Rosa Mexicano
“Somehow, I had never been to Rosa Mexicano before despite having been to Dos Caminos countless times over the years.”
“I say I am going to branch out and try other drinks on their menu but I always come back to my pomegranate margaritas.”
“I randomly found this gem while walking through union square and instantly fell in love.”
Rosa Mexicano
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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First time here for lunch and it definitely didn't disappoint! I had the Baja fish tacos which came with a Mexican corn Eloite type side dish, really tasty and beans and rice. The guac was super fresh and they made it right there in front of you and they ask if you would like it spicy or not. They have a deal going on right now for restaurant week, $29 three course lunch that comes with an app, main dish, & dessert which is a pretty good deal!
Came to Rosa Mexicano during the week after work with some coworkers. We made an unnecessary reservation — the place was empty. It got more crowded as the night went on, but around 6, it was vacant. It's a huge restaurant and really nicely decorated. It's a great place for groups due to the size of the restaurant.
The booths are super weird though, the height of the tables is totally off so you literally feel like a baby. So if you have short people in the group, ask for a regular table. However, when we asked for a table and they put us directly next to the waiter station…. the place was empty, there were much better seats available.
We ordered the table-side guacamole which just appeared at our table in a bowl… no one made it table side, which obviously makes it taste better — so that was a disappointment. But the guac was pretty good and had a nice kick to it.
The margarita was good and pretty strong. As always with Mexican places, there was a good amount of vegetarian/pescatarian options! I ordered the Pescado de Mahi Mahi fish tacos. They were actually really good! They came with corn on a cob with some weird sauce on it. But the tacos were good!
ONE OF MY TACOS HAD RAW FISH!! I told the waiter at the end of the meal (the other 2 tacos had fully cooked fish) and he apologized on behalf of the chef. He didn't comp anything but was nice about it.
Overall the food was ok, but I was put off by the raw fish…and honestly there is way better Mexican around town. The only thing I actually loved was the guacamole. You can't beat fresh guac made table-side!
If I had come here a month ago, I would have given Rosa five stars without hesitation. But someone's already stolen that fifth star: Aarón Sanchez.
I first saw Aarón on Chopped and identified with his obsession over flavor. During the judges' showdown, he'd throw three ingredients in a blender and, twenty minutes later, have the other judges cooing like babies behind the chopping block.
It was around that time that I was becoming fascinated with the diversity of Mexican food so I bought Aarón's most recent cookbook. And that permanently sealed the fate of the fifth star. The recipes in the book are based on simple sauces and salsas that take a blender and roughly chopped ingredients to make. But once they're made, they can be used in a million ways. Last week, I made shrimp curry, a chicken sandwich, a marinaded steak, and a burrito using just a few spoonfuls of just ONE sauce.
No restaurant can compete with this.
Having said that, Rosa was fantastic. First, the table side guacamole. It was the best guacamole I've ever tasted and even though my girlfriend's parents were there, I ate as much of it as I could. I considered sword-fighting her dad with the ladle at one point to get the last of it. With the guacamole came tortilla chips, a deep red chipotle salsa, and a salsa verde. Both were delicious and the chipotle salsa was hot. Salsa verde doesn't have to be hot but it had a decent kick too. These alone were worth it, but the food that came after was great too.
Unlike my girlfriend and I, her parents usually get starters and we were invited to order starters. I ordered the empanadas. They were stuffed with chicken and cheese and came with a mysterious but delicious dipping sauce. They were some of the best empanadas I've ever had. Even the greasiness of the shell didn't bother me.
My girlfriend's stepmom ordered a ceviche and let me taste it. When it hit my tongue, it exploded into citrusy ecstasy and had me nodding vigorously and wide-eyed with approval at stepmom, who nodded back in agreement.
After this tantalizing intro, it was time for the main course.
I ordered the Tinga de Res, three loaded beef tacos with pickled onions on top. They came with a side of spicy cream corn with a creamy concoction. The taco meat was delicious but it could have used more seasoning. I would suggest asking the waitress for more of the salsas that came with the chips and pour some of that on the tacos to bring everything together. The corn was creamy and had a cayenne pepper bite to it. This is where a little bit of Aarón Sanchez's magical sauces and bases would have been particularly useful. That's the only complaint I have, though because the portions were huge and I had enough left over for a midnight snack.
