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1st Ave-14th St (L)
Mon-Tue. 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Mon-Tue. 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Wed-Thu. 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Wed-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Fri. 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
"I just upgraded Zaragoza from a three star rating to a five star rating. Having been there twice in the past week (at 330am and 2am…" read more »
I've thought about it and I can only knock the restaurant so much just because I'm a cheap ass. Maybe someone else won't mind paying $18 for enchiladas without any trimmings. Maybe everyone dining with them won't drop their jaws when they see how small of a taco you get for $10. Maybe other people are cool with no rice and beans on the side or even some nice warm tortilla chips while you wait.
If that is the case then they do make a damn good enchilda dressed with the most delicious mole I've ever had, so make that first on your list of things to order.
I Love this place. The tacos were flavor full and different. I had the fish tacos and the carnitas. SO good and so different. They also made one of the best Michlada I have had on the east coast.
I give it 4 stars b/c I only been there once and it was great. But will it still be consistent not sure. I would def go back with my foodie friends.
Only set back is that it's small but I enjoy the intimate setting.
The vegetarian mushroom tacos are off the chain.
the chili reyeno (poblano pepper stuffed with sauted shrimp and oaxaca cheese) is off the chain, too.
The watermelon guacamole is good, sometimes.
OMG - the food is incredible. The fish, pork and shrimp tacos are unbelievable. And the salsa's and warm corn bread... and the sides.... I can not get enough. I always walk out of these place feeling satisfied. I like to try different things - so I love the small portions. It's fun to go with a group and mix and match. I generally walk out spending 30 bucks a head..... and if I looking for quantity to go with the quality - I go late or on Monday and Tuesday when they have an all you can eat deal. The food comes out when it's ready, so if you're uptight then you'll have to learn to deal.
Had a party of about 16 here for my birthday. There was one long table that fit about ten and the rest were up on high seated tables behind us. So the only negative thing about this place i can say is that its cramped and not that comfy to just lounge. However, other than that, service was very attentive, food was bangin, and the atmosphere/crowd was poppin. There were a lot a lot of people waiting on tables. Highly recommend for the younger crowd that doesn't mind the music and loud atmosphere where i feel the dining area at Mercadito across the street is more of a relax and sit down enjoy your dinner type of place.
Okay, I'm sure you're thinking I'm some MD asshole tourist that just can't appreciate the complexity of this place. Well, I'm sorry, but I don't understand the high ratings this place gets. The tacos are teeny. No, not small. Not tiny. They are TEENY! And you only get two. We dropped by here after the wonderful time at Otto's, and quite frankly this place fucked up our "high". $10 for 2 itty bitty teeny tiny "tacos"? "$6.50 for a plate of beans? $5 for queso????? What the hell, man? There is no way that these prices can be justified. I've had MUCH better for MUCH cheaper. I've gotten better food out of a vehicle. Sorry, but it's a no-go, Mercadito Cantina.
I must have been eating somewhere different than most the reviewers here, because this place was, uh, bad. Service was completely whatever. They didn't seem to really care that we were there, but at the least weren't actively rude or anything. No, my complaint is the food and the prices. As far as I'm concerned, no place that calls itself a taqueria should have anything over $5 on its menu. This place *started* there. $9.50 gets you two tacos. Two tiny tacos. Like, silver dollar sized. And nothing else. Want some beans? $6. The food was good, but nothing particularly special. If the tacos were literally half the price, I wouldn't be so down on it, but those were not $5 tacos. Not even in New York.
Takeaway:
This restaurant grossly overbooks and does not honor reservations.
Backstory:
Came here the other night as part of a group of 6. The restaurant had obviously overbooked and refused to seat us as a group, instead offering to split us into 3 groups of 2. We obviously declined. I won't ever return here, and I would advise anyone with a party of more than 2 people to look elsewhere.
