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El Centro Mexican Restaurant NYC

  • Blanca Valbuena
  • February 25, 2011

El Centro Mexican Restaurant NYCThere are plenty of Mexican restaurants in Manhattan but El Centro is something special. I’ve made a few visits to El Centro this year and have been pleasantly pleased each time. The restaurant is on the corner of 9th Avenue and 54th Street which makes it a good spot for pre-theater dining. The service is solid, not amazing but never disappointing. What’s important at this Hells Kitchen eatery is the food.

Let’s start off with the Margaritas. This is the most popular cocktail in the United States and most places just don’t know how to make them. Too much sour mix (which I leave out completely), too sticky, too heavy handed on the tequila. El Centro makes some delicious Margaritas, perfectly balanced, citrusy and with the perfect touch of tequila. This restaurant is one of my favorite places to enjoy this drink.

Upon arriving the servers always bring chips to the table with a smoky red salsa. While this is perfectly delicious, I recommend that you ask for a bowl of guacamole ($8). Their guacamole is fresh and tasty. Some people complain that it is too small, but I think it is the perfect size for two to three people, after all, you need to leave room for dinner.

This week I ordered the braised short ribs taco with black beans, pico de gallo, crema & tamarind-pasilla sauce ($9). I was a little worried when ordering because tamarind sauce can be overused and in meats can over-sweeten a dish. This was not the case. The short ribs had a slight hint of sweetness that worked quite nicely with the rest of the dish. The dish comes with two tacos that are overloaded with short rib meat. A fork is a necessary tool for this plate.

A word of warning. If you order the pozoles, please do not eat the whole thing. They expand in your belly and will keep you full (not sick) for a whole day. Do yourself a favor and take half of it home.

El Centro is located at 824 9th Avenue in New York City (646) 763-6585

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