Taqueria by El Prieto NYC

This place was great. Decided to try it because our hotel was across the street and it seemed to be busy all times of the day which was a good sign. We actually wound up not waiting in a line or anything but the staff gave us warm chips and guacamole at no charge. Had some stellar breakfast burritos for a great price.

Very good tacos! The fish taco was amazing and beef follows straight after. The place looks nice and cozy. The staff were nice and welcoming. The salsa bar is nice and the beans pot is a novelty. I’ll definitely come back to taste the other dishes. Suerte!

From the West Coast in San Diego Taqueria by El Prieto brought some serious authentic Mexican flavor to the East Coast in NYC. Order your meal, grab a drink, load up your favorite sauces and scoop up some hearty beans by their sauce bar. Drizzle fresh lime onto their perfectly seasoned grilled protein. The flavors are bold, satisfying, and clearly made with love. Portions are impressively generous especially in the city plus the prices are surprisingly affordable. Come get your taco fix with Taqueria by El Prieto! ㅜ

Cute taco shop. Salsa bar had a nice selection of salsa, complimentary pinto beans, and had a nice ambiance. My friend and I ordered the breakfast burritos- which were a major disappointment! Extremely tiny, no filling, and bland flavor. I was excited to try as a native of San Diego, but does not come close to the an authentic breakfast burrito.

Oh my gosh these Asada tacos are soooooooo goooooood. Is this what a california taco tastes like? If so then it's my favorite kind. The man at the counter is so nice. The restaurant is small, take out or standing room seating for about 6 people. The hot sauce station with the limes and sauces are so good. Do you sell the sauce there too?? I wish to buy some sauce. I've never had such a tasty hot sauce. You can tell it's all freshly made. Very clean and refreshing. I wish the best of luck to your restaurant, you deserve all stars❤️

Great wee place. Lean to eating spaces inside and a few tables and chairs outside. The service was good. Authentic tacos, delicious . You could help yourself to sides and sauces. Reasonably priced. ❤️❤️

It's hard to find a place that competes with the standard that Los Tacos No. 1 has set. Though, this spot does a lot of things really well. The vibe, menu, and flavors are all on point and the staff is very accommodating. All the food comes out fresh and the tortillas taste hand-made. The highlight is the self-serve salsa bar with complimentary pinto beans. Portions are on the smaller side given the steeper prices. For almost the same price, my steak taco fix goes to the OG, but if you want to avoid long lines and get more menu variety, this is a solid stop in NYC. Below is a breakdown of what I ordered, along with my thoughts. Asterisks (*) indicate items I especially enjoyed and would recommend ordering again. *Chicken Burrito ($14.50) - Straight up just meat, guac, cilantro & onions wrapped in a flour tortilla. I appreciate this style without all the extra rice and beans. Steak Taco ($5.89) - Flavors are all here but the steak is a bit chewy. Perhaps more marinade time could help tenderize it. I would give it one more chance considering how good everything else is. *Cucumber, Lime & Chia Agua Fresca (Comp.) - Super refreshing and not overloaded with sugar. This is perfect for a hot summer day. Hibiscus Agua Fresca (Comp.) - This has all the complex spices and notes that you would expect. A bit on the sweeter side compared to the others, but very well-balanced.

Very good, atmosphere was great with their own bar for salsas with plenty of choices to try. Very clean. The food was great, in comparison to Los tacos no. 1. I’d say that for the price point the tacos are very full of meat and for the burrito, it was a little small but still was filled to the brim with meat and guacamole and salsa which was great. Would come again

Food was great. Service was great I got 4 tacos all where amazing definitely will be coming back very soon

Great taqueria! The service was excellent and the tacos were sooo good! We tried the carne asada adobada. There was also a little salsa bar and some seating. We tried the agua de Jamaica and it was delicious and refreshing.

Second time here--the steak tacos are to die for. As a Mexican, these are some of the most auethentic tacos I've had in the city. It doesn't get any better. They serve you very quickly and it's a lively environment.

