I don’t know about you, but I’m never sad when I’m eating tacos and drinking margaritas. The combo is a true treat for the palette: a splash of sweet, a kick of spicy, a pinch of acid, and that cozy warmness that comes with a satiated belly and tequila.
I called up my brunch buddy and long time frugal foodie guest, Katelyn, for a legendary Sunday Funday idea:
A New York City taco and margarita crawl.
(Check out our latest foodie venture, an East Village soup dumpling crawl, HERE. )
The mission was simple: stop at every Mexican establishment around the Nolita/East Village/Lower East Side area that called our names to see if we could find the best tacos and margs around. (Curious about the history of tacos? Click HERE)
We started at 12:30pm, and hit 6 taco and margarita spots over 6 hours. Let’s dive in!
Stop 1: The Black Ant
The Black Ant serves up modern Mexican cuisine and killer cocktails in a chic, dimly lit setting. It’s praised by foodies across the city, and seemed like the perfect place to start out New York City taco and margarita crawl.
The Food: The fish tacos ($18) were delicious– perfectly fried fish on a bed of cabbage slaw with a buttermilk aioli to tie it all together. The chicken tacos ($18) were juicy and flavorful with classic Mexican flavors. Both came with a side of rice and beans, but there are only 2 tacos per order! $9 a taco is outrageous and not worth it…… if you ask me.
The Margaritas ($15 each): My spicy jalapeño margarita was out of this world. It had the perfect level of heat without being too sweet, and you could taste the tequila without it being too strong.
TIP: The Black Ant serves up great food and drinks, but the prices are outrageous. HOWEVER, you can score a deal on pulsd.com that includes 4 drinks and 2 brunch entrees for just $39. Which is a total steal. (get the deal HERE). There’s also a great happy hour with $8 margaritas and $10 tacos that I give the Frugal Foodie’s green light for.
Should You Go?: The Black Ant delivers in flavor and quality, but it’s quite expensive. I’d recommend going, but for the love of god don’t pay full price. Snag a Pulsd ideal or go for happy hour instead.
Stop 2: The Ready Rooftop Bar
The Ready Rooftop bar is the latest hotspot that’s buzzing on social media. Why? There is a happy hour with $5 margaritas and $1 tacos. Holy frugal!
The Food: It was a warm sunny Sunday, and the small rooftop was completely jammed. We ordered two chicken tacos, which never ended up coming. A scenario we anticipated given how packed and chaotic the bar was.
The Drinks: The margarita was a premade mix from a bottle. It was quite limey, not too sweet, and not too bad for $5!
Should You Go?: I think The Ready Rooftop Bar is worth checking out, but make a reservation ahead of time and avoid the weekends.
Stop 3: Taqueria St. Marks Place
Taqueria St. Marks has a fun party atmosphere with cozy seating and festive lights strung every which way. It feels like an authentic Mexican cantina, and the perfect 3rd stop for our New York City taco and margarita crawl.
The Food: Each taco was $4.50 a pop, and we tried the bistec, carnitas, and fish. All 3 were tasty, but the carnitas was particularly on point. The shredded meat was juicy and tender, and there was plenty of guac, cilantro, and lime to tie it all together.
The Margarita: Nice and limey, not too sweet. Perfectly good, not necessarily memorable. It would have been $8.50, but Katelyn sprang for the better tequila, making each one $15… guess that’s what happens when your friends are lawyers!
Should You Go?: The main draw of Taqueria St Marks Place is the atmosphere. The food and drinks are a bit forgettable, but I guarantee your experience won’t be.
Stop 4: Empellon Al Pastor
Empellon Al Pastor is trendy and cool with a hint of grunge and splash of retro. It has quite a lengthy bar with a whole menu of micheladas as well as traditional and unique tacos alike.
The Food: The al pastor taco was delicious– flavorful meat, a solid piece of pineapple, and a slightly hot salsa to add a little twang. The cheeseburger taco just tasted like a steak taco– I enjoyed eating it, but wouldn’t get it again. Plus, there wasn’t nearly enough meat on it. Each taco was $6 a pop, which is a bit too pricey to have me coming back again.
The Margaritas: I’m quite a fan of cucumber margaritas, and this one didn’t disappoint. It was sweet and refreshing with a lovely lime flavor.
Should You Go: The venue is cool, the food is tasty, and the drinks are strong. However, it’s a bit on the pricey side, and there are better tacos to be had elsewhere in the East Village.
Stop 5: Tacombi Taco
Tacombi Taco has been serving up authentic tacos with true Mexican flavors to New York City since 2010. Each locale has an open air garage feel that echos the laughs of fellow dinners through the space.
The Food: We tried the Al Pastor and carnitas ($4.98 each). This was the 5th stop on our New York City taco and margarita crawl, and my taste buds were edging towards fuzzy. I have nothing bad to say about either, and I immensely enjoyed both in the moment.
The Margaritas: The margs were perfectly good, but quite simple and basic. $13.98 seems over priced for what you get, but saying no would be a bold act of will power.
Should You Go?: Tacombi Tacos is worth trying for the tacos. The fact that everything is a la carte means you can keep the bill low. But be warned, it’s also easy to keep on having “just one more…”
Stop 6: Rosa Mexicana
Rosa Mexicano is another New York City taco and margarita go-to spot to elevated Mexican fare. It’s not frugal, but it is delicious, and you’ll find unique entrees that are truly a step above the rest.
The Food: After 5 margaritas, you better believe that this birria taco with cheese was a total delight. Cheesy, savory, meaty…. exactly what you want to balance out the tequila sloshing around.
The Drinks: The spicy cucumber margarita from Rosa Mexicano is perhaps my favorite margarita in the city. So good that I don’t mind the $16. Yes, shocking, I know! The ratios of ingredients are bang on and the cucumber balances the spice level to perfection.
Should You Go: This is the perfect spot for celebrating a special occasion. Good food, good vibes, good drinks. It’s a splurge that’s worth the money.
Wrapping Up This New York City Taco and Margarita Crawl
6 hours, 6 margaritas, and countless tacos later, here’s what’s hot and what’s not.
Margarita Ranking:
- The Black Ant
- Rosa Mexicano
- Empellon Al Pastor
- Taqueria St Marks
- Tacombi Taco
- The Ready Rooftop Bar
Taco Ranking:
- Carnitas from Taqueria St. Marks
- Al Pastor from Empellon Al Pastor
- Fish from The Black Ant
- Birria from Rosa Mexicano
- Any option from Tacombi Taco
- All the others have already slipped my mind…
Best Frugal Finds:
- The Pulsd deal at the Black Ant is superb.
- $4.50 Tacos at Taqueria St Marks are sold value.
- The Ready Rooftop Bar does have an amazing happy hour… too bad we didn’t get our $1 tacos!
This was a Sunday funday for the books! Did we find the best New York City taco and margarita? Perhaps… I’ll have to try a few more spots to find out 🙂
