Upstate Taco — Restaurant in Town of Marbletown

I'm updating my review, since we've returned several times and seen this place really come together nicely! (You can still read my first review below) Yesterday's treat was a couple of tostadas with Tinga de Pollo and tacos made with braised pork in a mild chili sauce. Wow! The pork was a generous serving of tender, aromatic, slow-cooked meat that really satisfied. The tostadas were loaded with well-seasoned shredded stewed chicken, a bit of refried beans, crisp lettuce, crema, and of course I added extra pico de gallo to mine. Plenty of lime slices this time, too - a must-have with tacos. I noticed they have horchata (a favorite of mine), which I will try on my next visit. I'm also hoping the chorizo y papa tacos will appear on the menu again, because they are muy rico. See you soon, Upstate Taco - thanks for bringing delicious authentic Mexican food to our neighborhood! We'll be back. :)

*original review: "We got takeout, 2 carne asada, 2 pollo, and one chorizo y papa, plus a side of pico de gallo. The restaurant is clean, bright, and cheerful. The chefs assemble the tacos on the grill right behind the counter, and are happy to chat with customers. Great atmosphere. There's a self-serve area where you can fill little containers with salsas rojo and verde (both are very good! The red is deliciously smoky and the green is nice and spicy.) Our food was ready quickly and we enjoyed watching the chefs at work while we waited. The only reason I'm giving 4 stars rather than 5 is, when we got home and opened the box, there was very little onion and cilantro and there were no limes! Mexican tacos without lime slices? No way! The chorizo y papa was SO good - amazing - with a complex flavor and lovely texture. The carne and pollo were nicely seasoned and cooked. Pico de Gallo was a small portion but very good. We are coming back, looking forward to trying some more menu items and watching this place grow. They are off to a good start! Pero......

I am a huge lover of tacos, and since I live nomadically, I have the opportunity to try a lot of different taco places. I ate here three times during a monthlong stay in the area. The ingredients are all fresh and of good quality, and I like that you can order tacos a la carte at reasonable prices, which seems to be a vanishing option these days as tacos get more and more trendy and upscale/gourmet. I also like that you can dine outdoors in warm weather.

All of that said, of the three times I was here, two of those times I had to wait what felt like a ridiculously long time for two tacos to be prepared (and the other time, though I didn't have a long wait, I heard others ahead of me complaining about how long they had been waiting. They looked like they were on the verge of leaving in a hangry huff when their food finally came out). Most recently, the place was nowhere near full, and my wait for food was on top of waiting to put in my order while the person who takes the orders was making drinks for the customers who had just ordered ahead of me. All three times I was there I got the feeling they were running short-staffed. That young woman taking orders was doing everything but cook the food.

Though the tacos are tasty enough, all but the fish tacos have pretty sparse toppings. Once, I asked if I could get extra cilantro, and I was told it was pre-mixed with the chopped onions, so if I got more cilantro I also had to have more onions. Sheesh. Another time, I asked if I could have lettuce on my tostada instead of kale, and I was told that kale was what was available on their seasonal menu. It's late May! How is lettuce any less seasonal than kale? They literally don't offer lettuce in May? In short, this place is pretty good, and it's an asset to an area that's short on options, but I think with only a few small changes they could be a...

We got take-out tacos yesterday. Hot day, felt sorry for the guys at the grill with no AC.
 The chicken and beef tacos were both good, the chorizo was outbidding — really! Would have liked a bit more onion and cilantro. And some lime wedges, please. Great salsas — different flavors and amounts of heat. The green is the hottest — you can take as much as you want. The price? Well, I’d say the tacos tend toward the higher end. Cost more than a taco truck, if you can find one. More than the cheapest places in Kingston. About the same as most Manhattan taquerias, although you usually have to order plates of two or three at least. These tacos are one per order. I don’t know where they’d put a bar, but a cold beer would be nice. Mexican sodas for now. We’ll be back to try more of the menu, which they say will change. Hope the hours can be worked out and posted. I think Mexican food is a great addition to the area. We plan to...