El Tenampa Deli Grocery

I used to live close to El Tenampa, and even with the proximity of all the glorified Mexican restaurants in Sunset Park, would always come back to this place. Get anything with goat. The cemitas are addictive. Cherish every item you get.

GEM!!! this place has the best tacos in Brooklyn, hands down. I love their steak and chicken tacos! The guacamole is awesome. They never disappoint!

I hope no one discovers this joint.
Tucked in behind bodega aisles, you’ll find the best selection of taco meats north of Sunset Park. Everything from oreja to lengua and cesina and cabeza and goat. Burritos are solid but benefit from a SALSA BAR WITH REAL GUACAMOLE. Something in the enchilada cemitas is truly addicting. I think it’s the combo of squeaky quesillo and herbaceous pápalo leaves, plus the way they grill the bread to crunchy perfection.
Recommend coming in person to take advantage of the salsa bar. I ordered delivery once and waited way too long.

I grew up in Sunset Park before it was gentrified, so I know Tacos. And this place, has the bomb diggity when it comes to tacos. It has similar quality to Tacos Matamoros and Tacos El Bronco (the other two good Taco joints in the hood). Although it doesn’t have the aesthetic of Matamoros, this place has the salad bar that you pick from yourself — guac included.
Yep. THE GUAC IS UNLIMITED. As well as radishes, salsa, limes, etc. You can’t find a better deal than that, especially considering it’s the same quality and price as the other places.
P. S. Note that this «eatery» is located behind the deli.
P. S.S. IDK What other reviews are talking about, they were nice to me (as an Asian) even though I wasn’t hispanic. Just come here with a smile and leave your gentrification ways behind.

I came here for a snack with friends to eat Mexican tacos. It was a well hidden restaurant. It’s behind a deli store. So you would have to walk thru the store to get to the restaurant in the back. The place is decent. It’s fairly clean and neat. You would have to order your food in the kitchen. It takes them quite a while to make the food — at least 15 minutes or more depending on the number of people ahead of your order.
I had their beef taco and chorizo taco. The beef taco was very dry. I think they left the beef on the stove a little too long. The chorizo was quite good. It was a little spicy.

OMG — we come from Chicago (here as NY tourists) and we never could find a good place with REAL cemitas. Let me just say that this place impressed my dad. He is originally from Puebla, Mexico, where cemitas originate. & he LOVES cemitas. My dad himself said he had the best cemita here. He hasn’t had a good one in AGES!!! That says a lot! If you never had a cemita, it’s like a torta but a billion times better! You won’t regret it once you try it. It’s sad that they don’t have a place like this back home.
The place is little and it’s located in a tiny convenience store — very home feeling. The people are nice and welcoming. We will come back to eat here next time we visit Brooklyn, no doubt!

Average tacos, and if they don’t like you, they may have a Tenampa Tantrum.
I was here as part of a Brooklyn food tour about 10 months ago. It was my second attempt at getting tacos here because the first time they had closed earlier than expected. I ordered tacos, of course.
Like the Mexican Deli down the street… the tacos here were pretty mediocre, nothing that I would go back for again. And the woman was pretty rude to me and especially to my friend. I’m not sure what the problem was, but it’s 4 stars for the average tacos, minus one for the abrasive attitude. She seemed perfectly friendly to the Spanish speaking customers. I actually speak Spanish, so maybe I should have attempted to, I have no idea. Maybe that wasn’t the problem. Maybe I just look like someone that deserves ire. My mother is from Ireland after all.

Ordered delivery from here reading that they have the best tacos in the neighborhood but I was sorely disappointed. The food arrived cold, the cheese which had been melted was glazed over and cold. The meat was dry and chewy. The only part I liked was the different sauces that came with the food. If you want good tacos go to varrio 408 instead

El Tenampa looks a little seedy on the outside, but you know it’s authentic when you walk in and there are aisles of Mexican products, produce, candy, and in the way back there’s a counter where you can order tortas, enchiladas, burritos, and tacos. Oh and they even give you enough containers to fill up on guacamole (no extra $$ like at chipotle) and tomatillo sauce. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, this place is a gem and the best authentic Mexican food I’ve found thus far. Also, they have every kind of Jarritos flavor you could possibly want-​a necessary ingredient for my favorite margarita recipe.

If this place was in Manhattan I wouldn’t write a review for fear my 5 stars would contribute to it being overrun by the Unilocaling masses. Since its safely tucked away on a bland section of 4^th Ave, I feel safe.
The food is excellent. In spite of there being burritos on the menu, this place serves legit Mexican food. My steak torta was possibly the best I’ve had in NYC (topped maybe by Downtown Mexican Bakery). It could have used more bean spread but all the elements worked so well together.
The tacos smartly are available small or large on fresh grilled tortillas. They were also great. The chilles rellenos looked good but I was near bursting at this point. I will update as I return to work my way through the menu.

This is quite easily the best Mexican I’ve had in New York City and I’ve tried a lot.
I ordered two grande tacos; one chicken, one spicy pork — being charged $ 6 for the two.
The meat was delicious and flavourful. The toppings are minimal (grilled onion and cilantro) but the deli bar gives you many options for what you might want to add to your taco, for free. Spicy salsa, two kinds of guacamole, tonnes of freshly cut limes, radishes, jalapeños — you name it, they have it.
I’m yet to try the smoothies they also have on offer for $ 3.50 but I will definitely be back to try one — to cool my mouth down post-​spicy pork taco!
Some past reviewers have mentioned the wait for food but I had no issues, waiting less than five minutes. However I arrived after 8pm so not the peak time so I lucked out there!
Win, win, win for this place.

