Rosie's — Restaurant in New York

busy Mexican restaurant with a full bar anchoring the corner of Second Ave and Second Street in the East Village.

medium-sized eatery. relaxed vibe. camal bar in the center of the space where you can see tortillas and more being made from scratch, and there's seating around the perimeter of the camal. the rest of seating options are spread out in two-tops & four-tops. there's some seating outside during warmer weather along Second Avenue. there is seating at the small bar tucked in the back. the space is very relaxed and casually stylish without feeling dressed-down or dumpy. the energy from the kitchen to the staff carries through the restaurant via delicious smells, bustling sounds of food being served, and the colorful Mexican dishes. there's a brightly lit cage downstairs of tequila downstairs where the unisex restrooms are as well.

Rosie's serves brunch on weekends and dinner throughout the week. the focus is on food, but the drinks are focused and consistently good.

was most recently there for the start of my huuuuge birthday brunch celebration.

food: try the guac and chips at least once as an app. worth it.

the tacos are on point. the al pastor is spicy and bring a nice amount of savory flavorful heat from the roasted pork--plus avocado, jalapenos, and more. the "suadero" is juicy piece of thinly slice brisket with all the taco fixings. however, my favorite go-to taco is the "pescado" --crispy battered fish within a soft taco, pickled onions, & tomatillo sauce.

the chillaquilles is a huge brunch entree and is easily shareable by two people with normal morning/afternoon appetities. top layer of eggs floating on layers of cheese, tortilla strips, salsa, onions--and you can add beef for a little extra. honestly this is a lot of food. you were warned! similarly the huevos rancheros is a big shareable brunch dish by two.

the TORTA with huevos & chorizo is the gold standard of brunch sandwiches. it hits all the notes: spicy, savory, smooth, and crunchy. this mexican-styled brunch sando is BIG in size and for a big appetite! sausage patties, bean paste, tomatoes, avocado, cheese, jalapenos, and more. all of the aforementioned sandwiched between a crunchy long sandwich roll. this is a messy sandwich and the mess is worth it. the ingredients come together nicely from the spicy highlights to the creamier ones. honestly, the bread makes this mexican sandwich spectacular.

in terms of drinks, you can't go wrong with the margaritas or Mexican-styled drinks like the michelada. the drinks with spicy notes bring the heat. i am a simple dude when it comes to my drinks here and opt for Tecate which pairs well with most of the menu whether it be brunch or dinner.

always leave room for...CHURROS at Rosie's. 'nuff said.

Rosie's has a lot of range from date nights to birthday celebrations (large or small) to relaxed business drinks + dinner.

FYI: people who state you can't get good Mexican food in NYC should NEVER EVER be trusted. lol. Rosie's will never replace the gloriousness and diversity of foods to be had in Mexico. however, Rosie's does not disappoint.

drops mic cuz it's...

Rosie is a nice Mexican restaurant downtown with a great atmosphere. It looks fantastic from both the outside and inside. The vibe is inviting, and the setup is well thought out.

Unfortunately, they do have some issues that I have noticed compared to other sit-down Mexican restaurants in the area.

Pricing

To start, it is definitely overpriced. The guacamole was some of the best I’ve had recently, but unfortunately, it was $17. The balance of sour and salty flavors topped with cilantro and radishes was excellent. I was very impressed with the presentation and taste. The chips were also perfectly salted and crispy.

The guacamole came with two salsas. One was very good; I think it was the mild one, with a nice blend of sour and sweet with a mild heat. Unfortunately, the spicy one had way too much tomato flavor, almost like a spicy marinara. I think offering three salsas would benefit customers because if one isn’t to their liking, they’d still have two other options. I’d recommend adding a green salsa for variety. To be fair, the guacamole and chips were the best part of the meal.

The Main Course

Unfortunately, this is where the meal went downhill. I ordered the birria tacos, and my girlfriend ordered the stewed chicken.

The tacos were extremely overpriced and not worth the $24 for just two tacos. The consommé had no smoky flavor, spice, or even enough salt. It honestly tasted like it hadn’t been seasoned before serving. Most good consommés have a salty, smoky, and spicy flavor with chunks of meat at the bottom. This one tasted like low-sodium beef broth. The tacos themselves were okay but lacked flavor, smokiness, and salt. For the price, the portion and flavor complexity were disappointing.

My girlfriend's dish was better. The soup was flavorful and well-seasoned, far surpassing my tacos. It was also reasonably priced and more filling, even at half the cost of my dish. However, the toppings that came with the soup were awful. The tortilla chips tasted like cardboard. Why not just serve the delicious chips from the guacamole instead?

Drinks

I had water, and my girlfriend ordered a mimosa. Her mimosa was basically orange juice with a drop of champagne — very disappointing.

Conclusion

To summarize my experience, I would say this place is extremely mid-tier and overpriced. I would recommend skipping this spot. Tacombi has better drinks, tastier tacos, and more flavorful salsas, all at a lower price.

The server was very nice and attentive, but it seems management doesn't have a clear understanding of portion sizes or appropriate pricing. I suggest the owners or management visit other sit-down Mexican restaurants to reevaluate their pricing and...

My how Second and Second has changed. The once center of my social life has gradually disappeared and replaced by the likes of luxury condos and Blue Ribbon Chicken. The spacious dining area was open to the mild evening air. The host was cordial and quickly got our table ready for the 8:15pm reservations. The open tortilla in the middle as you can see them make the soft tacos. The décor is casual outdoor like setting with the string of lights above. I would say the space is a bit loud when it comes to conversation and it can be hard to hear each other talk during dinner. Service is impeccable and prompt without hovering.

Everything here is kind of small portions to share and try. Our waiter was knowledgeable with our food questions and didn’t rush with when it came to ordering but we were ready and hungry! We ordered a pitcher of Margarita and no good Mexican meal is without guacamole and chips. The drinks were refreshing. I wasn’t too sweet and the tequila definitely was there. Quite nice.

The crew was hungry so probably not so good idea when everything is small so coming in starving is not the way to go here. Everything came out all at once. That said, the tacos were delicious, moist tender and flavorful. The steak tender and seasoned beautifully. The roasted hot peppers were hot and it is great for anyone how wants to add some extra heat too their meal. The chicken enchiladas was delicate and creamy but not over powering. Usually it is always heavy but here it felt ‘light’ didn’t feel weight down after eating it. I like the shrimp fritters which was not oily, but light and air in the dough.

I think the failing of the meal was the dessert. While it was okay. I love the flan but didn’t like the flavor and Churros was soft inside and crunchy with a sugary shell exterior. It wasn’t too sweet accompanied with hot chocolate.

Things we learned. Food here is delicious. Share everything to sample. Don’t come hungry. Don’t order two pitchers of margarita. Skip...