We went with a group of six, but opted out of the tasting menu that they usually try to push on large-ish groups. It was a good call, as we were able to get a lot more variety than we would have otherwise, and we ended up spending less that way.
We had carnitas and carne asada taquiza platters, since those are pretty standard dishes and because they worked for some of the non-spicy eaters in our group. The pork was really good, salty and a little sweet. I found the steak to be a bit overdone, and less juicy than carne asada usually is. Well-seasoned, though.
We also ordered a couple of individual tacos, including the vegetarianos and pescado. Both were good, especially the latter. The tilapia was lightly fried and crispy without being greasy. The vegetarianos was a tasty mix of earthy mushrooms and huitlacoche.
My favorite dish was a last-minute side order, arroz verde al horno. It's rice baked with manchego and oaxaca cheese, and it's excellent comfort food. It's also a nice, creamy complement to the spicier dishes so it really balanced things out.
Finally, the drinks were great as well. I had a blood orange margarita made with their "tric-quila," a tequila substitute that they don't fully explain, but I didn't need to know. It was good and potent but with a less pungent aftertaste than regular tequila.
Let me start off by saying I'm an ass. I had posted an unhappy update about Cantina stemming from confusion over pricing and portions earlier this week. Shortly after, the owner contacted me to clear up my misconceptions and to defend his restaurant, as any respectable business owner should and has the right to do. He also did so with grace and professionalism, which I appreciate given that I was in the wrong. I'm sure my fellow Yelpers understand just how rare a commodity this is, especially in NYC: an owner or a manager's respect for their patrons and a high standard for their quality of product. Here are a few points I'd like to put out there, hopefully to help other foodies:
- Three tacos per order at LUNCH, two per order at DINNER.
- For dinner, if you have three people in your party, you can get an extra taco for an additional $4.50 per order. The idea is to share, so each person can try a taco of each type. (I totally did not understand the extra charge until he spelled it out for me, maybe it's because I eat like a rabid animal and don't share food!)
- Every single ingredient, including each spice and even every avocado, is imported from Mexico.
- All the meat is organic and free-range.
So that's my confession and penance. I will now try to replace the foot I stuck in my mouth with delicious, high-quality tacos from Mercadito Cantina, where the owner generously welcomed me back despite my offense.
Yes, the tacos are smaller than my hand, but man do they taste a whole lot better. You also get… Read more »
I don't know where to start here. Can we start with the website. Just go there now to have on in the background. Sometimes when I have no music I just go there and let it take me away.
Now the drinks. What to say about the drinks. We had a party of 6 and between the 6 of us we had about 3 drinks each. 18 drinks total. So we sampled quite a few. Your visit will not be complete until you try a few of them. Sadly the website does not tell me the names of the drinks but you can't go wrong with the watermelon one or the one with cucumber. Try one of each and repeat.
The salsa. Oh the salsa we tried the habanero salsa and it was amazing. It tickles at first and then slowly burns ...oh such a good burn.
The tacos. I must of tried at least 5 tacos and i can tell you they were all fantastic. ...
One of the best mexican food experiences I have had in this fair city.
enjoy
Take the food from a Mexican street cart, make it boring, and add a high price tag. That's what this is. Oh, and I should mention the uncomfortable seating...all stools with no backs.
Skipped the tacos since people said they were small and I am big and was hungry. Had the Shrimp Chili Rellenos dish and it was insanely good !!! Like WOW good. These guys do great guacamole too . Had tasting of 3 different kinds . Thumbs up . I will be back .
We stumbled into this little taqueria while stumbling down Avenue B. Actually, we were standing out front debating whether to go in when the manager asked "what do I have to do to get you to come in?" We negotiated a plate of guacamole and came inside.
It's a simple menu of guacamole, salsas, tacos, and a few sides and desserts. We had the 3-guacamole plate; the toreado was my favorite but the rest of my crew thought the sandia (with watermelon) was the best. Either way, I would put it up there in my top 10 NYC guacamoles. The tacos were a little more average. A bit pricy for two small tacos. The fish tacos were good but a little bland; the chorizo was much better. The cocktails were interesting; they don't have a full liquor license so the margaritas are made with sake and really pretty good. Overall, a solid place. I'll be back.
