Midtown Lunch

I was pretty excited when Pinche Taqueria (with two well known locations downtown) announced they’d be serving food out of Mantra on 2nd Ave. and 52nd.  Well, almost two weeks have gone by and-despite promises of a “lunch service” that was supposed to start last Monday- nothing has happened.  I finally called Mantra yesterday and got a completely different story than the one they were peddling a week and a half ago.  Pinche doesn’t come in every day… in fact they have only been coming on Thursday through Sunday, and only for dinner.  Plus, there are no plans right now to open for lunch.  Lame.

Though, I’ve been hearing rumors that eventually the Mantra space will be converted into a full time Pinche Taqueria.  I guess we’ll just have to wait for that to happen before we get some lunchtime Pinche action.

It was reported on Thursday that Pinche Taqueria was taking over the old Mantra space on 2nd Ave. & 52nd Street, but a walk-by on Friday afternoon yielded this email from a Midtown Lunch’er:

“I just went by the Old Mantra and saw ZERO sign of anything new happening. There is no way this place is opening up, unless they’re operating without any signs of their own. Am I missing something?”

That doesn’t sound promising.  But what about our tacos?!?  There must be an explanation…

Read more »

Huge news via Eater: “Pinche Taqueria is opening a third location in the old Mantra space at 986 Second Ave (at 52nd) tonight at 5 o’clock. Downstairs it will have the usual Pinche setup with the same Pinche menu of tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and tortas… they’ll be open after 5 p.m. today through Saturday. Next week they’ll start opening during lunch and doing deliveries throughout Midtown East.” Sure, it’s one avenue outside the standard Midtown Lunch boundaries- but whatever! For Pinche Taqueria it’s totally worth it. This just in: Be afraid Pampano Taqueria (on 50th & 3rd).  Be very afraid.  Your overpriced, Midtown East, hipster Mexican food reign of terror has just come to an end!

Photo courtesy of Kathy YL Chan