Matamoros Puebla Grocery

 

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Angel S.

Brooklyn, NY

OMG WTF HAPPENED? SOMEONE ANSWER ME. DID THEY CLOSE??? I live off Grand and am not always in bedford... but the 3x I tried, all I saw was STEEL Gate. This was the most decent burrito I have had in NY. WTFFFFFFFF. What will I do? I met a mexican from san jose in miami and he told me of a hole in the wall on rivington and essex, anyone know? i must investigate

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116

alexandra k.

Bushwick, NY

My being from California directly effects my opinion of Mexican food.  Most Mexican food throughout New York has absolutely no flavor, it's bland and void of all the things that make mexican food wonderful. I'm not expecting miracles here, but take flavors up a notch guys!

THANKFULLY, there is this place. It's by no means perfect, but it's the best I've found out here. Nestled in the back of a deli like Mexican Grocery, Matamoros cooks up some fine disgustingly wonderful foods and serves them with our choice of beverages from the grocery shelves. Almost feels like home.

If my father was ever 100% right about something, it's that the best Mexican food, East of Nevada, can always be found in the back of a Mexican Grocery.

fuckin' a.

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8

42

jack p.

Cambridge, MA

Not to criticize the place itself, but I can't figure out what the yelpers mean by 'authentic'. The food in the back of this dirty little bodega is flavored with delicious Californian sensibilities, but tex-mex in format. Accordingly, it's neither a decent burrito joint nor actual, authentic mexican food, rather just a cheap mexican restaurant with better flavor. As a result, it's very good for new york, but it's not the most amazing thing on wheels as other reviews would imply.

The major plusses are the flavor (read: fresh cilantro, undiluted avaocado, and a few other key touches) and the real mexican coke (cola not blow), while the minus is that you can hardly eat there and the food doesn't travel well. In conclusion, three stars is all I can really give this place despite the flavors.

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7

48

Caryn R.

Brooklyn, NY

Don't come here for trendy, Chipotle-type mexican food. Do come here if you want inexpensive, filling, delicious authentic food. It's right off the L train and it's NEVER crowded. Love it.

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44

stephanie t.

Brooklyn, NY

Four stars because I don't really think that any Mexican food in NY is worthy of five stars, but really this should be four and a half.

Matamoros is another great back of the bodega counter that serves up yummy Mexican street food for cheap. I usually stick to the tacos (1 al pastor and 1 chorizo por favor with salsa verde -- $2-2.50 each), but they also have huraches, sopes, burritos, tortas, and tamales.

The burritos are more Mexican style (loosely wrapped with salsa and cheese on the outside -- must used a forka nd knife) than the Cal-Mex style most places do. Since I have already found the Platonic Form of a burrito (in northern California), I don't even bother with the burrito here, not that it is bad. I've also had better tamales (see my review of Zaragoza), but the tacos really hit the spot.

Matamoros also gets points from me for its atmosphere, which is bare bones and one of the last things on Bedford Ave to have resisted gentrification. You can grab a drink from the refirgerator to enjoy with your food, and sit at one of the few rickety tables in the back. Pay up front at the end, and I always recommend the Sley popsicles in flavors like tamarindo, guava, jamaica, and my favorite, mango with chile (SOOO good, I practically ate them out of their stock of these at the beginning of the summer) in the freezer case on your way out.

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Elite '08

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Tory S.

NY

I have shot myself in the foot a bit in terms of my rating system, but I clearly cannot rate Matamoros as highly as Tortas los Picudos, and clearly my Astoria torta did not even begin to achieve the dizzying heights of torta wonder that was my cranium-sized Picudos afternoon snack. So I bestow three jaundiced stars on Matamoros but would like to clarify that really, it was a far superior torta to the one uncovered in Queens, comparable to Zaragoza's in quality though not at all in construction. Now that that's cleared up, the details:

Matamoros is tiny, but chock full of snacks and blessed with a counter in the back where one can sate one's torta craving with a very well-priced $5.00 sangwich. I went once again with the old standard, torta al pastor, which was served on a telera with queso blanco, what seemed like an entire head of lettuce, onions, beans, crema and jalapenos. Ordering to go meant that the lower half of the telera was soaked through by the time I opened the foil three minutes later but somehow it managed to remain firm despite being saturated with torta juices. Overall the torta was quite mild and comforting, with the occasional spicy bite courtesy of the jalapenos. The pork was tender, the ingredients were fresh, and I made off with a renewed supply of Japanese peanuts and a guava Jarritos to boot. It's not San Francisco but its a damn sight better than the poor ethnically confused "mexican hoggies" I've seen hocked by other torta hustlers. Perhaps some irate vendors cracked at the prospect of their product eternally suffering the invidious comparison and peppered the Matamoros awning with a warning spray of stale bolillos...

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2

aquiles A.

Brooklyn, NY

Best mexican food in Willamsburg!

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Paula H.

Brooklyn, NY

Surrounded by a seemingly endless array of fancy new restaurants, Matamoros is one of the original and best spots in Williamsburg to get something decent to eat.   This grocery store has an authentic Mexican luncheonette in the rear where for $4 you can satisfy a hearty appetite south of the border style.  

The untainted atmosphere can transport you far from the maddening crowd on Bedford Avenue.  I like to go there alone, have a couple of chicken tacos  and pretend I'm in Mexico.  On the way out I usually pick up 3 Carlos Quintos chocolates for $1.

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3

Frank P.

Brooklyn, NY

I'm hesitant to write about this place because I don't want too many more people to discover its charms and have it be already more crowded than it is. This unassuming and tiny kitchen at the back of a Mexican grocery store has one of the best tamales I've ever had in my entire life. They also have life-changing tacos, and variety of other quality foods for a criminally low price. If I lived in Williamsburg, I'd be here all the time. Can get crowded though, and with limited seating you should be prepared to take out. Cash only. A nice alternative to all the fancier places that claim to be authentic but aren't.

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12

Sarah in Brooklyn ..

Brooklyn, NY

Authentic, quick and cheap.

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