La Esquina

114 Kenmare St, New York, NY 10012, USA

New York is definitely one of the food meccas of the world, every restaurant, a living proof of the fusion of cultures that make up this amazing city. One thing you will find here is that some of the best restaurants are not obvious to the eye. Many have hidden entrances or disguised doors. While La Esquina is also an evident fast food restaurant, the real treasure lays hidden in the basement underneath. Behind a door labeled “employees only” a set of stairs takes you down to much larger room with rustic decoration and attractive murals that evoke the Aztec theme and welcome you to your next best meal! The food is a testament of the fusion of flavors of Mexico... the tostadas (bite size crisp tortillas) de pollo and cangrejo with the spicy mango relish or the taquitos are a great way to start! Then go for the juicy marinated Carne Asada with a hint of garlic and the classic mojo or the Camarones a la Plancha and pair them with the green beans and the rice for a meal to remember!!! and please... leave room for dessert, the Crema Cocida, a velvety panna cotta with a mexican twist, or the Torrejas Brulee, a moist bread pudding with bits of pinnaple, give you the perfect level of sweetness to end a superb meal! If you go with large group (>9) they will require you to do a family style menu for a fair value, which I highly recommend!! Trust me, there will be plenty of food and I promise, it will be a feast you will never forget!

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NYC's best mexican is just around the corner!

New York is definitely one of the food meccas of the world, every restaurant, a living proof of the fusion of cultures that make up this amazing city. One thing you will find here is that some of the best restaurants are not obvious to the eye. Many have hidden entrances or disguised doors. While La Esquina is also an evident fast food restaurant, the real treasure lays hidden in the basement underneath. Behind a door labeled “employees only” a set of stairs takes you down to much larger room with rustic decoration and attractive murals that evoke the Aztec theme and welcome you to your next best meal! The food is a testament of the fusion of flavors of Mexico... the tostadas (bite size crisp tortillas) de pollo and cangrejo with the spicy mango relish or the taquitos are a great way to start! Then go for the juicy marinated Carne Asada with a hint of garlic and the classic mojo or the Camarones a la Plancha and pair them with the green beans and the rice for a meal to remember!!! and please... leave room for dessert, the Crema Cocida, a velvety panna cotta with a mexican twist, or the Torrejas Brulee, a moist bread pudding with bits of pinnaple, give you the perfect level of sweetness to end a superb meal! If you go with large group (>9) they will require you to do a family style menu for a fair value, which I highly recommend!! Trust me, there will be plenty of food and I promise, it will be a feast you will never forget!

Queso and more Mexican at La Esquina in NYC

If you want to splurge on a good Mexican meal, this is your place. There’s three outposts in one and if you don’t have a reservation for downstairs, you’re relegated to the window or the cafe. The cafe is great and I never felt let-down by not getting in downstairs. Everything we had here was fantastic. The highlight of our meal was the queso fundido - served with plantains, this version has two different cheeses and is adorned with pumpkin seeds. It had a sweeter taste than the usual and it worked! The tacos are filling and the maragaritas are addictive. The staff were so nice that they even gave us complimentary tequila shots. I will definitely be back! There is now an outpost in Brooklyn.

Tacotastic meal in New York City

Forget all the new and fancy taco joints and head to La Esquina’s takeout counter on Kenmare during a sunny day. You can grab carnitas tacos and elote and then sit in the park and people watch those shopping through SoHo. I’ve eaten through their entire menu and it’s all great but the carnitas are my fave.

Go undergounrd - literally! - for the best mexican experience you'll have in NYC!

Virtually unmarked on the exterior, this underground modern Mexican restaurant delivers on both food and atmosphere. You must have a reservation, as this semi-secret spot tends to book up a month in advance. If you’re lucky enough to have a table under your name, you’ll be escorted through what appears to be an employee service door, down a dark staircase, through a kitchen...and into a dimly lit but vibrant restaurant. Plan on arriving early so you can enjoy the bar before you are seated. The Elotes Callejeros (Grilled Mexican Street Corn) were too good to share, and I could have eaten several plates of Platanos Machos Fritos (Plantains, Salsa Verde and Queso Fresco). This was unlike any other restaurant I’ve ever been to, not only in NY, but anywhere in the world!

Awesome pizza

This is great!! :)

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