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    El Aguila

    4.1 (252 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican, Salad
    Closed 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Order El Aguila Takeout or Delivery

    El Aguila Photos

    Business Info

    EL AGUILA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - El Aguila

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    Chicken Nacho Roasted Pork Taco Non Spicy Marinated Pork Taco Fresh Grilled Chicken Taco
    Lauren Y.

    Small taco shop right off of the 6 Subway line. Tacos tasted pretty authentic and I liked how sweet the Horchata was. Similar prices to other NYC taco places, maybe a little cheaper, but I felt this place gave more meat. You order food at the grill first before paying at the cash register. Overall decent place and would go back if I'm in the area.

    Chicken tacos with verde salsa
    saba k.

    Decent spot right outside the 103 station. Good prices. Tamales were good but nothing special. Chicken tacos were good as well but they forgot the salsa and pico that comes with it (had to add). Pinto beans are fire tho. They have great portions for the price, however nothing is really special/missing something.

    chicken taco  steak taco al pastor taco
    Junior C.

    El Aguila NYC east harlem Chicken taco 2.7/5 Hella dry and boring I have no idea why they even serve this other than they have the chicken and tortilla its the poor losers fault for ordering this anyways I m sure they use that chicken for something better than the tacos Steak taco - was recommended Solid - was told it was a little fatty and that was true. It's p good though slightly above avg. not much to say about this 3/5 Al pastor taco 3.8/5 This taco was pretty good. I would definitely recommend coming here for this taco with the pineapples . Tortillas 3.3/5 I am not the tortilla whisperer this was def a vibe check for a score idk all i know is I've had a lot better and I've had significantly better so this is probably just a lil below significantly better Toppings - 3/5 Nothing crazy just standard Service - 3.8/5 I know what I said up top but this should let you know how much I care about service Price - 4.5/5 This price scoring is so arbitrary or wtv didn't even want to make this but everyone includes pricing in their scoring so Ill do it too. (This mindset is why the US still uses the imperial system btw)

    Goat taco  Pastor taco  Carnitas
    Linh V.

    Was a bit weary walking into this joint. Some lights are unlit on the awning. The surrounding area look unappealing. But do not judge this book by its cover. El Aguila has some good af tacos. Not the cheapest at $3-$4 ranges but they make it up in being a sizable taco with legit salsas. Had: Carnitas - not bland as usual. Use the red sauce. Fish taco - my favorite out of all. A lot of fish filling. Chivo Goat - unique filling texture is undefeated. Tamale - $2! Good filling to tamale ratio. I ate it with green salsa. Staff is friendly. Locations clean and there's small seating for quick bites eating or quiet low key hangout/date. Very happy to have stopped by here!

    Steak Asada taco (grilled steak)
    Cassie D.

    Soo good. So mad at myself for not trying it sooner, went in for the second time for steak tacos, good both times. The service was okay

    Joan S.

    I got delivery from El Aguila, which was super fast. The taste was good but the meat was, unfortunately, all dry, which really took away from the enjoyability of the food. I ordered the following off of UberEats: -Non-spicy marinated pork taco (Pastor) ($3) -Roasted pork taco ($3) -Grilled Beef Chopped Steak Taco ($4) -Fresh Grilled Chicken Taco ($3) The portions were great and I was stuffed by the third taco.

    Steak taco - dry and overcooked
    Lisa F.

    Menu changes and quality of their tacos have declined substantially over the last six months. I love finding hidden treasures, gems, undiscovered neighborhoods and even divey hole in the wall places with incredible food. A couple years ago I thought of this place as that, an amazing, authentic Mexican spot for great tacos, and had a five star review drafted. The first time there, a customer in line said he came from another borough occasionally just to get their unmatchable tacos including beef tongue and another interesting type of taco I never had. I was feeling brave so tried his recommendations which were so tender, juicy and delicious. When I visited once during COVID, the menu selection was the same but prices went up, which was fine. However, the recent visit, the menu had changed, and the delicious, interesting tacos were no longer on the menu (citing the beef tongue was too expensive). I ordered three tacos including the steak, fish, and pork: the pork taco was good, the fish taco was decent, and the steak taco was overcooked and dry. The chips were both stale and so greasy the grease seeped through the the bag they were in; and the guacamole was saucy and not good. One thing they still have that I like is the light green moderately spicy sauce for the tacos that is incredible. I would recommend keeping the interesting taco and burrito options and charging more for them. And keeping things fresh like they did in the past. Disappointing downturn for what was a fantastic, authentic divey spot for tacos.

    Counter where you order
    Christine A.

    What's someone from the Lower East Side doing up here? Going to the Museum of the History of New York. And stopping by El Aguila for a taco lunch. I had the al pastor and fish tacos, and some ice cold horchata. Yum! Al pastor was moist with obvious pineapple pieces. Fish was fried tilapia I think. They had a nice selection of sauces. For NYC Mexican, this place is better than most. It's super casual. Kind of like a Mexican diner with a menu that includes breakfast options. It's a step above a dive--a small step. People were coming and going. The service was nice and fast. The place is clean. The decor makes you feel you're in Mexico. It's not fancy, but good tacos.

