At the family-owned and operated De Mole Astoria, generously portioned authentic Mexican meals and a kid-friendly environment give the impression of dining in someone’s home. Here, barbacoa, or slow-cooked goat, tacos and cecina, or salted beef, tortas are followed by coconut flan, Mexican hot chocolate, and usually, another round.
Meanwhile, at nearby Chela & Garnacha, a must-try drinks menu means you may want to leave the little ones at home. Tacos filled with meats marinated in the owner’s great-grandmother’s adobo rub recipe and drunken beer and pasilla sauce are best washed down with craft beers and margaritas in flavors such as tamarindo and traditional spicy.
Bring your appetite (and your camera phone) to Las Catrinas Mexican Bar & Eatery, a restaurant from Tulum transplants for the New York eater—and Instagram user. With dishes such as tres leches bread pudding and fresh seafood tacos, not to mention its photo-ready décor and outdoor seating, Las Catrinas is a feast for all of your senses.
Modern Mexican is what’s on the menu at Maizal Restaurant & Tequila Bar, a family-owned business bringing Puebla to the Big Apple. At Astoria’s chicest Mexican staple, gourmet alternatives to typical tacos and burritos include garlic shrimp-stuffed sweet plantains, saffron rice with chorizo, and mango mousse cake.
Mix things up at Mexican-Peruvian fusion eatery Mezquite. The multicultural menu here offers the best of two worlds, featuring everything from ceviche platters to enchiladas de mole poblano to Peruvian rotisserie chicken to traditional Mexican bolillo.
For out-of-the-box burritos and tacos, turn to Homemade Taqueria. Fresh corn tortillas come loaded with beef tongue and smoked pork chops, while tortas take it one step further with fillings like hot dogs and ham with pineapple. Maintain some sense of normalcy with traditional Mexican drinks, including horchata and papaya and watermelon aguas frescas.
To discover why foodies flock to this unassuming Astoria spot, you need only consult the menu, which at first glance resembles that of every other taqueria in town. However, like the customers who came before you, you’ll quickly find that Los Portales Taqueria isn’t your typical taco joint thanks to über-authentic fillings such as pork ear, veal flank, and ham.
Mexican fare meets global flavors at Fresco’s Cantina, a boundary-blurring restaurant turning Spanish into a universal language. From the Asian-inspired pork belly with guava hoisin taco to the Peruvian arroz verde to the “Mexico City,” a dessert of fried banana caramel cheesecake egg rolls drizzled with dulce de leche, multiple cultures meet on every table at Fresco’s.