- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Tacos Xochimilco
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
4501 5th Ave(between 45th St & 46th St)
Brooklyn, NY 11220
Neighborhood: Sunset Park
(718) 435-7600
- Nearest Transit:
-
45 St (N, R)
53 St (N, R)
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Roberto A. said: "Two words: tripe soup! Delicious, tasty, authentic, and spicy! Tripe isn't a common dish at a lot of restaurants, but these guys guys have it. Other food is tasty too. The guacamole is very fresh, and though the portion might look…" read more »
29 reviews for Tacos Xochimilco
Review Highlights
"The Al pastor was amazing."
(in 4 reviews)
"I sampled their carne asada and the barbacoa as well as the..."
(in 4 reviews)
"the tortillas were soft and warm, and the tacos had just..."
(in 9 reviews)
Loading...
29 reviews in English
-
Review from Leslie D.
11/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Stop one on my UYE Taco Crawl with fellow Yelpers Jon, Lisa and Vivian! Ok look, I know I was born and grew up mostly in Texas but I have very minimal knowledge of Mexican food.... especially traditional Mexican food. So tacos are supposed to be small, topped with onion and cilantro and made with corn tortillas, huh? I think America did its usual thing by making it 10x bigger and adding cheese, sour cream, more cheese, deep fried etc. etc. I must say I do enjoy these little guys and I'm very glad I went on this crawl to further educate myself and explore the different types of tacos they have in Bay Ridge.
At Tacos Xochimilco, I ordered my very first two real-Mexican tacos ever. I picked one that I figured would be good and one that I had never heard of before: Carnitas and Al Pastor. The Al pastor was amazing! I think it's marinated pork or something. So good. If it's your first time having a traditional taco, I definitely recommend the Al Pastor! The meal was ridiculously cheap at $1.50 a taco. Surprisingly our bill was screwed up and we paid even less than we should have... I mentioned speaking to the waitress about it since it could not possibly be right but I was told to shush lol. Oh well, we left a good tip.
And the Taco Crawl continues.... -
Review from Jonathan E.
Brooklyn, NY
9/25/2011
I'm only basing this on one meal of 2 tacos (from our UYE crawl). One was good. One was really good... for a whole $1.50 each.
It's a fairly simple space, somewhat small, and fairly bare bones. I'm definitely interested in visiting again and trying more dishes... not just based on my small sample, but due to the fact that all tables were full of locals enjoying much bigger meals.
That's not only a good sign, but probably the best sign (except for Gringos lining up for the Cheesecake Factory).
Pronouncing the name is the only difficult part of this place. -
Review from Adam R.
Updated - 1/11/2011 2 photos
It PAINS me to do this, but I have to dock a star from Xochimilco, due to the incredibly greasy tacos they served last week. What happened to the hot griddling of the meat? What happened to the slight crunch on the outside of the tortillas?
I hate when formerly great restaurants get downgraded into just good. :( They can make it back, but it'll take a return to roots.Listed in: Old School NYC, Tacos in Park Slope & Sunset…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
7/15/2008 First to Review
Xochimilco is my favorite Mexican restaurant in north/central Sunset Park. And that's saying a lot… Read more »
-
-
Review from Abigail M.
Brooklyn, NY
1/13/2011
This used to be my favorite taco place in Sunset Park. I hate that I said "used to be." The tacos this time were so greasy. The meat was oily as were the tortillas, which I think were also stale. It was just so disappointing.
Maybe it was a one time deal. A bad cook, maybe. I sure hope it wasn't "Gringo treatment." -
Review from Lisa D.
10/3/2011 1 photo
Xochimilco (sō-ch-ml-kō) means "garden of flowers" in the Náhuatl Aztec language. If you are looking for flowers, check out the nursery across from Greenwood Cemetery. If you are looking for tasty tacos and other specialties hailing from the Mexico City region, head to Tacos Xochimilco. Although the space is small here, it is very clean and boasts of an air conditioner (a tall order in this neighborhood). The menu is quite extensive, and I may have to make return trips to try the brunch items and unique sandwiches (pambazos) and soups (pozole). My first trip here, however, was part of a taco crawl, so I only tried an al pastor taco. The corn tortillas were piping hot and fresh, and the pork was juicy with a hint of pineapple and spicier than I'm used to in al pastor, more closely resembling a carne enchilada style taco. The duo of salsas on the side, a green tomatillo salsa and a red-hot, fiery salsa roja, were especially clean and fresh looking and tasting. The tacos here may just give my usual standby, Ricos Tacos, a run for its money, especially when combined with the cleaner atmosphere.
Listed in: Mexicana
-
Review from Mike K.
