Mercadito

Miss this place so much. It was my go to Mexican restaurant. Can’t believe it closed. So sad :(

The food is always amazing here. My particular favorite this time was the quesadilla. It’s not your typical quesadilla it’s almost like a cheesy empanada which is even better than my terrible description. Estelle Bajo tacos are my favorite as well as the steak. The hibiscus margarita is also worth trying if you haven’t had it before. Overall I have never had a bad meal here and look forward to eating there each time!

mercadito is amazing.
10 out of 10, every time.
Here’s the recommendations.
Def a margarita. I always do regular but the strawberry and fruit ones are fantastic as well.
Get the Guac trio. Regular, Mango, and Cactus. A delight!
Now apps. Literally cannot go wrong with anything.
Do the seviche & the chihuahua cheese and homemade chorizo or mushrooms. (Wow)
Pro tip. During the week they do an all you can eat tacos menu (recommended)
Any taco is an amazing taco. My fav is the shrimp and the tilapia.
Also for sides: get the corn on the Cobb, get the Brussel sprouts, get anything. :-)
And save room for FLAN!!!
All the staff and managers are always A+!
Enjoy!

i ordered the Faloutas? (Sp) here and good lord they’re perfect. The main protein in this is chicken but every bite of this lovely dish was spectacular. The crunch was there, the warmness and tenderness of the chicken, the beans, heck even the tomatoes and lettuce on this. Will i be back? Heck yeah. The happy hour specials are amazing as well, $ 5 margaritas and flaoutas!

We had a birthday dinner here with a friend and where a bit disappointed (compared to previous visits).
FYI — CASH ONLY! (which is odd b/​c they used to take credit cards…)
Décor: While the inside of this place is VERY cozy (read: cramped) it also has a cool Mexican vibe to it that tries it’s best to be «authentic.» It is close quarters no matter where you sit: the bar (where you are constantly rubbed against by any/​all passing customers and staff) or in either of the dining rooms (where they have crammed in one too many tables) but, then again, it is NYC!
Bathroom: VERY nice and clean and super inviting.
Staff: We arrived a bit early and sat at the bar for a drink; which is not the most enjoyable experience but the bartenders were friendly. We were then sat almost exactly at our reservation time, so it was cool. After we ordered our food, however, they seemed to forget about us — no checking up, no water refills, no inquiriy for additional drinks.
Food/​Drink: We started with a Paloma Diablo (which was good, but was seriously lacking the habenero) and sangria (average). Once we were seated we started out with the Salsa Trio (the habanero salsa is HOT!!! but SO GOOD! The Chile de Arbol is a great flavor too) before ordering dinner: tacos: mahi-​mahi, camaron, and estilo baja (the two fish tacos were good but the shrimp tacos were litterally just shrimp, sauce, and a small slice of avacado — I was hoping for at least some lettuce or cabbage or something…). While the tacos tasted good, they just didn’t have the same love from the chefs as I remember in the past. Maybe it was becuase they were busy that night, I don’t know. We did not opt for dessert but I did try to get another Paloma Diablo (this time requesting extra habanero) — which was the same as the first one…
Value: The prices are a bit high here, especially when the tacos that we had were VERY basic, not much to them.
We are BIG Mercadito fans (making sure to go to the Chicago location when we are there as well) and this visit was pretty disappointing. It has been a while since we have visited and I’m sure it will be even longer before we return… if ever again.

Came here one night to do their all you can eat tacos ($ 23). If you want to do the all you can eat, everyone in the group has to do it. Place is fairly small with limited seating, but has a very cozy feel to it. With a group of 5, we decided to sit at the bar as the only option was right next to the door which wasn’t that appealing on a cold winter night.
Servers were friendly and helpful, and food came quickly despite the large amounts we ordered. We tried all the tacos on the menu with group favorites being the Mahi Mahi, Pancita (pork belly), Camaron (shrimp), Estilo Baja & Pescado (tilapia). I really liked the Hongos (mushroom) tacos for a vegetarian option. Both the chicken options were very generic and fell flat.

I really enjoyed brunch here. $ 18 for entrée, strong drink and rice and beans. Tacos were very good as well as the drinks and rice/​beans. I made a reservation but it wasn’t super crowded which was a nice change.
Cash only and no ATM.

