No More Torturous Waiting for Burritos

The best Mexican restaurant, actually one of the best restaurants, period, in Forest Hills just entered the digital age, making life a hell of a lot more pleasant the next time you can't shake your craving for what are quite possibly the most delicious nachos in the world.

Now, if they'd only deliver, like every other restaurant in town. But one can't expect life to be too good to us all at once, can we?

5 Burro Café Review

Location: 72-05 Austin Street Forest Hills, NYC

Hours: 12:00PM - 4:00AM — 7 Days a week

Hi, it’s Mark again, from mealswithmark.com , with another local restaurant review.  My partner and I have been cohabitating in Forest Hills for almost two years now and we are always looking out for and trying new restaurants to wow us with their food and ambiance.  We have had a lot of hits and misses in Forest Hills.  But surprisingly a lot of hits lately.  We both enjoy a good meal out every so often with amazing food, great ambiance, and incredible company. Our culinary escape took us to 5 Burro Café  on Austin Street in Forest Hills.

We have been wanting to try 5 Burro for quite some time.  Whenever we mention to people that we live in Forest Hills, everyone raves about 5 Burro and they are surprised we haven’t tried it.  They can’t stop talking about how great the food and the drinks are and how much fun they have when they go.

We have walked by on many occasions and after hearing how loud and seeing how packed they were, we said 'no thanks' and we kept walking and found some mediocre place to eat or just gave up and went home and I whipped something up.  Packed and extremely loud is a turn-off.  Before the Forest Hills faithful starts on their rants, see above. We have had more hits than misses lately. We have actually discovered and had some pretty amazing meals as of late in our neck of the woods. 

Since 5 Burro is always loud and packed at night we decided to check them out on a Saturday during lunch time. We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived and there was not a crowd of people outside and the noise level was at a bearable level. 

Upon entering the restaurant, it reminded me of our many trips to Mexico and eating at some of the local establishments. The décor and the feel of the restaurant definitely felt authentic. The restaurant was cute, quaint, and cozy, but definitely small in size, which explains why it is always so loud and packed when we walk by.  

When I go out for a meal I don’t want to have to wait 45 minutes to an hour to get a table and I want to be able to hear my dinner companion and be able to have a conversation without screaming.  A restaurant’s appearance is one of the things that weighs heavily with me when I pick a place when I eat out.  The food is the most important, but experience is as well.  So, my first impression of 5 Burro Café was a pleasant surprise, after walking by some many times and being turned off.

We started out our meal with frozen margaritas.  Before going to 5 Burro we read some reviews on Yelp, but I always make my own opinion of a place.  That’s what is great about a review, there can be many different views on the same place.  But, we chose the frozen margaritas after reading the reviews ahead of time. 5 Burro is known for their margaritas.  We went with the classic.  They were delicious but could have had a tad bit more tequila.  This drink definitely hit the spot on this warm Saturday afternoon.  It was $8, which was a great price for a 16oz. drink.  5 Burro also brings you out some fresh chips and salsa and it pairs well with their frozen margaritas.

For starters, we went with the Aguacate Relleno which was an Avocado stuffed with Shrimp and smothered with fresh veggies, spices, and 5 Burro Café’s homemade house dressing.  This dish was refreshing with a great, unique blend of spices and flavor.  You can go with a half order or a full order.  We went with the half order, which I am glad we did since I filled up on the free chips and salsa. 

Since when my partner and I go out to eat we share, we took awhile going through the menu and picking two choices.  We asked our server for recommendations and he seemed knowledgeable about his recommendations on the menu, but he didn’t talk excitedly about anything.  When I go out, I always ask the server their suggestion because you can really see their passion for the establishment that they work for and what they are excited about and that they think everyone should try.  I didn’t feel like he had a personal favorite or anything excited him.  Usually, I go with my server's recommendation, but not this time.  Don’t get me wrong the service as a whole was good. 

I went with the Ensalada Mexicana Con Carne.  This consisted of fresh mixed greens, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, steak, lime, avocado, and topped with original 5 Burro Dressing.  First the positives.  The steak was seasoned and cooked very well.  The veggies on the salad was crispy and fresh and the portion size was very large.  On the flip side, there were way too many onions, a little less would have balanced out the salad better.  The 5 Burro original dressing was very flavorful, but was a tad bit watery.  I like my dressing a little thicker so it sticks to my salad to give it that flavorful kick.  Overall a great steak salad, which most places don’t get right.

