Taqueria by El Prieto NYC — Restaurant in New York

It's hard to find a place that competes with the standard that Los Tacos No. 1 has set. Though, this spot does a lot of things really well. The vibe, menu, and flavors are all on point and the staff is very accommodating. All the food comes out fresh and the tortillas taste hand-made. The highlight is the self-serve salsa bar with complimentary pinto beans. Portions are on the smaller side given the steeper prices. For almost the same price, my steak taco fix goes to the OG, but if you want to avoid long lines and get more menu variety, this is a solid stop in NYC. Below is a breakdown of what I ordered, along with my thoughts. Asterisks (*) indicate items I especially enjoyed and would recommend ordering again.

*Chicken Burrito ($14.50) - Straight up just meat, guac, cilantro & onions wrapped in a flour tortilla. I appreciate this style without all the extra rice and beans.

Steak Taco ($5.89) - Flavors are all here but the steak is a bit chewy. Perhaps more marinade time could help tenderize it. I would give it one more chance considering how good everything else is.

*Cucumber, Lime & Chia Agua Fresca (Comp.) - Super refreshing and not overloaded with sugar. This is perfect for a hot summer day.

Hibiscus Agua Fresca (Comp.) - This has all the complex spices and notes that you would expect. A bit on the sweeter side compared to the others, but very...

i'm from california and haven't had any good mexican food in new york yet, so i was super excited when i heard this spot from chula vista was opening up. overall, this is definitely going to be my go-to spot for mexican food in the city- def recommend!

one of the most impressive things was the salsa/condiment bar. i've always said you can judge a mexican restaurant by its salsa bar alone, and they did not disappoint. there's no real spicy salsas imo, but they're all very flavourful- especially enjoyed the pineapple one. the marinated onions+jalapenos were also a standout.

the adobada was really well seasoned and juicy. i prefer more of a sear, but it was still very tasty.

I got the tacos and my friend got the quesadilla- going forward, i would never get the tacos again. they were decent- needed another tortilla but otherwise good. but for the price ($5+ for a single taco... criminal) i would choose the quesadilla for the value alone. and it was very tasty as well!

another thing that sets apart the best mexican restaurants from the rest, imo, is the ability to make tasty chicken. unfortunately, el prieto did not deliver here. the chicken was stewy and not very flavourful despite the extra toppings provided. skip!

overall though- just happy to have found some really tasty mexican food in the city. thank you for the free...

Update: i returned this past Saturday 5-3-25. Got 2 Mulitas to go. Chicken and vegetarian. Once I got home, I ate just the one vegetarian mulita. Also guac and chips. Somehow, I got very sick. Woke up the next day with strong intestinal distress. Not sure what that was all about. Maybe my own digestive system was not working well... ? Or was something "off" in the food? Called today (Monday 5-5-25) and asked if any other customers had called with a similar story. The manager on duty said that no one had called. Now, I'm a bit cautious about returning, even though I liked it so much after my first visit. Not sure what to make of this situation. Thanks.

FIRST REVIEW: I feel like I hit the jackpot with this place! Clearly, this is HOMEMADE, happy Mexican food. You can taste the love in this food. I had chips and guac, and for the first time, tried a "mulita" (chicken). It was delicious. The host behind the counter, Eric, was super welcoming and made sure that I tried a very refreshing sweet cucumber drink that was so tasty (sorry I forgot the name!). This is one of those cozy counter spots that has fantastic food. Very clean and tidy, too. Grateful to have discovered...