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Home > Restaurants > Rocking Horse Cafe

Rocking Horse Cafe

Critic's Pick Critics' Pick

182 Eighth Ave., New York, NY 10011
nr. 19th St.  See Map | Subway Directions Hopstop Popup
212-463-9511 Send to Phone

  • Price Range: $$

    Key to Prices and ratings

    Upscale
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  • Reader Rating:

    6.4 out of 10

      |  

    6 Reviews | Write a Review

  • Cuisine: Mexican
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Photo by Mike Rogers

Official Website

rockinghorsecafe.com

Hours

Mon-Thu, noon-11pm; Fri, noon-midnight; Sat, 11am-midnight; Sun, 11am-11pm

Nearby Subway Stops

C, E at 23rd St.; 1 at 18th St.

Prices

$15.95-$22.95

Payment Methods

American Express, MasterCard, Visa

Special Features

  • Bar Scene
  • Brunch - Weekend
  • Delivery
  • Dine at the Bar
  • Kid-Friendly
  • Kids' Menu
  • Outdoor Dining
  • Take-Out

Alcohol

  • Full Bar

Reservations

Recommended

Delivery Area

11th St. to 30th St., Broadway to West Side Hwy.

Profile

If you like the idea of bright, brash, elegantly finished Mexican food served in a setting where margaritas are slurped, not sipped, elbow the Chelsea boys and girls out of the way and snare yourself a table here. A recent expansion and renovation has given the room less of a bursting-at-the-seams feel, while the new revamped menu has added her sophisticated touch to new dishes like mustard-and-guava-paste-crusted lamb chops. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Brunch

Sat.–Sun., 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Recommended Dishes

Duck confit blue corn crepas, $8.95; seared salmon Napoleon, $21.95; chile relleno, $16.95

6.4 "Mixed Reviews"
Average Reader Rating
on a Scale of 10		 Write Your Own Review
66% Would you go back?
50% Would you take a date?
16% Would you take kids?
33% Would you go on business?
16% Would you go on a special occasion?
Food: 6.2
Service: 6.7
Décor: 6.5
Value: 5.5

Eponymous Experience

dignell from 10025 | Posted on 8/24/09

Overall Rating: 5 (Mixed Reviews)
Food: 5
Service: 7
Décor: 5
Value: 6

Taking a cue from it's moniker, Rocking Horse Cafe oscillates between delightful and disagreeable, resulting in a mediocre experience overall. The food was hit and miss across the board: the chipotle hollandaise was thin and bland, whereas the corn cakes were soft and moist; the enchilanda sauce in the enchiladas con pollo had a nice flavor, but the pollo had too much gristle to be appetizing; table salsa tastes more like tomato soup than fresh salsa, yet the corn tortillas are made fresh onsite. The one true bright spot in the meal was the coffee: a Mexican blend, the coffee was smooth, robust, and delectably rich. As for aesthetics and service, a lot was left to be desired. White clothe napkins would seem a lavish touch, except the use of bleach was notably absent. Service was normally amenable (the bartender and I had a moment over "Poker Face"), though it can be annoying to wait 10 minutes for the check while your server gets a back rub from the host. As a slightly cheaper alternative to many of its neighbors, Rocking Horse leaves much to be desired.

Not Good Enough to Return

mcnulty75 from 10023 | Posted on 4/21/08

Overall Rating: (NA) (Not Rated)
Food: 4
Service: 5
Décor: 5
Value: 5

I have had much better Mexican food in almost every other Mexican restaurant I have frequented in NYC. The food is bland, the service is amiss and the b&t clientele is obnoxious.

Read All 6 Reviews >>

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