Happy Fresh Taco

Elite '08

6

82

Geoff O.

Woodside, NY

This little place served me a very mixed experience. I'm always suspicious of local, cheap ethnic joints that are devoid of members of that ethnicity. The all-Asian staff at this Mexican joint was therefore a little call for alarm given my past experiences, but one never knows. I ordered a checken burrito with chips and salsa on the side. The chips were greasy and the salsa watered-down. Likewise, the lettuce and guac that came with my burrito looked to be avoided.

The buritto itself was huge and was filled with excellently crisp chicken that made up for the other food problems. Nevertheless, a while later my stomach was turning a bit. I have quite a hearty stomach for all foods, so that made me leave with a question mark. I wonder if it was the chips and salsa since the buritto was so good. I don't know if I'll be back to find out.

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3

10

Camelia P.

Ridgewood, NY

This is a little hole-in-the-wall, smaller on the inside than Fresh Taco (do not be confused by the name, they are not the same) on the next block over.  Despite this, Happy Fresh Taco truly seems happier as they are much better populated and have a friendlier atmosphere.  The food is great, in large portions, and very cheap, especially suited for a quick fix when you don't want to cook.  It's also a lot less greasy than you'd expect from tex-mex and (living up to it's name) made with happily fresh ingredients.  The tomatoes they use are also nice and sweet, without the frostbite you inevitably taste if they're frozen.  I've only been to one place that was better than here while keeping in mind the price, and that one is all the way in Park Slope (Incidentally it's called New Happy Taco).
Did I mention the food is cheap? Soft shell tortillas range in price from the 89 cent black or pinto bean ones to the most expensive being a shrimp fajita at $2.39.  Tacos start at 99 cents, nachos (and they give you a LOT of these in one portion) at $2.19 and dinner size burritos at $2.89. The selection is huge and includes non-mex food as well, healthy food options and the menu indicates the vegetarian options also.  Their homemade ice tea is second only to New Happy Taco.
My usual is the jack cheese and guacamole quesadilla at $2.59 with a nice large ice-tea at $1.25 .
Most take-out/eat-out places around this neighborhood are cheap, and usually cheap means mediocre food at best, but this spot is actually worth a shot when you don't want to cook.  One thing though, I wouldn't recommend expecting to sit in since they usually don't have the space.

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