Nachos, Tacos, & Empanadas: Top Mexican Restaurants for an Unforgettable Cinco De Mayo
When Cinco de Mayo comes around, the parades, songs, dancing, battle reenactments and all-around celebration of Mexican heritage and historical triumph are bound to leave merrymakers famished. Mexico’s cuisine is as rich and plentiful as its culture and history. Thankfully for this Cinco de Mayo, hunger celebrants won’t have to actually go to Mexico to enjoy some of these rich and uniquely Mexican flavors. Salsa, queso, pico de gallo, and everything in between can be found right here in New York, the place always known for being the melting pot of the world. HungerPass is on hand to lead celebrants to restaurants that will expertly and joyfully give them a true taste of Mexico for this Cinco de Mayo.
Margarita’s Cafe $$
East Meadow, Hicksville, Merrick, Wantagh, and Smithtown Locations
The first place Cinco de Mayo revelers can come and satiate their need for all things Mexican is Margarita’s Cafe located throughout New York. With locations in East Meadow, Merrick, Wantagh, and Hicksville, diners from nearly any part of New York can find their way to this Mexican establishment.
To start things off right, diners can enjoy appetizers like Taquitos De Pollo, which are crispy rolled tortillas stuffed with chicken, topped with creamy queso fresco, crema, and guacamole sauce with tampiquena, Nachos Supreme, which are fresh made tortilla chips topped with refried beans, melted cheese, veracruzana sauce, sour cream guacamole, and jalapenos, and Jalapeno Poppers, which are deep-fried jalapeno peppers stuffed with cheddar cheese and served with sour cream and guacamole.
Entrees include taco platters like the Tacos de la Casa, which has crispy corn tortilla shells with the diner’s choice of shredded chicken or ground beef topped with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and veracruzana sauce; Enchiladas like the Enchiladas de Mole Poblano, which are soft rolled corn tortillas stuffed with shredded chicken and topped with signature mole sauce and melted cheese, all served with rice and refried beans. There are classic Mexican chicken dishes like Pollo Jalisco, which is chicken breast sauteed with artichoke hearts, jalapenos, and capers all cooked together in a luxurious white wine lemon butter sauce and served with black beans, as well as classic Steak Fajitas, which are sizzling strips of marinated steak served on a bed of sauteed onions and peppers. This year, Margarita’s Cafe is definitely a go-to spot for a Cinco de Mayo feast!
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Cabo “A Taste of Mexico” $$
3 N Park Ave A, Rockville Centre, NY 11570
At Rockville Center, Cabo Restaurant will satisfy that Cinco de Mayo craving for authentic Mexican flavors. Appetizers to start with include Cabo’s Famous Calmpas, which is a crispy tortilla layered with beans, cheese, jalapenos, and guacamole, and the diner’s choice of chicken, beef, pork, or chorizo; Mucho Nachos, which are tortilla chips piled high and topped with sour cream and either chicken, beef, pork, or vegetables; and Coconut Shrimp served over mixed greens with the fruit salsa of the day. Specialty quesadillas include the Caesar Quesadilla, which is a double grilled spinach flour tortilla filled with grilled chicken and cheese and topped with Caesar salad, the Southwest Quesadilla, which is a double grilled spinach quesadilla filled with grilled chicken, black beans, corn, and cheese, topped with red sweet red bell pepper and sour cream, and the Margarita Quesadilla, which is a double quesadilla filled with tequila-marinated chicken, cheese, and topped with sour cream.
From the charcoal grill, diners can enjoy different kinds of alambre, like Shrimp, Salmon, or Special Steak and shrimp Alambre, which is marinated meats or seafood skewered and grilled with onion, tomato, and bell peppers, served with white rice and dos colores salsa. This is just a taste of what Cabo’s menu has to offer to make this Cinco de Mayo truly unforgettable!
