El Maguey Y La Tuna

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ortolog

Joined 6 years ago

Very Good Choice for a Traditional Mexican Meal. I have been to this interesting authentic mexican restaurant twice: once alone and once with friends. Both times the food lived up to the expectations raised by all the great reviews. The burritos are very delicate and melt in the mouth. A couple of moles I tried were very tasty too. The service in this family run restaurant is friendly, attentive, but unobtrusive. The ambience is nice and folksy. It may be a little chilly to sit by the huge windows on a cold day in winter, as the heat in the small dining room is not evenly distributed. They take reservations, but the place does not seem to be too crowded most of the time.

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librana

Joined 4 years ago

fro real mexican food lovers... i used to live in new york and this was my favorite mexican restaurant (and i went all over the place looking for authentic mexican food)...now it's a must stop whenever i return to the city...the food is great, the pozole (hominy soup) is the best i've had ...their mole one of the best...try the fried banana desert, delicious...but what makes this place so special is the way the owner makes everybody feel at home...it's small but cozy...it's a no frills place where you go if you want real food and real people...

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trumexx3

Joined 4 years ago

u guys r fools. to the ppl that r looking for tex-mex...go elsewhere! this is not tex-mex!! it is typical,authentic mexican food!!! i come from the same small town in mexico as the owners do, and let me tell u, this place is the real deal!! so to the guy looking for cheese && lettuce on his tacos, go to tacobell!!! and also, go back to texas, new york doesn't want you!!

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alpearsall

Joined 11 years ago

It's Mexican food. Not Tex-Mex.. This is not Tex-Mex (there is a difference), so don't come here expecting it. But if you want good, honest, downhome Mexican food like they make on the border (which is where I grew up), this is your place and it will not disappoint. The meat is pulled, not ground. The emphasis is on flavor and not heat index (and if you want your salsa spicier, they have hotter salsa in the back; just ask for it - I usually mix a spoonful or two of the hotter stuff into the milder stuff). I have always loved everything I've ordered, but my favorite thing is their posole, and they make it just like my mom does. When I can't get on a plane and I need a taste of home, I come here. It's well worth the trip to the LES.

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surfguido

Joined 11 years ago

Best in New York, Average in Texas.. After reading all the positive reviews, I was very excited about trekking to the outer region known as lower very east side. I should have known reading the menu online that it might disappoint. To caveat, I've spent most of my adult life in Texas, and I like the basics tex mex/american - my favorite things are far from adventurous: beef tacos or fajitas - but I've had enchiladas, mole, etc. Alas, I never realized it could be so hard to get basics downs like chips and salsa - I like my chips very thin and crispy, and I like my salsa basic with kick - literally roasted roma tomatoes, Serrano peppers, salt and pepper. Unfortunately, this place was average on all this - hard thick chips that chipped my teeth, and a very mild/sweet salsa which had cilantro and onions, but no kick. They didn't even have ground beef tacos - and the only toppings they had on their tacos were onions, guacamole, and pico. 90% of tacos I've eaten in Texas come with lettuce and cheese. Server recommended the mole chicken - I went with the Steak Asada which was basically the steak fajita not chopped - oversalted and well done - I like my meat a little rare. The positives was the service was good and friendly, and the margaritas were tasty and strong - and cheap during happy hour $4 from 6-9pm. Unlike many here, my search will go on, and Chipotle will still sadly reign as the best tex mex, particularly for the value - next up though is Mexi Mama's.

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jamesb1234

Joined 6 years ago

Great Food for Little Money. We found this place to be really tasty and economical. Service was very friendly. Not the best looking place, but really felt like we were taken care of. I am not a big fan of Mexican food and they really won me over. Best of what the LES used to be.

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flawless88

Joined 6 years ago

GREAT FOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Great food for a reasonable price, was not a big fan of Mexican food till someone brought me to this restaurant. Food is real good and there desserts left me licking my fingers, honestly I left saying I will definitely come back , very nice date spot. The customer service is real good everyone is friendly and make you feel at home, good date spot good food that wont wipe away your finances, nice atmosphere good food will recommend it to anyone!!!!

Doesn't Recommend

virago7

Joined 10 years ago

Definitely NOT the best Mexican in NYC. Poor service, no ambiance, below-average food, and over-priced. Granted it was busy due to Cinco de Mayo, but it was completely chaotic -- our order was messed up and on numerous occasions they put food on our table that was for someone else and just picked up the dishes w/o any apologies. The prices were raised for the special "holiday" menu which was similar the regular menu .

Will certainly not be going back and do not recommend it at all.

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negasong

Joined 6 years ago

As good as it gets in New York. I give this restaurant a ten out of ten only because it is in New York, where it's way easier to get good anything than it is to get good Mexican food. The waitstaff is always extremely courteous and friendly, and the food is about as good as you are going to get in New York (Oh my god! Somebody actually grills their fajitas instead of sauteing them with 9,000 green bell peppers!). If you are from the southwest, it won't make you reminisce, but you're not gonna do better 'till you go home to visit the 'rents. Delivery is a crapshoot - sometimes fine - sometimes not so much - You're better off dining in.

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Clowwwn

Joined 11 years ago

Quality Mexican in Alphabet City. This homey Mexican is cozy and unpretentious, serving all the classics and a few home-style specialties. We had the Enchiladas al Maguey and Mole Verde, both of which were very good. The green mole sauce was fresh, just spicy enough, and delicious. The rice 'n' beans were a bit on the stale side, but so it goes. Service was very good. The overall rating is porbably erring on the high side, but the quality and the authenticity are there.