My partner went with the Fajitas De Salmon.  Grilled Salmon served with grilled onions, mixed peppers, rice, beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and choice of flour or corn tortillas.  The salmon was flaky and cooked perfectly.  When all the ingredients wrapped together in the warm tortilla wrap, it was a delicious explosion of subtle flavors in your mouth.  Besides the salmon, the standout on this dish was the seasoned rice and the black beans with the crumbled cojito cheese on top.  Usually when both of us go out for Mexican food, the rice and bean sides are a second thought, but at 5 Burro, it complemented and paired so well with the fajitas and tasted delicious, so skipping it was not an option.

Due to the yummy frozen margaritas, the free chips and salsa, the appetizer, and our large portion meals, we had no room for dessert.  But it is worth mentioning, 5 Burro does offer Flan and Apple Chimichanga for dessert.  

  

I highly recommend 5 Burro Café. I recommend for the first time to try it during the day for lunch to avoid the crowds and noise.  But it is also a fun place to hang out with friends after work or on the weekends for some appetizers and so good drinks. Just keep in mind it gets packed and loud during peak hours.

Check out their menu at: http://5burrocafe.com/

Follow them on Social media and share your photos and your experience there!

https://twitter.com/5burrocafe

https://www.facebook.com/5BurroCafe/

https://www.instagram.com/5burrocafe/

Also check out my other local restaurant reviews:

http://edgeofthecityblog.blogspot.com/2018/05/restaurant-review-guantanamera.html

http://edgeofthecityblog.blogspot.com/2018/04/compadres-77-restaurant-review.html

https://mealswithmark.com/numero-28-pizzeria-review/

Compadres 77 Restaurant Review

My name’s Mark, founder and creator of the everything food blog Mealswithmark.com!  I started the blog because I love and enjoy cooking and want to share my recipes and my culinary discoveries with others. Compadres 77 has a few drawbacks, but the one possible saving grace might actually be the food! Join me in my experience at Compadres 77’s new location in Forest Hills.

Compadres 77 is a New Mexican restaurant that opened about three weeks ago in the former location of the Italian restaurant Tuscan Hills (a Forest Hills staple which moved to another location in Forest Hills) located on busy Queens Blvd.

With a lot of competition in Forest Hills for Mexican fare, does Compadres 77 have what it takes to survive?

Upon walking into Compadres 77 with my partner, it was a cute place, but will definitely not sweep you off your feet with a wow factor! It had minimal decor and lacked ambiance. The restaurant felt like more of a fast food restaurant/take out place like Chipotle or Dos Torros, than a fine dining experience, but we were keeping open minds.  The Mexican music was a nice added touch to make up for the lack of ambiance.  They should definitely try to hide the huge refrigerator that you see when you walk through the doors. 

We were not approached when we first entered the restaurant, but when we finally were, we were told we could just sit anywhere. Since there was no better section than others we just chose a random seat.

We were given menus and not told much else. The server asked if we wanted anything to drink and we asked for water, which took some time to get to our table. *just a side not, they were not that busy.

We asked our server for a drink menu because when going to a Mexican restaurant, we love having a margarita on the rocks with some amazing authentic Mexican food! The server informed us that they don’t serve alcohol and was not sure when or if they would be getting it in the future. He did not offer us any other drink options besides the water!

Our server brought us over complimentary tortilla chips and salsa and we ordered guacamole for starters. He brought us over the guacamole and didn’t offer us any additional chips, we had to ask for more ourselves. The guacamole was good, not amazing but definitely fresh and tasty. However, it would have been nice if they came to the table and made the guacamole in front of you like they do at some other Mexican Restaurants (example: El coyote). It would have added to the ambiance and the character of the place.

My partner and I always order different things on the menu so we have the opportunity to try more stuff because we share. :). My partner ordered a beef quesadilla and I ordered a couple of tacos.

Let’s start with the quesadilla. The beef quesadilla was surprising delicious. The beef was very tender and the quesadilla was packed with cheese, which we both love! The server also brought over two sauces and sour cream to dip the quesadillas in! The Green sauce was a nice added kick along with the sour cream!

