Acapulco
image c/o Flickr
CUISINE: Mexican
ADDRESS: 1116 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn NY 11222 ( At Clay St )
PHONE: 718.349.8429
CARDS: Cash only
AVERAGE ENTREE: $8
HOURS: Mon through Fri - 7:00am to 10:00pm; Sat & Sun - 9:00am to 10:00pm
BOOZE: Beer only
SUBWAY: G to Greenpoint Ave
MAP: Click Here
MENU: Click Here
WEB: www.acapulcodeliandrestaurant.com
DELIVERY: Yes
VILLAGE VOICE SAYS: Hovering near Newtown Creek, the border between Brooklyn and Queens, Acapulco specializes in urbanized Mexican food like tacos, tortas, fajitas, and huaraches—sandal-shaped masa receptacles slathered with refried beans, then freighted with shredded lettuce, fresh cheese, crema, and your choice of chicken, meat, or vegetables. There's hardly a speck of mole poblano in the place. Tacos are south-of-the-border standard, made with two soft corn tortillas, although they'll also make the hard-shell variety. As the menu patronizingly says: "For gringos and our Texan friends."
Comments
I come from San Francisco where homestyle Mexican taquerias are about as common as delis are here in New York, and the one thing that I've had a real problem with in this town is finding good Mexican food. I think it's because there are more Cubans and Puerto Ricans in this part of the world, and their take on Mexican food is significantly different from what native Mexicans eat.
That being said, Acapulco is the only, and I mean ONLY place that I have found in the five boros of NYC that even comes close to traditional, home-cooked Mexican food. I know this is a hip area, and people are used to kitschy little restaurants, but real Mexican places are supposed to be little hole-in-the-wall joints that don't even print English menus and have crappy picnic benches for seating. Its authentic. Its why you go to these places.
To make it even better, the food is for real. I'm not talking about what New Yorkers are used to--crispy tacos and boiled chicken burritos with taco sauce. This place has real carne asada, home made salsa verde just like back home, they'll serve you black beans, a true rarity in this town, and their portions are big.
Basically if you go to this place and wind up being disappointed, its probably because you're from the East Coast and don't really know what real Mexican food is, or how it is served. However, if you're a California transplant hungering for a real burrito joint, this is the only spot to go to. Skip the Endless Summer truck--its fake despite what everyone says.
Posted by: murph | May 11, 2008 11:11 PM
Whoever this moron above is who said the food and atmosphere sucks here is totally wrong. In fact Acapulco is the closest thing I've had to real mexican food since living in New York. In a city filled with barbecued chicken burritos and other bogus tex mex B.S. it's nice to get a taco the real mexican way. On a CORN tortilla, not a hard shell taco, if you want that go to taco bell or san loco, with only cilantro, onions, and lime. The way that it's supposed to be. Not to mention you can get a mexican beer in a frosty mug for 3.00 far cheaper than anywhere in Brooklyn or Manhattan. I've been eating at this place for 3 years and I can never get tired of it. "Guess we're just too gringo" Fuckin Jackass
Posted by: Benjamin | October 18, 2007 01:41 AM
I don't typically post reviews, but this restaurant was featured, and the whole thing just baffles me... This place was highly recommended to me by a friend as a wonderful, authentic Mexican hole in the wall ("You can tell because they actually eat there!") Well, the latter is true - but if this is truly "authentic" Mexican fare, then I guess I must sheepishly admit that I prefer mine a bit americanized!
Normally I LOVE Mexican food of all varieties. Last night, in a pinch, I just ordered some steak tacos (yes, hard for our gringo friends!) First off, no chips and salsa - not a deal breaker, but seriously, who doesn't expect that by now?? as for the food itself, I could literally barely eat it. The "gringo" hard shell was still authentic, I suppose - a true tortilla actually fried to a brittle crisp in a slightly bent shape. In other words, the second you pick it up to take a bite, the whole thing cracks in half and shatters in your hands. Not afraid to eat messy, I clamped down on what remained - and pulled away disappointed (and a little grossed out) when I realized that the steak was cut into tough, wormy strips that I couldn't bite off with my teeth. I sighed and picked up my fork, wishing that if they denounce something as "Gringo fare," they would at least use what I now assume must be Gringo-modified taco shells... Though eating a shell with a fork is no easy task, I soon completely lost interest in the cold, questionable meat, the runny sour "cream," and the "cheese," which was actually torn pieces of a slice of processed cheese. Yeah, like Velveeta. There is only one other instance I have EVER heard of where cheese of this variety was used on a taco instead of proper shredded cheese. You know where that is? Jail. No joke. (Only difference is, apparently they make you break it up yourself.)
I could forgive a shitty taco if the other entrees or the atmosphere/service showed some promise. No such luck. My companions were about as unimpressed as me. I sampled the guac on my friend's plate, thinking I couldn't go wrong with some authentic guac and chips, but even that tasted flat and flavorless, like play-doh or something. Don't get me started on the place beyond the food... The service was a joke - which, in a half-filled one-room place where the help can see you at all times, is pretty inexcusable. The atmosphere wasn't even disappointing; it was unpleasant. (Yes, I understand this is just a cheap spot where local Latino folk feed their fams.) Screaming kids aside, at one point they were playing music and running the TV on a music channel - at exactly the same volume! Good recipe for inducing seizures... We were looking around, flabberghasted, like, "Is this not bothering *anybody* else...?"
Long story short, I was really excited when I heard there was a great Mexican place down the street - and ended up very disappointed, with most of my food in a box because I felt bad leaving my plate almost untouched! We won't be going back. :-/ Guess we're just too Gringo!
Posted by: Robin | September 23, 2007 05:19 PM
those guys are THE BOMB. cheap, friendly and the spicy guacamole they put into their burritos will tingle your palate
Posted by: axel | September 20, 2007 12:49 AM