Pro: the tacos are good
Con: They cost too much and are too small
Pro: the chips and salsa are really good
Con: They're not free (they charge $6.50 for chips and a few salsas), and you don't get enough).
Pro: the drinks are really good
Con: the seating is uncomfortable and, if you're a party of two, communal
Pro: This is among the better Mexican food in NYC
Con: That's not saying much
It's on Avenue freaking B, not 20th and Park! Only in Manhattan will decent tacos plus chips and salsa, in one of the crappier and inconvenient parts of town, cost two people more than $30 for lunch. This is why people in California make fun of us -- nobody in California would pay more than $15 for the same food, nor would they have to. And it would be even better.
I came here for the Tuesday special after 10pm: 21$ AYCE (all u can eat) tacos and a FREE BEER!
It was perfect since I was celebrating my acceptance to the dietetic internship program! ....It's my 2nd attempt in a very competitive program so I'm pretty proud of myself AND I get to stay in NYC for another year!! YAY ME!
The tacos were great EXCEPT they have this thing where the whole table needs to get the AYCE option or nobody gets it! Trust me, they are STRICT! Also, they want the whole table to get the same tacos at a time. They were small, maybe 2 bites for one, so I guess these restrictions made me take away 1 star.
Anyhow, I loved both fish tacos!!! ..the snapper and I believe the other was tilapia. Yum! Also the calamari ones where finger lickin' good!
There was this cocktail called the Roja Loca!! OMG!! This is just heaven in a glass! Reminds me of the mexican tamarind candies...spicy, sweet and tangy! I had 2..hehe plus a free lager on tap!
.....I was literally carrying my stomach in the rain back to my apartment, so glad it was only 2 blocks away!
If the day ever comes when I leave this city - voluntarily, by court order, or otherwise - my last meal in town might very well be a few margaritas, an order of plantains, and kilo of pork tacos at Mercadito Cantina. The newest outpost of the Mercadito NY restaurants is all about tacos, and though the fish tacos have been the main focus of raves and praise for Mercadito Cantina, the pork offerings are not to be missed. Most everything on the menu is simple, well executed, and gives you that special kind of gratification you get from eating street food, yet the dishes are anything but pedestrian. The space has the feel of the Momofuku dining room...wood paneled, lively, and has a very similar seating layout. I have always had good luck getting a table on busy nights, and the staff is welcoming. Bring friends and come hungry...ordering the tacos by weight is definitely the way to go.
Food Rundown:
Paper Daisy
Believe it or not, this "margarita" doesn't actually have any tequila in it. A mix of sake and agave serve as a stand-in and clever way around a liquor license restriction on hard alcohol. Nonetheless, the Paper Daisy goes down easy and still packs a punch.
Platanos Machos
These incredibly tasty fried plantains come accompanied by a ginger jalapeño dipping sauce. Order your own. Trust me.
Pollo Tacos
A minimal plate of two nice chicken tacos topped with grilled cactus and salsa. Though these are good, there are much better taco options on the menu.
Pescado Tacos
The celebrated star of the Mercadito Cantina menu, some say these are the best fish tacos in town. I have a hard time disagreeing.
Carnitas Taquiza
This one is my absolute favorite...not only at Mercadito, but as far as pork dishes in New York City go, it's about as good as it gets. A kilo is a lot of food for one person, so this is a good dish to share between two...you might want to upgrade to the 1/2 kilo for 3 or more. Served DIY style, the plate consists of a hot iron pot of shredded pork, warm taco sized tortillas, diced white onion, and your choice of two salsas. I recommend the verde and the veracruzana, but your waiter will happily walk you through each of the 8 on the menu.
