Chalupas Poblanas El Tlecuile
Mexican restaurant · North Corona ·
Cash-only chalupa stand: lard-fried tortillas, pork, salsa
Cash-only chalupa stand: lard-fried tortillas, pork, salsa
"Chalupas Poblanas El Tlecuile is a cash-only chalupa stand in Jackson Heights that operates outside of a Chipotle, of all places. The tortillas get cooked in lard on a charcoal-fired comal until they're brown on the bottom, and then doused with both salsa rojo and verde, shredded pork, and onions. Wildly porky in flavor and stacked into a tower, these make for a perfect $10 meal. The stand is typically only open from 6pm-11pm on Saturday and Sunday, and it’s worth planning your entire weekend around a pile of these street chalupas." - willa moore, bryan kim, will hartman, neha talreja, carlo mantuano, sonal shah
"A street-vending operation recognized in a major newspaper’s “best dishes” list but constrained by permit access; Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez of the Street Vendor Project notes that, despite the recognition, “But its owner can’t go out and sell” because she lacks one of the city’s few vending permits. That inability to vend without a permit puts owners at risk of arrest and greater deportation exposure, and is cited as part of a broader pattern of vendors leaving food service or shifting to nonfood sales." - Jaya Saxena
"Chalupas Poblanas El Tlecuile is an elusive, cash-only chalupa stand in Jackson Heights that typically only operates from 6-11pm, Friday-Sunday, and it’s worth planning your entire weekend. The tortillas for the chalupas are cooked in pork lard on a charcoal-fired comal, and they get doused with salsa, shredded pork, and onions. These are significantly less crispy than chalupas we’ve had in the past, but that’s not a bad thing. The tortillas are heavily sauced, browned on the bottom, and each bite tastes wildly porky from all the lard. Stop by with a friend, and show them one of NYC’s best new Mexican dishes." - hannah albertine, nikko duren, carlo mantuano
"Chalupas Poblanas El Tlecuile is an elusive, cash-only chalupa stand in Jackson Heights that typically only operates from 6-11pm on Friday-Sunday, and it’s worth planning your entire weekend around a stack of these street chalupas. The tortillas are cooked on a charcoal-fired comal in pork lard, and then get doused with both salsa rojo and verde, shredded pork, and onions. When stacked into a tower for consumption, these make a perfect meal for $10. They’re significantly less crispy than chalupas we’ve had in the past, but that’s not a bad thing - the tortillas are heavily sauced, browned on the bottom, and each bite tastes wildly porky from the lard. Add this to your weekend dinner immediately if you live nearby. And if you live elsewhere in the borough or city, hop on the 7 train with your best friend and show them one of NYC’s best Mexican dishes." - hannah albertine, max bonem, nikko duren, carlo mantuano
"Located a block away from the Junction Blvd. stop, this cash-only chalupa stand typically only operates from 6-11pm on Friday-Sunday, and it’s worth planning your entire weekend around. The tortillas are cooked on a charcoal-fired comal in pork lard, and then get doused with both salsa rojo and verde, shredded pork, and onions. The tortillas are heavily sauced, browned on the bottom, and each bite tastes wildly porky from the lard. When stacked into a tower for consumption, these make a perfect meal for $10." - bryan kim, neha talreja, hannah albertine, carlo mantuano