Love everything here! Taqueria by El Prieto is serving real San Diego flavor right here in Manhattan. Fresh-made everything. Big portions. Prices that don't hurt. The fish and shrimp tacos: Crispy outside, juicy inside -- with a citrusy, spicy kick. The marinated pork: Smoky, tangy, tender -- unreal. Vegan: The cactus and mushroom tacos are earthy, juicy, and packed with flavor. And the mulita: Cheesy, savory, and still hit the spot even cold. Open 'til midnight, seven days a week. Staff are friendly. The place, table, chairs are clean. Will definitely be back soon.

Delicious and generous tacos here in NYC! They have a salsa bar with pinto beans and wide variety of sauces. Staff are friendly and food is served quickly. You can grab it to go or eat on one of the side counters (not really a table environment, no restrooms). Down one star only for the prices which are a bit steep and seem to have increased in the past few months based on historical images of their menu. Fish tacos were my fave and the quesadilla was also good but very heavy. Would recommend but be prepared to spend a bit to be full!

We came here for a quick bite right after we got to New York and it was the best decision. The staff here was very nice and super welcoming ! We ordered and the food came out right away. It was the best tacos that we had in New York by far! We definitely will be coming back here, if we are ever back in New York.

4.25 The tacos here are delicious, the toppings generous, the price fair. I can't claim to be a Mexican food connoisseur by any means, though I really enjoyed the flavors. They carry tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tortas, tostadas, nachos--with the same fillings/toppings as the tacos: asada (steak), pollo (chicken), adobado (pork), nopal (cactus), champignon (mushroom). Drinks including sodas (Jarritos, sangria, Sprite, Mexican cokes) , horchata water, hibiscus water, topochico and orange juice. When I stopped by last Saturday afternoon around 12:45pm, there were several other patrons in the store at the same time, there was only a short line of a couple people in front of me. It looked like most people were ordering takeout since there are only about 10 counter seats along the sides of the wall available for dine-in. I went with two tacos: adobado (marinated pork) $5.89, asada (steak) $5.89. Both were very juicy and tasty, the pork was a little spicy. The steak had a good amount of guac. Both tacos had a noticeable amount of liquid dripping from the bottom as I was eating, good thing that aside from the wax paper sleeve there were plenty of napkins available. Especially the pork I would say it was probably too oily--had to use several napkins bc so much grease dripped out! They had a neat and well-stocked salsa bar--with a few fresh items (lime wedges, cucumber and radish slices), a couple pickled toppings (onions&peppers, carrots&peppers), and 6 salsas in varying degrees of spiciness. I saw staff checking and refilling once during my 30 minutes here. A heated pot of pinto beans was also available. No bathrooms, they take cash and card.

Solid spot in midtown. I tried the holy trifecta of tacos (corn tortillas) - pollo, al pastor and carne asada. Extremely delicious, and their salsa counter is remarkable (8+ options). They also serve breakfast options during lunch (only way to get chorizo). Mostly to go but they have some tables outside.

Stopped here to get some tacos and loved the homey mom and pop vibe that this restaurant gives. It's pretty small inside which means that you can expect It to feel tight especially when it gets packed. That being said, it's limited seating so I suggest either getting your food to go or getting there early enough to snag a seat. For tacos, I got the adobada and chicken taco. The tortillas def tasted homemade and prob some of the better tortillas i've had around the city. I do wish the pastor taco had slices of pineapple because I think the sweet would compliment the salty nicely. I will say that I feel like I know a taco is good when I can eat It by itself without any salsas. Unfortunately for these I felt like the meats were pretty bland but the salsas added a little something. Not sure if i'd return for the tacos but def open to trying some of the other items on the menu.

I love salsa bar and this one is aces. Chiliqueria owners have opened a taqueria & this is tiny but top notch. They just opened down the block and are serving up incredible fast casual Mexican fare. Ordered : Chops & guac $4.95 but spied tacos that looked incredible. They also serve Rita's & Mulitas plus Mexican coffee & hot chocolate. Sabroso Second visit: top tacos this is a California chain with incredible food. I had chicken & nopal plus the mulita & they were fab!

