Jany R.
Yelp
A little birdie on here said that this new spot comes from the owner of Mandato on 3rd Ave! Born in Sunset, raised in Bay Ridge so I know all the good spots in the area. Mandato is both a bakery/grocery and a restaurant right next to each other on 72nd and 3rd Ave, if you've never been definitely check it out. Their chorizo is tied with Tacos El Bronco for my favorite chorizo in NYC period. They're literally located on a block with 3 other taquerias and have always been my personal favorite so I was pretty confident that whatever I ordered from this new spot of his would be great quality food. They have a deal right now on Ubereats and in person apparently as well for 4 tacos priced at $10. Definitely a steal and a great way to bring in customers. I hope they keep it on the menu though!
I decided to get a tostada de tinga as well because with the deal, you're only allowed to get two different meats. All in all I ordered 2 carnitas tacos, 2 chorizo for the deal, the tostada and an extra "shredded beef" taco for an added meat option. I like to have variety.
First things first, on top of the order coming from Bay Ridge to Midwood, my delivery driver also had another stop before me so it was in transit for about 40 minutes. That doesn't include however long it sat in the restaurant after being packed waiting for pick up. That being said, I was more than pleasantly surprised with the crunchiness of the actual tostada upon arrival. They were super considerate when they packed it, that fact wasn't a surprise to me but I really did not think it would hold up. There were two sheets of parchment paper underneath and they left some air so that it wouldn't get soggy. Amazing. I will say, I could've done without the "fancy" lettuce lol. I actually prefer the typical shredded lettuce or cabbage on top, it's a lot more refreshing and you get more in each bite. Also would have preferred refried pinto beans instead of black but it was still very delicious.
Now for the tacos: Loved the tortillas, they're definitely making them with love and lots of lard. The "shredded beef" was just bistec. I still thought it was delicious don't get me wrong, but they need to change that description. I thought it'd be suadero or birria like in texture but it was just a regular steak taco. Thinly sliced steak chopped up. Well seasoned but nowhere near shredded beef in the slightest. The carnitas tacos were not what I usually prefer when it comes to carnitas. I was expecting this though, I tend to stick with pulled pork like texture. Some places do more of a chunky texture, Mandato is one of them and so is this spot. It works if done right and it's good, but it's not my personal preference. The chorizo was so good as expected, perfect texture, perfect spice. Just perfect.
Next time I'm back in the neighborhood, I will definitely stop in. The decor looks super cute from the pictures posted on here. I hope they last, I've seen lots of places come and go in Bay Ridge.. Mandato has been around for a long time and I hope Tacos Por Favor gets to do the same.