Very strong margaritas. If you like them spicy, ask for jalapeños in the drink, as the spicy margaritas on the menu were not spicy at all! Tasty, though.
The guacamole trio (mango, regular and cactus) was excellent served with salty, crisp chips. The tacos were also fantastic. We tried the shrimp (medium spicy), chicken mole, tilapia (extremely spicy) and carne. All were delicious and packed with fillings. Each plate comes with 4 tacos and you will be completely stuffed, trust me.
Ask to sit in the back room, which is lighter and roomier than the front area.

3.5 — this review is for happy hour only.
Saturday around 6 pm. Sat at the bar. A few people around, but not too crowded. Dimly lit place.
Margaritas are half price Saturdays from 4 – 6:30, which makes them around $ 6. They have the traditional lime and three fruits (strawberry, mango, and coconut). What I love is that when you get a fruit margarita, they muddle real fruit into it. They also don’t have the option of a frozen margarita, which is not a problem for me, but would be for others.
Tried both the classic and strawberry. Both good, but not particularly flavorful and definitely not strong. I wouldn’t call it weak, but maybe just average.
I wouldn’t go back of my own accord for happy hour — there are better places with better margaritas.

The tacos are amazing. They’re on the pricier end, but I left VERY satisfied.
I had different tacos like fish, pork belly, pastor, calamari.etc.
The calamari one was okay…
The fish and pork belly.OMG. OMG. OMG.
I will definitely return.
On Tuesdays, the tacos are 2 for $ 5.50.
The tacos are smaller than usual, but they’re definitely worth getting.
The margaritas are strong too.

Not good for people who don’t like close quarters. That aside, this is the only place I will go to get tacos in Manhattan. Fish tacos specifically.
Great place to go with a buddy after work. A couple of beers and feast on some tacos. It’s a bit pricey IMO, especially cause its tacos but the taste is really on point.
The «estilo baja» is the beer-​battered fish taco which is good but the breading/​slaw gets filling. I recommend the plain «pescado» with the sautéed tilapia. Phenomenal.

Slowly becoming my neighborhood spot
Margs are good
Tacos are amazing (pork belly every time)
Brussel sprouts are a must
nothing fancy, small place that is usually crowded with food that you’ll remember

Yeah. I was underwhelmed.
Bartender I had was very nice. But I had to ask him for water & he didn’t ask me for another drink or top off my water when both cups were empty.
He picked up none of the usual bar cues. It was sad.
The guacamole sampler was not bad. The pineapple guacamole and the regular were quite tasty. I found the sampler to be really filling.
Bar area is WAY too tight. They should work on that. Seriously.
I prefer the service @ Mercadito Grove.

Came here last night (Sunday night) because mom dragged me with her to take someone from Germany out to eat. He never had Mexican before (shocking!) so I decided to take us to Mercadito. I have been to the one on Grove St and thought the tacos were pretty good, though on the expensive side.
The place was quite a walk from the station. It was tight and tiny but cozy. We started with the trio guacamole, which was tasty.
Drinks: White sangria — yummy, Pepino el Pyu — it was okay, just a little weird. Preferred the sangria.
Food: Tacos — mahi2, carne, and pancita (pork belly). All of them were tasty, though I didn’t like that we couldn’t mix and match our order. If we order a plate that came with 4, all 4 tacos have to be the same kind. Shucks. We were going to try the all you can eat deal, but each one of us HAD to get it. It was $ 25 each person.
My favorite dish of the night was what my mom ordered — the skirt steak.
Our waitress, Suzie, was wonderful! She gave great recommendations, was accommodating, and helpful. When I was explaining to the guest from Germany that Taco Bell is NOT Mexican, she couldn’t help but to comment and confirmed my point. Thank you, Suzie. I knew you’d have something to say about it. And I’m glad you did!
We asked her what she’d recommend for desserts and she said torrejas de bolillo and capirotada. My mom was stubborn and wanted the flan eventhough it was not recommended. So we ordered torrejas (soaked Mexican bread) and flan.
Because the menu says that the flan is made with goat’s milk, I was afraid to put it in my mouth. And when I did, all I could think about was the goat and somehow, I was able to smell it (the goat). Not a fan. We told Suzie and she said that they actually used cow’s milk. I was glad that she said that, but at the same time disappointed because that meant the menu was misleading?
The torrejas were SO SO GOOD. Orgasm in my mouth. Kind of reminded me of the French toast from Spot.
Overall, a tasty meal with great service. Music was great for the most part, except when they switched it to American pop. I think they should play Latin music throughout.
Suzie thought we were great customers since we joked around with her a lot and asked for her recommendations. So she gave us a round of tequila on the HOUSE! Love it when that happens.
I would come back with a date here and to have another plate of yummy torrejas. But as far as tacos go, I can always get them from the Mexican truck near my house for much less.
In any case, I enjoyed my experience at Mercadito and recommend anyone to give it a shot at least once!

