Mexican BLVD.

Some places you just love to love, and Mexico Blvd. is one of them. I won't say I wasn't skeptical, and when you walk by a pimped out black van claiming to sell authentic Mexican tacos in the middle of the Ultra-Hip Dumbo neighborhood in Brooklyn, a little skepticism is expected. I walked by a full four times, made a face at the $3 per taco menu, and eventually decided it's my god given duty to sample what they had to offer. I am humbled to say I was blown away.

Who can resist that face?  Who I ask?!  WHO?!

When you visit this truck, and you absolutely must, the first thing you'll see is a mop of curly hair above a good looking boyish face with a huge grin on it. If that doesn't lure you in, ask him about where he's from and the story behind the food and he'll tell you about his families journey from Mexico City, the hours they spend slow roasting the meat, and the take-to-your-grave secret sauce recipes. He convinced me to try just about one of each taco and threw some guacamole into the mix. Here's what you should try (I recommend a bit of everything).

The Taco: 5/5

Food Porn. Hmmmm.

Greasy taco truck this ain't. If you're looking for delectable and fried bits of mystery meat from parts of a cow you didn't know existed, this isn't the place for you. What you'll get instead is happiness all over your mouth. Warm, gooey, savory, salty, rich, delicious happiness. I forgot to ask which tacos were which, so I couldn't tell them apart all that well, and I have to say I didn't care. The marinated meats, with all the sauces were moist and full of kick. Their great-grandmother, who created the recipes, knew was she was talking about when it comes to marinades. They are absolutely nothing like the street tacos I've had in Mexico, and yet still feel fully from south of the border. Even with the overtones of Texas BBQ and smokey goodness, it doesn't lose its inherent Mexican-ness.

Acoutrement: 4/5

You see that? A whole pineapple slice. Truth.

Sure, there aren't certain things you'd expect like a choice of green or red or orange salsa to add on your own, or pickled carrots and jalapeños, but what they do offer makes up for it. They've got a spicy sauce you can toss onto any taco (yes yes yes) and the Al Pastor comes with a whole stick of fresh Pineapple. Amazing. Also, their guacamole tastes fresh and somehow green and.....well, it's just worth it. Buy a side of it and put it on everything. It's good by itself, on a taco, with chips, spread it on your little brother, wherever.

Value: 3/5

We are talking a $3 truck taco here, so when I say we've got a value of 3/5 that's because of what you get for $3. There's no weak Filling-to-Tortilla ratio here, it's balanced perfectly and three tacos will fill you up no problem. Two would likely do the trick, and while that's a bit steep for those accustomed to $1.50 street tacos, what you get is worth more than twice the value.

What is this?  I have no idea.  Was it delicious? You bet.

Other: 4/5

I wasn't sure what to put into this category until I visited their website. My thought was, if you don't even have a place to sit, your other category will probably get a low score.  (Also, there's a little grocery store across the street with tables and cheap drinks, go sit there if you need a spot.) But then, GENIUS!, they are a truck, and trucks deliver. But do they deliver? No, they cater. You know what sold me on this category? A taco birthday. That's what they advertise. So, if you're planning my birthday, let's get these guys together and have a killer house party. They also travel around to different areas of NYC instead of sticking to their usual spot in Dumbo. Anyone that believes in  spreading the taco love enough to head over t Queens gets a thumbs up from me.

OVERALL: 5/5

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NY knows food trucks. Mexico City knows taco. Put the two together and BAM, you get this place. It's even worth the trip to Dumbo. Don't want to wait in line for an hour at Grimaldi's?  No problem, just visit Mexican Blvd. Never venture outside Manhattan? Have them cater your next event. Either way, you gotta meat (get it, MEAT?) these guys and try their stellar taco.

Patron Mexican Grill

I've been avoiding this tackily branded establishment for a while now. They seemed to pop-up over night, and in locations all over the west side, distracting from the usual jumble of sleek foodie restaurants and gaudy Asian fusion that generally peppers mid-town along 9th avenue.  I'd further avoided Patron  (be warned of the link, the music about to come from your speakers is trite and annoying) because of the unexpectedly high prices for:

a.) Mexican Food, and 
b.) What seems to be a pre-fabricated local chain.

 Even in NY, I don't expect most places that offer a $5 Margarita to charge more than $2.50 for a taco, especially since there is still at least once place in the Lower East Side that offers dollar tacos (on tuesdays only. If you order a beer. Review coming soon).

Anyway, I eventually caved because they were offering a groupon for half off dinner for two, so I grabbed by beau and made her eat tacos with me.  Here's what we found:

The Taco: 4/5

I hate to say it, but the darn thing was pretty good. There is a pattern to ordering tacos in NY, and Patron fits itpretty well.  If you're at a trendy restaurant feel safe ordering the steak, if it's a hole-in-the-wall taco joint stick with Carnitas, Chorizo, Lengua, etc. In general, avoid the chicken. Patron's prices are higher, but it's because they offer tacos with things like nicely marinated and grilled skirt steak. It almost misses the taco experience since it's more like having a nice steak that happens to be wrapped in a corn tortilla, but they save it with a proper marinade and the right sort of toppings. To their credit, their tortillas are handmade and quite good - a quintessential part of the authentic experience often missed in NY. The meat was stellar. Grilled like a steak and chopped after so it may be cooked to order. Tender and delicious. The Carnitas were exceptional and mixed with some sort of sweet fruit (mango? Pineapple?) or perhaps marinated in the right fruit juices that made it a unique treat. If you go with a friend order one of each and split them, you'll be happy you did.

Acoutrement: 2/5

There were sauces, I'm sure of that because I have pictures. They apparently weren't worthy of note taking. I will say that when meat is that good, there is no reason to cover it up with sauces unless they are exquisite. I'd not call them that, I'd call them forgettable, which is too bad because I'm usually a sucker for mysterious looking dark orange sauces. I did enjoy the addition of avocado, that always helps and the side of beans and rice makes it a full meal, but they definitely lacked in the salsa category.

Value: 2/5

Regardless of how much I actually enjoyed the food when it got to my mouth, the price of the place has kept me from going again, which makes me think the final cost/experience ratio is lacking. I was charged $17 for 4 tacos that, while tasty and filling, still comes out to over $4 a taco, and homey don't play that. Go with a groupon or if you plan on balancing your bill with the $5 margaritas.

Other: 2/5

$5 margaritas are noteworthy, though not exceptional, the service was slow, ambiance loud, and the other food offerings were uncomfortably priced for Mexican cuisine. I do need to mention the Avocado fries. Remember when Burger King came out with Chicken Fries? This is disappointingly nothing like that. Avocado fries are a sort of deep fried ice cream, substituting the traditionally delicious dairy product for avocado. This had a ton of potential to be crispy and delicious and cool, but it was overly bready and doughy and....well, just not what one might hope for. So don't be tempted! They sound like a good idea, but if good sounds were delicious, there'd be no such thing as a starving musician.

OVERALL: 3/5

In the end, the tacos were a much better experience than I was expecting but the price/atmosphere/service dragged this rating down pretty far. If your friends are looking for a bar experience and you are looking for tacos (and don't mind shelling out for them) go to Patron, otherwise I'd check some of the earlier blog posts for decent tacos in the $2.50 range.