NYC Tacos: Don’t Try To Be Healthy at Pinche Taqueria, Order Nachos Instead

January 27, 2009

Sometimes it doesn’t pay to try and eat healthy. After a greasy late night meal my heart was begging for something unfried at lunch the next day. I hadn’t eaten at Pinche Taqueria’s second NYC outpost on Lafayette and Bleecker, so I decided to stop in for a Taco Salad, and of course, an al pastor taco. Good thing my friend ordered nachos because it was the chips and melted cheese that saved the meal. Don’t forget, this location of Pinche Taqueria is open until 4AM Wednesday through Saturday.

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Taco Salad with Shrimp ($7.50)

Mixed green salad topped with guacamole, sour cream, beans, cheese and choice of meat

What started as a genuine attempt at eating something moderately healthy turned into a bland mess. The guacamole, sour cream, refried beans and slightly sharp cheese combine to create a mass of blandness which dominated the overcooked, over seasoned shrimp and the sparingly applied cilantro dressing. The shredded iceberg lettuce and chopped tomato waiting in the greasy taco shell below was far from mixed greens and didn’t provide the reward one deserves for mining through the mess which crowns this salad.

Al Pastor Taco ($2.95)

In my first review of Pinche’s SoHo location, the al pastor taco took the crown among the three I tried. It wasn’t as juicy, spicy or fresh this time around but it still hit the spot. Fatty, chili pepper-spiced spit fire pork is shaved onto a single fresh tortilla and sprinkled with onion, cilantro and two types of mild salsa. If the heat you desire is lacking, ask for some hot sauce.

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Nachos ($6.25)

The only thing missing from this delicious mess of hand made chips, melted cheese, guacamole, sour cream, beans, and slices of pickled jalapeno was the presence of salsa or chopped tomato to balance out the creaminess with something acidic. This is a great order of nachos, with cheese that actually infiltrates the top layer of chips and touches bottom. But like all nachos, you need to work on them quickly otherwise you’re left with piles of congealed cheese resting on soggy chips, which in the end is really not that bad.

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