Tajin

"Stopped by on a friday evening for a small bite. The guacamole and chips were good, and so was the Sangria. The waiters stopped by several times to make sure we were OK. The music playing(salsa) was great. The restaurant was crowded and that made the experience a plus."

"Mexican is not one of my favorite genres, and it's primarily because the combo of my texture-based palate and the crunchy shizzle that hangs out in a lot of the food isn't an ideal fit. If I like a Mexican place, it's usually because it's very, very simple/no frills, and that's Tajin in a nutshell. I came here with my Skipper for lunch on Friday, which was a miserable rainy day, the kind where you're venturing out MAYBE one or two blocks from the office. The walk from the office took approximately three minutes, and we were able to get inside with minimal dampness. I don't think it would be fair to call Tajin a dive; (the Skipper might disagree based on her recounting of a horrendous bathroom visit) but it's a pretty basic interior, with some sugar skull-esque art on the wall, and almost a diner vibe when it came to some of the tables/seating. We sat towards the back, which had a view of the bar area where the waitstaff lingered, making it very easy to get someone's attention for a drink, the check, etc. This might not be a selling point for a ton of people, but I was THRILLED to look over, say, the quesadilla section of the menu and see two or three ingredients per item. You start to lose me at a certain point when the items are covered in peppers, onions, etc., so when I saw that the chicken quesadilla contained nothing but chicken and cheese, I didn't hesitate. The quesadilla showed up within a few minutes, and hit the spot. As you can see from the attached, it came with a small pile of guac on the top, which I spread around the top. The guac was a LITTLE crunchy for my taste, but was relatively smooth. Definitely some solid comfort food on a day where I barely remembered what the sun looked like. I also ordered a few passion fruit margaritas; the Skipper is far more educated about these matters and recommended I get the tajin rim (I of course obliviously went into this place not knowing what Tajin meant) which jived perfectly with the drink - nice little nip to go with the sweet. I'm pretty ambivalent about margs, having had a ton of bad ones that practically sent me into insulin shock, so it's always a pleasant surprise when someone mixes them properly and you don't end up crashing later. It was light and tasty, and I'd absolutely get it again. This is probably two or three blocks from a pretty hardcore touristy area, but it certainly gets some of that foot traffic. As a result, they could definitely charge more for the food/drinks but I thought it was very reasonable for the neighborhood. The Skipper had a glass of wine that was $9, the margs were $12, and my quesadilla was around $13, I believe. Given that there are nearby restaurants that unhesitatingly offer $40/$50 entrees, you could do a lot worse to your wallet if you wanted to. We're adding this one to the list for future visits. Convenient, cheap and tasty."

"Great authentic Mexican food from Veracruz in the heart of New York FiDi. The Carne Asada is tender and tasty. The Chicken Tacos, refritos, salsas… everything is a delicacy. Great value; highly recommended."

"We went to see the Statue of Liberty and found this place on the way back. First off it is a local place and not just a tourist place. Second they make some of the best margaritas I’ve ever had with fresh ingredients. I had their Jalapeño margarita and they grind up fresh peppers in it and use fresh juice. Was amazing. We had lunch as well and it was very authentic Mexican fare. The servers were super nice and you can sit inside or outside. Next time we are in New York we will come back here."

"Lovely little spot with plenty of character! We stopped in for brunch and left very satisfied. Fair prices and the workers made me feel welcomed from the minute I stepped in. The girlfriend is vegan which can be a nightmare when eating out. However, they are very accommodating with the menu and she was able to eat. The meal was worth every dollar. Ivan, our server, was wonderful and very helpful. Do yourself a favor and stop by if you're in the area!"