2/28/2011 3 photos
I kicked off my ¡Taco Crawl! this past weekend at Tacos Xochimilco. I was impressed by the good reviews I read - I mean the well-written, thoughtful ones, not the "OMG!!! SO yummy!!!!! five stars!!!!" ones - that trumpeted this joint over Matamoros. This review is only about the tacos, so I wouldn't read too much into the other food.
I hate to be a hater, but Xochimilco didn't deliver. We ordered 4 tacos - carne asada, lengua, chorizo and carnitas - that were okay. The carne asada was the winner of the bunch, with the right moisture content - not too much - and just enough charred taste, the lengua, standard, the chorizo, incredibly and stupefyingly greasy - poured out of the back and all over my hands in front - the carnitas, too fatty. On top of this the tortillas were dry and neither of their salsas - green and red - did a great job at giving the tacos the right amount of kick and flavor. Also, who serves tacos with lemons instead of limes?
At $2.50 a taco it's a good deal, but it's not as though it's any cheaper than what you'll get at similar restaurants.
I'd come back to try the other food, just not the tacos. -
Review from John B.
6/3/2010
I don't know how to be polite about this (or anything, really). Your enjoyment of Tacos Xochimilco will depend on your ability to parse a menu. It also helps to consider the name of the restaurant, which starts with "Tacos" and ends with "Xochimilco." Xochimilco is part of Mexico City. It is not part of Santa Cruz, California, San Mateo, California, San Francsico, California, or El Paso, Texas.
People should therefore not expect burritos of any special quality. They should especially not expect Americanized burritos.
Order masa-based goods like sopes and huaraches. Or small (pequeño) tacos. Or dishes that sound interesting. I disagree with Bert F., and think the red mole (stilo Xochimilco) is fantastic. Lots of smoky chipotle and nice, crunchy squash and beans. Short rib meat is a little fatty, but flavorful, and you'll probably get a few ribs to suck on.
And cecina. Salty pork. Tops in its class, for my money. If you want al pastor, De Guerreros is 23 blocks north, at the intersection of 5th and 22nd. But if you're already at 45th, have something with cecina, maybe a small bowl of mole and a large agua horchata.
Save the burritos for when you're much older. And losing your mind. -
Review from Gloria C.
10/22/2010 1 photo
I am surprised about how many good reviews there are for this place. That being said, it was the good reviews itself that drew me toward this place to get good tacos.
The price was fairly good, not too expensive. And onto the food:
We had the beef tongue and pork taco. Sadly, there was not much taste in either one. The pork one had a very bland taste, actually none at all. I was itching to use the salt shaker on it. Even the accompanying sauces did nothing to help it. The pork had a good texture but otherwise was not worth it. I was sorely disappointed with this one...
The beef tongue was a bit better - had a nice chewy texture, very nice subtle flavors but one again would have been much better if it packed a tad more flavor in it. Once again, the lime and the accompanying sauces did nothing to help.
I am sadly disappointed with this place. Will continue my journey to find good tacos in NYC. -
Review from Jacquelyn S.
Brooklyn, NY
6/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
after realizing that tacos el bronco only opens at 8pm (wasn't feeling the truck), we ended up at xochimilco. i wanted something new from matamoros.... but man, i wish i went to matamoros instead!
nothing was BAD, but the only thing that stood out for me was the spicy pork taco (enchilada) and the grilled shrimp. lengua was fatty but bland, and the barbacoa (goat) was tender but also not very flavorful. i guess you could say everything was delicately or subtly seasoned, but i wanted more zing! the tortillas did have a nice crisp to the outside, the enchilada nuggets were hot & ever-so-slightly charred, and the red & green salsas were both tasty.
the grande taco has alot of meat and onions. at matamoros, they give you guac too -- yes yes, i know that might not be considered authentic in a taco, but i adore guacamole in anything. -
Review from M P.
Brooklyn, NY
9/20/2010 1 Check-in Here
I think although the tacos are slightly more than the other place down the street, that I prefer this place. I sampled their carne asada and the barbacoa as well as the tripe. I don't usually like tripe but my last trip to Mexico had me loving it because they seasoned it so much that it didn't have that rubbery texture. Oh taco cart mystery meat I miss you.
Anyway I preferred this place to the place down the street (you'll figure it out I won't name names) based on a direct comparison. The Xochimilco tacos have better flavor, are not as chewy, and well they're just good and have the same ingredients. Not as good as true Mexican tacos but they'll do for a Texas girls craving.
Speaking spanish or knowing some is probably helpful here. -
Review from Zach G.
