The Bhauras relocated to Alphabet City for the tail end of their New York stay. When searching for good spots to grab food in the neighborhood, DJ discovered that there's a Mercadito in that part of town. Since we love the one in the West Village so much, we decided to give this one a try.
Mel was a little put off by their "B" grade in the window, but when we looked it up on the app "ABC Eats" we learned that their infractions were pretty typical for any city restaurant so we wouldn't hold it against them.
The front is very small, but it leads to a back area with lots more seating. The dining area could use a renovation - the wooden tables are a bit sticky and have the aroma of years of use, and the upholstery on the benches could definitely be replaced. But our server was very attentive and friendly.
We decided to start off with guacamole since it's so good at the West Village Mercadito. Unfortunately, this one was so salty we actually had to ask them to take it back and replace it with another batch.
Then DJ got the pork tacos, which were just as good as the ones at the other Mercadito. Whew!
Deep raved about his steak's perfection, so that was clearly a winner.
Mel's chilaquiles were reminiscent of Le Blanc in Mexico! And she loved that black beans were layered in for protein - especially since she opted not to get it with egg.
And Jaz really enjoyed her enchilada (not pictured), though she thought it could have used a bit more kick in the spice department.
Overall, the food at both Mercaditos gets top marks, but the East Village location could definitely use a facelift. Next time we're craving their tacos, we'll probably head west.
No comments:
Post a Comment