Since I've had my eye on the Mexicue Truck last year and also since trying it, I've been following it quite closely, happy to find out they now have 2 brick-and-mortar locations. Looks like business has been good.
The second one of these restaurants opened up just last week, and since I get Mexicue's e-newsletter, I was all over it. Recruiting work friends, Wanda, Courtney and Kelly to come along for the adventure, we took a long walk over to the new locale, only to find out we were its first customers. As in, first customers ever! It was really exciting, and not only were we graced with delectable Mexican bbq, the cost was au gratis. Yep...free! It was a gesture we really appreciated, and yet another reason to rave about this place. 4 words - we will be back!
Atmosphere:
Located in a most unusual spot on the Lower East Side/Chinatown border, the new Mexicue is tucked away on Forsyth Street between Broome and Grand. True that you have to pass through a grimy, bustling area to get there, but once you do, the experience is 100% worth it.
Set in a roomy locale on the bottom of a brick three-story building, Mexicue is brand spankin' new and it shows. As soon as we stepped in, we smelled the newness that emanated from the dark wooden furniture and a couple of simple embellishments such as the birch candles.
I liked that there was ample seating for both small and larger parties and the overall vibe was casual, simple and non-pretentious - just like the food.
Food:
Since we were the very first people that walked in the door, Mexicue's menu was still a little limited, as a lot of the slow-cooked bbq items such as the brisket were still being prepared. Despite the slight disappointment, they had pretty much all their tacos available and we were happy to dig in. Mexicue graciously treated us to a generous helping of three types of tacos - short rib, chicken and veggie.
Tacos - Being that we were all pretty hungry, our excitement upon seeing these tacos was huge. As mentioned, we received three varieties, out of which two were meat based and the other veggie. I tried all three, and as my friend Wanda noticed, I liked each new taco progressively more. First trying the short rib, I was impressed by its rich, smoky flavor which was juxtaposed with sharp pickled onions, lettuce and cotija cheese.
Then I tried the chicken tacos and yet again, I was in love. This time a bit more. The soft, shredded chicken meat was perfectly seasoned (as Wanda confirmed too) and it was topped with a to-die-for creamy bbq sauce that added a touch of elegance and decadence.
However, as you can probably guess, the veggie taco was my ultimate favorite. Consisting of sweet-as-candy beans, mixed with smoky bbq flavors, it was also seasoned with slightly spicy, crunchy habanero slaw and thin strips of tortilla chips on top. Each bite was a pleasure and the end result was wonderfully filling.
Guacamole, Chips & Salsa - Starting our meal with these Mexican starter musts, we enjoyed them a lot, mainly the guac, which was nice and creamy, with a bit of a kick too. I loved that about Mexicue overall, as they stay true to their name and core concept of elevating their flavor quotient and incorporating into it spicy, smoky bbq flavors.
Service and Cost:
Needless to say, the service was wonderful, no doubt attributed to us being their first VIPs. Even though this was a special circumstance, the people that ran Mexicue seemed genuinely nice and I think would've acted that way even if the restaurant was busy. They forgot to give us napkins and plates at one point, no doubt letting first-day jitters get the best of them, but none of that irritated us. We totally understood that a new place sometimes takes a little time to iron out its kinks.
Although we didn't pay for our meal, I looked at the prices and they range anywhere from $3-$4 for a taco, $3.50 for sliders, $2 - $5 for sides and $7.50 for salads.
Mexicue - 106 Forsyth Street, New York NY 10002
646.559.4100
N/R/Q/6 Train to Canal Street
www.mexicue.com
The second one of these restaurants opened up just last week, and since I get Mexicue's e-newsletter, I was all over it. Recruiting work friends, Wanda, Courtney and Kelly to come along for the adventure, we took a long walk over to the new locale, only to find out we were its first customers. As in, first customers ever! It was really exciting, and not only were we graced with delectable Mexican bbq, the cost was au gratis. Yep...free! It was a gesture we really appreciated, and yet another reason to rave about this place. 4 words - we will be back!
Atmosphere:
Located in a most unusual spot on the Lower East Side/Chinatown border, the new Mexicue is tucked away on Forsyth Street between Broome and Grand. True that you have to pass through a grimy, bustling area to get there, but once you do, the experience is 100% worth it.
Set in a roomy locale on the bottom of a brick three-story building, Mexicue is brand spankin' new and it shows. As soon as we stepped in, we smelled the newness that emanated from the dark wooden furniture and a couple of simple embellishments such as the birch candles.
I liked that there was ample seating for both small and larger parties and the overall vibe was casual, simple and non-pretentious - just like the food.
Food:
Since we were the very first people that walked in the door, Mexicue's menu was still a little limited, as a lot of the slow-cooked bbq items such as the brisket were still being prepared. Despite the slight disappointment, they had pretty much all their tacos available and we were happy to dig in. Mexicue graciously treated us to a generous helping of three types of tacos - short rib, chicken and veggie.
Tacos - Being that we were all pretty hungry, our excitement upon seeing these tacos was huge. As mentioned, we received three varieties, out of which two were meat based and the other veggie. I tried all three, and as my friend Wanda noticed, I liked each new taco progressively more. First trying the short rib, I was impressed by its rich, smoky flavor which was juxtaposed with sharp pickled onions, lettuce and cotija cheese.
Then I tried the chicken tacos and yet again, I was in love. This time a bit more. The soft, shredded chicken meat was perfectly seasoned (as Wanda confirmed too) and it was topped with a to-die-for creamy bbq sauce that added a touch of elegance and decadence.
However, as you can probably guess, the veggie taco was my ultimate favorite. Consisting of sweet-as-candy beans, mixed with smoky bbq flavors, it was also seasoned with slightly spicy, crunchy habanero slaw and thin strips of tortilla chips on top. Each bite was a pleasure and the end result was wonderfully filling.
Guacamole, Chips & Salsa - Starting our meal with these Mexican starter musts, we enjoyed them a lot, mainly the guac, which was nice and creamy, with a bit of a kick too. I loved that about Mexicue overall, as they stay true to their name and core concept of elevating their flavor quotient and incorporating into it spicy, smoky bbq flavors.
Service and Cost:
Needless to say, the service was wonderful, no doubt attributed to us being their first VIPs. Even though this was a special circumstance, the people that ran Mexicue seemed genuinely nice and I think would've acted that way even if the restaurant was busy. They forgot to give us napkins and plates at one point, no doubt letting first-day jitters get the best of them, but none of that irritated us. We totally understood that a new place sometimes takes a little time to iron out its kinks.
Although we didn't pay for our meal, I looked at the prices and they range anywhere from $3-$4 for a taco, $3.50 for sliders, $2 - $5 for sides and $7.50 for salads.
Mexicue - 106 Forsyth Street, New York NY 10002
646.559.4100
N/R/Q/6 Train to Canal Street
www.mexicue.com
May I add that the salsa and guacamole was really good...not too hot, made fresh and I loved drizzling over my tacos. Yummy!
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