Been here twice now. The pork tacos are really good. However I found inconsistencies between both visits. I was able to get my tacos on flour tortillas the first time and when I went back and asked for it again, they told me it wasn't possible even though I had them last time. The complimentary pinto beans the 2nd time were also not good, it was watery and undercooked/under-seasoned. The salsa bar is great, super fresh and bold flavors. The chicken tacos could also use a little more seasoning. Not sure if I'd come back since my last experience was underwhelming in comparison to the first. Overall 3.8.

Highly recommend stopping in for amazing tacos! Quick service for flavorful tacos that are loaded up pretty generously. Loved the salsa bar and pinto beans addition!

10/10 recommend! Everything from the food to the employees and service. I work around the corner and I have always been greeted warmly when coming here. On a few occasions they gave a complimentary drink or something new to try. My favorite is the Adobada taco and I was recently able to try to horchata and cucumber drink, delicious! Definitely try it!

Great casual Mexican place. Got an Al pastor torta super flavorful meat. Food came out quick and they have a self serve topping bar

i knew my bf was rly craving tacos since his move to nyc from la so i suggested this place from a tiktok recommendation. honestly we were rly surprised at how yummy the tacos were! this chain is from san diego so it was slightly different from the la tacos we are used to. i liked that the sauces and meats had some sweet flavor profile thats diff from the tacos i usually eat. i also liked the variety of sauces n salsas they had! we tried the chicken, pork, and steak tacos and they were all delicious! the price is a bit steep for each taco but its nyc and the tacos are pretty loaded. the lady at the cashier was also really kind! will def come back when im craving tacos in the city :)

Wow. There are some items here that are outstanding. 1. The cucumber, chia snd like juice. Never tasted anything so delicious. The horchata and hibiscus amazing too. The shrimp and fish tacos were phenomenal. Fredh and flavorful. Perfect breading. The sauces here are wonderful too. The corn tortillas yummy. The marinated pork torta blendec with the cheese snd wonderful bread. May be the best torta flavors ever. The cactus mulita was fun and tasty. The loaded fries great. Nice portion. The staff here so friendly and helpful. I love that its open late in my neighborhood

Just moved to the neighborhood and stumbled on a solid taco spot right in Midtown, tucked in the middle of the Flower District. Bonus points for the generous sauce bar--with lots of variety, including pinto beans. Great find!

The tacos are elite - I'm not even much of a taco guy (I prefer burritos) but these ones are truly exceptional. The burrito is excellent too, I've been here a few times now and tried both the chicken and steak for both taco and burrito and I can't think of a better place in the city to get either one of those. Their homemade salsas are also amazing and they have so many options to choose from, they're all great. The only knock I have on this place and why I am not eating it 5 stars is because of the prices. $22 for 3 tacos is beyond unreasonable, regardless of how good the taste or quality is (and this is a great taste, good quality place....not GREAT/gourmet quality). If their prices were reasonable I would be back more but for now it's a place I stop in once in a while when I'm in the neighborhood and am in the mood for a taco.

Best Tacos in New York! The owners hail from Chula Vista California and they are doing it right here in the Big Apple!

It's official... I never have to go back to LA again! Finally! THIS is what I've been missing in NYC. Every single salsa was delicious, the burrito was perfect, and if you've been to Tacos El Gordo in SoCal, you'll cry tears of joy when you bite into their adobada tacos. Bless you, Taqueria El Prieto. Our prayers have been answered!

Bought 10 tacos for $75--definitely not worth it. The asada tacos were the biggest letdown, completely soggy and filled with water. As soon as I picked one up, it fell apart and soaked the entire tray. For nearly $6 per taco, I expected way better quality and flavor. The adobada tacos were decent, but nothing special. Overall, I left disappointed and frustrated. I wouldn't recommend this spot--save your money and go somewhere else.

