Profile

This former butcher shop in Jackson Heights is where homesick Buenos Aireans (and insatiable carnivores of every nationality) congregate for serious beefsteaks. Waiters decked out like urban gauchos in Howdy Doody neckerchiefs and coin-studded gaucho belts that look like World Wrestling Federation trophies hustle about to a tango beat. The obligatory steak-house paraphernalia—ropes, knives, spurs, saddles, and steer horns—share wall space with photos of homegrown heroes: There's Carlos Gardel, the famous tango singer in white tie and top hat; Maradona, the soccer superstar who's never actually eaten here; and sports announcer Andres Canto (the "gooooal!" guy) actually has. Start with excellent hot, crusty empanadas stuffed with a spicy mixture of ground beef, chopped egg, olives, and onion and served with house-made chimichurri (the pureed-parsley steak sauce, which the restaurant bottles and sells). Then move on to the $22.95 mixed grill for one (actually more like two, maybe three): a feast of succulent garlicky pork sausages; hefty blood sausages; a rich, beefy-flavored skirt steak; tender short ribs; luscious sweetbreads; and subtly flavored tripe. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Mixed grill for one (pork sausage, blood sausage, skirt steak, short ribs, tripe, sweetbreads), $22.95

Related Stories

Featured In

• Eat Cheap 2011: A Selective Meat-Eater’s Guide to Queens (7/18/11)