The day my roommate and I moved down to the East Village from the UWS, we went out in search of a bite to eat. Mercadito Cantina is right around the corner, and it looked decent enough. We both ordered tacos and they were downright some of the best and most authentic Mexican I've had in the city.
Not to mention that it's very moderately priced, the cocktail menu looked very decent, the service was good and the decor was simple, modern and nice.
Mercadito Cantina willd efinitely be a regular spot on my list wherever I live.
The first time I went to Mercadito Cantina, I got home late from a meeting one night, and the boyfriend had been cleaning and doing laundry, so we treated ourselves with an impromptu Tuesday-night dinner outing. The day before, on his way down the Condé Nast elevator heading home, he noticed the TV service in the elevator mention a place called Mercardito Cantina: Modern Taqueria, located just steps from our apartment in the East Village. So he took our friend Betsy to Mercardito for dinner, and brought home with him two Milanesa Tacos, with breaded beef and their poblano avocado salsa for me. And though breaded, I don't think my 5.25 mile run the following morning was for not!
The restaurant is very reminiscent of Momofuku Noodle Bar's décor, with bleach wood panels encasing the boutique restaurant, and even bar seating and bleach wood tall boys, in a family-style seating motif. The environs are so Momofuku-esque that I continually referred to it as Mercadito Ko! Even the menu has a slight nod to David Chang's empire, with a minimalist approach to taco stands; there are only seven a la carte tacos made up of two per order. And instead of the broth and noodles, Mercadito Cantina's "Taquizas" feature your choice of kilo or 1/2 kilos of ether barbacoa-style chicken, marinated skirt steak, Berkshire pork belly or roasted garlic shirmp, with your choice of two out of their eight salsas, accompanied by their sugar-sweet and salted onions in vinegar, limes and their homemade dollar-sized tortillas.
The menu is spare but perfect, with just enough choices that combine some traditional Mexican flavor profiles, mixed with modern touches and flare. And they use just enough fire in many of their dishes, while still playing with sweet undertones, as best exemplified by their Chipotle Guacamole, made with pickled chipotle, pineapple, mint and tomatillo pico de gallo. Oh yeah, you can order a tasting of two or three guacamoles; there are five unique and diverse choices.
If you're in the mood for authentic Mexican cuisine, made New York style, Mercadito Cantina is perfect. I always complain about there not being any good Mexican restaurants in Manhattan. Thanks to Partner Chris Pugliese -who also opened Sushi Samba Dromo and Blue Ribbon -and Executive Chef Patricio Sandoval, the East Village can now claim to have the best Mexican joint New York has to offer.
We tried to go to Mercadito first but it was an hour wait, so they directed us to their new sister restaurant. We didn't realize it was tapas style until we were seated. Seating was cramped and communal- we were seated inches away from the next party, who we kept bumping into. We ordered the salsa verde and chipotle guac to start, and the portions were laughably small. The salsa was really good, but the chipotle guac tasted oddly like cashews to me (I didn't get a single chunk of pineapple which is why I ordered it). We had a side of the arroz verde, which was delicious- they baked it with tons of cheese on top and inside so was it was gooey and rich.
I was afraid we ordered too much food until the tacos arrived- they were tiny! You'd have to order 2 tacos dishes each at least ($20) to get full. The vegetarian tacos were bland (filled with mushrooms and onions), but my boyfriend really liked his fish tacos.
The service was all over the place- we had about 5 different servers. I'd probably return to try some other menu items, but would come with the mindset that I'd be spending a lot of money and would not be leaving full. They have all you can eat taco nights for $20, but I don't know how I feel about eating more than a few of the bland vegetarian tacos.
Went here for brunch over the weekend.. after debating which location to go to, this one won because of the great skylight in the back and because it has air conditioning! (The original might have a/c too, but their doors were wide open)
I ordered the fish tacos... For $9 I expected a little more than 2 small tacos. They came out within 5 minutes, were smothered in a brown sauce (not so appetizing)... but they were delicious and filling!! I would go back again and again for those babies.