I really wanted to like this place since I was born and raised in California, but I don't think that's it is up to the standards of great authentic Mexican food. First, the person taking our order didn't know the ingredients in any of the food, she had to ask two different people who worked there what was in the burrito. Second, they do not have beans or rice, the burritos are essentially tacos wrapped in a flour tortilla. They let you serve your own beans at the salsa bar, but they are so overly salted they were hardly edible. Most of the food was too salty, and I love salt. Third, while we were ordering we were told they ran out of tortillas, this was before 8PM, we were a little thrown off because we expected a Mexican places bare minimum is to have tortillas. When we got our food we realized that the amount of guac we received was about the size of 2 tablespoons. The guac was the only thing not overly salted and has almost no seasoning at all. The carnitas tacos were greasy and too salty. The corn tortillas were thick and doughy. Overall the food was not good. Places like this work in California, because you have the luxury of space to enjoy your food, and service that is usually in a better mood. The food industry in New York is completely different, so to have this quality food in a restaurant the size of a 4 stall bathroom is an overall off putting experience.

The quality of the food here is amazing. Everything including the wide range of sauces tasted fresh. I got a steak burrito and was pleasantly surprised with how well the steak and flour tortilla tasted. My only complaint would be the burrito is a little on the small side. It just leaves you craving more. So when the cashier ( who is also probably the owner) offered me a taco adobado on the house I couldn't deny it. This was one of the best adobado tacos I've ever had. The meat was so juicy and flavorful I'll definitely be going back for it. The customer service is great and they happily answer any questions you may have. 10/10 would recommend.

My wife and I were in town and this was in front of our hotel. We almost didn't go because it doesn't look too appealing from outside, but that's because they are doing renovations to the place. I am glad we came. I was determined to do a review just because of the attention and service, then I tried the food and was fully sold. Honestly some of the best Mexican food I've had and where I'm from, there are many Mexican options. I will definitely be back. Do yourselves a favor and come visit them. You won't regret it.

The food was so amazing I did not even have time to take a picture, and I went for seconds! Service was above acceptable considering it's a sit-down restaurant. There are side tables inside but we sat down in the tables they have outside since we wanted to look at the buildings in the night sky. You have to give the adobada tacos a try if you are a fan of Al Pastor, I go to Mexico at least once a year and these are some of the best adobada tacos I have had in my life.

This restaurant is wonderful. As a San Diegan I am always tough on Mexican restaurants. I've lived on the East Coast for 14 years and I'm not joking when I say this is the most authentic and Southern California taco spot I've encountered yet. I've tried a variety of the menu, and everything has been spot on. I like the wide range of salsa, from mild to legitimately spicy (but not too hot). And they've even made a spicy green and red salsa that's really tasty. I like how the portion sizes aren't too bad and it's very reasonably priced for this city. Everything is fresh and tasty. The tortillas are handmade and taste like the real deal, something that's really hard to find on this coast. The service is also great, and it is made quickly but clearly to order. It's a small business. I highly recommend trying this spot out if you haven't yet!

Service was great and the tacos are amazing. First time here and found this place walking by!

Found this gem for dinner last night and couldn't have been happier. We had a chicken burrito, chicken quesadilla and 2 chicken tacos . All were stuff and fresh and the salsa/Pickle veggies/pinto bean bar was a nice touch and with 6 different kinds of salsa it had something for everyone's heat scale. The staff was nice and the vibe fit the food.

Such flavorful tacos! From a person that used to live in SD these tacos blow Los Tacos no 1 out the water by a mile! The best adobada and can't wait to try more

Always great to be in NYC. Just got in- right across from our hotel. Counter at the back to order. Super friendly service. Great burrito- no skimping on the carne asada, chips - just enough salt- salsa bar with pickled onions carrots and cucumbers- PERFECT! Ambience- clean friendly...