Brooklyn, NY
7/7/2011
I ordered delivery from here. 40 minutes later, I called to check on it. I was told by the woman on the phone that her boss said I was too far to deliver. I'm on 36th St and 3rd Ave. This is very close. I asked her why she didn't call me and what she expected me to think waiting there like an idiot for the food I assumed was coming. She had no explanation. I think the employees here are mentally challenged.
-
Review from Michael D.
Forest Hills, NY
1/24/2009
I like Tacos Matamoros across the street, but I really like Tacos Xochimilco!
It's not as fancy as it's neighbor. In fact, it looks like a take-out-only place, although there are several tables for sit-down service.
The beauty of the tacos, themselves, makes up for the spartan decor, though.
Each one is individually hand-wrapped in paper, with the delicious stuffing peeking out. I had a carnitas taco and a chorizo this time. They're served with guacamole, onions, cilantro. Great meat-- tender, juicy, fresh and nicely browned.
The table next to mine ordered big, heaping plates of steak, rice and beans, which looked great.
Coffee wasn't the greatest in the world, but I had to have a hot drink on a cold day like today...when I go back in warmer weather, I'll get a Jaritos or Mexican coke from one of the coolers in the dining room.
As I walked out the door, I tipped my hat to the guys in the kitchen for making such nice tacos. You could see that extra level of attention to something even as basic as a taco. It's nice to see. -
Review from tiffanie n.
Brooklyn, NY
6/15/2010
SUPER GOOD TACOS!! I can't believe I've just settled for taco bell all these years b/c i didn't know which taco place was good. but thanks to yelpers, I found this place!
I went here around 8 pm for take out and the place was pretty empty and waited about 10 minutes for carne asado and pollo asado. I jetted home as fast as I could to stuff my face with these tacos.
I like the pollo asado more, but it was a wee bit too salty. But the carne asado had good flavoring too and the beef was tender. I got 4 tacos for $6...what a freakin' deal. -
Review from Arthur O.
Greenwich Village, New York, NY
5/17/2009
Authentic? Possibly. How am I supposed to know? I am merely a Korean.
Delicious? Yes.
Large menu that I cannot read despite my two years of hard-core Spanish classes back in high school? Check.
None of the restaurant workers speaking/understanding a single word of English (while talking to you in Spanish as if you clearly knew Spanish but were just being modest and refusing to speak/understand it)? Definitely.
BYO? Yes.
Hard liquor allowed? Why not?
We killed a fifth of Tequila Sauza and a six pack of something else while dining like Axayacatl & Tizac and being serenaded by Mariachis.
Yes, it's all the way out in Sunset Park, but it's worth a trip on a lazy mid-week evening with a group of friends. Hop the N express and transfer to the R for the 45th and you'll be right there. -
Review from A A.
Brooklyn, NY
5/29/2011
This place is good, but not that amazing. There is definetly better food in this area, if you think this place is really good then you have to explore the neigberhood some more, you'll be even more impressed I'm sure.
-
Review from amanda j.
Brooklyn, NY
5/8/2011
Pretty good & cheap. Went with my son. He had rice & beans and a chicken taco. I had eggs, rice & beans - delicious! I got carnitas to go for my husband. Our food wasn't greasy. The kitchen looked okay and the bathroom was clean.
-
Review from Raymond H.
Brooklyn, NY
8/18/2010
I think my reviews are a bit misleading as I'm giving away too many "4 stars" but I'll let it be known that I rarely review the bad places unless I've had a horrific experience. That being said, I've been on a taco hunt in Sunset and so far this place keeps getting my money.
Do yourself a favor and just order a bunch of tacos and have at it. I just went down the list and ordered 4 random tacos. I also asked for sour cream on the side and they supplemented the tacos with tasty hot sauce (salsa). Man, was it great!
Everything tasted fresh and these "Cantina" style tacos (as they are referred to in Taco Bell commercials now) are amazing! My girlfriend had a steak torta and it was amazing as well. It's not high class eating, but it's great taco stand stuff in a small restaurant. -
Review from Danny O.
Brooklyn, NY
5/30/2009
So this junt served as a prelude to my ongoing quest for the perfect taco. Not a bad start.. gotta say. I stopped in for a plain ol' taco al pollo to go. I apparently looked like a sweaty pile (I had come in from a run) and the woman gave me a complimentary horchata. Dope! Very cinnamon-ey and didn't have that sand-papery grit that you get with the stuff made from the Nesquick style mix.
The taco was solid. Chicken was tender and served with a couple of types of salsa, lime and the traditional radish. Wish I wasn't poor as hell (I had literally a dollar fifty to my person at the time), I would have tried some other varieties. I'll be heading back though... you mark my words.