We also ordered a sampling of the traditional guac along with the watermelon guac. Again, I thought the portions were on the small side, but again, I was surprised by how full we got from it. Big chunks of avocado helped!
To drink, I had the Bloody Joe -- blood orange juice, lime, and tequila. Really refreshing and light, loved it.
Why doesn't a cute boy with glasses who is funny, warm, masculine, well-cultured and socially intelligent ask me to meet him here? Whyyyy??? Oh yeah - it's because I seem to repeatedly attract guys that fall into the following bins of incompatibility: 1. socially inept 2.ambiguously-gay/metrosexual/shady-asses 3. cheap 4. zero-nunca sexual attraction.
So, alas... another weekend and I stroll in here with a girlfriend and her gay boyfriend. Wait, does THAT make me a third wheel?? Great, that's all I need. Anyways, we had a fabulous time drinking the margaritas deliciosas...our tricycle ordered the perfect trifecta of pineapple, strawberry and regular. Mmmm... that's right - I had the pineapple. No, actually I had two... and they were worth every calorie. The seating space is small and quaint (conducive for the near-sighted) - and just what you need for fluid conversation as those margaritas (and other decadent drinks) flow.
I especially love this place, because I love sharing and sampling, which is optioned on salsas and guacamoles served with crunchy and flavorful chips. We tried the chipotle guacamole - holy guacamole! I'm still thinking about it and it's been over 24 hours. Let me tell you - even if your date is thrown to the reject dump - u will still have fond memories of the guac. We also tried the salsa verde and the roasted pepper salsa - both excellent. For my main, I had the vegetarian tacos, which seriously melted in my mouth, after they fell apart on my plate. They are a little fragile and messy so don't be shy to take charge and dig in with your fork. The servers had such a synergestic system down with clearing finished glasses, refilling water and delivering orders - I can't imagine any cheapo tipping under 20%!
The cantina was closing early for a private event, so we skidaddled right after our meal - but we really could have lingered on for a few more rounds with such incredibly attentive service and fabulous fare. Ahhh - now that I found such a super date spot - let's hope all those New Year wishes I got for 'prosperity' actually bring me a prosperous dating life.
$21 all-you-can-eat tacos on Monday nights. Need I say more? Okay, fine. I will.
The tacos are delicious (we tried 8...seriously). And I must say, my "Pinopeno" (pineapple/jalapeno margarita) was one of the better drinks in recent memory.
Done. I'll be there every Monday night starting now.
I passed by this place all the time and knowing that it's always pack, I have been tempted to try it but never got a chance. Finally, my friend Hannah and I went and damn, why did I go there sooner????
Their salsa is to die for (and i almost died after trying their habanero salsa. jk), guacamole was amazing and their shrimp tacos...insanely good.
servers were super-friendly (according to Hannah, this male server was checking me out. nasty!!!) and when i winked at him, he brought more food for us. jk. (I am totally kidding about the winking part).
Anyway, I will definitely go there again and I highly highly recommend it.
My roommate and I tried Mercadito Cantina for dinner on back in November. We hadn't heard much about Cantina, but had heard great things about Mercadito from multiple sources, and since that was a bit out of our price range for this particular dinner, we opted to head to Cantina instead. We split the Taquiza - the DIY tacos option - which comes with your choice of meat, your choice of two salsas, chopped onion, lime, and corn tortillas. We got the skirt steak, as well as the Chipotle and Verecruzana salsas. We also had the Arroz Casero as a side dish.
The tacos were delicious - I thought the tortillas were a bit small, but the leftover meat and salsa were both great on their own or with the rice as a side dish. Both salsas were really good as well. My roommate preferred the Verecruzana, but I kept gravitating towards the Chipotle, which was a bit sweeter with a nice kick at the end, mostly because it was smoother and I tend to not like my salsa too chunky, but I did enjoy the Verecruzana also. The rice was delicious as well, but I think next time I'd like to try a more adventurous side dish.
