$2 bucks a taco? Am I still in Brooklyn?

When I moved to the UES, my co-worker Lauren warned me about a cheap little Mexican joint at 90th and 2nd. As someone who loved Thursdays in college because I could get 2 tacos for 2 bucks at 2pm, I knew I had to keep this Mexican place at the top of my “must try” list.

So the other evening I headed over to Fresh Tortillas with the intention of eating there, even though it is nearby to my place. Honestly, the inside of the restaurant is not that appealing - a few tables and chairs, and it is a little dirty. Therefore, think of Fresh Tortillas as the take out spot. What was appealing to me, however, about Fresh Tortillas was the price. For a chicken fajita with cheese, it costs $2.20. Feel like a cheese and chicken quesadilla? $3.40. Having a few friends over and want to make a dozen fajitas but don’t feel like making them yourself? Get 12 fajitas, the fixings and a pound of chicken for $14.

For $11, the boyfriend and I enjoyed a beef taco, a chicken taco, a chicken fajita and a chicken and cheese quesadilla. The food was delicious, and two items off the menu left me feeling full. The name of the restaurant says it all - Fresh Tortillas. After you place your order, you can watch the Chinese owners (I know, it’s strange), take a ball of dough and place it through a press and then fry up your tortilla. They even make fresh hard shells but I will warn that these are a lot crunchier than the shells you get in the grocery store, so you might make a mess like I did. While I enjoyed the food, my only complaint is that the guac and salsa were not that impressive. I like my salsa to be more pico de gallo type, rather than watery, and there just wasn’t enough guac and it tasted a little warm. Since the guac is my favorite part of any Mexican meal, I was bummed.

Overall, if you are looking for great Mexican takeout on the UES, I’d head to Fresh Tortilla. The fact that I can find a satisfying meal at a restaurant in NYC that isn’t a fast food chain for less than $5 is amazing to me. However, I will warn you that if you are the type of person that needs your restaurant to be clean, definitely don’t step foot into Fresh Tortilla - order out instead. For me, I’d rather they keep charging me $2 a taco then up the price and hire a cleaning service.