Tajin — Restaurant in New York

Mexican is not one of my favorite genres, and it's primarily because the combo of my texture-based palate and the crunchy shizzle that hangs out in a lot of the food isn't an ideal fit. If I like a Mexican place, it's usually because it's very, very simple/no frills, and that's Tajin in a nutshell. I came here with my Skipper for lunch on Friday, which was a miserable rainy day, the kind where you're venturing out MAYBE one or two blocks from the office. The walk from the office took approximately three minutes, and we were able to get inside with minimal dampness.

I don't think it would be fair to call Tajin a dive; (the Skipper might disagree based on her recounting of a horrendous bathroom visit) but it's a pretty basic interior, with some sugar skull-esque art on the wall, and almost a diner vibe when it came to some of the tables/seating. We sat towards the back, which had a view of the bar area where the waitstaff lingered, making it very easy to get someone's attention for a drink, the check, etc.

This might not be a selling point for a ton of people, but I was THRILLED to look over, say, the quesadilla section of the menu and see two or three ingredients per item. You start to lose me at a certain point when the items are covered in peppers, onions, etc., so when I saw that the chicken quesadilla contained nothing but chicken and cheese, I didn't hesitate. The quesadilla showed up within a few minutes, and hit the spot. As you can see from the attached, it came with a small pile of guac on the top, which I spread around the top. The guac was a LITTLE crunchy for my taste, but was relatively smooth. Definitely some solid comfort food on a day where I barely remembered what the sun looked like.

I also ordered a few passion fruit margaritas; the Skipper is far more educated about these matters and recommended I get the tajin rim (I of course obliviously went into this place not knowing what Tajin meant) which jived perfectly with the drink - nice little nip to go with the sweet. I'm pretty ambivalent about margs, having had a ton of bad ones that practically sent me into insulin shock, so it's always a pleasant surprise when someone mixes them properly and you don't end up crashing later. It was light and tasty, and I'd absolutely get it again.

This is probably two or three blocks from a pretty hardcore touristy area, but it certainly gets some of that foot traffic. As a result, they could definitely charge more for the food/drinks but I thought it was very reasonable for the neighborhood. The Skipper had a glass of wine that was $9, the margs were $12, and my quesadilla was around $13, I believe. Given that there are nearby restaurants that unhesitatingly offer $40/$50 entrees, you could do a lot worse to your wallet if you wanted to.

We're adding this one to the list for future visits. Convenient,...

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY HERE!! If you want weak drinks, greasy or flavorless food and rude customer service who forces 18% gratuity on you even when they don’t show up to check on you not once, then come here. Both service and food are terrible. Drinks were, sugary and small. Food was greasy and refried beans have lard in them, left a film on the roof of the mouth. The waiter never showed up to check on us after ordering our food. After sitting there for a while trying to get his attention, I asked for the bill, he brought it and it came with an automatic 18% gratuity charge for 3 people. I am a generous tipper, but I do not give my money to people who do not deserve it. I might also note, restaurant was not busy, multiple tables were empty. After asking one of the margaritas be removed because we did not like it and did not drink it because it was gross, the waiter said NO and said he would call the manager. The manager, rather than apologize and say she would remove it or remake it, was confrontational from the start and refused to remove it because she said all their drinks were non refundable. She raised her voice without provocation and wanted to argue rather than fix the situation. It was a horrible experience, My friends and I have never been treated in such a way. We are NEVER going back and I advise you...

This is our go to favorite lunch place for delicious, cooked to order, fresh Mexican food! Be prepared to wait for your food to be served and do not complain about it! This is a family run restaurant that services numerous people per day in the Downtown/Financial district and I am one of them. We go there on our lunch break and those days are special! You know like Monday, or Wednesday, any day of the week. They are super warm and friendly, they work hard, but they put out the best authentic dishes before you. You actually crave their chimichangas! A nice menu with plenty of choices. Their guacamole in the tiny tortilla bowl melts in your mouth. They serve ice cold, cinnamony horchatas in a mason jar that will blow your mind! They have a full service bar, but, you can only consume alcohol downstairs. Their margaritas are the only ones I can drink on the rocks- smooth and delicious with a perfect balance of tequila and who am I kidding, you can taste the tequila!! Thats all that matters! They can deliver to your office, but why would you want that? Go there! Make room in your schedule. They are newly renovated since last year and we can't stay...