-
My brother has been living in New Jersey for 10 years now, and he sorely misses Mexican food. If you just can't stand it, try what he does. Mom will occasionally send him a "care package" of fresh tortillas, tamales, red/green chile sauce, canned beans, etc. He also makes his own enchiladas and burritos at home with the "sent" stuff!!
-
Avoid places with "burrito" in the name. The best burritos in New York are at the mom-and-pop joints. My favorite in the east village is Paquitos on 1st. Ave and 9th St. It ain't the Mission, but it beats the hell out of Benny's. Festival Mexicano on the LES is good too.
›1 Reply-
re: genghis
I second Paquito's. My husband and I love it, and get takeout from there about once a week. I think he'd eat there every day if he could. The one on 1st Avenue has a restaurant next door with a lovely back garden. There are a few other locations, all on the East Side as far as I can tell. My favorite is the Acapulco burrito, with black beans.
-
-
-
-
-
-
I realize that this is in the Manhattan board, so my answer may be a little off topic. But the inexplicable deficiency of the city's low-end Mexican food is like a bizarre Achilles heel of the NYC food scene. My friends and I have searched and searched. My grandparents lived here for 10 years without finding anything passable. So, I offer these suggestions as possible last-ditch solutions. I haven't been there myself yet, but they are the next steps in my thus-far fruitless search for good Mexican food, and specifically a good burrito, in this city.
Tacos La Hacienda, and their tortilla supplier, Los Tortilleria Mexicana, seem promising. I'm not sure if burritos are even on the menu there, but they seem to have everything you'd need for a good burrito - if I go there and they don't offer burritos, I may ask if they'll make me one anyway. These places are just off the L, in Bushwick (I think the DeKalb and Jefferson stops, respectively)
The other promising possibility, which will have to wait a few months, is the culinary shanty-town that sets up outside the Red Hook Ball Fields. I don't know if they have burritos per se - the huaraches get all the press - but I feel that it's worth looking into. And, worst case scenario, you end up with some delicious huaraches.
-
Well, I think La Taqueria on 7th Avenue (2 blocks from Union - Garfield?) in Park Slope Brooklyn is decent. Very reminescent of San Francisco/Californian style (not the best from Cali, just a middle of the road Cali-type burrito).
In Chelsea, sometimes I will hit up Kitchen Market (though I haven't been for at least a year); good gourmet type burritoes, but very small and pricey. Close to this is a place on Greenwich Ave. on the south side btwn 7th and 8th Avenue that has good Mexican, though not necessarily burritoes - it's a sitdown type tacqueria.
Sometimes I will go to Uncle Moe's (14 W 19th St | Btwn 5th & 6th Ave) for a passable burrito or soft shell taco. I avoid Burritoville and Benny's.
I still miss El Farolito's in the Mission SF....
-
-
-
I'm sorry to hear about Cosmic Cantina going downhill. I've had tacos there before which i enjoyed. I grew up in SF where the burritos definitely set a standard and often try to find a restaurant that matches simplicity and price and fresh ingredients. I really like the Big Enchilada on 28 e. 12th Street/university. It's cheap, bare bones and the stewed chicken tacos are fab.Guacamole is not recommended here. And the salsa is not the greatest. This is very good fast food. If you want to sit down, La Palapa West is wonderful. I order the appetizer tacos and it's very satisfying. Each ingredient is wonderful. And it's cheap as long as you don't order the dinner version. I'm interested in hearing about authentic Mexican restaurants and not overpriced ones like Rosa Mexicana.
›2 Replies-
re: ny.frenchfry
Tulcingo del Valle on 10th Ave btw 46th and 47th has delicious tacos and tortas. I have seen, but never ordered, burritos on the menu. I imagine they would be made with the same meats and loving cooking technique as their other items. There is a more traditional deli side with a case and limited seating and a (slightly) more formal extension next door with table service. Same menu. Give it a shot.
There are other Mexican restaurants in the area. The other most often written about it Tehuitzingo.
-
-
Kitchen Market is my favorite...I particularly like the green chile (new mexico style? no meat) and the nopales. But they have the usual meat and chicken choices as well. These are some of the tastiest burritos in New York. They also sell a variety of Mexican ingredients (and some New Mexico chiles as well). It's a take out place, no seating.
-
-
-
-
-
waxyjax
Mar 1, 2007 04:03 AM
i've only had horrible, over-priced experiences at Cosmic Cantina...though perhaps it was just bad luck. yes, please do avoid benny's and harry's. both are nasty and will make you want to move back home.
pleae note, if you eat burritoville so soon after moving here, you'll hate it, too. but give it a year when your standards (and hopes) and gone down the drain.
-
-
-
waxyjax
Mar 1, 2007 03:39 AM
hey al4134,
it's the million dollar question from anyone that comes from a border state or chicago...i've lived here for 9 years and haven't found anything as great as the burritos i grew up with in the bay area. there have been many discussions about this on the board so i won't rant about it here.as a result, my standards have lowered and when i'm in manhattan, i've found myself moderately satisfied with Burritoville, which can actually roll a burrito the right way--however, like many new york joints they don't use mexican (tomato) rice.
if you find yourself in williamsburg, check out loco burrito. there are 3 locations now and i make it a point to eat there when i'm in the neighborhood. they're the closest thing i've had to a real burrito--plus they use mexican rice!
they also have real mexicans making food--not sure if you noticed, but many places are owned by chinese restauranteurs, which is kinda funny.
here's a link to a review by FreeWilliamsburg--ironically, it received many bad reviews except by users originally from states that know good mexican food. http://www.freewilliamsburg.com/resta...
-
-
re: besmircher
ok i hit up cosmic cantina last night and I have to withdraw my comment. the place seems to have changed. i remember a burrito bursting with fresh organic ingredients. my burrito last night was a wimpy burritoville imitation. they did make my burrito in a corn tortilla though as requested. anyway, cosmic cantina has gone downhill. i'm on the hunt for a decent burrito now too...
-
