El Luchador
“I hope this place blows up one day catching all the tourists that comes by seaport.”
“They have an old Airstream trailer converted into additional dining space, which is generally pretty limited.”
“I recently moved into the Financial District and was thrilled that I had this gem nearby.”
El Luchador
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
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I have been to this place many times and the tacos are consistently decent. I initially gave it 4 stars. However, my boyfriend and I recently stopped by on a Friday night (they close at 10) and the tacos were THE BEST TACOS I HAVE EVER HAD. I asked if they had changed the recipe and they hadn't, so I know that all the credit has got to go to the cooks. I got their names: Pat and Ivan. If you're lucky enough to come by when they are working, you are gonna be sooo happy!!
I decided to try this place upon hearing about it on a blog and I wasn't impressed. It is definitely a unique spot but the tacos were average. If you want tacos in the city, in my opinion, the best is Los Tacos No. 1 in the Chelsea market.
It's official, I believe the best taco joints are the smaller, less obvious places. I spotted this place with sweet bright light strands over a camper from a mile away on the corner of South while on an evening stroll by the seaport. It immediately reminded me that feeling you get on a laid back summer night,on a lounge chair, chilling with a cold beer in your hand. Love that vibe. Could hang here for awhile.
This place was exactly what we were looking for… fast, inexpensive, tasty, out of the norm and place to warm up on a chilly winter night. Done and done. And done right.
The place itself has a cool story. The actual building where everything is cooked is a converted old horse stable. An official NYC landmark. The theme is tacos vs burritos and goes with the name which is the name for Mexican wrestlers. You can see their masked faces on the gates out front.
There are a few seats at the window bar inside. Bistro tables and chairs outside for a nice night and a heated, vintage airstream painted a soothing turquoise inside with white 70's chic booth seating, worn, chipped painted wood tables and colorful Christmas light strands. This was my favorite part by far. So adorable and cozy! Fab idea!
The food was all reasonably priced. I was torn between the veg burrito or the taco. And there goes the theme again! I went with the veggie taco (portobello, guac, pico, lettuce, cilantro) for $3.75. It's already vegan which I love as it doesn't come with cheese or sour cream and it was not missed at all. Some veg tacos are dry and need something, a sauce. These do not! Generous amounts of guac. Extra corn tortillas are free, just ask! I split the over flowing taco for my little one and myself to share with the extra tortilla I asked for. We loved them so much we went back for another even though it was really plenty of food. My daughter ordered the rice and beans side which had a nice hint of fresh squeezed lime. Yum! The table ordered the veggie nachos with queso, black beans, lettuce, pico and drizzled with sour cream. They were a very decent sized portion. Leftovers in fact. The shredded meat tacos are said to be out of this world but I personally couldn't tell you. I do know people rave about them. We got two Jarritos to split, mandarin and pineapple. They had all of the classic flavors and also sell a craft bottled beer! Oh, I almost forgot my hubby got the rice pudding with apricots and a hint of cinnamon. It was very cold and he loved it!
Service was fairly quick and they were all definitely super sweet. We warmed up in the corner of the airstream and waited for them to call us when our food was ready. Cheery Mexican music played in the camper. We had a lot of fun dancing and enjoying the kitschiness.
We would definitely eat here again while in the neighborhood. As we started to leave, the place filled up quickly and as I have read that's the norm so get there before "normal" lunch or dinner time. We ate dinner around 5:25pm on a Tuesday. Duh, Taco Tuesday!.
My only gripe was the no restroom thing. Definitely an inconvenience with little ones in tow. I just don't get serving food, even drinks, especially beer and not having one. Hmm. They directed us across the way. I believe there are normally public restrooms under the bridge. Perhaps they were closed because of the blizzard. The restaurant across the street let us use theirs, thankfully.
We have been putting off this trip for eons. It is on the other side of downtown and a good 15 minute walk from the Hudson River. But mama was in the mood for tacos, the weather was warm and sunny and we figured it was about damn time we head over.
