By Gus Saltonstall
Mexican food lovers, rejoice. An Upper West Side Mexican restaurant was just named among the best in New York City.
Eater New York recently published “The Best Mexican Restaurants in NYC, According to Eater Editors,” which included 18 eateries across the five boroughs.
The Upper West Side restaurant to make the list?
El Mitote at 208 Columbus Avenue, between West 69th and 70th streets.
Here’s what Eater NY had to say about it.
“The restaurant partly focuses on the street food of owner Cristina Castaneda’s native Guadalajara, but there’s also classic regional Mexican fare,” the food publication wrote. “An early afternoon daily brunch might include mushroom tinga tacos, huevos rancheros, or chilaquiles, and a stunning bowl of red chicken pozole that’s every bit as spicy as it looks, served with a crema-painted tostada on the side.”
El Mitote has been in business for more than 30 years and features other menu options, such as beef short ribs, Birria tacos, Guadalajara soup with small pieces of steak simmered in tomatillo sauce and mixed with pinto beans, roasted cambray, avocado slices, cilantro, and crispy bacon, as well as mezcal, margaritas, and sangria.
El Mitote is operated by the Happy People Hospitality restaurant group, which also oversees Covacha and Ella Social on the Upper West Side, along with Cafe Frida, before it closed in 2020.
Other popular Upper West Side Mexican restaurants not featured on Eater NY’s list include the above-mentioned Covacha, along with Santa Fe, Taqueria 86, Playa Betty’s, Tacombi, Rancho Tequileria, and El Fish Marisqueria.
Let us know in the comment section if we missed any favorites.
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El Mitote is great, always packed and has a fun vibe. Glad they got more street seating put up even if it is smaller than their prior set up.
Well, I’ve certainly had some great food there – nice to see!
Whoever makes tamales gets my vote. So few places in the Upper West Side make them anymore.
I’m happy that a local place is doing well but am a bit surprised by the raving reviews. To me it is a very average restaurant, it is fine. The atmosphere is good but the dishes are just average. It won’t be a restaurant I would recommend to my friends from out of town.
Agree – Miss the old spot when they served pizza and that delicious hot sauce , salsa condiment area
Yes, Rigoletto! That was an awesome pizzeria. The pizza was great and they were unique in that they offered dipping sauces for the pizza. My family deliver in from them many times. I was crushed when they closed.
As far as El Mitote IMO it used to be a great place until the menu changed a year or so ago.
Walking by, that’s about what I’ve always thought.
15 years ago, there was a place on 2nd Ave by the UN, now that was Mexican food. Not inexpensive though. Not sure if it’s still there.
Perhaps you’re thinking of El Parador on East 34th Street. Still there. https://www.elparadorcafe.com/
Still there, and still the best!
no, it was in the 50s.
Rosa Mexicana?
If you want to drink. Not eat.
Nope, bland.
Also the place I’m thinking of was much pricier than the Rosa Texicana chain.
El Cheesecake Factory
A bit aggressive with the sidewalk space.
Never eaten there, always seems too boisterous.
Nina’s Great Burrito Bar on Columbus/85th is my favorite! Best nachos in the city.
Yes, absolutely. And their guacamole is out of this world!
Cafe Frida didn’t _really_ close… it’s just called Covache on the window now. It still says Cafe Frida on your bill and credit card statements.
.Yummy tomato soup and pleasant bar staff.
Echoing Steve, the food/drinks at Covacha (not “Covache”) bear almost no resemblance to the fare at Cafe Frida. Covacha is a Michelin Bib Gourmand, and deservedly so — it’s stellar and easily superior to El Mitote (which is good, but also a more casual and low-priced place).
Well, I mean yes and no. I guess it’s the same business entity, but the menu and vibe of Covache are really different from Cafe Frida’s.
Exactly!! It’s popular. Let’s be thrilled for our local spots. Best part is the staff…always so kind to faces they recognize, and even those they don’t. HUGE shout out to Cristina for setting a culture of ownership and engagement among her staff, these folks could excel at anything they do and they seem to enjoy each other. I saw her out there guiding the rebuild of the street …platform…or whatever you call it now. Unclear if that was her on the saw.
Nothing better than seeing all the “young folks” streaming out of Central Park at the end of a pretty day (or after the race) and setting up here for tacos and cerveza. Sunday mornings – it’s nothing but locals with Sullivan setting the music. I also really appreciate how invested they are in open streets and other community events. We have a lot of great restaurants in our ‘hood and I am so excited to see one of the gems recognized. Viva la UWS!!
El Mitote has been a great addition to the neighborhood since it opened but it has not, I am really very sure, been 30 years. I remember it opening, my kids were in high school which makes it sometime in the 2010’s. Anyone else notice this error?
Agree. No way it has been around for 30 years, at least in that location.
Interesting this should be so noted. My Mexican friends were not impressed!
Well deserved! This place is delish!!!!
Pico de Gallo, on Amsterdam & 98th, is my favorite.
“The best Mexican food in New York” is not good Mexican food, unfortunately.
El Mitote is our go-to after movies at 84th st. But our neighborhood favorite for Mexican is Taqueria Y Fonda at 108/Amsterdam. Nothing fancy but always fresh and tasty and their specials are great! say hello to Jorge!
You missed
Taqueria Y Fonda La Mexicana.
968 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10025
Phone: (212) 531-0383
Seriously?! This is one of the best Mexican restaurants in NYC?!! I once came here and had a $15 margarita that was SO watered down. , The food , overpriced & mediocre at best, I had fish tacos . I am m Mexican, and I know what Mexican food is. One other time I passed by to pick up something to go. I wanted to pay cash. The woman behind the counter would not take my one dollar bill because it was counterfeit according to her! A one dollar bill? I said I don’t need to eat here. Maybe she thought it was counterfeit because I’m Mexican?! Have not been back since.
Frida was one of the restaurants this group “oversees”? It has changed management 4 times since then (Chico Julio, Frida, Guacamole, and now Pico de Gallo), and each time the menu is the same only a bit more pricy and the name changes. Different management? used to be a great place, with a garden in back, now they play loud music most nights… No wonder they had to put up a fence in back since the neighbors couldn’t stand the loud music. It defeated the lovely idea of having twinkly lights in the trees…. ruined the ambience. AND PS, I won’t eat inside for this reason–DEAFENING! which makes this only a seasonal place for me…..
Where is the deafening music? This isn’t the old Frida space.
If the restaurant’s liquor license doesn’t allow serving alcohol past a certain hour, 10PM is common– so unlike a bar, the cops can cite the restaurant for serving past the allowed time and the City can revoke the liquor license.
Restaurants have to keep a copy of the liquor license on site for examination by cops responding to noise complaints, etc.
That’s really no longer the upper west side. Maybe Lincoln Square. But decidedly not UWS.
Casa Mexicana on 103rd and Amst. was great. Nice family owned and good food (green enchiladas to die for) but they closed. Anyone know why and when? Are they reopening?