I ordered two tacos and we split them in half.   I ordered the fried Pork and the Chorizo Tacos.  They came plated nicely and loaded with onions and cilantro with a side of lime and radishes to add to the tacos.  The tacos were very tasty.  The meat was seasoned and cooked well.  But again, they were good but nothing special.  Even though they were two different tacos with different meats, they tasted identical.  There was nothing distinguishing one from the next.   We both said they taste similar to the tacos from the Taco Truck on Austin Street for the same price.

We ended up deciding to order a dessert to share.  We asked the server if the desserts were made in house, he stated no but they were all delicious.  That was disappointing.  In my opinion, when a restaurant does not make their dessert in house, they lose some credibility.  We decided to go with the Tres Leches Cake.  Tres Leches is my favorite Mexican dessert and one of my all time favorite desserts.  The Tres Leches sauce was good, but the cake to me tasted stale.   It was a disappointing piece of cake. 

In summary, I feel Compadres 77 needs to step up their game some if they are going to survive in Forest Hills.   First, they need to spruce up their appearance and ambiance.  They need to add more Mexican flare and décor.  They need to make themselves stand out from the crowd of other Mexican restaurants.  Maybe even add some live music.   They have to show the El Coyote and the 5 Burro Café regulars that they deserve their patronage too. 

Second, they need to work on either obtaining a liquor license or allowing for BYOB.  Guests not having the option to order a drink or have drinks with their meals, will limit their clientele.   A lot of people that go out to dinner versus having dinner at home want that option/availability.  Who wouldn’t want a Margarita with some good Mexican food after a long and stressful day at the office?

Third area of improvement would be their customer service.  They need to do a better job training their staff to be more attentive to their customers.  Check in on them more frequently and asking questions.  Also, make the guacamole table side - this would add to the customer service and would also add to the ambiance and the experience.  If you advertise that it is fresh, show your customers that.

Lastly, make sure the desserts you serve are fresh, if not don’t serve them.  Better yet, get someone in house that can make desserts.  It would give the place more credibility.

The one plus that Compadres 77 has in its favor, is the food is pretty darn good!  They just have to build off of that!  They have potential to be a great addition to the neighborhood.

Compadres 77 is located at 115-20 Queens Blvd., at the corner of 77th Ave in Forest Hills.

Check out my review of Numero 28 on Restaurant Row in Forest Hills:

https://mealswithmark.com/numero-28-pizzeria-review/

Or just check out my blog at https://mealswithmark.com for some great recipes for your next weeknight dinner!

Until next time!  Have a delicious day!

Restaurant Review: Fun in the Sun at El Coyote

Long-time readers of this blog know that there are few things I like as much as being able to loll away the summer sitting outside at one of our fine restaurants in Forest Hills with a brew or otherwise refreshing drink in hand and some tasty vittles to munch on. Well, recently, I had the chance to right a nagging wrong by FINALLY getting myself to our newest Mexican restaurant, El Coyote, located on the upper floor of that two story structure on Austin St. that is also home to Agora Taverna.

I was seated outside on their "deck" overlooking the hustle and bustle of Austin Street. My experience at El Coyote opened in a decidedly disappointing way. The good news, however, is it all went uphill—and very, very uphill, I might add—from there.

The disappointment came in the form of stale-tasting tortilla chips I was served when I sat down with my just-passable salsa. And I mean these chips were stale, chewy, and old. And I was not happy.

I trekked on, however, and ordered the guacamole, which I had heard is quite good at El Coyote, and of course the requisite margarita on the rocks with salt.

Things started to look up quickly. The guacamole, which is made at your table in Rosa Mexicano fashion, I ordered "medium spicy" and came just that way, with just a hint of kick to it, and it was delicious—up there with the best guac I've had anywhere. They refreshed my chips with it, and they were fresh, finally. They also refreshed my salsa. I don't know if this was a bad day there for salsa, but I wasn't a fan of their's. Too smokey, too garlicky, not enough tomato-ey sweetness for my liking.

Things continued to look up. The margarita was perfect. And then my main course, the Combo Mexicano which I ordered with chicken taco, enchilada and burrito ($12.95) was fresh and superbly done. The included towering side rice and beans, splendid.

The service was attentive and pleasant. Overall, I think Forest Hills has another excellent option for Mexican food. I'll chalk up the disappointing salsa and chips experience to a bad day, and hope that doesn't happen again. But the rest of the experience, plus my relaxing time spent sipping my refreshing margarita on their sunny outside patio way above the hustle and bustle of Forest Hills makes me give El Coyote a big shiny grade of A.

