There is no shortage of good taquerias in New York, but El Rey Tacos, which opened in Times Square in late June, merits special attention. The creative force behind the restaurant is brothers Sebastian and Santiago Ramírez Degollado, who also run Casa Carmen (reviewed here) in New York and Mexico’s iconic El Bajío.
The recipe the brothers use for their tacos was developed by their late grandmother Carmen “Titita” Ramírez Degollado, whose story of how she built a single Mexican restaurant into an empire following her husband’s death has earned her the title matriarch of Mexican cuisine.
El Rey offers several unique specialties, including a signature Panucho Yucateco taco with achiote-marinated pork (cochinita pibil), refried beans, pickled onions and just enough habanero to create interest. Carnitas take on a whole new dimension through the addition of pork cracklings.
Tortillas are freshly pressed and grilled to order right in front of guests.
The restaurant boasts a large fresh salsa bar where guests are welcome to adorn their tacos with a variety of salsas from mild to extra hot. The beverage list includes several agua frescas made fresh daily.
El Rey Tacos, 1450 Broadway (entrance on West 41st Street).
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