Midtown Lunch

When I read the other day that El Rey Del Sabor is now offering al pastor, I was all over it. I headed to their new cart on Park Ave and 49th Street (one of three they now operate in Midtown)- and not only did I score an al pastor taco, I also grabbed a spicy pork torta, and a carne asada huarache. This was a cheap excuse to splurge and buy a few menu items that I’ve been meaning to try under the pretext of getting a taco in the name of ML. I know, I just give and give don’t I? It was a ton of food, but luckily I had a friend with me to help out.

Comida pornografia after the jump….

These days al pastor can be prepped a couple of ways it seems. In NYC I’ve noticed they usually top it with pico de gallo (tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, cilantro and lime) that include a sweet component, usually pineapple and sometimes mango. (Even though in California I never really noticed any pineapple in my al pastor.) ERdS’s version is the pineapple kind, but I like a sweet and salty mix so I wasn’t disappointed.

The pork seems to be their usual puerco enchillado and has a deep red color from the chili spiced marinade. They also give you the choice of adding additional green or red salsa. This might make for a bit of a soggy mess if you have a long walk back to your office, but all that juicy meat is contained in a double wrapped tortilla cooked on the same meaty seasoned griddle.

The torta was equally good, and perhaps much better: bread, melted cheese, refried beans, meat, lettuce, tomato, guacamole, sour cream, and pickled jalapenos and carrots. I would easily choose this before a burrito with the same filling. I did get two fatty, gristly bits in the pork. But I won’t hold that against them because almost every taqueria I’ve been to has had one instance of the same.

The huarache was next and man do I love huaraches! How could I resist! I liked the carne asada. It was better than I expected and surprisingly tender. Authentic huaraches should have a bean paste center, but these just came with a smear of beans on top instead. (Not a deal breaker as far as I’m concerned.) The cotija cheese, sour cream and red and green salsas were abundant and I can’t complain about that either. The only disclaimer: I know that many foodies here have stuffed their faces with the gluttonous feast that is the Red Hook Ballfield huaraches. Yes they are the gold standard for this street food in NYC, but let’s face it- pigs will fly before we get one of those venders in midtown. The family behind the El Rey carts make all of the food, from the masa, salsas and moles to the meat preparations from scratch. It’s no wonder El Rey del Sabor is the Mexican food darling of ML, the food is cooked with care and stands above many other midtown carts.

Freshly made pastelitos

El Rey del Sabor (3 Locations)

• 49th and Park
• 43rd btw. 5+6th
• 60th and 3rd

Related:
Tongue Tacos Are My New El Rey Del Sabor Fave (But the Vegetarian Quesadilla is Good Too)
El Rey Del Sabor Round Two: Mole, Tamales, and a Spicy New Creation You Won’t Want to Miss
The New El Rey Del Sabor is Serving Authentic Mexican Food From a Cart