"The best thing to eat at Taqueria El Chato is a trompo taco. The second best thing to eat at Taqueria El Chato is a tie between the trompo quesadilla and the trompo vampiro. If you can’t tell, we really like the al pastor trompo here. The pork, which glows red with rendered fat and is cooked on a rotating vertical spit behind the counter, is rich, fatty, nicely seasoned, and full of juicy pineapple flavor. And while the rest of the meats here can be hit or miss, the trompo alone is reason enough to stop in at this tiny taco shop in Greenpoint from the people behind Aldama. photo credit: Will Hartman photo credit: Will Hartman photo credit: Will Hartman There are a few vestiges of Taqueria El Chato’s finer dining parents: the pickled onions on the salsa bar are cut into a brunoise, the tortillas are on the smaller side, and the prices here are a bit higher than what you see at nearby Taqueria Ramirez and Esse Taco (two taquerias we prefer over El Chato). That doesn’t take away from the experience at all—this is still a very casual taqueria at heart, and the tiny shop is worth visiting before a picnic in McCarren Park, or for a little snack to fuel a day of bopping around the neighborhood. Food Rundown photo credit: Will Hartman Trompo If it wasn’t clear already, this pastor trompo is the belle of the ball at El Chato. It’s juicy, bright red with annato and chile flavor, and the taco is served with a thin slab of juicy, sweet pineapple, as is customary. Lengua Nice, savory flavor, but it’s a bit dry and crumbly for our liking—we typically look for a juicier chew in lengua. Carne Asada Served in a light red salsa and sweet with jammy grilled onion, the carne asada is pretty good—especially loaded up with pickled onions. Just like with most foods, two forms of onions on a taco makes us smile. Suadero The suadero here, a cut from the underbelly of the cow that’s often confited or braised, is chewy, sweet, and is good if you’re looking for a break from the trompo (we don’t really know why you would look for a break from the trompo), but is also a bit dry. Chorizo This firetruck red chorizo is more herbaceous than it is hot, and frankly, we really like it. Full of coriander and cumin, this taco is balanced, and its greener herb flavor makes it ripe for salsa verde soakage. But again—the meat, by itself, is drier than we’d like." - Will Hartman
