The 10 Best Mexican Restaurants in NYC

In a city where you can choose from a dozen different cuisines within a few blocks, we still find ourselves slavishly seeking out Mexican. Maybe it's the cascades of Chihuahua cheese, or that we enjoy the lack of pretense involved in a tortilla, which calls for zero sideways glances when eaten with your hands, or that guacamole is actually good for you. You know, if you don't count the fried chips you use to shovel it in.

The point is, justifications for eating Mexican are easily found, which is why we have happily taken on every taco, tamale, and enchilada we've stumbled upon. The result? We can tell you that these are the 10 Best Mexican Restaurants in NYC.

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Neighborhood: Hell's Kitchen
Address: 665 10th Ave.
Website: tulcingorestaurant.com

Dropping by Tulcingo de Valle feels like entering a wrinkle in time that transports you to Puebla, Mexico, circa 1992. We know, because we've rolled though with Mexicans who all invariably make the same claim: "I feel like I'm a little kid in my grandma's kitchen again."

Tulcingo was once a humble grocery, but when the demand for the Cemita al Pastor, in all of its cheese-oozing, tongue-searing, avocado-smeared goodness quickly grew, they were forced to expand into the adjacent space to accommodate the onslaught.

And we're psyched they they did. Now, in addition to killer cemitas, we can enjoy freshly prepared guacamole, sweet and savory mole enchiladas, and all lengua everything (the star protein) while comfortably seated.

The tacos here are nothing to scoff at either. Go the al pastor route (crispy pork with pineapple bits smothered in pureed avocado and salsa verde) and pair it with a canned Paloma (El Jimador tequila and Squirt grapefruit soda), and you'll leave with a new lease on life, or at least, on the possibilities of Mexican food in Manhattan.

Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Address: 367 Broadway
Website: n/a

Mexico 2000 is the textbook definition of a gem, a place you would overlook if it weren't for the enthusiastic, loose-lipped friend that turned you onto the place.

But we're not mad at cha for discovering that Mexico 2000 is more than a grocery store with a ridiculous name, that it's actually a shrine to homemade chicken tamales, authentic tortas, and game-changing tacos.

For less than ten dollars, you can feast on heaping platter of authentic flautas, chimichangas, and enchiladas alongside a generous pile of rice and beans. On the weekends, it would be in your best interest to ask for the pozole and whatever variation of barbacoa they're offering. Try to snag one of the few chairs scattered about and enjoy the best Mexican Williamsburg has to offer while watching Telenovelas. Yeah, life is good.

Neighborhood: DUMBO, Brooklyn
Address: 5 Front St.
Website: granelectrica.com

The newest name on this list, Gran Eléctrica hit the scene hard mere months ago. Creative renderings of Day of the Dead skeletons (each scene set in DUMBO) cover the walls, setting the scene for the fiesta of street food, which ranges from the adventurous (sweetbread tacos) to the amazingly authentic (pozole rojo).

But it was two words that won the argument for Gran Eléctrica: scallop ceviche. For novelty-seeking palates, there is nothing more satisfying than the aguachile: raw scallops with a delicate texture not found in the seared variety, enlivened by the punch of herb puree. The gordita is also a thing of wonder. Not just because we rarely see it on menus (save for Taco Bell's greasy version) but because it is made with chicharron. It is a beautiful mess of crema, queso fresco and chicharron fried in pork fat. It's probably terrible for us, but who cares?

Neighborhood: Upper East Side, Lincoln Center, and Union Square
Address: 1063 1st Ave.; 61 Columbus Circle; and 9 East 18th St.
Website: rosamexicano.com

Sometimes, we wake up in the middle of the night salivating at visions we've had of Rosa's chunky guacamole. Their freshly whipped-up guac can inspire addiction to the green stuff like no other.

Despite having evolved into a mini-chain, Rosa's slick treatment of Mexican fare is still undeniably awesome thanks to strict adherence to authentic ingredients and flavors, and, obviously, guacamole made at your table.

The enchiladas suizas, made with handmade corn tortillas, freshly shucked tomatillos and the ideal amount of cilantro (read: piles of it), and the chamorro, a mammoth, just-crispy-enough pork shank paired with chipotle creamed spinach are both home runs in our book. A recent revamping has utilized the tortillera's gems in a slew of inventive tacos that are lighter than Rosa's regular fare, but still retain the same big flavors. Our go-to, the Tacos De Panza con Callos (pictured) pair perfectly seared diver scallops with super-savory Kurobuta pork belly offset by a bright citrus-habanero salsa. Pair those with a frozen pomegranate margarita, and the splurge suddenly seems entirely warranted.

Neighborhood: Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Address: 1116 Manhattan Ave.
Website: acapulcodeliandrestaurant.com

A Mexican diner—it's such an ingenious idea, we wish we had thought of it first! But we didn't, so we can only join ranks.

Acapulco can pull off American food just fine, but that's not why you're reading this list and that's not why we go there. Suffice to say, we've never ordered a turkey club here. Why waste their specific talents? Instead, we suggest going for a burrito chocked full of roast pork. Don't be put off by it being the size of small child. Take it as a challenge, and order a Mexican coke to wash away the shame of the impressive number of calories you just consumed in a single setting.

