By Yana Krasnitskaya
I’ve frequently heard people complain that it’s hard to find good Mexican food on the Upper West Side. Sometimes, after biting into a subpar burrito or a limp, under-stuffed taco, I find myself agreeing, but then I come across an example that proves the exact opposite – as was the case recently, when I popped into El Mitote on Columbus Avenue.
I didn’t know exactly what I would order, but the menu, which features Guadalajara-style tacos and other dishes (“Hecho como en Mexico!” as the website advertises – “Made like in Mexico!”) interested me, and the restaurant itself had always looked like fun, with an outdoor seating area that spills onto the street, and a cozy, colorful interior that I’d peek at when I walked by. In other words, it looked like the kind of place that I’ve always associated with New York City – a neighborhood spot you can drop into, order a drink, (in my case a margarita), and know that you’ll have a good time.
As a bonus, and as I discovered on this particular evening, El Mitote also has some exceptional food. I was particularly blown away by the quesabirrias ($24).
Quesabirrias are a hybrid of sorts – a cross-section between a quesadilla and a birria taco, the latter a traditional dish from the Mexican state of Jalisco (of which Guadalajara is the capital). Birria is a slow-cooked stew flavored with traditional Mexican spices such as ancho chiles, cloves, cinnamon and Mexican oregano. It’s typically made from goat, but sometimes lamb or, in El Mitote’s case, beef, which is slow-cooked in this heavily spiced broth until it is fall-apart tender (my favorite kind of beef).
For birria tacos, the meat is simply folded into a tortilla. But quesabirrias go a step further. First, the tortillas themselves are soaked in the broth, then they’re toasted and stuffed not only with the slow-cooked meat, but also with cheese, most often the mild, mozzarella-like queso Oaxaca, which is named after the southern Mexican state in which it originated. The leftover cooking liquid is served on the side for dipping. The resulting dish is, in a word, delicious, and despite the cheese, not at all heavy.
In fact, the tanginess of the meat in El Mitote’s quesabirria — from the vinegar that is an integral part of the cooking liquid — created a flavor profile that hit all the notes, especially when paired with the mild, melted cheese. The crunch of the corn tortilla, griddled and replete with the rich scent of chiles, stood out even when I dipped it into the broth; if I’d closed my eyes, I would have felt myself transported to an open-air restaurant on the side of a road near Guadalajara and the small town of Tequila where I’d first tried quesaburrias on a trip in 2019. I washed it down with a classic margarita on the rocks, no salt, and I was in heaven.
When I told my dining companions that I couldn’t get enough of the quesabirrias and that I was planning on spotlighting them as this week’s “UWS Dish,” one of them objected. “But what about the flautas! That salsa alone is to die for!”
And it was hard to argue with her, so here’s a pitch for the El Mitote’s flautas, as well: The three perfectly rolled corn tortillas are stuffed with shredded chicken and served with two salsas – one roasted tomato, and the other tomatillo-avocado one (which had a picante bite that surprised me). The flautas were everything I look for in a savory snack: crispy, crunchy and a perfect foil against which to taste and compare the two salsas.
And then there was the guacamole. It’s chunky, lime-y, and streaked with just enough cilantro to add an herbaceous note; with apologies to cilantro lovers, I have to confess that I usually hate the stuff, but there wasn’t enough of it in El Mitote’s guacamole for my taste buds to revolt. The chips that accompanied it were light, crisp and addictive. The three of us devoured two or three bowls of them (and I won’t even mention how many margaritas).
At some point during our meal my friend pointed out that all the people working in the restaurant were wearing black T-shirts that said “SOMOS UWS!” – which translates to “We are the Upper West Side.”
And yes, they are; after all El Mitote — which in Mexico refers to a noisy party or a commotion — has been serving the neighborhood since 1992, and has been featured in publications like Eater (and, yes, West Side Rag) many times over the years – primarily calling out its authenticity and the fact that it’s a women-run business. Unfortunately, owner and founder Cristina Castañeda passed away earlier this year, but her legacy lives on in the vibrant atmosphere and the delicious food being served at El Mitote.
If anyone ever complains to you – as they have to me – that New York City – and specifically Upper West Side lacks good Mexican food – take them there. They’re just one margarita and plate of quesabirrias away from being proven wrong.
The Dish: Quesabirrias ($24)
The Restaurant: El Mitote, 208 Columbus Avenue (between West 69th and 70th streets). Open daily, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Walk-ins only.
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Do any Mexicans eat there?