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
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.
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.