Authentic Mexican Food: Tacos, tamales, tortas, flautas, enchiladas, etc.
Andrea and Phil started selling tacos in a taco truck in the corner of Grove and Montgomery. They then moved to their current location in 2005, and now they opened a new location in the Lower East Side in Manhattan.
This place was busy and they still provided great service.
The food was great! The carnitas tacos were a little too spicy for my daughter but she loved their steak quesadilla. My wife had their verde cheese enchiladas and loved them. The ground beef tacos were the spiciest of the three meats we tried. So I ended up eating all the steak, pork and ground beef tacos. I liked them all but the ground beef was my least favorite, only because I don’t think street tacos should be made with ground beef. The flavor was decent but ground beef is meant for hamburgers and meatballs. Family also liked their guacamole so much that I never got a bite.
-Jason
I’ve come here twice now and have yet to try anything I didn’t like. The free chips and salsa are great – the chips are always well-toasted, and the salsa is very flavorful. Their salsa has a lot of cilantro in it, which can be hit or miss depending on the person, but I love cilantro so I think it’s a great touch. Guacamole is a must here – it’s so fresh and topped with freshly chopped onions and cilantro.
The tacos are perfectly sized for the price ($3.25 per taco) and each taco has a generous portion of meat, sauce and toppings on them. The Chorizo Taco is my favorite, and I like the Barbacoa (lamb) Taco as well. I’ve heard good things about their quesadillas and tortas, so those are next on my list of dishes to try.
The drinks are excellent here. The margaritas are a little small for $8, but they make up for their size with their strength. I’ve come here during brunch hours and tried their mimosa, which is only $3, served in a medium sized glass and is pretty strong. Can’t go wrong with either one of those!
-Ashley
I moved from California where we have the most legit Mexican food. I have looked near and far for decent Mexican food that tastes like So Cal. You will see a bunch of check-ins at places I attempted. Last weekend while at the Bier Garten, a friend of a friend recommended this spot. He assured me it was authentic. Well. WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!!!! This was the best Mexican food I have had since moving to the east coast. The lamb tacos are amazing. The margaritas are strong. The carnitas are off the chain. The guacamole tasted like HOME!! Come to find out, the owners are originally from Mexico and then LA!! Makes sense right? They have this location which is very small and parking is a bitch. But they also have a spot in Manhattan and they are opening another sit down location that will be more upscale.
The bartender was a girl who made sure that people didn’t take our spot when we were eating in and they had take out. She made our drinks strong. She gave us the history of the place. She made sure salsa was refilled and orders for take out were poppin. Someone give her a promotion. Of course the cooks here are the huge winners too. They put it DOWN!!!! Got that 5 star review from a So Cal native. I’ll be back!
-Jennifer
Great place for food and drinks! First off the drinks are kick ass! There is no cheeping out on the booze in the margaritas! Excellent! Had the head, tongue, cactus, fish,lamb and steak tacos! All where excellent and well seasoned. The little side of hot sauce that was given had nice heat to it. Not to over powering. Chips and salsa that are given to you when you first side were fresh and full of flavor. Well definitely be returning here! Great job!
-Mike
This place in downtown Jersey City is literally a gem. One of my favorite summer spots to hangout at. I love eating in the patio specially on summer nights.
The food is very authentic and cheap! Every time I go there I order the same thing because it is just delicious and I am addicted to it. I always order the chicken flautas and a chicken tamale. The only reason I didn’t give this review a 5 Star is because the hostesses can be a little rude and I feel like they should be friendlier. I have encounter that rude behavior a couple of times while attending at taqueria.
-Yuribel
This is the only restaurant in my town whose meals I miss when I go on vacation. The restaurant is loud with a full bar, multiple TVs and loud music so, if you are expecting an intimate dining experience, this isn’t the place. This is where you go for DELICIOUS inexpensive tacos, the BEST salsa of your life and tasty classic guacamole… O & THE BEST TORTILLA SOUP YOU WILL EVER HAVE!!!
The chorizo, fish and barbacoa(beef) tacos are my top three. They are very full in size(especially for the under $4 price) and absolutely spot on PERFECTION in the flavor department!! The cojita cheese they use on most of their tacos is sooo good. The salsa, ughhhh the salsa it is just right in the spice department without being too spicy where it over takes the fresh flavors of the chopped tomatoes. The chips they serve are never stale and always perfectly lightly salted. The tortilla soup is a gift from god, I’m convinced. It is creamy with a very subtle heat. There are creamy cubes of avocado in the soup that really enhance all the pops of flavor and it comes with their homemade tortilla strips which add a perfect amount of crunch.
Fun fact: They have a Sunday brunch with Mexican french toast on the menu that you need to try!!!
-Michelle