Tres Carnes Has Come To Midtown East

Tres Carnes Midtown East

Lunch’er “hightemp” let us know that BBQ-Mexican or ‘Texican’ spot Tres Carnes (which has locations in Flatiron and the FiDi) has finally opened its doors on Third Ave between 57+58th, so I stopped by to see what all the fuss was about. Apparently, they were welcomed with open arms because “lines out the door” have been spotted, as well as a limit to three orders per person during high lunch hours (12-2pm). So, even though I wasn’t hungry, I sampled some tacos for you.

Tres Carnes Menu

I really didn’t know where to go with this menu since, in my mind, corn tortilla tacos or a salad should not be the same price as a burrito (I know, beans and rice are just filler, but if I was seriously buying lunch, I would have skipped the tacos for a burrito.) Yet, I was intrigued by the moment-having brisket and the pork. Luckily, you can get two different fillings for those tacos–they charged me for pork tacos ($9 total), but I don’t know if that’s always the case.

Brisket & Pork Tacos

Not sure what to put on a brisket taco and wanting to taste the meat, I held off on smothering the things with free add-ons. This was to the detriment for the pork. Though it has a good smoke flavor and pulled texture, it was a little on the dry side. A little more pico de gallo juice and some crema would have gone a long way and made the entire taco enjoyable. The brisket though needs nothing. A nice peppery charred rub on lean chunks of flavorful meat really impressed me, enough that I can see why people would wait in lines for it. I don’t know how this translates in a stuffed burrito, but I’m guessing one of you has tried and can report back.

Tres Carnes Special

Another note is the be careful when ordering the specials. The man in front of me did thinking he was just ordering lamb (instead of brisket, etc) and instead somehow ended up with the $11 special. He didn’t fight them on it, but just be warned.

Tres Carnes, 954 Third Ave. (btw 57+58th). 212-989-8737

3 Comments

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    Valducci’s is having a $1 slice promo today. I wonder if it has anything to do with the brooklyn grandma’s pizza parked a few trucks away.

    Joe

  • >Truly, Madly, Deeply Amazing

    There’s a Savage Garden reference I wasn’t expecting.

  • I ate at Tres Carnes last week. It’s really, really good and you can easily get out for under $10.

    I tried the pork in a rice bowl, and they threw in a taste of brisket for free. What made the tender meats really special was the deep smoke flavor. (The chicken looked like dry breast meat.)

    Pay the $1 supplement for squash, corn and guac – it is totally worth it, even the squash.

    This was a belly buster. My wife, working late, took the leftovers back to the office and had more than enough for dinner.

    Also the home-made limeade is kickass. Highly recommended.

    The extra hot sauce is really hot.

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