Gothamist: Ask and Ye Shall Receive

Al B.Around

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 13:24:54 -0500

Has anyone tried this New place called Vamos! ? it's on 1st and 20th street. I've had the best Tacos ever, the fish taco is to die for and the steak sandwich they serve at Brunch is incredible. I think we have here a serious contender for the Best Mexican in NYC !

Maria C

Sat, 11 Feb 2006 19:07:21 -0500

grecian corner 234 7th ave poor food dont know why very expensive especially paying the illegal mexicans 2 dollars an hour

fromSoCal

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 18:05:59 -0500

Hey, I'm a recent SoCal transplant, from orange county, and I'm used to being able to get cheap, tasty, fattening (beans made with lard, mmm..) mexican food whenever I want. For those of you who think we Californias should go back home, have you ever stopped to think that we're not all here by choice? Now if anyone's from southern california, and you know what I'm talking about- beans with melted cheese, that tasty orange colored rice, carne asada burritos, no healthy crap mixed in, greasy homemade chips and salsa- let the rest of us know where you get it. Hey, this aint the same as a hole in the wall place, but the chain Chevy's (one in times sq, one battery park) is pretty tasty and fresh. Unlimited fresh chips and chipotle salsa and get this concept new yorkers, free drink refills!

luli

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 12:36:20 -0500

Only place for homestyle mexican cooking and the best in town is El Maguey y la Tuna on houston street www.elmagueyylatuna.com

foodfiend

Sat, 07 Jan 2006 20:01:08 -0500

re good mexican try soho cantina on prince they make all their own sauces and moles from scratch and the chimichurri steak is the best in town they marinate it overnight so it's extra tender amd flavorful plus it's large like as big as my forearm

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 22:39:47 -0500

Jen W

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 14:15:43 -0500

Los Pollitos I is in Sunset Park (5th and 36th-ish? It's been awhile). Los P II is the yuppie outlet. Like 'em both, but I think LPI is a little better, but Sunset P is inconvenient, unless I'm going bowling). The Spaghetti-os sauce place on 5th in the Slope is I think Calexico (LPII is on 5th/St. John's Calexico is a few blocks north); I always referred to it as "that gloppy Mexican place."

praxis81

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 08:58:04 -0500

Now that there are Mexicans in NYC, I'm sure there's awesome Mexican food around. I just haven't found it. Taqueria y la Fonda is close- loved the chicken torta, but the al pastor and asada were lacking in flavor, though the carnitas was better. Tulcingo Del Valle on 10th and 47th is also good, not great. Thing is, most people have bad taste, no matter where they're from or where they've travelled. And Ann, done right, fish tacos are amazing- slices of fresh fish or shrimp, battered and fried, then instantly deposited into a fresh tortilla, piled on with lime, cabbage, salsa and crema. You know, just like you've had in Ensenada at the fish market.

ann

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 08:36:03 -0500

to the anonymous who's tired of the whiners HEAR EFFING HEAR! dear god people, do you think just b/c we live in new york we've never flown in a PLANE before? that since we're on the east coast we've never chosen to go to mexico for vacation? that some of us have never lived on the west coast before? do you know for a fact that none of the chefs at the higher class mexican places in nyc aren't from say, border cafe in santa monica and don't go to oaxaca and quintana roo to get culinary inspiration for their dishes? oh, and while i'm at it... note to west coasters, fish tacos are GROSS! its like, tuna salad on a taco, i mean, why would you DO that?!?! so, here's some advice: stop whining, go back to la-la-land where you belong, and eat your nasty mayo laced tacos theres too many people in OUR city anyway

loft dweller

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 08:16:37 -0500

most of these are great... except about the NYIRN. Let the NYIRN starve. These wanna-be do gooders should be using their non-profit time for something good. Maybe its just time for some manufacturing to move? This has been happening forever. Musicians and Artists live in illegally zoned lofts because they can't afford to live elsewhere and continue to work in NYC. To defend corporations over them is just. plain. retarded. (or an easy way to create a tax shelter non-profit)... NYIRN... go do something GOOD with your time!!!

Mary

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 07:48:36 -0500

New Mexicali on Court, just off Atlantic is good - great for pork chops with pipian - pumpkin seed sauce! $10.95, 2 chops, rice, beans, salsa and chips. And not a bad margarhita either.

Anonymous

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 07:04:44 -0500

Two places in East Village -- Itzocan Cafe on 9th between First and A, imaginative and consistently great. For a decent taco, go to the Mexican deli on A between 13/14 (West side of street, awning the colors of Mexican flag) and see what they have behind the counter.

seabringer

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 05:29:55 -0500

El Huipil on Sullivan Street in Red Hook. Really small, but fantastic, and a good place to get several tasty and varied dishes to split between two people. If the place were in Manhattan, it would be mobbed daily.