Then we ordered dessert and I reached a whole new level of fatassery. I got the flan while the in-laws-to-be got the chocolate ice cream. The flan was in-goddamn-credible. It had a nutmeg flavor plus some other unidentifiable spice to it that just elevated it into the orgasmic zone. Luckily, girlfriend's parents were trying their best to make me feel comfortable and said I shouldn't be shy. They also let me finish their chocolate ice cream. What choice did they have? The flan and ice cream had dyed my mustache brown and I had my spoon poised like a surgeon holding a scalpel.
I didn't need any urging. I massacred both desserts shamelessly.
After a certain amount of eating, you're too far in to care about your girlish figure anymore. That's when you go, "Fuck it," and enjoy yourself. All four of us had reached that point. The three of them were fighting food comas and I didn't even bother sucking in my stomach anymore. I exhaled, letting it fall forward and hit the table with a "whomp."
No five stars thanks to Aarón, but it was a thoroughly pleasurable experience. The guac, starter, and desserts were perfect, and the entree was pretty good too. Clearly my in-laws were more comfortable with me if they were encouraging me not to be shy and, most importantly, I was full. An old Irish saying goes, 'After a full belly all is poetry.'
I realize how true this is every time I have a meal as satisfying as the one I had at Rosa Mexicano.
After years of meaning to come here, I finally made it here recently for dinner on a Saturday night. From what I'd heard, the atmosphere was the draw but I never actually heard much about the food…. So this was to be interesting.
The restaurant itself is pretty big, making it ideal for groups. To start, guacamole is offered, which is also made table side. I was with a group so we got one spicy and one regular. I'm not a big fan of guac in general, but this was hands down the best guac I've ever had in my life. The spice was perfect and not overwhelming, and it was mixed perfectly while not being too chunky. This was the highlight of the meal and I could have easily eaten a few more bowls to myself.
From there I had an order of the Carnitas, which is braised pork that comes with cilantro, onions and pineapple. It was good, but I found it to be a little on the dry side. While the mixture with the pineapples made it tasty, it definitely wasn't on par with the guac heaven that I had just eaten.
Overall his place is def worth coming to, especially with a group. The guac alone is worth the trip, but the atmosphere is perfect if you're looking to have a good time, drink some margaritas and eat good food.
Rosa Mexicano has a special place in my heart. Not a lot of places make the guacamole spicy the way Rosa Mexicano does. I also like the margaritas, 2 drinks and I am in a good place! Fun to go with friends and also a nice date spot. The lighting is low and overall just has a good vibe.
The feel of this place is great, the high ceilings and open layout is very comfortable (Although the A/C was broke the day we came). The guacamole was my favorite part of the meal, all the other dishes were pretty average. I was really turned off by how stingy they are with the drinks, We must've ordered like 3 drinks and they tasted really watered down, the Sangria was also lackluster.
I usually try to avoid franchise type Mexican spots and this place was not an exception.
Environment: 5/5
Employees: 3/5
Food: 4/5
Drinks: 5/5
Cost: 3/5
Total: 19/25
Synopsis: One of the biggest restaurants I have seen in New York City that I have seen. You wouldnn't have guessed the sized of this restaurant while looking from outside. The Décor is lavished with a waterfall and voodoo doll stick men sticking out of them. The bar is pronounced and to the side, separted by the waterfall. You will definitely see the waiters and waitresses preparing fresh guacamole for the patrons. My boyfriend and I got only nachos because we didn't want to eat a huge meal and then I had the mango margarita, which was delicious! I only wish I was here during happy hour!
Environment: With outstanding wood and size, you will happy when you arrive at the sight that people here are not cramped while people are eating their meals. In fact, you will definitely see people ordering the fresh guacamole that is made by the waiters/waitresses.
Employees: While I arrived here to meet a few colleagues, the waiter had informed us that we could eat, but needed to leave in a hour because someone else was going to have a table. We concurred. The irony of it all was the fact that he wanted to rush out us, but he took forever to take our check, provide us with our menus, and then returning my credit card. Oh well.
After that we took the party to the bar where the waitress was very accommodating and nice! So overall, I would say the service is a toss-up.
Food: My boyfriend and I shared the nachos and we were both hungry. It's amazing what a huge batch of nachos could do to make you feel full with less money. It was delicious, just wished that the avocado and sour cream were more apparent that it was there instead of buried underneath all of the top nachos.
Drinks: Mango Margarita – Blended cold drinks with salted spicy rim always takes my mouth to higher levels of joy and satisfaction.
Cost: It is mostly cheap when you come here for happy hour. Other then that, it's quite expensive.