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Casa Mexicana $$
894 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10025
If the upper West side of New York is your Cinco de Mayo stomping ground, then Casa Mexicana is the ideal place to keep celebrating. With breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, this well-established eatery is great for a Mexican feast any time of the day. Appetizers include Casa Mexicana’s world-renowned guacamole made right at the table with fresh avocado, cilantro, tomato, garlic, salt, fresh lime, and jalapenos; Fondue Mexicano, which is a delicious blend of Chihuahua-Monterey Jack cheese with chorizo, onions, peppers, and tomatoes served with a side of flour tortillas; and Ceviche de Marisco, which is a lovely combo of white fish, shrimp, and calamari marinated in fresh citrus lime juice, with red onions, tomatoes, celery, olives, cilantro, and jalapenos.
Entrées include enchiladas and burritos, traditional and house special sizzling fajitas, and Pollo and Carne dishes like Pollo a la Diabla, which are two grilled chicken breasts finished in a zesty chipotle cream sauce, and Medallones al Agave, which is a wonderful pan-seared black Angus filet mignon finished in a lovely tequila-mushroom cream sauce. Casa Mexicana has many dishes that are perfect for Cinco de Mayo.
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Lunera Modern Mexican $$
3225 Steinway St, Astoria, NY 11103
Astoria is a diverse landscape of cuisine and culture that boasts many wonderful Mexican restaurants, which makes it an ideal destination to go all in for Cinco de Mayo. One place that should definitely get a visit is Lunera Modern Mexican on Steinway Street. From the menu chock full of delicious dishes and a vast drink menu to match, diners can thoroughly enjoy themselves. There are tacos, quesadillas, and burritos filled with shrimp, carnitas, skirt steak, or veggies, guacamole and chips, and empanadas tinga, which are chicken empanadas in tinga sauce.
Dishes that are unique to Lunera include Churrasco, which is a black Angus skirt steak grilled to perfection, with yuca fries, arugula salad, and chimichurri sauce. There’s Picada, which is hanger steak, chicken, chorizo, pork belly, Green plantains, cassava, avocado, potato, and tomato. There’s an assortment of paellas, including Arroz Marinaro, which is a heavenly seafood paella filled with shrimp, mussels, clams, and octopus over Spanish rice, saffron, sofrito, and green mojo.
From the drink menu, guests can enjoy classic frozen Margaritas or mojitos in flavors like mango, passion fruit, blackberry, or tamarind. Cocktails include the La Mula, which has Moscow and Kentucky Tequila with ginger beer and fresh lime, or the Blackberry Bourbon Smash, which has premium Bourbon, blackberry puree, and honey citrus juice. To finish off a fantastic meal, dessert includes items like Creme Brûlée de Guayaba, which is a decadent creme brûlée with guava jam and vanilla ice cream, and Tres Leches, which is a three-milk cake with strawberry and yogurt foam. Lunera will surely satisfy the hungriest on Cinco de Mayo.
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Cantina Taqueria & Tequila Bar $$
1838 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd, New York, NY 10026
For the classic Cantina experience on Cinco de Mayo, head over to Cantina Taqueria & Tequila Bar near Central Park. To start Cinco celebrating off right, diners can enjoy starters like guacamole and chips, jalapeno poppers, and Cantina deluxe nachos with rice, beans, pico, sour cream, and chipotle queso with either steak, chicken, or chorizo. Main items include burritos like the chili-lime chicken, the seared tuna steak, and the Cantina chimichanga, which is a deep-fried burrito with Tijuana steak, Spanish rice, black beans, sauteed peppers and onions, topped with corn salsa, avocado sauce, and sour cream.
Taco options include slow-cooked beef brisket tacos with peppers, onions, and a chili-hoisin sauce, Sriracha shrimp tacos with cucumbers, shredded lettuce, and ranch aioli, and Mango Jerk Chicken with mango jerk sauce and corn salsa. Rice bowls to enjoy include Surf N’Turf with seared steak and sauteed tequila-lime shrimp, and the Mexican pulled pork bowl all served over Spanish rice, sauteed bell peppers and onions, black beans, fresh corn, sliced avocado, shredded lettuce, and sour cream. As if that wasn’t enough, Cantina also has Elotes, the famous Mexican Street Corn, that partiers can munch on through New York!
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Written by Raidah Islam
