LOS TACOS No.1 — Restaurant in New York

Being from California (San Diego) the last thing I came out to New York for, is tacos. However, walking trough Chelsea Market and bumping into this taco joint, made me want to try them. Their authentic taco shop look made me think that they might actually be decent?

Anyways...

The line was extremely long and there is.No seating, you have to find it out in Chelsea market. Right out of the bat I realized that maybe it wasn’t a good idea. Long lines don’t always mean good food, it may just be that there isn’t anything better. When I finally reached the counter, I ordered 2 asada, 2 adobada & one quesadilla. All of them had everything on it, and have to say they were nice and well packed. Not your typical grain of meat and a bunch of salsa mini taco.

The asada tacos were good for one reason. The meat was fresh of the grill, and the flavor was still fresh on them. The real deal here came when I took a bite out of my adobada tacos... Such a rich and spicy flavor. As someone who has had the best tacos from south of the border, I was surprised how close these tacos were to home. The Adobada tacos were out of this world, and will probably go back for seconds before I go back to California.

I also ordered a Jamaica angua Fresca, and was not disappointed. Places either do it to sweet or just plain water and Jamaica bland taste. This one was perfect!

I only have two complaints. No seating area and the prices. Almost $1.50 more than the usual already high price of $2.50-$3 that are in Cali. I guess I shouldn’t of expected any less in NY.

Anyways. If you’re in the area, and want to try out some authentic tacos, this is the spot.

P.S - the quesadilla is more like a taco with cheese. Still really...

MÉXICO 🇲🇽 Eat the World NYC review: Without much fanfare, the fourth branch of Los Tacos No. 1 has opened up a small spot in Tribeca offering the same foods and experience as their other locations. The wildly popular Tijuana-style taco spot, lauded as the "best tacos NYC has to offer" by many folks has still been unable to keep up with demand as lines at the original Chelsea Market location are almost always out of control. There have been many occasions in the area where one glance at the line was enough to decide against another visit.

Eating a taco is a spiritual experience for some people, an attack on your senses from all directions if done properly. You might see smoke from the carne asada blocks away from a street vendor you are approaching, then start smelling it when getting closer. The chop chop chop of the blade going through meat hits your ear. The salts, fats, and acids hit your mouth at the same time all creating ecstasy, just in time for you to notice the juices running down your hands and onto your shoes.

If there is any complaint about Los Tacos No. 1 it is simply that some of this experience is taken away by the shiny white diner aesthetic they have chosen. I am sure some (or most!) folks do not mind this, but that spirituality spoken of is hard to attain here for that reason. This is to say nothing about the price, which is absolutely not a problem. The tortillas themselves make the taco worth double of its street counterparts, and that is not even mentioning the much higher quality...

Visiting from the street taco epicenter of the world and gastronomy award winning city of Tucson, AZ, let me tell you that Los Tacos No. 1 are unequivocally legit. I have had the pleasure of eating some of the best street tacos in S. Arizona, S. California, Northern Sonora Mexico and Baja California, and Los Tacos No. 1 ranks as some of the best tacos I have ever had the pleasure of topping with salsa and putting them in my mouth. If I closed my eyes and didn’t know I as in NYC, I would think I was eating tacos outside of a Mexican nightclub after dancing and drinking until 4 AM. NYC is quite blessed to have not 1, or 2, or 3 locations but 9 all within Manhattan. Some folks may say that their menu isn’t “extensive” enough, or that there isn’t enough or any seating, or that the tacos are okay compared to tacos they had in Narrangansett, RI. Oh well, you will not please everyone; however, know from a first generation Mexican American that makes his own Sonoran style carne asada on weekends in the heartland of street tacos that the tacos from Los Tacos No. 1 are as…dare I say it… “authentic” as can be. Do not let anyone else tell you there are better Mexican street tacos in New York City; it just isn’t true. Special shout out to the manager Russel at the original Chelsea Market location. He is great people and ensures a memorable experience while eating these little morsels from heaven...