I really do enjoy the ambiance here. It’s pretty intimate and the food is pretty good. But yeah, the portions of tacos here SEVERELY lacking. I expected these prices for the West Village location, but being all the way on Ave B, I’m a little disappointed. Nay, very disappointed, simply because the tacos are very good here. Just needs to be more than a couple bites each. I’m looking at these Unilocal photos and I’ve never gotten tacos that big here. Rabble rabble rabble. Hah, sorry.
Guacamole is, as everyone has stated, pretty spectacular. The torta is pretty good as well, and the portion was better. I also really enjoyed the bruselas, which were covered in a chipotle sauce, as well as some crema. The portion was actually pretty decent as well and the flavors are pretty rich, with a nice chipotle kick.
I will say that this is one of the better Mexican restaurants in the city, since I’m not a big fan of the Dos Caminos or Rosa Mexicano chains, I would rather recommend Mercadito. I’ve actually heard good things about brunch, so I’ll have to give that a try one of these weekends. Overall, you’re gonna get high quality ingredients here, but because of the portion sizes, I would recommend this place for times when you’re not feeling terribly hungry.

The classic margaritas here were great. I recommend the classic margarita over the tres citricos, which was a bit too sweet.
The guacamole trio was great. I liked the tradicional and the pina the best, but my friend preferred the mango, so all three were solid.
The camaron tacos were delicious. I am not one to order shrimp, but I loved them, and the sauce they were in was great.
The estilo baja tacos were equally great. The batter was crispy and the cole slaw was delicous.
My only complaint was the wait time. We waited about 40 min even though we had a reservation, because the place is so tiny. However, they brought us a round of tequila shots for free and comped the guacamole trio. And our waiter was great despite the wait.

This is a hip, trendy spot with a long wait. The food was excellent but the portions were small for the price.
We shared the guac but it was only a few bites each. I would love if chips and salsa were complimentary here. We all shared the tacos which were amazing. You must get the margs such as the blood orange… strong and flavorful!

we only came here because El Camion nearby was full… BUT drinks here are a bit more expensive in comparison
NO free chips & salsa like at El Camion. & the chips were ordered were HARD … almost like they were stale
—guacamole trio (pineapple, mango, & traditional): MMm the mango was my favorite! this trio is actually a deal copmared to other places in NYC
—trio of salsa: the hot is HOTTER than your average spiciness… i wasn’t too fond of the salsa because they were very liquidy… I like chunky salsa
NOTE: max 4 credit cards to pay for the bill!

I enjoyed my food and drinks here
happy hour until 7pm, good margaritas
Tried their guacamole trio, interesting mix, the mango and the pineapple were both a bit sweet but a bit lack in flavor, the original guacamole however, was very good. Definitely try that.
We also tried to flautas, which was crispy tortilla rolls with chicken, black beans and sauce inside, it was just ok in my opinion.
I tried their chile relleno, which was made with shrimp, octopus in this cheesy and tomatoey sauce. very delicious! I would recommend it. My friend got the chicken tacos and she was very happy with it.
Cute interior and good service.
Overall, a great experience, would definitely return again

I came here with the group and ordered the pork torta. It was quite delicious! The fries are also pretty great. However, if you order the tacos, the size is quite small (probably 1 taco is the size of the palm of your hand). One of my friends ordered it and complained how unfilling it was. I think you get the most for your money by ordering the tortas. It was hearty and delicious. A good experience, but I wouldn’t come back again specifically for them.
Tip: They also have a brunch menu for $ 18. You get a cocktail, rice and beans, and an entrée.