Overall, I thought the experience was great. The restaurant wasn't too crowded, and I thought the Taquiza was a good option - the other taco option is 2 for $9.50, and those didn't look like as good a value.
The second time around, I went with a friend on New Year's. We hadn't made a reservation, so they seated us at the smallest table in the back, which was fine. (That's what we get for not making a reservation on New Year's Eve, right?) We went for the Taquiza again, with chicken this time, although I thought the skirt steak as a little better.
This is a review for Seamlessweb delivery.
I ordered the Mas Vale Solo delivery special, which is an order of tacos (two) of your choice, rice/beans, chips, and a guacamole of your choice for $12.50. I got the pescado fish tacos. They are good, but tiny!! If I were a Californian native, I'd probably be really upset and I really wonder how well the all-you-can-eat-taco deal is. The chipotle guacamole was excellent (flavored with pineapple, mint, chipotle, tomatillo pico de gallo) and the chips were crispy fresh. I also tried the flan de horchata, which had a subtle cinnamon taste. It was just ok. I'm not sure if the guac portion is the same as the a la carte, because if it is, then the special is a great deal.
The deliveryman was pretty rude and didn't have the patience to figure out how to ring my apartment (it does require more than 2 buttons) or listen to me explain, albeit in broken Spanish, and continued to talk on his cellphone when I got downstairs. I don't know why this seems to happen only when I decide to be generous and increased the tip percentage.
Great drinks. Apparently they don't use tequilla but "something better". I have no idea what that means, tasted good though. Guacamole was great, we had the one with watermelon. Refreshingly sweet and spicy. Tacos were great. Had the vegetarian, lobster (special on Fridays), and al pastor. Just FYI, the al pastor is not pork, it's fish. It broke my heart to learn that but it was still good. Not pork though so no 5 stars.
Reluctant to give this place 5 stars b/c I need to visit again and compare against some other shops...
I came here with a friend as a third stop to a mini fish taco tour of SoHo and the East Village. Our two prior stops were at Piche Tacqueria on Mott and Snack Dragon on E 3rd. I'm not a fish taco connoisseur by any means, but man their talapia taco was unbelievable! While we initially thought the fish was fried b/c it was crispy, Mae, our super friendly hostess / waitress behind the counter, had told us that their fish is actually baked, which gives the fish a great crunch in the mouth, yet not greasy (as with some fried foods) taste. The added spice of the chile & garlic sauce (chile poblano, tomatillo-garlic mojo) on the taco was a great flavor that followed the light and subtle flavor of the fish.
We also decided to try the shrimp taco. I'm not usually a big fan of shrimp in general, but their shrimp taco was damn good too! I think what I liked was the contrast in textures - crunchy beer battered shrimp combined with a buttery avocado cole slaw. Genius.
Dos Esquis on tap to boot! Two kinds!
I am definitely going back to try the other stuff they have.
So i reiterate some of the sentiments from before. The tacos are a rip off. It is 9.50 for 2 teeny tacos, maybe combined they would form one taco. Although I think it would be more worthwhile to try the tacos anytime from sun-tues when they have their all you can eat deal for $21. We had the guacamole classic which was tooo salty, as were the chips and they did not give you a lot. We than had the calamari, fish, and milanesa. All were very good I must say, but not worth the money. We also got the carne asada taquiza, which is essentially them bringing out a pot of meat and tortilla and you make your own taco. The meat was cooked perfectly. Also had the corn on the cob and platanos, your standard plantains, corn on the cob burnt. I must say that the waitress was really attentive and the kitchen sent us free flan and passion fruit shots which were very tasty. I will return to try some of the other tacos when it is all you can eat, but 9.50 for 2 is not worth it!
