Tacos Tacombi

I’ll admit it. I’m a bit of a taco snob. Hailing from the land of carnitas and guacamole in sunny southern California, where my high school had surf P.E. and the lunch menu regularly included burritos, tacquitos and tamales, it was a rude awakening to arrive in New York city and find a dearth of anything resembling Mexican food. The “Mexican food” de rigueur in the city usually arrives “deconstructed” or “infused” or otherwise tangential to the flavors I so missed from San Diego. After a couple of years of wandering the city in search of proper tacos, Tacombi came on my radar. And thus, my taco prayers have been answered.

Tacombi has been around for just about three years, having opened in 2010 inside a rather large (by NYC standards) industrial space. The setup is meant to indulge you in some beachside eating fantasies. There’s a VW bus parked in the middle of the joint, that was driven up from Playa Del Carmen, where it used to serve literally beachside. All the cooking is done from that little bus, which has the top popped up like a permanently open jack-in-the-box. Tacos fly out the truck in the manner of any fast-moving food truck, and it’s served up hot and fresh. Seating is kitschy and authentic–hand painted folding tables and big long wooden tables for groups.

The menu is kickass. Superstars include: the crispy fish taco, the short rib (barbacoa) taco, and the breakfast taco with chorizo. You might want to wash it all down with a Michelada, Horchata or an Agua di Sandia (watermelon). Portions are on the smaller side, so it’s best to order two or three at a time. Viva la taco!

Now that Bryce has nailed down a great taco place in NYC, she’s on the hunt for tamales. Shoot her an email if you know of a good spot!