    As pastor taco ($3) (and torta in the background)
    Annuschka B.

    I've had this place saved for ages but never visited because most of the people in my small COVID-safe circle have lived in Cali and don't trust NYC Mexican food. Finally got to try and I am so impressed. While the Al Pastor meat is a bit non-traditional, it's still flavorful and tender. The pineapple could be a little more ripe but at least it's fresh and not canned pineapple. They double up on the corn tortillas for the tacos and don't skimp on toppings. Tacos are $3 and the torta $6.99. The plain cheese quesadilla is only $2! And comes with avocado/salad/tomato on the side. The vegetarian tamales (jalapeños & cheese) are by far my favorite and only $1.50! Such an amazing deal. Note that their hot sauces are HOT. First time we got the red sauce and almost didn't enjoy the meal. The second time we got the green (medium) sauce and still had to be careful. In the end I had one of my Cali transplants confirm this is the best Mexican food in NYC!

    Carnitas burrito

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    3 months ago

    Food was not worth the cost, feels like it was fiated. There was a cost for the condiments and the experience felt rush.

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    8 months ago

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    2 years ago

    Great burritos at reasonable prices! The spicy sauce is amazing and all the ingredients are very fresh! A regular!

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Outstanding tacos, burritos and everything else we ordered. The price was right as well!

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    2 years ago

    Probably the best burritos I've had in my lifetime. Very authentic as far as I can tell and great ambiance.

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    3 years ago

    This places is amazing. Staple for a quick cheap delicious meal. Service is fast and they are very friendly.

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    Ask the Community - El Aguila

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    Tán by Chef Richard Sandoval

    Tán by Chef Richard Sandoval

    3.9
    (247 reviews)
    2.7 mi

    I had this place bookmarked for a while. Finally came for my birthday dinner. It was a rainy…read moreevening and I was hoping there'd be umbrella sleeves offered. I didn't see any but saw buckets for umbrellas. I opted not to leave it there since I didn't wanna forget or risk someone taking it. I took it upstairs with me. My friend had arrived and was seated. Apparently, they do offer sleeves because she got one. But the 3 people who were at the hostess booth failed to offer me one. The beautiful ambiance will get your attention immediately. It is a stunning space. The tableware was gorgeous as well. We waited for our last friend to arrive who was almost half an hour late before ordering (we thought she'd arrive sooner). Our server, Matias was gracious about it the whole time. What we ordered: Drinks: Passionfruit Margaritas & Mojito - we were happy with them. Tlayudas, Guacamole y Salsas - this was really good and a great option for the table to share. The homemade chips alone were excellent. Liked all the different dips. Guac could've used some cilantro and more acid/spice. Tán Ceviche - I loved this. Super fresh and great flavor. Could use a touch of acid. My entree was the Shrimp & Crab Enchiladas - This was pretty good. The sauce could've used some spice and some acid to cut through the richness. My friend ordered the Yellow Corn Soup as part of her meal and she did not like it. She said it was too sweet which I thought was strange. I tried a spoonful and I agreed with her. It needed a savory note and again, acid would've done wonders. Also, the crab was a bit fishy in this. She enjoyed her tamal though. I tried a touch of the sauce and it was delish. My other friend had the Quesabirria which she was also happy with. To sum up: Ambiance: 5/5 The space is undoubtedly gorgeous. Food: 4/5 Beautiful presentation on everything but each dish lacks an element or two to make it a home run. Staff: Wait staff 5/5. Downstairs staff (greeters/hostess) 4/5. Needs to be more on point like offering customers sleeves for umbrellas or pointing out the buckets to put them in. At some point through our entrees a group of 3 women were doing a 10-minute photo shoot by the stairway where our table was. Absolutely inappropriate behavior and a manager should've stopped it. Camera flashes all up in our faces while we're eating wasn't cool. Overall, still a great elevated Mexican cuisine option. The slight tweaks would make this a 5 star place for me. I'd return to try more things.

    What a GORGEOUS space. Whoever interior decorated this restaurant deserves their tens because it is…read morea spectacle. I had only seen daytime pics, but being there in the evening is a treat. If you are someone who is looking at an aesthetic place, this is a top contender. Unfortunately, I would say this place is better looking than the food is good. The food was fine, appetizers were all fresh but lacked any real depth in flavor. I wasn't too thrilled with the bone marrow I had either (but the tortillas come in the cutest basket). Personally, if it wasn't for the drinks and the space, I cant say this place is worth it - you're not coming here for the food. Another little complaint I have is the women's restroom on the second floor - right by the door is a floor to ceiling mirror which I understand was included to make the space seem bigger, but my friends and I agreed that it is a little misleading - I kept wanting to walk into it thinking there was more space there and not wall. I would recommend maybe putting a decal on it to clearly show its mirror.

    Photos
    First floor Lum
    First floor Lum
    Tuna Tartare* **
    Tuna Tartare* **
    Mexican Zombie Margarita Jungle

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    Mexican Zombie Margarita Jungle

    El Aguila - mexican - Updated June 2026

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