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 23:48:20 -0500

native californian, taqueria y fonda la mexicana

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 23:28:36 -0500

Am I the only one who tires of people bitching about the lack of authentic Mexican food (and obviously THEY don't even agree on styles and levels of "authenticity")? Get over it. You moved here, and knew what you were getting into. New York will never be California, but I'm sure you're bound to find some palatable options in this city. For the record, someone once pointed out the "best and most authentic" place for tacos, somewhere on 9th or 10th avenue, through a winding tunnel, in the back of some crusty bodega. So there. - not a native NYer, but a lover of many cuisines

Joey

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 23:23:31 -0500

Castro's in Ft Greene has the best burritos.

former so cal resident

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 23:18:27 -0500

i have not had any good mexican in the year i have lived in nyc. instead i have settled for the alright food and taken to eating pizza. i used to live in san diego, so i have given up hope on anything comparable here. most new yorkers have no clue what really good authentic mexican is like. just imagine people in...kansas... making pizza and you living there..you will understand.

Casey

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 22:46:56 -0500

Two blocks from the Hungarian Pasty Shop is a hole in the wall: Taqueria y Fonda la Mexicana. They have AWESOME burritos. Me and my peeps at columbia go there all the time. They have cheap breakfast too, and their horchata cures a hangover instantly.Best part: they make something called the "giant burrito" which can be vegetarian, sars, and is $7.50 for more food than you can possibly imagine. Their tacos are the real thing too. http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7171340/new_york_ny/taquerea_y_la_fonda_mexicana.html

Sars

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 20:27:06 -0500

My Texan friends swear by Lobo -- both branches (Park Slope and Carroll Gardens). McK nearly wept the first time he ate there; he swears it's the closest to authentic Texan Tex-Mex he's had in the city. I'm from Jersey, so what do I know from good Mexican (I always thought San Loco rocked), but Maria's Mexicano's guacamole is really really good. If anyone would care to email me with a place where I can get a veggie burrito that ISN'T full of fucking carrots, please, feel free.

99

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 19:25:33 -0500

Taqueria de Mexico on Greenwich used to be ranked high pretty regularly (over on Chowhound, it was the only place that would get listed in lower Manhattan regularly). Then it closed and reopened (same name, I think, new owners). I've had tacos before and after this, and I'm still a fan (though they are more expensive). I loved Kiev too, but having eaten at Veselka, Kiev, Christine's and Odessa with regularity over the past ten years, I never understood why people seemed to have it in for Veselka. Yes, it costs more, and it's often harder to get seated, but I've always thought it was the best of the lot in a walk.

wetconnect

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 19:14:36 -0500

Ashamed to admit it, but I like Chipotle Mexican Grill...

dansroka

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 18:34:33 -0500

If you are looking for some place that is not a taqueria, and is more of a fancy night-on-the-town Mexican restaurant, try Hell's Kitchen. Simply amazing.

scraggabinz

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 18:06:29 -0500

I totally agree...El Paso Taqueria is the absolute best Mexican, tops places in East LA in my opinion. I go to the one on 104 & Lex. Simply wonderful!

folklaur70

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 18:02:55 -0500

Best cheap mexican on the rock is El Paso Taqueria...outposts at 97th between Park & Madison and 104th and Lex. Also quite good and authentic (most of the time) is Taco Taco on 2nd Ave around 88th St,

James

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 17:57:14 -0500

Bean is overpriced tex-mex from the Frozen Food Section. Poor service and the place is dirty. I have also seen them let dogs run around in the kitchen.

Bethune

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 17:56:41 -0500

Itzocan on 9th/A is amazing, but it's so small it's hard to get a table. Go on an off night...(and don't rely on a reservation!)

Jay Smooth

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 17:53:31 -0500

Yep, the best is Taqueria Y Fonda on 108th and Amsterdam.. And nope, Maryann's should not be on the list..

dan selzer

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 17:53:12 -0500

Best tacos I've had, and I haven't been to sunset park, are in the back of a bodega called Fast and Fresh Deli on Hoyt St. above Atlantic ave in brooklyn.

cameraman

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 17:52:04 -0500

Puebla - 1st Ave b/t 2nd and 3rd Sts - delicious.

nancy Brodsky

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 17:45:51 -0500

mercadito on avenue b is yummy mexican food. their tacos are the bomb, though expensive!

dani

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 17:45:22 -0500

That's Los Pollitos - and it's awful. Cosmic Cantina has pretty decent food - it's not totally authentic but very fresh - California style.

smitty

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 17:17:52 -0500

Is Los Pollitos the one that puts the spaghettios sauce on all their burritos? One of those places on 5th on the right-hand side facing north does, and it's grody.

diabolix

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 17:10:20 -0500

After reading this posting and some of the other responses, I'm disheartened at the love of rotten food. Noche Mexicana is tex-mex crap and the Hungarian Pastry Shop, a place that has no good pastries and can't even make a decent cup of coffee. For a cheap eat in Chelsea, I'd say check out the taqueria on 8th Ave @ 26/27th St. It's not fantastic but you can get your grub on for less than $5 and not feel like you have eaten the equivalent of gastro-intestinal draino.

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 17:06:07 -0500

Mary Ann's is gross and overpriced. Nuevo Tacos Mexico is awesome, I am happy to find a tasty chicken torta, I'll tell you. Los Pollitos is ok, but it's never a good sign when there are no mexicans in the restaurant except those that work there.

nyc123

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 17:02:24 -0500

Cabana on 60 and 3rd it has amazing cuban food

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 16:16:43 -0500

Mary Ann's? Good? On the best day any of those dumps ever had, their food still tasted like ass.

