Midtown Lunch

The lowest part of the Financial District is somewhat lacking in good Mexican food options on a daily basis, if you don’t count Chipotle. In a space that used to house Pita Grill, El Toro Mexican Grill has opened serving a wide variety of Mexican options and few American (or hybrid) items for those who have co-workers not really into burritos or tacos. You can get a quesadilla here, but you can also get a burger or rotisserie chicken, and you really have to try to spend more than $10.

I was feeling both unimaginative and very hungry, so I went with a burrito ($7-$8). There is a wide variety of protein options like chicken, barbacoa, pork or chorizo, or you can go vegetarian with vegetables or beans. My $8 version had chorizo, yellow rice, black beans, a mix of finely shredded white and yellow cheese (like the kind that comes in a bag), iceberg lettuce, chopped tomato, roasted corn, hot salsa and (free!!) guacamole. You can get sour cream and cilantro as well.

If you look at the list of ingredients in my burrito, housed within a grilled tortilla, you would think it would be full of flavor. Sadly that was not the case. I couldn’t even taste the hot salsa that was poured over the top of the filling before the burrito was rolled up. I could taste the guacamole and occasionally the chorizo, but I just needed some more flavor to happen. Maybe I’ve gotten spoiled by the taco trucks that have started parking in the FiDi and don’t tone down their flavors, but something was missing here.

That being said, an $8 burrito that includes guac is a definite win, and I thought the ingredients tasted good individually.

Has anyone else tried the tacos or other items that they can recommend at El Toro?

El Toro Mexican Grill, 69 New St. (btw. Exchange Pl. & Beaver), (212) 363-3900, 363-3901