(Oh, and tuck this little number away fellow Forest Hillers: (718) 268-0777 That's El Coyote's phone number and guess what, this baby delivers unlike somebody else I know!  )

El Coyote is located on the top floor of that two-story structure on Austin Street where Garcia's used to be

Add points for the eccentric decor! We need more eccentricity here in The Hills!

The view from my perch of bustling Austin Street

Guacamole, made to order and delicious! Memorably good!

Excellent entrees!

No complaints about the rice and beans.

The outside deck could be a little nicer, but who's complaining? I'm freakin' outside!

The disappointing salsa and chips, made tolerable by, what else, a margarita!

El Coyote Opens

I know a lot of readers have been very eager to know when our newest Mexican restaurant was opening. Opening day was yesterday so you don't have to wait any longer! El Coyote is located in the upper level of the "Austin St. Mall" complex, where Garcia's used to be. And look, they even have a nice indoor palm tree...

El Coyote Update

For all those who have been anxiously awaiting the opening of the Forest Hills location of El Coyote. we will all unfortunately have to wait a bit longer. The owners of this new Mexican restaurant, located upstairs in the 'Austin St. Mall' complex tell me it could be a month or two more before the Forest Hills location opens as they work to secure the permits they need.

But, they also remind everyone that their Jackson Heights location is very open for everyone to visit! :)

New Mexican Restaurant Opening Soon

The signs have gone up for the new El Coyote Mexican restaurant where the former Garcia's used to be on the upper level of the Austin St. mall. This small chain has three other locations, two in Connecticut and one in nearby Jackson Heights. Really looking forward to trying them out. Thanks to @sgreen3 for tweeting me the photo.

Garcia's to Become Another Mexican Restaurant

The former Garcia's space, located at 70-09 Austin St., (third floor of the "Austin Street Mall"), will become the latest site of El Coyote, whose nearest restaurant is on Northern Blvd. in Jackson Heights. This small chain also has two other locations, in Monroe and Brookfield, Connecticut. The place has some pretty good reviews on Yelp. The food reviews seem to be very strong.

Thanks to Jeff for sending in this info this morning!

Lining Up at the Forest Hills Chipotle

Apparently, I'm not the only one quite satisfied with the food they're serving up at our recently opened Chipotle on Austin St. The scene there Monday, 7:15 p.m. The line went around the entire place...

Inside Forest Hills' Chipotle

This is going into the space where Martha's Country Bakery and Ariana's pizza used to be ...

How Desperate Am I For A Burrito?

A prayer in four verses written by Drake after his second visit to Marianella's Taqueria, this afternoon, for lunch, for a grilled chicken burrito.

Oh, burrito Gods up in heaven, please hear my cry!
How desperate art I for a burrito, oh God??

Desperate enough to eat old, brown lettuce? Yes!
Desperate enough to observe crusted old guacamole at the counter while I wait an inordinately long time for a burrito made with old, brown lettuce? Yes!! YES!
Desperate enough to feel bizarrely out of place as I watch the crowd around the bar (Bar? In a takeout restaurant?) sipping margaritas in the middle of the work day as I wait for the old, brown lettuce containing burrito?? YES!

Oh Burrito Gods up above - why, why hast thou forsaken me and delivered unto me Marianella's Taqueria in my land of Forest Hills instead of the chosen one, blessed be he: Chipotle!!!

Yea! Yes, the grilled chicken burrito I had this day at Marianella's Taqueria was not terrible oh lord! Yes, it only had a small bone in it - not terribly unusual, oh lord. Yes, it barely had any taste come to think of it, oh lord! But, why, why couldn't you bless my village with a normal New York City Mexican take-out place? Are we here in Forest Hills oh so very different from the rest of New Yorkers? I think not Lord!

Edge of the City Early Review: Marianella's Taqueria

I just devoured two tacos and a burrito from the new Marianella's Taqueria, which opened today on 71st Continental. It was a decidedly mixed culinary experience.

I ordered the Taco Twosome for $5.95. This was two hard-shelled tacos, one ground beef and one chicken. They were ok, not great. But I have to say that I brought them home and by the time I got them home they were a little cool. So I would reserve judgement on them. One thing I have to point out for certain though is they serve the tacos with a lot of lettuce. And the lettuce seemed a bit old. It was brown in some spots. A Big NO NO!


