The NYC Taco Spot I Keep Coming Back To After More Than A Decade

There's an old cliche that New York City doesn't have any good Mexican food. This is only somewhat true. We actually have great places serving an impressive array of regional cuisine out of food trucks and fancy dining rooms alike. We just don't exactly have an abundance of them, considering the five boroughs' reach and size. Casual sit down places — everyday restaurants between those extremes — can be even harder to come by. That's why I've been visiting Taqueria St. Mark's for over 10 years, even off-duty from my work as a professional chronicler of food and drinks.

Back when it was just Taqueria, with an address a bit farther east over on Orchard Street, this enduringly terrific spot could be practically impossible to get into at primetime. From 2010 to 2015, the titular tacos hovered around $3 and most margaritas were $8; a relative bargain for Manhattan. The narrow space was also cinematically styled with a kaleidoscope of old movie posters and good music. Provided you could get a table, it was just an easy, inviting place to be.

Being that locals are contractually obligated to look askance at change, I was skeptical about its eventual move to St. Mark's Place. But the larger space nearly eliminated the long wait times for a table, the mood and aesthetic remained the same, and, even all these years later, the tacos and house margaritas have only gone up a buck. Its accessibility, effortless comfort, and lack of artificial flash or (much) influencer invasion positions Taqueria as some of the best of what New York can be.

The titular tacos are compulsory for your visit to Taqueria St. Marks. Each one is cradled in a duo of (typically corn) tortillas, and abundant with ingredients to lipstick obliterating effect. The barbacoa is particularly rich, the pescado is wonderfully crisp, and the lengua is pleasantly tender. I have found, however, that two is plenty, particularly after a basket of better than average complimentary chips and maybe an order of guac. You almost certainly need to narrow it down from the dozen available options. All those tacos are joined by tostadas, flautas, torta varieties, and enchiladas.

Additionally, Taqueria's margaritas have long been among the best I've had in any setting. The house variety isn't doing anything more groundbreaking than using fresh-squeezed lime juice, and it's practically perfect: Tart, sharp, and never too sweet. Any cocktail that costs under $10 in the city that's never cheap might as well be free.

There is one caveat to the easier entry at Taqueria's second act: Dodgers games. Why this (or any) New York City destination asserts an allegiance to any out of town sports team is between it and its business plans, but Taqueria's is Instagram official, and I've seen those Angelenos totally pack the place on game days. The Dodgers did get their start in Brooklyn back in pioneer times, and if you've ever met anyone who's "actually from here," they never shut up about it, so perhaps the provenance just sticks to athletic teams, too.

You might not even notice the occasional West Coast indicator here and there the other couple hundred days a year, but it's a totally different place when Los Angeles baseball is on TV. By all means, try to squeeze in if you, too, pray to the City of Angels, but I never successfully scored a seat during these celebrations of relocated civic pride. Delivery service is also available if it's all just too much to bear for your own Yankee pride.