Playa Betty’s — Restaurant in New York

Playa Betty’s is a fun place to drink margaritas with a big group on the Upper West Side. I went to Playa Betty’s for Taco Tuesday and it was a great experience from atmosphere to food and drinks. They don’t offer Happy Hour Menu on Taco Tuesday but if you buy a drink Tacos are $3 each + $8 frozen palomas

It is surprisingly large (especially for NYC!) with high ceilings and fake palm trees, surf boards…really makes you feel like you are in Southern California =]

Drinks: *Frozen Paloma: traditional frozen margarita with grapefruit flavor (very yummy!) *Cool as a cucumber: very fresh a good choice for summer *Oaxaca Mule: good but might be too sweet for some, not sure if is the Fever Tree Ginger Beer that adds the extra sweetness. I have never tried fever tree ginger beer before which is sweeter and not as spicy as regular ginger beer

Food *Tacos (they are small so we tried a few): we tried carne asada, short rib, rock ‘n roll shrimp, the markey and al pastor (short rib and the rock ‘n roll shrimp were probably the best of all). Definitely not the best tacos I’ve ever eaten nor the best in NYC but worth a try (and especially on Tuesday for $3) *Mexican Grilled Corn - a must order not too spicy as Jamaican corn but enough flavor to make you want more *“Tot” Chos: a “classic” nachos made with tater tots also very good *Queso (dip with chips): good appetizer and a generous size perfect for sharing *Venice beach fries: fries with a “spicy twist” also good for sharing

Dessert: *Churro Ice Cream Sandwich: DELICIOUS! I will definitely go back there just for this deliciousness in form of a dessert. I don’t have sweet tooth but the combo of sweet churros with creamy ice cream is just perfect!

We were there at the busiest time (around 7pm) and service gets a bit chaotic at times but food will definitely make up for it. Like a said is a fun place to catch up with friends over some drinks but if you are looking for a more intimate (quiet) place this is...

I'll say this about the Upper West Side: in the last decade and a half it's changed quite a bit when it comes to the food options around. Having spent a significant amount of time in the area I've seen it go from a neighborhood where the idea of dining out was limited to the point of it being crippling. Sure, a few gems existed here and there but overall there wasn't anything that screamed out immediacy. Basically, you'd be lucky if the pizza was any good. Fast forward to now and the food scene is definitely tighter, better and more eclectic. Enter Playa Betty's with their SoCal vibes and delicious Californian grub. We're talking fresh & delicious tacos, burritos, quesadillas, great drinks and their standout Dharma Bowls. Also, a word of advice: if you do make your way here make sure to not miss out on their amazing Frozen Paloma Drink: Jose Cuervo 100% Agave Tradicional Silver, grapefruit & a pink peppercorn salt rim. Friggin' delicious. Alright, let's get back to some recommendations. First off, try out there Hang 10 Burrito that comes with chopped steak, fries, jack cheese, guacamole & sour cream. Put in some hot sauce and go to town on that bad boy. 2ndly, try one of their delicious Dharma Bowls. You can add what you want to it from the great choices they give you but don't forget to add seared salmon. Go for the seared salmon. The entire bowl has a great taste to it and you'll feel light & refreshed after having had it. Healthy rarely tastes this good for me. And one more thing I can happily recommend is their Pork Belly & Egg taco. I scarfed it down inappropriately fast and you will too once you get your hands on it. This is a great place to come after work with some friends, definitely on the weekends or take advantage of their brunch which happens everyday from 11am to 3:30pm and includes bottomless for an additional $18. Great place to hang, especially if you want to escape NYC winters with food and vibes as your...

I am the vegan of the group and I ordered the vegan “ish” tacos, the vegan enchiladas, and the chips and guac. I loved the guac presentation, everything separate was something I’ve never seen before and it was nice to be able to control how many things we wanted. They also included pomegranate seeds, which I was surprised worked so well! We ended up adding them all. The vegan “ish” taco kind of confused me, I figured it was fake fish, but I was wondering if it was just dairy free and not totally vegan. I would definitely recommend a different name to save confusion (I wasn’t the only confused one at the table). I wasn’t the biggest fan of the taco itself. It tasted like a fishstick and I’ve never been a fishstick fan, so if you are like me, I’d skip that one. The vegan enchiladas were pretty good! I would definitely go back to get them. There was jackfruit inside, vegan cheese, and it came with rice and beans. I definitely recommend having the guac on the side to add a little extra something in addition to the hot sauce. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience! The place is cute and they were very accommodating of our large party. I do wish they had let us order and pay separately through the QR link like everyone else at the restaurant, but I do recognize we were a party of 13 and that is a lot.

For the non vegans, some recommended drinks and dishes were the Tanteo Jalapeño Bloody Maria and the short rib enchiladas - both were very good. While the server was very attentive and helpful in her recommendations, there were one or two people who’s drinks were forgotten. I do have to mention again we were a big group and things happen. Lastly, I ordered the chicken enchiladas. The portion was a good size and super filling. I the chicken was slightly dry, but that didn't stop me from wiping my plate clean since I was super hungry. The atmosphere was so fun and the...