Also a good sign that I was the only gringo in the place. -
Review from Mike M.
Hoboken, NJ
5/5/2010 2 photos
Came here after going to Tacos Mmatamoros on a taco crawl for cinco de mayo. Again, the waitress here didn't speak English but "un poco" but tried to help as much as possible and was very nice.
The atmosphere is pretty much null. It's quiet and drab.
We got 2 small carne asada tacos @ $1.50 each. The meat was really good. There was no guacamole, crema, or pico de gallo so it was a bit dry, but at least the meat itself was good.
After debating our next choice we settled on a chicken milanesa cemita @ $6.50. I would've liked to have tried a pambazo but the waitress said there was barely any meat in it so that wasn't an option. The cemita was on soft bread with plenty of tasty cheese, some beans, and a meager amount of tomato and avocado. There was a whole chipotle in adobo at the bottom that was a very unwelcomed surprise! If there was no chipotle and was more tomato and avocado the sandwich would've been superb, as it was it was very tasty, maybe an 8.5/10. -
Review from d'N'L m.
Brooklyn, NY
4/27/2010
i dont know what the heck all yalls was eating but, we had a horrible meal.. Honestly, if I just went in and ate the cheeseburger, i would have given this place 3. stars..
In fact, only order the cheeseburger and then tongue tacos here.. Seriously, skip everything else..
We were with a large party.. A 10 year old girl ordered a cheeseburger, she left half on her plate and I ate the rest.. It was seriously good..
But, if I were to judge on the Mexican Food, this place gets a deuce.
Tongue tacos were good. Stewed and shredded.. really nice flavor. In terms of the tortilla, it was pretty broke. Dry stuck together, a little colder than room temp.
Second best thing I tried was some Mole Soup.. Flavors were watered down.. Lacked anything interesting. A couple fatty pieces of short rib.
Chorizo is dry chunks of pork with way too much clove being the only flavor..
Back room looked dirty.. And not in that sort of humble dirty way.. This was like poorly kept dirty..
Carnita was all fatty pieces, very soggy.. The gordita shell was broken in half.
Nothing exciting. Not going back. -
Review from Thompson L.
New York, NY
9/8/2010 2 photos
The Pastor taco was the best taco I had in Sunset park. I also tried the Tacos de Barbacoa (goat) and Lengua (tongue) but the Pastor (pork) taco is the clear winner here. The pork was the most flavorful piece of meat I had all night and it was also served fresh off the grill. The tortilla was fresh.. veggies on point... and here's why I was really impressed.. this was 5 minutes before CLOSING. The waitress did not rush me out and was very playful when I was ordering. Nothing says winner than great service and great food.
-
Review from chris r.
2/2/2009
so lately i've been watching every bad movie from the 70's that i can get my hands on. the other day i watched Q: The Winged Serpent. while enjoying how fun a bad film can be, i realized that there was a reason it wasn't called Quetzalcoatl: The Winged Serpent: because most people, including myself, would not be able to pronounce it.
it's safe to say that tacos xochimilco can be added to the list of things i like that i have absolutely no hope of being able to pronounce correctly.
it wasn't as busy some of the other taquerias i've visited on 5th ave, and after eating there i couldn't figure out why. i got the carne asada taco and it was fuller with WAY more fresher and better quality meat than the other places. (in fact, we saw a guy come in carrying a bunch of new meat that we had guessed came from a nearby butcher.) it could have been seasoned a little more strongly, but it was very, very good. plus, they added cilantro to it, and cilantro makes me happy.
my friend had the el pastor taco, and i had some of that too. i preferred this one to the other places we tried as well. there were no fatty bits of pork inside and the seasonings were just right. we were divided on this, as she liked the enchilada taco (pork) that we shared from the nearby tulcingo deli vi, *because* of the fatty bits.
we ordered the pequeno tacos ($1.50) because we were already so full from going to other places. they ended up giving us the grande ones anyway ($2.50.) it wasn't a big deal, and my only criticism is that i wasn't completely crazy about the guacamole they put on top of the tacos here.
it looked like they had mexican cokes in the glass bottles and we were excited for that. but when we started sipping it turned out they were american cokes in disguise. next time we'll just get the jarritos. you know how much you enjoy the food when as you're walking out the door and already trying to make plans for a (near) future visit. this happened all over sunset park that day. -
Review from Zach L.
Brooklyn, NY
1/1/2009
I moved to Sunset Park six months ago, and I've tried a metric assload of taco places since. Tacos Xochimilco is the very best of the bunch. Burritos are delicious, tacos are tasty, the nachos are what every nacho should strive to be. Having only ever gone for take-out, I can't say too much about the presentation, but even in those styrofoam boxes, my chicken burrito looks pretty gourmet.
