I’m not going to lie – I can eat Mexican pretty much for every meal. On Sunday, my roommate and I were hoping to check out the infamous taco truck in Astoria, but when we couldn’t find it, we settled on a new Mexican favorite – El Mariachi.
We went in and sat at the bar to order our tacos, since we preferred to eat at home. Â I can’t comment how service was, but there were plenty of tables, lot of happy looking patrons, and it was a really casual atmosphere. Â We had ordered from this restaurant before, and I couldn’t remember which tacos I liked and didn’t like, aside from the carnitas (pork) – I knew they were a fave. Â Therefore, I strayed away from my usual steak and chicken and went with enchilada (spicy pork meat) and chorizo.
Tacos at El Meriachi are $2.50 a piece and after trying a burrito from the place, my roommate claims the tacos are far superior. I’m still on the fence as to how many you should order – while I was able to easily house three the first time we ordered, I struggled to finish the three I ordered on Sunday and was stuffed after the second. In fact, I didn’t really eat again until lunch the next day.
As far as the tacos go, I too think they are delicious. It’s basically a tortilla with meat, onions and cilantro 
(which Caryn hates), and guac or cheese is 50 cents extra. We ordered guac on the side for an additional $6 which comes with chips so we could put it on our tacos and enjoy it as an app. After trying five different variety of tacos at El Mariachi, I’d recommend going with the spicy pork (enchilada) or the pork (carnitas). After I fell in love with chorizo tacos at El Parador, I was hoping this would be a new staple in my life, but these were disappointing. It was more like a hash than slices of chorizo.
All in all, I can envision that El Mariachi will be in my rotation of favorite Astoria taco places. Â I will warn you though – if you plan on making out with someone, El Mariachi should probably be avoided. Â You can taste onions pretty much for the next few hours after eating.
The Basics Name: El Mariachi Location: 3311 Broadway, between 33rd and 34th Street, Astoria Who to Bring: Roommate, Friends Price: Entrees are under $10 Overall: 4 stars if getting the tacos.