Freshly fried tortilla chips, chorizo huaraches (pork sausage piled on a fried masa shell) and outrageous game shows boasting barely-dressed hosts on the TV set are just a few more reasons Acapulco is so near and dear to our hearts. That, and it's also wonderfully, gloriously cheap—a fact which shouldn't be underscored.

Neighborhood: Times Square
Address: 251 West 50th St.
Website: toloachenyc.com

We wouldn't call Toloache a diamond in the rough. It's more like a taco in the chaos. There are so many bizarrely clothed bodies that stand in your way and endless photos being snapped, but be strong, and make your way through the hordes. Somewhere amidst the frenzy of Times Square is Toloache.

Reward yourself immediately with a tart, hibiscus margarita (one of our favorites in the city) and chipotle guacamole topped with queso fresco. Breathe, take it all in. Appreciate how inviting it is in here. Chat with your sever, who will inevitably be friendly, knowledgeable, and super accommodating to your every whim. Your main whim should be a black truffle quesadilla. It's open face, so you can preview all of the manchego cheese and huitlacoche salsa you're about to dive into. It will disappear quickly (it isn't very large and it's very delicious), at which point you should follow up with a duo of spicy, amazingly tender lobster and avocado tacos. You just paid $17 for those two tacos, and your mouth is convinced of the value but your mind isn't. Quelch your doubts with another margarita, the pineapple serrano, which has a touch of spice smothered out by sweet, and be at peace with treating your tummy right.

Neighborhood: Rockaway Beach, Queens
Address: 19 Rockaway Beach Blvd.
Website: rockawaytaco.com

You know those nights where you're torn between pretending you're fishing in Montauk or on a beach somewhere in Mexico? Rockaway Taco marries those two fantasies. All you have to do is hop on the A train to Rockaway Beach.

Rockaway Beach might as well be in Connecticut, we know, but it's worth the extra transit time. The seasonal taco stand officially reopened May 28, but just because the taco season has just begun, don't doubt that the frenzy isn't already in full swing.

The shack invariably draws an eclectic collection of humans (some might call them hipsters, we won't generalize) and a line that snakes back for a half a block. But it all fades away once you hear your name called, trot up to the counter, and walk away with a fish taco. This is why you came: a flaky piece of tilapia encased in a lightly battered shell topped with the perfect amount of radish, slaw, and spicy crema. Throw some spicy salsa verde on for good measure and spring for the guac; it will be the most necessary dollar you have ever spent. Wash it all down with a fresh pineapple and mint juice while basking in the sun and enjoying the ocean breeze rolling off the boardwalk. Then, repeat over and over again, for as many times as your Metro card will allow—until October 1, when they shutter up once again.

Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Address: 253 Broome St.
Website: barriochinonyc.com

Our only qualm with Barrio Chino? We wish people would stop calling it a gem already. It's no longer a gem when there's an hour wait here almost every night of the week. Still, even with the secret out, Barrio Chino easily takes a top spot with their Tacos al Pastor (juicy, full-flavored pork with a citrusy pineapple cilantro salsa) and Enchiladas Verdes, which do right by tomatillo, and are topped with enough fresh black beans and queso fresco to leave even the most cavernous stomach full.

Sure, Barrio packs a lot of bodies in between their exposed brick walls, but eat here once and you'll know exactly why. And if you're deterred by the wait, use it as an excuse to come back for brunch: Take down some of the best skirt steak and chipotle chilaquiles in the city.

Neighborhood: Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Address: 736 Franklin Ave.
Website: chavelasnyc.com

When Chavela's moved their festively decorated digs from Classon to Franklin early last year, ardent followers went into a frenzy. Would their beloved taco happy hour disappear, and more importantly, would they ever be acquainted with the Don again?

With grateful hearts, we found the happy hour's $2 tacos intact, and the Plato Don (tender chipotle chicken, grilled steak, rice and beans, along with a cornucopia of Mexican condiments and stack of warm tortillas) retaining its rightful spot on the menu. Only now, there were more seats, which meant less waiting, and more indulging in hard-to-find nopales and queso fresco tacos, chipotle mayo doused elotes, and sangria (and margaritas!) on tap. Don't knock the inventive idea; marvel at it.

Neighborhood: Hell's Kitchen
Address: 695 10th Ave.
Website: n/a

One thing will always perplex us about this place: How can this amazing food be so damn cheap? We'll probably never get the answer, but sometimes the most complex things are the most beautiful.

Heady questions aside, the tacos, which are doled out by a surly looking woman waiting at a small window in the back of a Mexican grocery that looks like a party store exploded, will seriously take you to another plane of existence. The taco menu offers 17 different protein options to fill your tortilla. Our favorites include Barbacoa and Al Pastor, a shredded pork and pineapple combo so well-marinated you wouldn't dream of using a drop of salsa.

The sopes con carne are also the real deal: thick corn tortillas topped with re-fried beans spread with a generous serving of crumbly queso fresco cheese, and charred beef. And the rice and beans, the true test of Latino excellence, are expertly aced with yellow rice seasoned to tear-inducing perfection and almost-creamy pinto beans.

Sitting on a stool at the counter, under the green glow of the jalapeño shaped lights that cover the ceiling, you'll feel like you've entered some alternate universe where all the Mexican food is this authentic and free of pretension, and your wallet magically leaves only slightly less thick. Keep the dream alive, and tell only a select few of your friends.