I’m a Californian and have lived in NYC for 10 years and this is the first time I have had real authentic Mexican food that I’m accustomed to. Five stars for everything in this place. I even bought jamaica so I can make my own juice!!!

This deli, restaurant, grocery store is the best! Huge selection of hard to find stuff like fresh mangoes, Mexican groceries, and frozen fruits from far off lands. People who work there are super friendly and this establishment seems like one of the remaining vestiges of culture in an ever whitening Brooklyn.

The mexican taquitos are the best sellers they are small but satisfying oder like 5 per person
Also el caldo d Camaron is good but pricy so expect to pay cash only
Enjoy!

IMO — one of best taco places in the neighborhood.
THE SHORT —
great place to have a quick taco fix! you can do your laundry next door, eat tacos and see what Mexican snacks the grocery part of the store has to offer. Win, Win, and WIN!
Small tacos are good for 2 bites, 3 bites for the Large. if you order one or ten tacos, they will always says «Ten Minute», when your order is almost ready they will hand you small containers (for take-​out) to fill your need of salsa verde, salsa roja?, guac, and jalapenos! Salsa verde is spicy but amazing, dont care for the red sauce but its not that spicy and somewhat smokey, guac is amazzzing since its pretty much free. also with your tacos you get some green onion/​scallions.
Ordered 9 tacos, take-​out, didnt know left from right, just ate everything, truly satisfied!
THE LONG BUT INTERESTING —
the tacos are very flavorful, smells amazing, and sometimes the meat can be overcooked but thats anywhere you go. they cook most of the meat in a big circular flat pan/​wok type of thing. they place green onion/​scallion where its slightly elevated in the center area, the ordered meat around the scallion and all the juices flow to the edge of the circular wok/​pan. Cover it, let it cook for a couple of minutes, the aroma of the onions is infused into the meat while the juices are keeping the meat moist! Very Smart way of cooking!
Someone ordered the shrimp soup, looked interesting but pricey for $ 10 for a small portion. i noticed that it was very hearty, good amount of shrimp, half of a crab, with a tomato base.
Very basic setup if you decide to dine there, seats about 20 people or so. has 2 tvs, one showing latin novella and the other with soccer.
$ 1.75 small taco, $ 3 for large. $ 10 camarron sopa!

Huge selection of food in this deli!
Tacos have good flavor. Not enough onions and cilantro, but they make up for it with as much sauce or guacamole as you’d like. Big plus! Their meats and tortillas have great flavor and texture!
Lots of table if you want to sit in!

Pros: melt-​in-​your-​mouth pastor tacos. Good guacamole and salsas. Outstanding batidos (mamey!) – may or may not have ice cream, I honestly can’t tell because it’s so creamy and refreshing.
Cons: Service. This place is slow and not super friendly. The interior is also not particularly attractive (it’s as barebones as it comes.)
Bonus: yes, that’s right, bonus! As in bonus cash back. This place technically counts as a grocery, so it’s extra cash back for me.

Nothing would please me more than to drop five stars on El Tenampa like candy falling from a piñata, but it wouldn’t be fair to anyone.
The food is good. But you can end up waiting 45 minutes for it without warning. And while you’re sitting unexpectedly for what seems like forever under the unforgivingly bright florescent lights, surrounded by swarms of families, and you’re not able to have a drop of alcohol, you’ll wonder, justifiably, if it’s worth all of the fuss.
Unfortunately, I don’t necessarily think it is. I also don’t have time to wait 45 minutes for food that I can find equally as good in Sunset Park or elsewhere in the city — at places, I might add, that don’t blind me in terms of both lighting and beverage consumption.
I’ll likely be back here out of convenience, and hope to some day post a more gushing update, but for now, El Tenampa gets los tres.

Sometimes true love is where you least expect it. In this case it’s in the back of a nondescript Mexican grocery store in a somewhat unknown region of 4^th Ave. You’ll look and wonder if this strange mutant of a restaurant off the street with its fluorescent-​lit tables is a good place for Mexican food.
Rest assured my friend: They do not play games here. This is by far one of the South Slope and Sunset Park area’s best Mexican food joints. I now forego the twenty minute walk to El Bronco, an equally savory taco, in favor of this much closer diamond in the bodega.
The tacos, in two sizes, come packed with very well-​seasoned and premium meats. Do not skip the grilled onions either. It’s tantamount to eating Korean food without kimchi. There’s a little cold bar with about eight toppings ranging from mild avocado sauce to spicier salsas and vegetables. The tortas are similar as well with the addition of cheese and beans.
The other thing I like is that they don’t have the same menu all the time. On different days they have different specials like goat or carnitas or chupacabra.

Delicious authentic tacos in the back of this hole in the wall Mexican bodega. I got 3 small tacos for $ 5.50 — pork, beef, and goat, all fantastic and made to order. It was enough for a snack/​small dinner. The fixins bar with salsas, guacamole, pickled jalapenos and carrots, radishes, and cucumbers is awesome. The guacamole was excellent and fresh.
I went here after seeing an apartment around the corner. I didn’t like the apt but the idea of having this as my local taco place nearly swayed me.