Tehuitzingo is Arguably the Best Mexican We’ll Get in Midtown
Ask the simple question, “Where’s the best Mexican food in New York City?” and you’ll likely be met with exasperated sighs, an eye roll, and the fierce proclamation that New York Mexican cuisine could never in a million years rival that of California’s (at least until California is swallowed by the Pacific). Part of me agrees. I’ve had the pleasure of eating at the clapped out taco trucks in random parking lots around Salinas and Fresno, CA – gleefully shoveling down $1.50 tacos meant for the local day laborers, now being elbowed out by DSLR toting hipsters.
But we shouldn’t be so self depreciating, for there’s perfectly acceptable Mexican to be had at Tehuitzingo Deli and Grocery (10th Avenue between 47th & 48th st) – well out of reach of Midtown, but accessible for the lucky lunchers that work on the western edge of Midtown, or those with very lax lunch breaks (they also deliver as far east as 6th ave).
Over the years, the blog-o-sphere has caught on to Tehuitzingo’s culinary refuge, despite its unassumingly modest storefront, earning words of praise from Grubstreet, the guys at Immaculate Infatuation, or our very own Philadelphia correspondent, Jamie (back when she worked in Midtown West). Despite being ‘outed’, they’ve kept their heads down and stuck to a menu of street food favorites, divided into quesadillas, sopes, tortas and tacos of various flavors.
They cook their tacos with simple honesty and integrity. Walk towards the back of the grocery store, past the dry goods, the coolers of Jarritos soda and Dos Equis, and place your order with the lady manning the small counter. Pick a filling, perhaps a braised heap of luscious and pleasantly funky goat meat ($2.75), and they slap it onto two warm corn tortillas, sprinkle a bit of cilantro and onions, and present it without any unnecessary flourish. The way it should be done. Add a squeeze of lime and a swipe of their homemade salsa, take a bite and you’ll remember why you schlepped to BFE for a taco.
The single menu item that gets me hustling over to 10th Ave (or call up Tehuitzingo on speed-dial) are their tortas. At $6, it’s a hefty sandwich, with crusty and fresh rolls wrapped around your choice of proteins – ham, chicken, salted beef, chorizo, and the like. My go to is the torta de pollo, which comes as a fistful of tender chicken, melty fresh quesillo, an appealing smear of avocado and fiery hot pickled peppers. This $6 sandwich reliably leaves me with a few beads of sweat on my brow from the spice, thoroughly full, and rapturously happy.
It may not be the best Mexican food in the States, or even New York for that matter, but for being accessible to the Midtown luncher, it’s pretty damn good. Great even. With that reality in check, cast aside the self-consciousness and roll with what you you’ve got – that is, Tehuitzingo is arguably the best Mexican food near Midtown, and definitely worth a visit.
Tehuitzingo, 695 10th Ave (btw. 47+48th), 212-397-5956
Posted by Chris H. at 9:30 am, March 1st, 2011 under Mexican, Out of Bounds, Tehuitzingo.
21 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
21 Comments
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A fundamental poor choice perhaps?
Taqueria Downtown in JC has the LA stamp of approval though.
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This has been one of my favorite food spots in NYC for a long time. I’ve had almost all their taco and torta varieties. If you feel like pigging out, try a Chicharron taco.
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who ousted them? That’s terrible :(
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I think the author meant “outed,” not “ousted.”
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yes, thank you, fixed. :) that’s what happens when you write about tacos at 2am in the morning.
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With this entry Chris H has matured into the top reviewer on ML
Cuter ass than Jaime and Mama too
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It was the hipster bashing, wasn’t it? Too easy of a target.
Also, I suffer from asian flat-ass, so I’m sure Jamie and Mama have me beat in that dept.
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Cheaper and better and less outed is La Rosita on 47th.
http://fressagirl.blogspot.com/2009/06/theres-another-mexican-deli-thats-also.html
ah, my midtown days!
@wayne yea right!
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Oh.. Jamie… you’re … uh …. back…
Ummmm
Your tuchus is nice too.. you know, for a girl.
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especially for a girl who eats this much
http://midtownlunch.com/philadelphia/2011/01/17/happy-birthday-to-us/
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I saw that montage of lunches when you put it up…the shame
i’m going to need to check that heiney for evidence of cellulite, stat – but don’t worry, I’ve got my kiehls cream & loofah at the ready
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I’m 25, its perfect.
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Jamie is easily one of the cutest ML reviewers. Too bad she is no longer NYC eye candy.
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and I 100% take credit for anyone ever knowing about La Rosita. Reviewed it one month before Rachel Maddow spoke abut it and was the first on yelp. So there.
http://midtownlunch.com/2009/07/27/rachel-maddow-is-a-midtown-luncher/#comments
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Please don’t ever mention the words “Rachel Maddow” unless they are preceded by
“I just keelhauled and decapitated”
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You must be balls deep in Rush Limbaugh then.
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I’ve been going there for 3+ years…I always get the cecina torta and pick up the occassional grocery item (chorizo/cotija cheese/quesillo/valentina or tapatio hot sauce/tomatillos…although I find their grocery items to be pricey but their tomatillos are only $1.99/lb v. $3.99/lb for some sad-looking ones at Whole Foods)
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yeah, I shop for tomatillos and chile peppers there, and of course fresh corn tortillas. Their fresh cilantro is also much cheaper than Food Emporium or Whole Foods as well.
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They opened up a new 24-HOUR!!!! location on 9th Ave at 42nd Street – right next to Shorty’s! Same menu but they are expanding it. Tacos are $3, and totally worth it IMO.
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This is excellent news! I’m going to try it Sunday after bowling.
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I never understood why the Mexican immigrants that moved to New York are all worse at making food than the ones that moved to LA.