Came here today hoping for a really good torta and was throughly disappointed.... Ordered the steak and it was super small for the price 13.95 ( not on the correct bread ) who makes a torta on anything other than a bolillo is beyond me. It was also cold even though I ordered in store and ate at there. Points for the salsa and pickle bar but maybe better for just tacos ?

this place was very good! i love the different sauces u can pick from and take as much as u want! the seating is limited and not very comfy but i managed. i just got a chicken taco with all the stuff on it :) and i got chips on the side. all very good. the chips were nice and crunchy and sometimes u get a bubble on a chip which i love lol. i loved the green creamy sauce they had. the mild salsa was good too. the chicken taco had alot of stuff. onions, cilantro, mild/spicy kick type salsa, guac and i forgot wut else. i ate everything but did take my chips home with some sauce. very friendly service too.

Amazing food, friendly staff, cute restaurant. Mulitas de pollo was delicious. So was the taco

The cashier tried to scam me? I payed for my two tacos and then let the next person order, she proceeded to come to me and ask me to pay again saying first payment didn't go through. I did pay again but noticed I got charged 2x.. She did try to say the first payment didn't go through and went as far to show on her system which I then called out the double pay. Even after that, she tried to say it didn't go through again and I showed her it went through 2x and guess what, also left a tip. This encounter wasn't good as it took too much back and fourth to get my refund. The food was good.

Food is soooo good and portions are decent, I highly recommend it, they also have the best salsas!!

Great tacos made on handmade corn tortillas. They are wrapped in paper making it easy to hold, eat, and catch all the fillings. Speedy service- the tacos appeared before I could look outside for a table! I appreciated that the owner inquired as to how I liked the tacos, showing aa extra level of caring about his quality products.

So excited for the new location, everything was amazing! Staff were so friendly and helpful

As a SoCal native living in the city I crave the Mexican food I can get at home at least once a week so I'm always looking for new spots. This place is just as good as basically anywhere around where I grew up. The adobada burrito was fantastic and they have a whole salsa bar with fresh limes, pickled veggies, beans, etc. A bit pricey but to be expected around MSG. Fairly busy for only having been open a month - there's probably 10 or so countertop seats so very much feels like a hole in the wall to-go joint unless you work in the area and are taking a lunch break (me). I imagine it will only get busier.

Fast easy service. Delicious carne asada burrito. The salsas were just right. I'll defn be back

I'm genuinely confused by how high the rating is. The google reviews have to be fake. Meat was dry and poorly seasoned. I tried 3 different salsas - they were all watery. And the tacos are $6 each and the tortillas aren't doubled up. I couldn't taste salt, cilantro, or lime in the guac. The lack of seasoning in everything I ate was so disappointing. As someone from the west coast I don't expect good tacos in manhattan.... But this is unbelievable. Thoroughly disappointed. If you want an OK taco in midtown go to los tacos, tacos grand central, or Cinco de mayo. Maybe I came on an off day, but it was so flavorless that I wouldn't give this business a second chance.

The food is amazing!!! Support small businesses and come here for a great and filling meal.

Best Carne Asada Fries in NYC! Tastes like authentic San Diego. Staff are friendly and food is fresh. Ambiance takes you out if NYC

The food was so good I loved how they have so much to offer they have a mini stand with many salsas and other ingredients for your tacos or in general for the food the customer service amazing definitely recommend

As someone who is from San Diego, i always miss my taco shops! We'll FINALLY we have some good southern Cali Mexican food. I got the Carne Asada burrito and it didn't disappoint! They even have a salsa bar. Yes it's pricey but I'll pay for having a little taste from home!

Had marinated pork tacos- delicious! Very flavorful and excellent customer service. Highly recommend.

Great service and food would highly recommend. Had the carne asada fries and when I tell you the meat was well seasoned and cooked to perfection definitely coming back here !!!

The service here is great, the food is amazing. Very easy to order. Definitely recommend

Erick was so helpful and amazing 10/10 would recommend great customer service have to try it out

Super good definitely recommend! Best tacos in the city very similar to the ones in Tijuana.