as they make your tacos. And lots of really good salsas and hot sauces to go with it. The chorizo and egg breakfast tacos are great, too. Highly recommended.
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re: ricegeek
a_and_w
Sep 20, 2006 02:40 PM
ricegeek: Tehuitzingo serves burritos? Can you describe them for me? Thanks.
Ali: Did Tehuitzingo expand, or are you maybe thinking of Tulcingo? General consensus is that tacos are better at the former, but I prefer just about everything else (esp. the torta) at Tulcingo.
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I'm a big fan of downtown bakery - closest I've had to San Diego style tacos and burritos.
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re: mrnyc
Captain Jack
Aug 28, 2006 10:37 PM
San Diego has authentic, Mexican tacos. Mama Testa's in Hillcrest is the bomb.
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re: Foodaholic
If you are looking for good west coast style fish tacos, you need to try Florencia 13 restaurant. They make the thing closest to the fish tacos out of San Diego. They are from Cali and know what good food is. If you are looking for fusion plates, this is not it but just plain good california style mexican food, this is it. Also, I hear they just made best Margarita and best burrito for 2006 on city search. Check them out.
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