Krista

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 16:15:24 -0500

You might’ve noticed that not many Mexicans live in the bulk of Manhattan, you kind of have to go where they’ve settled to find semi-authentic food. Try Roosevelt Ave. in Jackson Heights and Corona, Fifth Ave. in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, pockets of Bushwick. There are tacqerias (not overstuffed veggie burritos) all over these areas.

jd

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 16:09:37 -0500

IN Park Slope, there are much better altertives than the Grecian Corner. The guy's a rat.

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 15:54:54 -0500

Head on over to Roosevelt Avenue in Queens.

ann

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 15:47:42 -0500

yay to jim for big upping tacos neuvo on 5th! i used to live near there (now in les) and i go back frequently god i love that place i'd also like to add El Maguey y la Tuna on houston just east of attorney street and since i'm waxing nostalgic for the slope at the mo, i'd like to nominate Cafe Steinhof as the BEST breakfast joint on the face of the earth! the eggs with mushrooms and dumplings w the water cress salad is SIMPLY TO DIE FOR!

tom

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 15:42:19 -0500

Wow, City Bakery and Cafe Lux are cheap? Great, yeah, but I don't think you'll find them on the bargain rack...

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 15:39:59 -0500

Real Azteca - East 163rd Street, near the Hunts Point Ave stop on the #6.

Jim

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 15:24:01 -0500

Best Mexican (cheap too): Tacos Nuevo Mexico on 5th Ave between 11th and 12th streets in Park Slope. Thumbs up to Los Pollitos II on 5th also.

Stilts

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 15:11:05 -0500

Mercadito on B. Best. Ever.

Rodney P. Sweetchops

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 15:08:28 -0500

Broadway in Astoria has a number of excellent Mexican places and taco stands, both to the east and west of the N/W train stop.

liz

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 15:00:35 -0500

park slope: cafe mexicana and los pollitos. noche mexicana on the upper west side is terrific and authentic, too.

Big Dave

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:56:58 -0500

It all depends on what kind of Mexican food you consider the best. I prefer Sonoran style (birthplace of the chimichanga - yum) but have not found ANY place in NYC that serves up real Sonoran style. Plus most native New Yorker's idea of good Mexican food is truly pathetic.

CBOT

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:44:47 -0500

Barrio Chino on Broome & Orchard is the farthest thing from authentic, but damn it is tasty. Jalepeno tequila and michelidas to boot.

Tom

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:44:28 -0500

I love the little taco stand next to the Sideshow at Coney Island. Is Gabriela's really going to reopen?

annette

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:33:34 -0500

For Mexican, all you have to do is head to El Barrio, which has become a haven for little authentic taquerias. Just get off the 6 train at 103 and Lex and take your pick. I had my first haurache in that neighborhood at a small taqueria with brown awning (sorry can't be more specific) on the corner of 103 and lex. There's also The Corner on Kenmare and Spring. It looks like a regular diner, but it's one of the few places in Manhattan where you can get fish tacos. As for Mama Mexico, I'd pass.

annette

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:33:09 -0500

annette

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:32:34 -0500

Mark

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:22:10 -0500

I tell everyone this, so you'd think I'd remember the name, but there's this bodega on 10th ave and 47th, west side of the street, that has the best Mexican in the city. Go through the front, and in the back there's a little counter with these three women held prisoner behind it. Get the Chorizo taco--amazing, and only $2

Sally Tomato

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:09:03 -0500

I would recommend Maz Mezcal on the Upper East Side, or Mexican Radio in Nolita.

Amanda

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:06:40 -0500

Noche Mexicana on 101st and Amesterdam is the best mexican I've had so far in the city, and definitely worth the trip if you don't live nearby. It's much better than Taquieria y Fonda. I go there about once a week. Try the cheese flautas!

nick

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:06:06 -0500

Mary Ann's? Um. . . But I'd recommend Mama Mexico (warning -- Mariachi music on website) at a UWS and East side location which has a large menu and full bar, as well as Noche Mexican at 852 Amsterdam Ave, and Taqueria y Fonda la Mexicana at 968 Amsterdam which are both small, but have delicious and authentic (i.e. not Tex-Mex) food.

Rachel

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:03:04 -0500

I had the same Mexican food conundrum when I moved here from Northern California last year. The best I've found so far is Taqueria y Fonda La Mexicana on Amsterdam between w 107th and w 108th. Their food is cheap, tasty and traditional (no cheddar cheese on the quesadillas here -- they use the not-so-melty white cheese instead). I once asked one of the guys who works there why the food is so good and he told me they use family recipes from Oaxaca. Yum!

tien

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:00:51 -0500

wow, i'm going to start selling jake some $3 eggs after i buy a bunch from the store!

MissingTheOldKiev

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 13:47:47 -0500

Uhm, Veselka is on 2nd Avenue and 9th Street. Not Union Square. It'll never be as good as the old Kiev though (oh, how I rue the day they took my beloved Kiev away...).