Jesus' Taco (1346 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027)

It was the name that did it for me.  Once I saw that I had to check the place out, though I have to say I'm tempted to stop reporting on places that don't really stand out.

This place is a little hole-in-the-wall in the southern most part of Harlem.  It has one table in the corner, a few stools at a window ledge bar, and a bit of corny 'southwestern' art.  I was a little thrown off by the selection of burgers and gyros on their menu, but when I realized that it isn't supposed to be authentic Mexican cuisine but Tex-Mex I relaxed; one should expect anything from Texas.  At least the guys behind the counter spoke Spanish.  Well, one of them did anyway, the other was vaguely Asian looking.  At least they weren't selling General Tso's chicken along side the tacos.  Speaking of Tacos, here's how they faired:

The Taco: 3/5
Once I got over the notion that theew would be traditional Mexican tacos, it wasn't all that bad.  The steak was nothing to brag about, somewhat dry and crumbly and bland, but the chicken was quite good; it had a great grilled flavor to it, nicely charred in the way that I like, and reminiscent of the southwest.  Sort of.
It's decent Tex-Mex that comes in a thick flour tortilla and topped with lettuce, cheese, and a bit of sauce.  Basically, they are comparable to the tacos I find in Brooklyn run by the Chinese, but with tastier chicken; not exactly what I would call authentic, but good in a pinch when the need for some sort of taco is calling.  They also have the classic taco-bell style hard shell, what they call Tex-Mex Chili, it's a nice sloppy ground beef with a tangy type of sauce.  Enjoyable for what it is.
 

 Acoutrement: 2/5
Meh.  That's what I have to say about their sauces.  There is just no excuse for bad sauces, if nothing else you can always go to the store and get a nice bottle of Cholula or Valentino and be done.  Their homemade salsa has no kick and is mostly tomato with some mystery lumps.  Lumps!  Tomato!  We deserve better.  They offered a bottled hot sauce, Trappey's Red Devil Cayenne, which has no hint of cayenne or Satan.  It's mostly vinegar and tastes like Tabasco. 


Value: 3/5
Not expensive, not cheap.  I had three tacos, it was more than enough and the price averages about $2 or $2.50 a taco.

Overall: 3/5
 Not bad, not great.  Maybe the vaguely Asian guy behind the counter was more in charge than I thought.  Final say: avoid the steak, try the ground beef and bring your own salsa.