When Snack Dragon, Josephine Jansen's taco shack on Avenue B between 2nd & 3rd doled out its final taco this past Memorial Day, late-night devotees and locals alike mourned the loss of the cheap eats joint with tasty, always fresh tacos. Officials claimed the shack was built without a permit and Jansen, the taco-loving East Village veteran, had no choice but to leave.
Thanks to a coffee shop that closed literally around the corner, Jansen was back in business on August 16th, opening the doors to the new and improved Snack Dragon, located on 3rd Street (between Ave A & B) across from Mama's Food Shop. The decor has largely stayed the same: "Snack Dragon" printed on bright blue paper, a menu taped to the window claiming "if you haven't tried a taco you haven't really lived," string lights, and bold aqua-colored walls.
On a recent night Gothamist sat outside on the two polka dotted benches, served through a take-out style window even though the new space also has an eat-in counter. Blue corn tortillas are filled with either carne asada (marinated skirt steak) pulled off the grill and sliced to order, pollo verde (stewed chicken breast), roast pork, or fish (grilled sole), topped with beans, cheese, homemade salsa, fresh cilantro and sour cream. Spicy tortilla soup topped with corn, olives, and sour cream or quack-n-cheese, a mac-n-cheese like dish made with quinoa, pay homage to New York transformations of Mexican ingredients.
At $3-4 per menu item, prices have jumped since the shack switched homes but signs on the window plea for customers' forgiveness since the increases enable them to be there at all. Open until 1 a.m. Sun - Wed, 2 a.m. on Thurs, and 4 a.m. on Fri & Sat, Gothamist thinks the extra dollar is well worth the investment for some of the tastiest tacos in Manhattan and for the shop's irrefutable charm.
Snack Dragon is located at 199 E. 3rd Street (between Ave A & B). Hours vary.
