Why Come Here? Texas BBQ style tacos, burritos & sides
Cutting the Brisket (credit: Serious Eats)
One day a man walked into a Chipotle and said “This place is good. But you know what would make it better? If the meat was smoked and sides were fancier.” So he opened a restaurant in the Flatiron District whereby he took the three meats offered by Chipotle (beef, chicken and pork), smoked them Texas-style, and offered to put them in the familiar burrito, taco or bowl wrappings. Given the number of meats and the fact that he was serving the food of Spanish-speaking Mexico, he called his restaurant “Tres Carnes” (three meats).
While I was unable to confirm this story, it is likely the tale of how this restaurant came to be. However, to say it’s merely a smoked version of Chipotle would be completely unfair. While the way you order your food is nearly identical (go to a counter, pick a wrapper, meat and toppings), the food and feel are not. Tres Carnes has the much more welcoming feel of an Austin smokehouse than the more industrial setup of Chipotle. The staff also seems to have more leeway in allowing you to mix different meats in one order of tacos and – if you’re suave enough – will let you sample their sides at no charge.
When it comes to the food, it’s fair to say it’s a step above Chipotle quality. Tender, dry rubbed and smoked meat meats come with legit vegetable sides like chipotle squash and “street-cart” corn. There’s also a nice selection of housemade drinks like fresh agave limeade and some micheladas. Since it basically make your own I won’t break my picks dish by dish, but instead am listing my favorite ingredients below. They also feature a “smoke of the week” of some meat you would never see near in larger chains such as tongue, antelope and rattle snake.
Loaded Brisket Taco
Smoked Brisket 
Dry rubbed and slow cooked for 16 hours, you want this meat in your taco/burrito. It’s smokey, tender and not too fatty. Arguably one of the city’s best briskets.
Burnt End Chili 
Although it’s not on the menu, they’ll fill your burrito with this if you ask all polite. And you should, because the smokey/spicy sauce is absorbed by your rice into complete deliciousness.
Street-Cart Corn Limey with a hint of cilantro it’s a nice balance to all the smoke. Great as a topping or side.
“Churro” Doughnut What happens when you take a Mexican donut, fill it with Mexican caramel and smoke it? The perfect end to your meal.
Tres Carnes
688 Sixth Avenue (21st & 22nd Sts)
New York, NY
Note: Locations at 101 Maiden Lane and 954 Third Avenue will open in early 2014 with the same menu.
