La Familia, Queens: Northern Boulevard & 110th Street

I didn't know anything about tacos and Mexican food in Queens, except that there had to be SOME good places. I was driving on Northern Boulevard when the craving hit and I stopped at the first place I saw. This is place has barely any seating and looks more like a lunch-spot deli than anything else, but the tacos served here are good. Carnitas are moist and slightly crispy with good flavor. Tacos are loaded with meat, onions, and cilantro. There is also a bit of guacamole on top, but I don't think it added anything to the taco. I think I had two carnitas tacos for $4.

If you can find a warehouse full of Corona, you're probably in the right neighborhood.

Tacos El Rey, Brooklyn: Coney Island Avenue & Brighton Beach Avenue

Who would've thought? I've passed by this place a ton of times, but because of the location, I always assumed that it would be Taco-Bell style food. Not so at all. Two proper carnitas tacos will set you back $5.00, some change, and a tip. The tacos here are STUFFED with meat, topped with a bit of onions and cilantro, and a bit of salsa verde is applied to the top. The meat itself is devoid of any fat, so it was almost kind of dry, but tasty. I felt like the tacos could've used a bit more onions and cilantro. Some salsa verde on the side would've been nice, too. A lot of potential here. There aren't too many Mexican places I know of in this area, but this one ain't half-bad. A shame it took me so long to come here. Recommended to people who like lean meat and lots of it.





Sorry about the Google Streetview thing, I forgot to snap some flicks on the way out. But this ain't bad, kinda gives you a little map in the corner, huh?

Isabela's Mexican Restaurant, Brooklyn: 4th Ave & 44th Street

This place is more a restaurant than a 'taco joint' per se, so not necessarily a place to grab a quick taco. Whatever, down to the basics: tacos are purchased in threes here, and three carnitas tacos will run you $6.50 for carry-out (it's $6.00 on the menu.) The tacos, at first glance, look good: lots of filling, onions, cilantro, salsa verde and rojo on the side, limes, etc. But on that first bite, you know something's wrong. The carnitas aren't actually carnitas, but what feels like maybe pork belly or something. They are moist, soft, and quite fatty. Not exactly what I was hoping for. With such solid tacos just one avenue up, I probably wouldn't be coming here again. FYI, the restaurant serves a variety of alcohol.

Pinche Taqueria, Manhattan: Prince Street & Mott Street

Carnitas tacos here are $3.00, come with one corn tortilla, are loaded with meat, and topped with guacamole and just a bit of cilantro and onion. Honestly, I like guacamole, but I'd rather have more onions/cilantro and no guacamole. I also would like their salsa verde to pack a bit more heat. Your preferences will vary. These tacos are good, but keep in mind that $3.00 can probably get you two or three equally good tacos in Sunset Park. My friend remarked that if the tacos came with some chips and another corn tortilla, they might be worth the price. Well, I guess that's SoHo for you. I'd come here out of convenience when I'm in the area, but otherwise, Brooklyn all the damn way.

Parrillada - Charboiled House, Brooklyn: 5th Ave & 47th Street

I was a little bit leery about this place. For one, it has a bar and serves alcohol. There's also a pretty (sorta) storefront with acres of glass and English words. We sauntered in, ordered three spicy chicken tacos (they did not have carnitas), huevos rancheros, and a large coffee. For what it's worth, the coffee is not bad. The huevos, however, were drowning in runny green sauce and were merely edible. It looked like someone dumped two sunny-side up eggs in a split-pea soup. The tacos came as a set of three for $3.75, two corn tortillas each, meat, and the usual cilantro/onion topping. The texture was mushy, but moist. The spiced chicken was okay, but the flavors didn't manifest themselves on your tongue. I don't know. Will said that, in the future, if a place doesn't have a separate section for tacos on the menu, we probably shouldn't try it. I'm not sure if I agree 100%, but this restaurant definitely tries to attract those who are hesitant about stepping into a hole-in-the-wall taco joint where no English is spoken. And that would be fine if the tacos were good. But they aren't.

Taco Mex 2, Inc., Brooklyn: 5th Ave & 47th Street

This place has nearly the same exact menu as Tacos Matamoros: items, price, almost everything. The tacos turn out nearly the same, too. The carnitas tacos are very juicy, though not quite as savory and the tripas tacos are fried, though softer. I would say that everything is just half a step off from what Matamoros is on a good day. However, it is still very good, and this is definitely an option when Matamoros becomes packed out (as it sometimes can be). Small Carnitas and Tripas tacos are $1.25. Eat up!

Mally's Deli & Grocery, Brooklyn: Knickerbocker Avenue & Jefferson Street

It was before lunch at 11:30a, but I hadn't had breakfast, so when I passed this bodega with the word 'tacos' in small lettering, I ducked in to see if they would serve me a couple of carnitas tacos. Honestly, I wasn't sure if the tacos were going to be Mexican tacos or Taco Bell-style tacos. At least I wasn't asked if I wanted soft or hard tacos. I was pleasantly surprised. The tacos were packed with meat, had two corn tortillas, were topped with onions and cilantro, and came with salsa verde and salsa rojo. They needed a pinch of salt and I felt the carnitas could've been made a bit crispy for texture. Overall, very satisfying; I'd stop by again if I were in the neighborhood. Two small carnitas tacos were $3.75, which is okay, but leaning on the pricey side.

Tacos Xochimilco, Brooklyn: 5th Ave & 45th Street

Small tacos are $1.50 here and must be ordered in pairs. Large tacos are $2.50 and are not much larger than the small tacos. We ordered a pair of tripa tacos, a pair of carnitas tacos and one large pollo asada taco. The tripa tacos are very different from the tripa tacos at Matamoros: instead of crispy fried bits of tripe, it is soft and cut into strips. Not bad, but I think the fried tripe is more flavorful. The carnitas tacos were average to pretty good and the pollo asada taco was juicy, though lacking in substance. The salsa verde wasn't especially notable, but they also provided a spicy habanero sauce.

Taco Mix, Brooklyn: 5th Ave & 46th Street

Taco Mix is a very small taco stand right around the corner from Matamoros. Small tacos are about $1.50 and VERY tasty. I had the carnitas and the al pastor, both of which were quite good. All the meats here are cooked together in a large vat which included a bunch of unidentifiable meats. In the case of al pastor, carnitas, and chorizo tacos, the meats were minced. The salsa verde was tasty and more savory than most.

Tacos Matamoros, Brooklyn: 5th Ave & 45th Street

Tacos Matamoros. Where else would a taco blog focusing on Brooklyn and downtown Manhattan start? I count on Matamoros for consistently delicious carnitas (fried pork) and tripas (tripe) tacos. Inadvertently, it is the standard by which other taco spots will be judged.

Tacos come in two sizes here: small and large, large being served with a healthy dose of guacamole. Both are served with a very good and mildly spicy salsa verde, a few lime wedges, and a few sliced radishes. Carnitas tacos are served with very juicy and crisp carnitas, onions and cilantro, and warm corn tortillas. Tripa at Matamoros is served fried, crisp, and delicious. Highly recommended; I really like this place.

Large Carnitas Tacos on Left, Small Carnitas Taco on Right

Tacos Matamoros