Why Come Here? Some of Manhattans best tacos, cheap eats
Right Amount for 2? Six Tacos
Los Tacos No. 1 is a small taco counter hidden not just inside Chelsea Market, but in a side room behind a spice shop and across from a Korean food stand. Somehow I feel like this tiny, easy to miss, no-frills setup is required for an authentic taco. I’m not quite sure what this assertion is based on, but you don’t see a bunch of taco palaces around Mexico, do you? Whatever the reason, these are some of the best tacos in town.
Since Los Tacos is just a counter, if you want a seat you’ll have to battle it out with other market patrons for one of the few in the hall. Or you can just stand there and scarf them down on the spot (recommended). When it comes to the food, options are limited to tacos, quesadillas or tostadas with one of four fillings. Given the name of the place and my endless quest to find New York’s best taco, you can guess what I went for.
All tacos are served traditional-style with only onion, cilantro and salsa on your choice of corn or flour tortillas. I slightly preferred the flour as I found the corn a little chewy, but I’d say both are worth a go. You then get to add a “sauce” which looks more like a paste sitting in a mortar on the counter. There’s a pico de gallo, a medium and a hot. Maybe my heat tolerance has dropped after several weeks in Europe, but I found the medium plenty spicy. Los Tacos lets you order your tacos individually, so naturally I tried one with each of the four filling options. Thoughts are below:
Asada Taco 
Unlike many cheap taco purveyors, these guys aren’t throwing the scraps onto their tortillas. The juicy, grilled steak has a great meaty flavor and needs to be ordered.
Adobada Taco 
This is the only one that didn’t come with green salsa since it’s marinated in a red chili sauce. It’s a little spicy and a little vinegary. I’ve never seen this type of pork in a taco, but I’m all for seeing more of it.
Pollo Taco 
The grilled chicken is solid and better than most in the city. But really, what chance does chicken have against pork and steak?
Nopal 
This is a perfectly good taco, but personally I’m not a fan of cactus as a filling. It’s too acidic and the texture just feels wrong. If you like cactus though, go ahead and get an order.
Los Tacos No. 1
Chelsea Market
75 Ninth Avenue (15th & 16th Sts.)
New York, NY
