I second explorers motion - get out of Manhattan and you will be surprised to discover that a whole other world exists.

Go to any place in Jackson Heights/Corona and the Tacos are amazing. I recommend Tacolandia (a whole in the wall which has recently acquired seating), the street carts, and my favorite, Coatzingo.

Ignore the person who said there is nothing good between 74th and 82nd. A lot has changed in the last 2 years.

Much appreciated, cc! Tomorrow I'm on it.

It's there. I eat there once a week. It's between B'way and West End on the south side of the street right in front of Gristede's. I recommend the tacos de carne enchilada and the horchata's tasty, too.

Super Tacos Sobre Ruedas (a.k.a. the Taco Truck) on 96th and B'way

Can anyone confirm if it's still there? Have I walked by and just not seen it?

Finding good Mexican street food on the UWS seems impossible.

When did burritos become Mexican food? Look, there's nothing wrong with burritos, but they are not Mexican food. Semantics? Maybe... but I think that lumping bland burritos (usually found in NYC) into the Mexican food category is giving Mexican food a bad name.

After 6 years of searching for good, home-cooked food that reminds me of Houston (where my neighborhood is 85% hispanic, and most certainly full of great Mexican food), I've decided that there is something missing in the water up here. It's the same reason bagels taste like crap outside of New York. I've tried to cook Mexican food up here. And while I do better than most restaurants I've visited, I now know what they are up against. Cooking on the Hudson River is not the same as cooking in Tampico. NYC has no humidity, no direct sunlight, no ingredients... Think of French Provencial... it's the ingredients that make the food and wine... why would Mexican cuisine be any different?

My verdict... if you want good Mexican, buy a plane ticket. It's nobody's fault but nature.

The Great Burrito on Amsterdam Ave is an incredibly great and cheap place for mexican food.

Okay, this is going to sound completely hypocritical because I complained above about not having authentic mexican food in NYC, but someone asked about carnitas above- I *have* to recommend the carnitas from the Manhattan Chili Company, they are awesome! They're mixed in this cream sauce that is to die for, just soooooooo yummy. Definitely not authentic, just extremely tasty.

I'm reading! I, too, like the tacos at La Palapa (and La Palapa Rockola).

I know no one will read this, but I was sick over the last two days and I must post on this most important subject now. Being from South Texas en la frontera (that's "on the border" to you gringos) I know a thing or two about mexican food and taquerias in particular as I grew up going to them in Mexico pretty much anytime my heart desired. Now, the speciality down in that part of mexico (comida norteña) is bistek (or beefsteak if you prefer). Served in very small corn tortillas and no need for two tortillas on a taco, as they are filled with the perfect amount of meat and you get half a dozen for about $2.00. Yes, that's 6 for $2.00. They are succulent. The meat is fresh off the grill and sprinkled with cilantro, cebolla (onion), quesito (cheese), and salsa verde o rojo. You MUST squeeze lime juice on the meat at your table. Lime is a condiment in Mexico and Americans have no idea what they're missing when they eat authentic dishes and don't squeeze a little lime juice on them. That includes soups, but I digress...Wash it down with a Joya de naranja (orange mexican soda) and you're good to go. No one can season bistek like the Mexicanos. Not even the Tejanos who try at home in their kitchens. In fact, the combination of flavors is so elusive that us kids used to joke that it must be dog they're serving and that's why we can't nail it. (Seriously, you don't see a lot of strays walking around Mexico, and the people who own dogs, keep them on their roofs--i'm just saying. Of course, I'm just joking and, yes, i'm mexican, too.) Anyway, in recent years, tons of taquerias have sprung up in my hometown which is mere feet away from Mexico and even they cannot compare to the taquerias just on the other side of the Rio Grande. And let me tell you, my hometown can emulate just about anything else mexican as the population is about 98% Mexican-American. But, bistek, for some reason, eludes us. The point of all this being: don't think that any taqueria in Nueva York is anywhere close to being worthy of being put in the slop they feed the pigs to make your carnitas, capice? Believe me, I have done my research since I moved to La Gran Manzana 6 years ago. Anytime anyone tells me of a so-called good Mexican restaurant, there I go. And they all blow. And for that matter, I'm sorry to tell you San Francisco and the entire state of California, you blow, too. And to concur with a previous poster, burritos are a completely American invention. Just look at it: take a beautifully constructed petite little thing like the taquito and blow it up on steroids and stuff it full of everything in the kitchen sans the sink, and i'm sure if they found a market for it, that would go in, too.

All of that said, the best taquitos de bistek, by New England standards, that I have found are in Queens on Roosevelt Avenue around 65th street. But, I cannot for the life of me remember the name because it's been a couple of years since I've been there. And I tried all the Mexican restaurants between 61st and 74th on Roosevelt and the rest all sucked so I wouldn't go to just anyone. Sorry, I know that's not helpful.

