Barrio Chino

In general, I am not a big Mexican food lover probably because I find it very hard to eat just one chip.  For lunch today, I ate at a at Barrio Chino which is located on Broome between Orchard and Ludlow.  My friend who I went with said her friend, from Texas, thinks it is the best Mexican food in NYC. 

What I love about the place is the atmosphere.  Granted it was lunch and the evening is probably a total hipster 20+ crowd but it is quite mellow at lunch.  The windows are open, the noises of the street comes in.  Tables are community style and others are not.  The menu is simple.  The fish tacos, three small little ones with grilled fish not deep fried, were tasty.  Three salsas were a nice addition on the side.  The guacamole is thick and chunky, the chips are home made.  But my favorite part is the grittiness to the place.  The decor is simple, the walls are as is, actually everything is as is.  This is what I love about NY. 

As NYC continues to change and grow, the grit seems to be lost.  Some restaurants are so coiffed, others are perfectly modern, others looks like fern bars from the suburbs but Barrio Chino has kept that edgy down and dirty feeling that I love about NYC.  Gets the juices flowing.

A worthwhile stop.  I will be back for dinner because the cardboard list with margaritas look too good to pass up.