Oyamel
Mexican restaurant · Chelsea ·
Tacos, guacamole, margaritas, and Salt Air Margarita
Tacos, guacamole, margaritas, and Salt Air Margarita
"Oyamel, which replaced Spanish Diner, is a generally pleasant post-work move in Hudson Yards. That’s thanks to warm chips and smoky salsa, molcajetes of lime-forward guacamole, and margaritas that are reasonably priced for the area. The Mexican restaurant from José Andrés has plenty of space to house your whole team (and then some), with a long, stretching dining room and buzzy bar area where people in blazers shout over clinking shakers of mezcal. video credit: Carlo Mantuano Oyamel's tacos are well-stuffed with meat—highlights include the carnitas, suadero, and fried fish—and topped with crisp chicharron or bright chile arbol mayo. You’re best off sticking to those, and some margaritas here. Many of the small plates lack seasoning, like a skimpy scallop and octopus ceviche, or a shrimp aguachile that needs a quadruple amount of lime juice. Don’t even get us started on the queso fundido, which has whey pooling at the bottom of the skillet. Still, Oyamel is a good, relatively affordable after-work option in Hudson Yards—a neighborhood that desperately needs more of those. Food Rundown Margaritas All of the options on the cocktail menu are good, but it’s hard to beat the Salt Air margarita with its salty cloud resting on the drink. Salt rim, you’ve been bested. photo credit: Carlo Mantuano Guacamole Just go ahead and order it. If you don’t, they might bring it anyway (this happened to us once). It’s a solid guac that comes in a lovely molcajete with always-warm chips. photo credit: Nitzan Keynan Queso Fundido The saddest of queso fundidos we’ve ever encountered. A couple of minutes after you pull the Oaxaca cheese out of the skillet, a substantial amount of whey starts to seep out, making the whole thing soggy. Big skip. photo credit: Carlo Mantuano Ceviches & Aguachiles Don’t waste your time with this section of the menu. They’re either bland, suffering from a lack of citrus, or come with a paltry amount of seafood. photo credit: Carlo Mantuano Tacos You’re in good hands with the tacos here. Carnitas, suadero, and fried fish are all delicious and substantial—which they should be for $7 a pop. photo credit: Carlo Mantuano Barbacoa A decent, large-format entree if you’re sticking around for dinner and have a group. The lamb is easily shredded and is the undoubted highlight. It comes with rice in barbacoa broth that could’ve used some extra seasoning, and some dry tortillas for taco making. But you’re really better off just ordering an extra taco or two. photo credit: Carlo Mantuano" - Carlo Mantuano
"Oyamel, which replaced Spanish Diner, is the latest addition to the Little Spain universe, but it reads much more like its own Mexican restaurant than an extension of the food hall. And it's generally a pleasant post-work move if you earn a living in the area. Come for warm chips, smoky salsa, and a pineapple and habanero margarita that, at $18, is (unfortunately) reasonably priced for the neighborhood. You can feel good about bringing a bunch of people, too: there’s enough space for your whole team at the stretched-out dining room and bar where people in blazers shout over mezcal." - will hartman, willa moore, carlo mantuano, kenny yang
"Opened April 21, this Mexican City–inspired restaurant from José Andrés occupies the Mercado Little Spain space formerly housing Spanish Diner and offers a menu full of tacos, a ceviche bar, and larger entrees like pollo al mole and slow-cooked lamb barbacoa." - Emma Orlow
"A revamp of José Andrés's Spanish Diner, opening at 10 Hudson Yards with its entrance at 10th Avenue and 30th Street, this Mexico City–inspired lunch-and-dinner restaurant is presented as the second location of the D.C.-area original recommended by Bib Gourmand and has been described as a "sexier spot serving a collection of ceviches, tacos, and lamb barbacoa for two." The New York menu omits the Oaxacan chapulines tacos (sauteed grasshoppers) that had diners abuzz in Washington, replacing that boundary-pushing option with a tamer taco: the menudo de res taco stuffed with tripe and trotters. The menu begins with guacamole made to order ($18) and a ceviche bar offering tomato or shrimp aguachile ($18, $20); soups and salads include a deconstructed gazpacho jazzed up with pineapple and mango ($15) and a Caesar salad with a shoutout on the menu ($19) to Tijuana, where it was invented. Six street tacos ($7–$8) feature pollo en salsa verde, carnitas and suadero; larger "fiesta" plates for two include pollo al mole with rice, avocado, refried beans and corn tortillas ($55) and a slow-cooked lamb barbacoa ($65). Drinks lean on D.C. signatures such as the Salt Air Margarita (Milagro Silver, orange liqueur, and “salt air”) and the "El Bajío" Michelada, alongside agua frescas, wine and Mexican beer. Rockwell Group swapped out utilitarian diner decor for lush greenery and an atmosphere meant to evoke a Mexican street festival, and references to Monarch butterflies are threaded throughout: the website notes the oyamel tree is "considered a sacred fir native to central Mexico," adds that "The forest appears to be draped in gold thanks to the butterflies covering the trees," and that locals "believe the butterflies bear the spirits of their departed as they appear around Day of the Dead." The opening arrives alongside other new Hudson Yards restaurants and the area's post-pandemic push for in-person work." - Melissa McCart
"Rolling out at 10 Hudson Yards with its entrance at 10th Avenue and 30th Street, this 150-seat José Andrés Group restaurant — named for the fir tree that houses migrating Monarch butterflies — will become a day-to-night tribute to Mexico City fare with antojitos (small plates), aguachiles, tortilla soup, and salads. Tacos will include carnitas, lengua, and, potentially, chapulines (the grasshopper tacos became synonymous with its original D.C. location when it first opened in 2007). Rockwell Group is behind the design, which will feature the multicolored butterflies that accent the Penn Quarter location. The restaurant is on track to open in spring 2025." - Melissa McCart
