Theatregoing, and out of $$$ to eat? My fave secret super el cheapo dive

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 9/9/11 at 9:48pm

http://www.guelaguetzanyc.com/menu.html

My other fave: TEHUITZINGO. 10th Av/48th ST. Funniest YELP review of this joint. Enjoy!


11 friends
41 reviews

Mister O.
My favorite animal is steak.
Montréal, QC, Canada

Compliment

Send Message

Follow This Reviewer
4.0 star rating
1/2/2010

Two words: GOAT. TACOS.

Let me begin by stating that, as a Canadian, I have neither taco expertise nor facility with Spanish. But, based on a review I accidentally stumbled across on http://www.midtownlunc..., I decided to hie my pasty pink northern ass to it during my next trip to Manhattan. I made it there today, for a late lunch.

Christ. Jesus.

Okay. I'll asplain.

The place is tiny. If one of the staff is bringing in a dollyload of canned goods while you're trying to pay for your lunch, you'll either climb atop the counter or lose a toe.

The menu's a bit vague. It shows three tacos on a plate, yes, but prices each taco individually. One therefore gets the impression one can order individual tacos.

NOBODY THERE SPEAKS CANADIAN. I have no Spanish. When I asked a simple question, in English, about if salsa was put on the tacos or if it was served on the side, they had to go through four different staffers before someone was found to answer my question. This also led to them messing up my order.

F*CK all that. I'm giving these gorgeous people four stars. Why? Because the food, and the service, were both utterly, unimpeachably, sincere. Beyond criticism.

I'd ordered, naively, a goat taco and a salt beef taco. What I got, I think, was a trio comprised of one goat and two ordinary beef tacos. Yay, threesome! But... not what I'd asked for. I was starving, though, so I shut up and got stuck in.

Oh, m*ther****ing God.

The goat taco tasted like GOAT. Far goatier than expected. The two beef tacos, not salt beef, as I'd ordered, but beef, tasted like the best well-done shredded pit barbeque ever to grace a paper plate. A bit of the red sauce offered in a vat on the counter sent the beef taco into the flavor stratosphere. I ate all three tacos with my eyes bulging. Had a strange lime soda to wash them down.

All three tacos were served garnished with minced raw onion and a green herb that tasted like cilantro.

I'm pretty sure these lovely people had no idea at any time that the noises my pink northern face were making were in any way complimentary.

"The tacos were FANTASTIC."

"Eh?"

"Best tacos I've ever eaten."

"Unh?"

*pizza box thumb-and-forefinger gesture signifying food done to spec, accompanied by lip-smack*

"Ah! Okay!"

None of that crap matters.

What does matter, is this: These people took me seriously enough to try to find *an interpreter* to help out with a goddamned eight-dollar taco order. And when they delivered my linguisticaly mixed-up order, it was beyond delicious. Do you think, as a foreigner, that I'm likely to forget this? Not ****ing tomorrow. I think I'll be back there, every trip.

Updated On: 9/9/11 at 09:48 PM