I also ordered the Grilled Chicken Burrito for $7.95. This was much better. It actually was pretty damn good. I had it with refried beans, some type of smoked salsa, cheese, and yellow rice. Quite tasty indeed! There were times I would have sworn it was a burrito from Chipotle or another higher-end fast food joint.

I washed it all down with a medium Pepsi for $1.85. It was slightly flat. Another big NO NO!!!

As for the atmosphere of our newest Mexican restaurant, all I can say is it is just plain odd. First of all, when you get up to order the menu sign is overhead and behind you so you have to remember what you want from a rather unique and even a bit complicated Mexican menu. So I found myself constantly straining my head and stepping back from the counter to remember what I wanted to order!

Also, the fact that there is a regular bar in the restaurant makes it a bit schizophrenic of an experience. What is it doing there? It is like two places in one - A mid-market Mexican take-out restaurant and a bar.

And one other observation. As I was picking out all the different toppings, I noticed some crusty
old looking offerings - I think it may have been hummus or something like it. Not appetizing! Please keep your food fresh!

Now, for my grades:

Taco Twosome: B (I am giving it the benefit of the doubt because as I said it was a bit of a while before I ate them at home. Hopefully they are better fresher. But the brown-looking salad is plain inexcusable!!)

Grilled Chicken Burrito: A

Beverage (Pepsi): C

Food Quality: C (Big No No's: Brown lettuce, and crusty old looking toppings at the counter. I am not giving them a lower grade because it is opening day and I am chalking it up to opening day growing pains. I will have to go back in a week or so and see how things are going.)

Atmosphere: B (Nothing really special. It's not really upscale though. I greatly preferred the look and feel of Green Cactus which used to be on Restaurant Row here in Forest Hills a few years ago.)

Overall Grade: B- (I am giving them the benefit of the doubt. I do hope indeed the next time I go I do not see wilted brown lettuce and crusty old toppings!!) I would place them above the Fresco Tortillas Chinese/Mexican combo restaurants that are all over the city (and that we have two of right here in FoHi), but below Chipotle in terms of overall upscale atmosphere and quality.

Inside Marianella's Taqueria

Here's a look inside the new Mexican restaurant, Marianella's Taqueria, on 71st Continental, which opens this Wednesday. Note the bar way up front, near the counter, to the left. Click on the pics for a better view, especially the second one.

Filing date

January 20, 2011

Premises name

Marianella's Taqueria LLC

License number

1251199

License status

Active

License type

On-premises liquor

License allowing on-premises consumption of liquor, wine and beer and sale of beer for off-premises consumption. Food, such as soups and sandwiches, must be served.

Effective date

February 28, 2011

Expiration date

January 31, 2013

Marianella's New Sign

The sign/awning is up for the new Mexican restaurant, Marianella's Taqueria, at 106-11 71st Avenue.

A reader snapped this pic with his cell phone and sent it in to me...

New Mexican Restaurant's Website Is Up

The Website for Marianella's Taqueria, the new Mexican restaurant opening on 71st/Continental Ave. next to McDonald's (exact address is 106-11 71st Avenue) is now live.

Here is the link to the site, which includes its menu:

http://marianellas.com/


Thanks to Mike for posting the link on the new Edge of the City Facebook Page

And... it has a name!

The next Mexican-restaurant-to-be, next to the McDonald's on 71st/Continental, is called (drum roll please)...

More Details About New Mexican Restaurant

From Craigslist:

RESTAURANT MANAGER FOR MEXICAN RESTAURANT IN QUEENS.

Looking for a Restaurant Manager for a new 50 seater Mexican Restaurant which is about to open in Forest Hills, New York. The ideal candidate should be excellent in analyzing the neighborhood, should be experienced in creating a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu for the restaurant. The ideal candidate should be highly experienced and should be capable of hiring and firing staff, creating specials, etc. This opportunity offers a salary plus commission and is an ideal opportunity for a manager who is interested in establishing a chain of restaurants with the investor. Experience in working with fast food restaurants preffered. Please e-mail resume to Gurhan@gehilaw.com

http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/bus/2066867553.html

A Peek Inside the New Mexican Restaurant

My top-notch roving reporter just snapped this shot of the interior of the new Mexican take-out place they are building near the McDonald's on 71st/Continental. The workmen said they "did not know the name" of the place so that remains one of the best kept secrets in Forest Hills! Click on the image for a closer look...