The cons: It's pricey for what it is, the chair have no backs (I hate that) and the delicious sounding drinks seem too pricey to pair with tacos.
The pros: The waitstaff is helpful and full of suggestions, everything I've ordered has been delicious and the atmosphere is relaxed.
I went here with some girlfriends for a casual weeknight dinner and we shared salsa, guac, the green rice casserole and the plantains, all were enjoyable, though not the best I've ever had. Brought home a taco for the BF which he enjoyed although it was not nearly enough food for him for dinner.
I'd come here again but prefer the original Mercadito up the block.
This review is purely on the fabulosity that is Monday night's taco fest. For about $22/person you can gorge yourself on the variety of taco tastes. Served two small tacos up on a plate, this deal is the way to go. My brother in law threw down the gauntlet to my sister and I before we headed out the door that we didn't need to come back home if we didn't have at least eight plates between the two of us. Being a bit challenged by this, we mustered on - and conquered! Needless to say, we were both stuffed, but happily so. The big hits for us were the carnitas, milanese, pescado, calamar. The tinga de mole was okay; not the rich flavors of mole that i anticipated. the chorizo were sadly the most disappointing. They may as well have just thrown in ground beef without much seasoning. (We doubled up on carnitas and milanese.) I was hankering for something to drink; while the beer list certainly fits the bill for this spot, I opted to try one of the 'tric-quila' cocktails. Yes, it is a trick -- sake based cocktails, but not too bad.
Only four stars as no real margaritas, and the chorizo really should be so much better. It is a very cozy spot, but most places are in New York, so nothing new there.
Note - do not have much if any of the beans and rice -- that is the rookie move for certain!
I love this place solely for their grilled corn. A little pricey, but I never regret ordering it after I take that first bite. The place is pretty tiny so it fills up quickly, but the wait has never been crazy for me. I also love their create your own taco because it's pretty affordable and delicious.
I've had my eye on this Avenue B restaurant for a while. It looked nice from the outside and I'm always on the hunt for good Mexican food in NYC. Mercadito Cantina turned out to be a fantastic restaurant, although I was skeptical when I first entered. The music was pretty in-your-face terrible. Lots of bad remixes and much too loud. I play in a band and can handle my share of decibels, but not when I go to a nice restaurant. NOTE TO MERCADITO'S DJ: Don't ever remix The Beatles song "For No One" on top of the Cure song "Close To Me."
Ok...Back on target.
Greatest tortilla chips I've ever tasted. Really really good guacamole and lots of differents styles to choose from. The combination delivers amazingness. The cocktails are a bit pricey, but mostly because I'm a beer guy and anything over $6 I hesitate to order. I did get one of their fancy micheladas, which is like a beer cocktail. It was delicious and went well with the food.
When the tacos came I devoured them in less then 5 minutes. Two miniature tacos. Correction, two delicous miniature tacos. Kind of expensive for the size of the entree, but I wasn't disappointed. I guess if I really wanted just really good tacos without the stylish decor I'd walk down to Snack Dragon Taco Shack and go wild. For under $15.
It's Neat place though. I'll dub the environment as classy casual. You sit at high tables or grab a seat at their kitchen bar. Take a group of friends here for chips and salsa and fancy cocktails, but don't go if you want to pig out on Mexican food. Also, the dessert is very good. I had the churros which were excellent and came with a serving of chocolate sauce.
I just don't think that it is worth it. It is so expensive for a couple of tacos. You can make tacos for your whole family with better ingredients for cheaper. I did enjoy the chips and different salsas. I think this would be a nice place to stop for a snack of chips, salsa, and guacamole. I did like how you could see them preparing your food in the middle of the restaurant. The AC was broken the day I went, which was not pleasant, but I doubt that's a continuous problem. Overall, unless you want a snack of chips and salsa, or NEED a taco and are too lazy to make one yourself, this is not a great place to go.
This place has delicious tacos, but has some serious issues w/r/t ambience.
