Pampano Taqueria: Midtown’s Best Pork Tacos & Fish Tacos

March 17, 2008

Notoriety through anonymity; a phenomenon strengthened by its own hypocrisy. What is it about a little-known establishment that makes it so much more alluring?

Well in a city where people pride themselves on having “a guy” or “knowing a place” that’s ideal for what you need, it’s no surprise that Midtown’s best pork & fish tacos can be found in the basement of an office building.

Find out why Pampano’s Tacos take the Midtown crown after the break.

Let’s get something straight right off the bat. All of you out there looking for authentic “California” tacos can stop your whining. NYC tacos will never live up to the California legend so give up the dream and embrace what we’ve got. Or just open a California taco spot.

Also, I’ve eaten tacos at Tehuitzingo and Tulcingo del Valle and neither place impressed. Tehuitzingo’s tacos are not good enough to validate the dingy, dirty kitchen. Tulcingo’s strengths are their sauces and entrees (they have a restaurant attached to the deli). Chile Rellenos and a dish of Chipotle Chicken were both flavorful, filling, and affordable.

That being said, let’s breakdown what New Yorkers expect from a great taco:

• Fresh and flavorful ingredients. New Yorkers love something that excites the palate. Bland, unspiced fillings, despite their authenticity, do not entice.
• Great fillings and sauces. I’m a sauce man. There, I’ve said it. Friends have disparaged me for over-saturating all of my food with condiments and sauces, but I say “F the haters”, it’s my meal and I like flavor! Vibrant cilantro, creamy guacamole, fiery hot sauces, unique salsa, and maybe some manchego cheese. We won’t use them all but we want variety. We like choices.
• Solid Housing. Steamed, grilled, or cold, we want good tortillas that won’t fall apart when we’ve juiced up our taco.
• Cheap prices. We’re all ready paying through the ear just to live here, our tacos shouldn’t be more than $3 each. Even that’s on the steep side.

So where does Pampano Taqueria rank in regard to those requirements? A+ across the board.

Fresh and flavorful ingredients ($2.75/taco):

• Mexican style pulled pork – this is my favorite. It’s moist, juicy, and flavorful enough to stand on its own. Personally, I just add a little cilantro and onion as seen below. Then again, some spicy salsa, Pico de Gallo, and a little guacamole, never hurt as you can see in the lead photo up top.

• Sauteed King Fish with Napa cabbage & Chipotle sauce – this is my second favorite taco after the pulled pork. It’s also the only taco besides the pulled pork that has enough flavor to stand alone. The fish is sauteed and chopped and is delicate, flaky, and neutrally flavored. The Chipotle sauce is mixed with a little mayo and combines with the cabbage to create a slightly spicy flavor. The cabbage adds a nice crunch.

• Grilled Chicken – this is probably the most boring option. It’s grilled chicken, it’s standard, there’s nothing special about it. It’s how you dress it that makes this taco.
• Mexican Style Shrimp with black bean puree – This and the vegetarian are the only tacos I haven’t had.
• Carne Asada (grilled hangar steak) – see Grilled Chicken, all the same holds true. The hangar steak isn’t as gamey as you would imagine.

• Grilled Chicken/Hangar Steak with Poblano Rajas (roasted & salted strips of poblano chiles, mixed with grilled onions and melted cheese) – as intriguing as this sounds, the poblano rajas isn’t very spicy and its overlying value is in the melted cheese, which is fantastic because, well, it’s melted cheese.
• Vegetarian – Chile Poblano Rojas, onion, zucchini, and mushrooms

Great fillings, sauces, chips, and Aqua Fresca:

You may assume that with all the vibrant colors below, there’s no way everything can be as good as it looks. You’re wrong. Dispensed from decorative molcajetes, you can choose from three levels of hot sauce, three kinds of chopped vegetables, and some Pico de Gallo. Rice and black beans ($3.00) and guacamole ($1.50 small/$4.50 regular) can also be requested.

Pico De Gallo, chopped tomato, onion, and cilantro.

Hot sauces: mild, medium, and hot, none of which is actually very spicy. They’re all pureed and taste fairly similar despite the obvious use of green and red chile peppers.

Guacamole is thick and creamy and full of onion, cilantro, and tomato. It’s everything you’d expect from good guac.

Corn chips are of the best variety: homemade. Corn tortillas are chopped into quarters and deep fried, making these chips a little greasy and a lot delicious. $1.00 for an extra order.

Aqua Fresca which literally translates to “fresh water” is just that with natural fruit flavor added. It’s created by blending real fruit with water then pouring the concoction through a sieve into a container. You’re looking at the watermelon variety, which is freaking delicious. I’ve also seen pineapple and lime but have only tried the watermelon. The best version I’ve had of this Mexican staple was at the Red Hook Ball Fields.

Prices, Quesdillas, Burritos, Tortas, and Combo Meals

Prices are affordable. You can have a great lunch for under $10 especially if you do a combo meal. Here’s what you’re working with.

Tacos $2.75 – can be served on corn or flour tortillas, some are all ready specified so speak up if you want one over the other

Combo $2.50 – can be added to any individual item and includes white rice, black beans, chips, salsa, and any drink. You can get an individual order of rice & beans for $3.00, chips for $1, an Aqua Fresca for $2.25, and a soda for $1.00.

Tortas $7.50 – I’ve never had one, but this is the traditional Mexican sandwich and you can choose all of the taco fillings as a torta filling. Here’s a brief review from Midtown Lunch.

Burritos $8.00 – Never had a burrito from here either. All the same fillings are an option.

Quesadillas – Cheese $5.00, with filling $7.00 – these guys are monsters. Take a look at the pulled pork one below. It’s a beast and it’s packed tight with whatever filling you choose.

YOU NEED TO KNOW…

• It’s very important to note one major pitfall of Pampano, its hours. They’re only open from 11am until 3pm Monday to Friday. Not exactly prime for those of us who don’t work in Midtown.
• Delivery is available but minimum is $25 and it’s only between Madison Ave and York Ave and between 42nd Street and 57th.
• It’s also a bit tricky to find. It’s located in the Crystal Pavilion Food Court (map) at the bottom of an office building with the same name. It’s a bit tricky to find but if you follow these directions, you’ll be ok.

1. Find the mirrored Crystal Pavilion entrance on 3rd Ave b/t 49th & 50th.
2. Upon entering, make your immediate left down the first escalator that you can go down. You’re now on the level of the food court.
3. Make a right and a right and walk straight towards Pump Cafe, make a left before the Pump and Pampano will be straight ahead.

Pampano Taqueria

Crystal Pavilion Food Court
805 3rd Ave b/t 49th & 50th St.
New York, NY 10022
(212) 751-5257
Hours: Mon. – Fri. 11am – 3pm
Delivery: $25 Minimum, 42nd St. – 57th St./ Madison Ave – York Ave.

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