Cemitas El Tigre in Sunnyside serves up towering 10-layer Mexican sandwiches, including a must-try fried chicken variant, paired with delicious burritos and refreshing drinks.
"You’ll look like Edvard Munch’s "The Scream" when you eat the extra-tall cemitas at this Sunnyside spot, but you’ll enjoy every minute of it. Pork, short rib barbacoa, and even Southern fried chicken cemitas are available, stacked with Oaxaca cheese, chipotle puree, and more delicious stuff. Order at the counter and then hang out at the eight-seat bar, where you can also get one of those frozen margaritas with a beer bottle in it. The Order: The chipotle puree is the magic ingredient in all the cemitas, but the carnitas version has an extra five-spice kick, and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness." - will hartman, willa moore, neha talreja, bryan kim, sonal shah, molly fitzpatrick
"Located in Sunnyside, this casual counter-service spot is a must for sandwich lovers everywhere. The fried chicken cemita comes with perfectly crispy chicken layered with crunchy pickled red onions, avocado, black bean, Oaxacan cheese, lettuce, and tomato, with a thick swipe of mayo on a seeded bun. It’s a behemoth portion and a great deal for around $15." - Emma Orlow, Robert Sietsema
"El Tigre’s burritos are all pretty tasty, but pay special attention to the Baja Fish Burrito. Very few places in the city get this right. Through the center of the burrito, you’ll find big chunks of battered and fried, super flaky tilapia, surrounded by pinto beans, pico, jack cheese, a modest amount of Mexican rice, and a classic chipotle crema. You can also add a generous scoop of guacamole for $3. " - neha talreja, willa moore
"You’ll need to completely unhinge your jaw to eat the cemitas at this small Mexican spot in Sunnyside, but a little minor surgery is worth it to get everything in your ten layer, meat-packed sandwich in one bite. Pork, short rib barbacoa, and even Southern fried chicken cemitas are available, and you can also get those proteins, plus some other options, in burritos and tacos (our go-to is the fish burrito). Order at the counter and then hang out at the eight-seat bar with a margarita or a milkshake. Also, they have frozen drinks with those mini Corona bottles sticking out of them, so you know you have permission to let loose inside. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte" - Neha Talreja
"The award for “tallest sandwich in town” goes to Cemitas El Tigre. We don’t actually know if that’s true, but with ten layers of meat, avocado, chipotle puree, and a whole bunch of other stuff, the cemitas at this Mexican restaurant are definitely in the running. Pork, short rib barbacoa, and even Southern fried chicken cemitas are available, and you can also get those proteins, plus some other options, in burritos and tacos (our go-to is the fish burrito). Order at the counter and then hang out at the eight-seat bar, where you can get one of those frozen margaritas with a beer bottle in it. " - neha talreja, nikko duren
