El Aguila
“The chips are nice and thick and the guacamole extra creamy, and it's all a recipe for a solid meal in Spanish Harlem.”
“Some of the best Horchata I've ever had too, which let's be honest, completes a great mexican joint meal.”
“A serve yourself salsa bar with a 4 different salsas, yum.”
El Aguila
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
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Late night tacos: check. Mealtime tacos: maybe not.
Living so close to El Aguila, I expected to come every single week, but it's not the case. I'm still confused as to whether it's open 24 hours or until 4AM (I've seen it closed before), but either way, it serves as a great pit stop over the weekends after a fun night out. I typically go for tacos, although their menu is pretty inclusive and they have a bit of everything.
One thing I don't like too much is that aside from onion, cilantro, and lime/lemon toppings, you have to pay for EVERYTHING else. And each additional topping costs per taco. So even though $2.50 a taco sounds decent, it'll cost you $5 if you want a sampling of toppings (just the basics likes salsa, tomatoes, beans, cheese, etc). Maybe I've been spoiled with flexibility of Chipotle, but this was one aspect I couldn't overlook.
Another kind of scary thing is that especially at night, nothing is really fresh. The meat sits in its own juices all day and they reheat it for each order. Maybe I'm too sensitive but for meat to be exposed to open air that long concerns me a bit.
Aside from that, their tacos and meat are decent quality. By no means the best taco I've ever had, El Aguila is still a nice staple to have in the neighborhood.
Best burritos I've had in the city. Period.
Then why only 3 stars you ask?
This place is a small hole-in-the-wall chain mostly situated in Spanish Harlem that is overpriced and stingy. 7 bucks for a burrito that doesn't even include cheese (extra 75 cents). The only free fixings are the tomatoes, lettuce, and sauce. Everything else is a surcharge including corn. Why?
Better question is why do I keep going? This place isn't even that convenient for me. But damn, do they have some tasty ass burritos. If you get the pastor then you will not regret it…trust me.
I commend the owner's business savvy because this place seems to have several locations in the city. All you need to do is make some good ass Mexican food, maybe sprinkle a little crack in it, and overcharge for everything.
I came here for a pre Ezoo lunch last week to grab a legitimate burrito (sorry Chipotle!) so that I wouldn't have to spend money on overpriced and small portioned food over at Randall's Island. The place was pretty much empty when I walked in (aside from 2 other customers) but that didn't stop me from trying whatever they had to offer here.
I settled for the al pastor burrito with guacamole, lettuce, tomato, cheese, cilantro and sour cream. And it tasted like heaven. 10/10. The meat was tender and succulent while the guacamole definitely added a nice kick to it. I wanted to try their tamales for the first time, but unfortunately they didn't have any in stock. What a bummer. Maybe next time.
Overall, I enjoyed my experience here. The staff were courteous and the seating area was big enough to accommodate large crowds. Would I come back? Definitely.
Small Mexican joint, that actually has quality food considering there isn't a Chipotle around this area. I had a burrito and I have to admit, it was great. Great flavoring and taste to it. Felt like I got my money's worth and would definitely trying this spot again for lunch. It was a legitimate burrito. The inside looks similar to a Hole in the Wall but I would highly recommend it. Although I would suggest you know, Spanish due to the fact that would help get your order expedited quicker. Highly recommend it!
While there are better tacos in NYC, I'm not sure if there are on the island of Manhattan and that gives El Aguila big props in the trade-off between taste and convenience.
Their lengua is good as well as their barbacoa but the meat to get is al pastor as it's definitely the most flavorful of the options. If you're getting chicken tacos, sorry but we can't be friends.
The salsa bar is also one of the perks of this place – I can't yet identify the light green salsa but I like to drink it by the gallon and then watch my ankles swell up the next day.
Probably the best horchata I've had in New York yet with plenty of cinnamon and sweetness in every sip. The food is good too – generous in portion, ingredients extra fresh – avocado slices cut straight from the avocado shell. We ordered an al pastor taco and al pastor torta, the marinated pork was flavorful, fairly tender with crisp little edges. I stared jealously at the boy while he took bites of his torta, pulling out gooey cheese with every mouthful. I took it out on him by drinking more of his horchata (signs of a healthy relationship). Guac + chips for $2 is a great little add. The chips are nice and thick and the guacamole extra creamy, and it's all a recipe for a solid meal in Spanish Harlem.
Ate here this past weekend. Food was great!! Fresh and authentic tasting. Wish we lived closer!
This place has really amazing tortas! I always get the chicken one. Ugh, so good. Better than any torta that I've had in Mexico! The bread is soft and the perfect match for the rest of the sandwich. Inside I get avocado, onions, tomatoes, some jalapeno, cheese, lettuce (I don't put beans).
their tacos are good as well 🙂