Lost in a sea of shoe stores and kitsch, Pio Maya, the tiny taqueria on 8th Street (between 5th & 6th) is easy to miss. Decorations are scant and Mexican artwork hangs unevenly on the pale yellow walls, but no fear: the food is cheap, fresh, and filling--a welcome culinary trifecta for a city starved for great Mexican fare. more ›

New York Magazine shows some love to one of Gothamist's local favorites, Pio Maya, a teeny taqueria housed in the space that was briefly Von Singh's. The article gives props to their tasty tacos, and also rightfully highlights their roast chickens, which are flavorful, juicy, and pretty damn reasonable. You can't beat the quarter chicken with a choice of sides (we tend to get the rice & red beans) for $5.50, and if you ask nicely, they'll bring out some of their special hot sauce, which is fruit-based and packed with quite a bit of heat, but not too much that the flavor doesn't shine through. And did we mention they deliver? more ›

After a long week, there's something nice about a Friday night at home. But being social creatures, we sometimes like to have company over for our nights in. Often tired to cook, we tend to turn to our trusty pile of takeout menus, but there's another option -- the roast chicken. The trick is to find a place along your commute home that makes juicy, tender rotisserie chickens. Our local favorite is Pio Maya, a taqueria that also has nicely spiced roast chickens, available whole, by the half or quarter, either by themselves or with sides, and served with a side of tangy hot sauce. Last Friday we grabbed a few roast chickens, knowing we had some leftover potatoes and green beans at home, and chowed down with some friends. Buying two whole chickens gave us plenty of great leftover meat for dinner and lunch this week (curried chicken salad, shredded chicken tossed in some soup, chicken burritos), and we'll pop the bones in the freezer for homemade stock. more ›

Our good friend and neighbor Augie gave us the scoop on Pio Maya, the new taqueria set to open in a few weeks in the space that was, for a short while, Von Singh's. Run by a former Otto employee and his brother, Pio Maya will be serving up traditional Mexican food and promises to serve up some fiery salsa for Augie and any others brave enough for the challenge. We're definitely looking forward to having a new taqueria in the 'hood -- lord knows New York could use some. more ›