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La Esquina Taqueria and Cafe

Critics' Pick

114 Kenmare St., New York, NY 10012 40.721419 -73.997843
at Lafayette St. See Map | Subway Directions Hopstop Popup
work646-613-7100 Send to Phone

Cuisine: Mexican
Price Range:
$$
Key to Prices and ratings
Upscale

Almost Perfect

Exceptional

Generally Excellent

Very Good

Good

Cheap Eats

Best in Category

Excellent

Delicious

Very Good

Noteworthy
Very Expensive

Expensive

Moderate

Cheap
Reader Rating:
5.1 out of 10
|
18 Reviews | Write a Review

Photo by Shanna Ravindra

Map Rate & Review

Official Website

esquinanyc.com

Hours

Daily, noon-2am

Nearby Subway Stops

6 at Spring St.; J, M, Z at Broad St.

Prices

$10-$22

Payment Methods

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Special Features

Bar Scene
Celeb-Spotting
Delivery
Dine at the Bar
Hot Spot
Late-Night Dining
Lunch
Romantic
Design Standout

Alcohol

Full Bar

Reservations

Recommended

Delivery Area

Worth St. to 8th St., Allen St. to Greenwich St.

Profile

The neon sign reads corner, a nod to the deli that preceded it, but that’s just a colorful ruse. If La Esquina is as much stage set as restaurant, that’s because it’s owned by Serge Becker, the designer and nightlife entrepreneur behind such hipster loci as Bowery Bar, MK, and Area. The counter-service taqueria on Kenmare dispenses tacos and tortas (made, unfortunately, on baguettes instead of proper Mexican teleras), and a more extensive menu is served at the adjacent café around the corner, a double-height room with recessed shelves full of books and old record albums. A cool tomatillo-avocado soup was refreshing and mildly spiced, and the char-grilled string beans called ejotes do wonders for an oft-overlooked, overboiled vegetable. Authentic as East Harlem? Maybe not, but the chicken tacos are tasty and the prices surprisingly gentle for a neighborhood straddling the Soho-Nolita border.

Cafe Hours

Daily, noon—midnight.

Recommended Dishes

Food:	7

Service:	8

Décor:	8

Value:	10

Food:	6

Service:	6

Décor:	6

Value:	5

Despite the shortcomings of this sceney/poseur taqueria, the location and stellar tortilla soup usually make up for it, until last week. I witnessed a mid-shift restocking - behold - their horchata isn't homemade. It's from cartons of rice dream. Very disappointing. When I expressed my shock to the staff - their response was very salty indeed, but that's expected.

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