Ordering wasn't too complicated as the menu above the cashier is pretty straight forward. After ordering we sat in the festive trailer. It is a pimped out trailer with music blasting, it's heated, decorated in colored lights and plenty of seating and some tables.
We really enjoyed our guacamole and chips. We dipped our chips in all 3 sauces. Nothing was overly spicy which was good for my mild palate. They have a note at the register that you can double up on tortilla free of charge. Not sure why they don't just double up, but one tortilla kept it together nicely. They pack their tacos with a hefty amount of meat which is a pleasant surprise as this is not often the case with other taquerias. The shredded beef and cubed steak pieces were seasoned very well. The hub wasn't a fan of the cheese topping but I didn't mind. The pork taco was our least favorite as it had a sweet citrus component that took away from the savory taste.
Overall, the tacos were good. Not sure we will schlep again any time soon, but the trailer makes for a creative atmosphere with friends to just chillax. I would recommend the place if you are in the south seaport area.
First of all, I get really annoyed when people talk about how "Authentic Mexican" this place is, when it's really not.
ANY place that makes/serves a "Burrito" is not Authentic. There is no such thing as a Burrito in Mexico, unless you're talking about a small or baby donkey. Sorry, just needed to clear the air there.
As far as my review, I think El Luchador is pretty good, but not necessarily great for the price.
We Ordered:
– Chips & Guacamole- pretty good, but standard and they definitely skimp on the amount of Guac they give you. And the chips are not homemade, but packaged.
– Short Rib Taco- was pretty good, but nothing to write home about.
– Carnitas (Pork) Taco- once again, pretty good, but nothing amazing. I actually prefer the carnitas at Dos Toros a few blocks away better.
– Quesadilla with Carne Asada- ok, but would have preferred if they used a corn tortilla, but then again, this place isn't authentic. Was similar to Mad Dog & Beans on Stone Street, fairly Americanized.
– Side of Black Beans- pretty standard.
The Ambiance of the place is the best part, and although sitting in the old school Airstream Travel Trailer is a little kitschy, it's also kind of fun and makes you feel like a kid again.
All that being said, I'd still pass on this place and just go to Dos Toros a few blocks away, as I think the overall quality is slightly better, the carnitas there is better for sure, they give you more guacamole, their chips are pretty good and it's cheaper as well.
Just my opinion, as I know some people really like this place.
And just as a side note…if you're looking for true, Authentic Mexican Tacos, then take a taxi/subway to Los Tacos No. 1 in Chelsea Market as those are the BEST TACOS in NYC. No Burritos there, no way, only Vampiro's and homemade corn tortillas, made right in front of you.
You could do worse but in my opinion, you could also do better. Cute beat up airstream out back. Fish taco was soft instead of crispy. My man's carne asada quesadillas was just ok too. Said his steak was a bit too chewy for his liking.
We came here on a Saturday night and wasn't very crowded. We get to sit in the RV which was very cute and cozy.
You must get the cod fish taco and eat it fresh. The fish was so flakey and and crispy on the outside. I should've ordered 2 of those. The short rib taco was very flavorful. I would recommend that as well. The meat on the pork taco was very tough. I would not order that next time. Wasn't thrilled about the veggie taco either. I was disappointed on the corn. It was burnt on one side and we didn't notice it until near the end of our meal. We were too lazy to go back and ask for another one. They purposely flipped the corn so we didn't see the burnt side. For $4, I would expect them to make a new one and not serve a burnt corn to those customers. Kinda sneaky there. Watch out when you order guoc and chips. They charge $1 additional for chips.
Overall, I think this place is a bit pricey for a self served spot.
I went to El Luchador with my boyfriend and we decided to order every type of taco on the menu – best decision ever. I was so hesitant because I usually stick with the chicken or beef tacos but my boyfriend insisted we try every type of taco they have and wow I'm so glad we did. You won't go wrong with any – every taco was just pure deliciousness, my mouth is watering!!! Their fish taco is amazing – def recommend you guys try it! One thing that I really really love about this place is their green hot sauce!!! It's so good!!!!!!!!!!