What is helpful is that La Palapa in Manhattan, which is not cheap, makes pretty decent taquitos. I just went there for the first time a month ago and enjoyed it very much. They also serve elotes (corn on the cob) with chile and lime as appetizers which I thought was so cool because I've never seen that in a restaurant. It's traditionally a street vendor thing in Mexico. My only complaint about it, Where's the mayo, Palapa? Traditionally it's served with mayo, chile and lime. Sounds gross, but it ain't. I've only tried those two things, but they were so good, I went back a week later to get take out. The tacos are like $5.00 a taco, but you can make two out of them (in that strange New York fashion) so, it really comes out to $2.50 a taco, which by New York standards, ain't so bad.

I've had the 96th street truck tacos many times and find them bland but keep going back because what else is there? I've had Coatzingo on 9th ave in hell's kitchen. I find the bistek to be more like barbacoa, stringy and greasy. I think it's because most mexicans in new york are not from la frontera and have hardly ever encountered beef. In the interior they eat pork because it's what they can afford. I can't vouch for pork except to say that in the case of taquitos, bistek is far tastier.

As noted in the alt tag, it's from bayarea.typepad.com, and it's from Pancho Villa Taqueria, where I haven't been. Yet.

The NYC burrito hunt: the eternal struggle for all former SF-ians. I don't understand the proliferation of all of these pricey Mexican restaurants in Manhattan. . .bring on the taquerias! Chipotle is expanding, but it's owned partly by McDonalds.

Someone tell me where else to find CARNITAS!!! Thanks.

Laren, you still didn't tell us where that picture was taken. I've still got my money on Taqueria Cancun...

LOVE SF!! I just really do...but I have to say that Mexican food in SF or the US is not the same as it is in Mexico---Maybe I am wrong, and I have to admit I have not tried all the Mexican restaurants in the US, BUT I lived in Mex for 8 years---My taste buds learned to love -chiles-, really. Then I moved to CA---and from the bottom of my pan I tell you it`s NOT the same.

First of all, thanks to everyone for all the suggestions -- keep 'em coming! Maybe we should do a 5 borough taco crawl. I ended up hitting the place on 23rd and 6th, Great Burrito on the way home. Did you know it's open 24/7?! I had two tacos, one al pastor and one chorizo. Both were well seasoned, fresh, and served with onions, cilantro, guac, and their homemade hot sauce. Pretty solid, but still some room for improvement. Could have used a little tomatillo salsa to zip them up a bit, but certainly cheap ($4.50 for two), fresh, tasty, and authentic, and best of all, at least until I have time for a field trip -- near my office.

Taco Taco just north of 86th and 1st has good, authentic, cheap tacos. Also don't forget East Harlem -- none of the places there get covered by foodies, but it's a goldmine of Mexican spots. My favorite hole-in-the-wall is Tacolandia, on 3rd Ave and 117th St.

anywhere in jackson heights along roosevelt ave.

guys, i don't want to be a food snob, but there is no such thing as a burrito in real Mexico Mexican taquerias. i love a good burrito myself, but that's not what i look for at taquerias. get some tacos, guys. they should be served with a double layer of soft corn tortillas, some delicous seasoned meat, a little onion, and cilanto...there might be a little variation, but not too much. i like verde salsa (tomatillo). go to the little place just west of 8th Ave. on 38th Street-3 tacos are about 6 bucks. have a corona and relax. get takeout if you don't think the place is fancy enough for your manhattan-lovin ass. by the way, i'm from texas and ny does not have any really good tex mex places. there are some good mexican nouvelle places, but that is absolutely NOT the same kind of food as taqueria food. La Palapa rocks for upscale Mexico city fusion...Tehuitzingo is good as is the back of the grocery right off the Bedford L stop (Matamores is the name I think).

SF and LA Mexican are fine, if kind of blah, but for real good food, you gots to go to ABQ and get someone's mom to bust out the green chili stew and sopapillas.

The people REALLY starving in New York are transplanted New Mexicans.

Will no-one feed us?

I live in the Bay Area, and it's delicious. But there are some serious tradeoffs. The Bay Area can't do deli, for example.

I'll second the taco/pizza place on 23rd and 6th. Surprisingly, the tacos are pretty decent.

Mexican in NYC makes me weep, as it does all native Californians. Not much here really fills the void. I visited a good place in Sunnyside that had a jukebox (playing all the south of the border hits) and pinatas hanging from the ceiling--so I trusted it automatically. I live near Calexico in Park Slope, which is pretty decent and a very good value.