Sitting at the bar is not at all comfortable unless you happen to be close friends with the bartender who is like three inches from you at all times.
I plan to go back soon, get all-u-can-eat tacos, and eat until I no longer fit through the door and can't leave.
So if you are not here for the all-u-can-eat tacos i recommend paying a few bucks more and going to the big brother of this place for better seating.
I'm not particularly keen on spending 10.5 on a burrito with no accoutrements, but I have to say that Mercadito's vegetariano filling makes the expense worth it.
My friend and I were the only ones in the entire restaurant and were served by a young, strapping lad who didn't know much English. Still, he was a liberal water-pourer, nice, and patient, though his upselling techniques need to be toned down.
The vegetariano is filled with rice, black beans, corn, huitlacoche, manchengo cheese, and avocado (though I couldn't detect very much of it.) When not cut open, it could be mistaken for Taco Bell's original 7-Layer Burrito, but when cut open it (thankfully) releases the smells, sights and tastes of a truly delicious sandwich. Tequila-marinated chicken tasted equally as yummy, proving that there are one or two dishes in which chicken is actually palatable.
Their off-the-menu soup sounds delicious for the cold weather, as does the guac (but do I really want to spend 9 bucks?)
My bf and I went on a cute date here. At first I was bummed about sitting at the bar but it turned out to be super fun. The staff chatted with us and talked us through all of the fun food and drinks and let us "test" out the cantina's top beverages to "make sure" everything was perfect. Mae behind the bar was awesome! We will definitely be back as long as she's there :)
We shared two salsas, the traditional guac, two types of tacos (chicken and steak) and the OMFG-this-is-amazing-Mexican corn. My lips were burning for about an hour after the meal because the corn was so spicy but I kind of liked it.
Went there on Friday night with a group of 5ppl and were promptly seated at a nice table in the back of the restaurant. Our server offered us the tasting menu, which we turned down in favor of ordering individually. However, the idea of us each ordering our own tacos seemed overwhelming to her, and she said ppl usually ordered "tapas-style" and it may take a long time for our order to come out if we wanted it to come out all together, which we did. Despite this "warning", our food came out in about 10minutes although at separate times. Odd server advice aside, this place was great. I had the mango paper daisy, which may be my new favorite drink--it was delish! We had a trio of guacamole which was awesome. I had the chicken mole tacos which were yummy. Other people had the chorizo and the snapper. All of us enjoyed our food. The price is a bit steep for 2 tacos, but no one was complaining.
I've eaten here twice and I'll say, its not bad. The bar table setting makes it pretty casual, and you can get a decent, interesting meal without spending too much (mainly not drinking!).
They've got delicious tacos. I had the pescado ones twice and they are some of the best I have ever had (totally different, but second to ones in SoCal off a truck). What else, what else? They have these tacquizo (spelling?) entrees that are a cool take on fajitas, and the smaller portion is enough for two. The server made it seem like we needed the larger one, which I didn't appreciate. There were a few attempts at up-selling the first time I went, I say go with your instincts, you can always order more.
The drink menu is fun, really creative for only serving beer/wine/sake.
If this place played better music, (not the whole Shakira album!) I would have easily given it 5 stars.
Big Mercadito's little brother, Mercadito Cantina is new to the block. The food is pretty similar to it's brothers. Very small, dare I say tapas, sized portions, but really tasty.
But I really want to talk about their drinks.
If their drinks were free I could easily become an alcoholic. Easily. They are soooooooo good. Some of the best I've had anywhere in the city.
Dear Mercadito Cantina, please make your drinks free. Thanks.
Between me and my sexy ass date, we destroyed quite a few different drink selections.
I highly recommend the Roja Loca, I could have an IV of that shit running through me. Thank you very friendly waitress who recommended it.
Happy Hour Second to None!
Neighborhood: East Village
unlimited drinks
Neighborhood: Stuyvesant Town
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: West Village
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: Mexican
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