Empellon Al Pastor
“The drinks are a little pricey, but the happy hour Mexican beer special makes it easy to swing.”
“And expect popularity to grow with this auspicious entry into the taco game by Alex Stupak.”
“We usually split a guacamole which is chunky and flavorful, although next time I'll try the nachos since the reviews are so good.”
Empellon Al Pastor
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Caters: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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This is the closest I can get my California heart to Mexican tacos while in NYC. I'm hesitant to write a great review, because I love that I can usually find seating here with my friends! Our secret recipe is a happy hour in the area and then heading here for tacos.
Their tacos have delicious flavor. The Al Pastor taco is one of the more popular ones, with pork and pineapple, and it is fiiiiine. I also have enjoyed their chicken and beef ones. They run $4-6 per taco, which is a little pricey, but they give you a good amount of filling. We usually split a guacamole which is chunky and flavorful, although next time I'll try the nachos since the reviews are so good.
Overall, splurge a little for the tacos and guac, and if you tac this onto a happy hour event, you won't be disappointed!
What's not to like about this place?
….
….
….
And that's it.
The things i DO like:
This place has a seriously huge selection of top shelf tequila and mezcal starting at 5$ a shot.
If you come when it isn't slammed the bartenders are very friendly and quickly begin to recognize you as regulars and memorize your libation of choice.
Pastor tacos are delicious – the spit roasted pork and pineapple are absolutely wonderful. The short rib and chipotle chicken ain't bad either. Be sure you head to the back and try the house made hot sauces that are kept in serving bowls by the window!!!!
Frequent buybacks and generous pours are very common if you come in semi-regularly during non peak hours.
If you drink mezcal ask for the spiced orange wedge with it if it isn't too busy. It goes great with the smokiness of the mezcal they serve! I usually drink my liquor neat, but I make an exception in this case!
Fun decorations and good vibes, but the tacos are maybe average – definitely not bad, but probably not worth the calories either. Had their chicken, beef, tripe, and oyster mushroom tacos – none of them were memorable / all of them were skimpy on meat, but you'd expect this for the price. Would not go back unless it was their happy hour/lunch special which is something along the lines of special priced tacos and a drink
Good for big groups
I'm not sure why this place only have three stars. I really think this place is unique.
Food:
I'm not gonna sugar coat and say that the tacos here are the bomb and the best. I will say that their taco is pretty solid, I really love the self serve salsa station.
I love the tortilla, made fresh in house.
Drinks:
I love coming here during happy hour, they used to have buy one get one margarita. Now, it's $8 during happy hour.
I usually start here for my gluttony trip, they also have yelp check in special.
Myself and my lady have been wanting to come here for a while since I follow Empellon on social media and its very popular. Liz and I consider ourselves taco Connoisseurs' and were highly anticipating these tacos and had mixed reviews.
The décor:
this spot is like a dive bar more than a taco bar, you would think they cater more to drinks than actual taco spot but maybe that was the point since they have 3 other restaurants and like to cater to all the masses, not that the place didn't have its own lil cache to it but I expected a bit nicer. kinda dark in there you have to order at the bar no one comes to you which was odd and the toppings for the tacos was literally in another room.
the food:
I had the Al Pastor of course which was average at best, I got unlucky because mine had a lot of fat in it and I hate fat! or they aren't using quality pork which I would find shocking. Next I had the chipotle chicken which was excellent no complaints there. they had a seasonal sweet corn that I am always a fan of but this was a bit off, very wet and soggy not how I'm used to but not gonna say it was bad just I've had better MUCH BETTER.
The drinks
we had seasonal Blood Orange Margarita and I must say it was excellent but at $14 a pop you would think I'm at a rooftop in Meatpacking district!
All in all it was a good experience but actually had higher hopes for this place, I will check out the other Empellon spots see how they fair
Awesome low key bar that sells fantastic tacos. It's hard to say if it is a bar or restaurant from the setup. There are no reservations and no waiters so just grab a table and order at the bar. The beer selection is pretty good with the expected corona and so, but also some great craft beer like saison and IPAs. The tacos are all delicious but the sauces really stand out. The Empellon owner is a sauce magnate and is shows in the salsas and chipotle sauces available at the bar. Get the chips and guacamole to really enjoy the salsas. The pastor taco, which has to be good since it is the signature dish, is up to the challenge. The meat is hand carved off a huge stick of meat in the back. The pork was tender and falling apart with moisture and flavor. The menu is nice because you get a single taco with each order, so you can sample several.
I'm really excited about this place. I've been a fan of Alex Stupak's since I visited Empellon Cocina in the fall of 2014, and I'm embarrassed it took me this long to make it over to Empellon Al Pastor. As others have noted, it's more like a bar with great tacos than it is a taco restaurant with drinks, and that's fine by me. I was skeptical at how efficient the place would be with the "order at the counter and grab a number" system, but the servers were lovely and on top of their game. The food came out quickly and the tables were cleared promptly.
I grabbed the Yelp check-in special, which is a great little deal before 5pm that comes with two tacos and a can of beer/soda. I, of course, ordered the Al Pastor, which was excellent, and also tried the Chicken Chipotle, which was still good but less exciting and a tad dry. That being said, you can tell a lot of thought went into the flavor profiles. The pork in the al pastor is killer, and the sweet pineapple is portioned just right. I'm usually guilty of over-using condiments, but I was happy I abstained and let the seasonings do all the work.
I won't be satisfied until I've tasted each and every one of the tacos and sides, and expect to be returning to Al Pastor many times.
This place is a bit annoying. So I arrive for dinner with a friend. You go to the taco area but they flash a sign saying you have to order tacos at the bar. Then they say the Yelp offer is only valid up to 5 pm. I insist and they give me the deal. On top of that, the chicken taco is $4 and al pastor $5 so it's basically $20 to fill up because the tacos — which I admit are quite tasty — are so small and it'd take four to satisfy my hunger. What the heck!