I think a good measure of a Mexican restaurant is the quality of their rice and beans. These guys are second only to Maria's in that department.
There is a bit of a language barrier issue - delivery is impossible for a monolingual cracker like myself - but it all seems to work out when you have a menu in front of you, and they can write out totals on a post-it.
For the price, Xochimilco is unbeatable. For me, it's also unpronounceable, but that's more of a personal problem.Listed in: My Neighborhood
-
Review from mary s.
Brooklyn, NY
12/8/2008
Finally, some tacos that live up to the tacos I used to get back in CA! I was passing by on the B63 bus, and I noticed the sign on this place drawing me in like a beacon. I'm not sure how I knew, but I knew I wouldn't be disappointed with this place. I ordered three pequeno size tacos, one lengua (tongue), one carnitas, and one al pastor. The lengua was impeccably cooked, tender, and has just a nice little bit of fattiness on the outside, The wonderful thing is that everything came together on the taco... the tortillas were soft and warm, and the tacos had just the right amount of meat juice. A little lime and I had absolutely satisfied my mex craving. I've tried a lot of mexican places around, and several in the same few blocks as this place, but this one is really something special.
-
Review from Nikolas K.
Brooklyn, NY
9/7/2009
Having tried Tacos Matamoros across the street I was curious to see how Tacos Xochimilco compared. Of the two I think I prefer Xochimilco, not because there is such a huge difference in taste but because it was quieter. I also like how they provide bowls of green and red salsa at your table. The waitress was nice and attentive.
A taqueria is only as good as the ingredients which are available to it. The tortillas in the U.S. are not as good as Mexico nor is the produce. Tacos Xochimilco does about a good a job as you might expect under the circumstances. -
Review from Sean K.
1/3/2009
Oh the sweet and salty taste of bitter disappointment...
This place deserves 2.5 stars and I have a hard time even giving it that low of a score just because I felt like a guest in someone's home and the staff was great on both a personal and professional level. But wow, that's not good Mexican food... I some times think that my memory of good CA burritos is hazy from time and attaining unnecessary loftiness. But less than a week ago I had a ceviche tostada at Taqueria Can Cun, accompanied by a carnitas taco and a veggie burrito to go. Which I ate on the plane. 5 hours later. And it was genius.
This is, quite frankly, moderate, verging on poor. Here's why: tacos were made with doughy tortillas versus the slender, very 'corn' tasting ones, the meat was of poor quality and the salsa was watery and overly mild. They also didn't serve beer which is a major downer but hard to hold against them in case its simply a licensing issue. The poor meat quality is something I've encountered on the east coast much more than west coast as well. I realize that these places are cheap (3 tacos plus a burrito ran $14), but here's the thing - I like a little fat on my meat, sure, but if during the process of cutting up meat for a burrito or taco say, you notice that several of the actual cubes are pure animal fat, that's a problem! I can't overstate that. When my girlfriend had finished her burrito, about 1/3 of the meat was on her plate having been removed for being literally little cubes of fat. When I tried her burrito, I bit into a solid cube of pork fat and in all the years I've been eating tacos in CA, this has NOT ONCE happened to me.
I really don't know what else to say - the best east coast tacos are still pinche taqueria. They're a little more expensive but worth it. I'm going to try tacos matamoros soon just to be a good sport but I'm hoping against all odds that its a significant reversal of the trend. -
Review from Brian F.
Brooklyn, NY
Updated - 3/26/2011
have to agree that xochimilco slips up occasionally. the kitchen has off-nights when things aren't quite as good. still the most reliable taco joint in sunset, but if you eat here as often as I do, you will hit them on an off-nite and be disappointed. I need to ask who is cooking every time I go here, make a spreadsheet and then punch the bad cook in the neck, because there is one dude who is off his game.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
2/1/2011
This is my closest taco joint. They don't really want to talk to you in english, but the menu is… Read more »
-
-
Review from Cher L.
Brooklyn, NY
8/20/2009
Not bad. I had the chicken quesdilla and my father had the stuffed chili peppers with red sauce. Quite heavy with the sodium I must say...I had to wash it down with a papaya shake. Crisp, fatty, and creamy. Come here to get your mexican fat rolls on! they are on the house!
-
Review from August H.
Brooklyn, NY
1/18/2009
I love tacos. These tacos aren't as good as Pinche in SoHo or La Superior in Williamsburg, but they aren't $3.25 or $2.50 for a pequeno taco either. Skip the pastor and try the lengua.
