Jane D.
Yelp
Really, really good. This place would've been unimaginable in Manhattan probably about 10 years ago, and certainly 15 years ago.
As other reviewers have noted, the homemade corn tortillas are fabulous: They are pliant and fragrant as only freshly made tortillas can be, the PERFECT thickness, and not just an afterthought. They are not as thick as most commercially available, mass produced tortillas, but are so good at holding their texture even when ordered via delivery, you won't need to double wrap a taco. (I personally despise that practice.)
There are a lot of regional specialties on the menu, including Guadalajara birria, filled with super tender, fragrant, well made beef, accompanied by a small ramekin of rich, flavorful consommé. The consommé tastes like the real deal, made with concentrated beef broth and sweet spices, not solely reliant on shortcuts (e.g. MSG laced bouillon powder) for flavor
Although al pastor tacos were a touch sweeter than what I prefer, they were otherwise excellent, meat again perfectly tender and well seasoned, the sweetness of the canned pineapple concentrated by heat. The pork was not spit grilled as the best al pastor taco meat is, but all ingredients and seasonings were in perfect balance.
Michoacan carnitas tacos were by-the-book juicy, filled with flavorful, but non-spicy filling accessible for children. The moist, slow-cooked meat was enjoyable, the unadulterated intrinsic flavors allowed to take center stage.(This takes a certain amount of chutzpah from the chef!) Also kid friendly: the flautas doradas, filled with your choice of filling (in our case tinga de pollo), which were the perfect combination of crispy and soft. The flautas were well blotted after frying, the filling juicy.
Not a single item was over- or under-salted or poorly seasoned; everything was clearly made with care. Tacombi used to be top dog in our neighborhood -- but based on this meal, Taqueria86 beats the pants off Tacombi. Thanks for upping the game!!