It’s safe to say that during the years we lived in the states, tacos were easily my favorite food. I even dressed up as a taco for halloween. I ate them every chance I could and was beside myself during our first trip to Mexico where I tried a real taco for the first time in my life. They were certainly different to the tacos I ate growing up in Australia, which were always tex mex style.
I was never alone in my passion for Mexican food, especially in our taco club. We would skip breakfast and see how many tacos we could eat in a day, reviewing the places we’d visit along the way. Our first tour was in Sunset Park, Brooklyn; a neighborhood of predominantly Mexican, Puerto Rican and Chinese inhabitants. It also happened to be Mexican Independence Day, so the streets were full of stalls, music and people.
DON PEPE TORTAS AND JUGOS (LEFT)
This bodega has an incredible juice bar in front and a deli with tables out back. The colorful interior is filled with neons and grocery items ranging from dulce de leche to loteria cards. The incredible ambience is the perfect setting for flavorful chorizo (pork sausage) tacos. The tortas are also highly recommended. 20/25
TAQUERIA EL MAGUEY (RIGHT)
This popular neighborhood joint has telenovelas playing in a tiny space. We enjoyed super friendly service, guava Boing! soda and the huge map of Mexico painted on the interior mirror. I loved the flavor of the lengua (beef tounge), served on paper plates with generous salsa servings too. 21/25
TACOS EL BRONCO (LEFT)
When we visited, their restaurant had recently caught fire so they were operating from a food truck out front. They’ve reopened since and the truck can still be found around. A swarm of locals and the NYPD had ordered huge platters and we enjoyed our tacos in the sun. The suadero (thin tender beef) was juicy. 16/25
RICOS TACOS (RIGHT)
The bright green building is hard to miss, it’s busy, loud and popular. We sat outside in the sunshine and watched locals dancing on the street. I tried both the enchilada (spicy pork) which was wonderful, and the cueritos (crispy pork skin) which was sadly not crispy at all. Love their outdoor murals though! 19/25
TACOS MATAMOROS
This is a huge and bustling sit down restaurant, full of locals and incredible wall murals out back. The ambience is fun, with an impressive Mexican soundtrack. Loved my juicy and flavorful carne asada (char grilled marinated beef) with guacamole rolled up mission-style and a cheeky margarita on the side. 22/25
No Comments