Located in the bustling East Village, stepping into Yellow Rose transports you into the West (with…read morea little throwback vibe as well). Like usual in NYC, the storefront is relatively skinny and packed to the brim with diners, so I would recommend always getting a reservation. With a party of 8, we explored various dishes on the menu with everyone leaving in a positive tone. Each dish was filling, tastey and unique. Even the "standard" red salsa was nothing but, packed with flavor and spice. Any breakfast sandwich is worthy of a second trip but the star of the meal were the kolaches.... Please order a kolache. So sweet, so unique, yet perfectly balanced with dough.

We went to Yellow Rose because of the lore, the mystique, and the promise of Tex-Mex. My partner…read moreand I are Mexican Americans from Texas, and not just any part of Texas... the border, less than a mile from the Mother Land of the Mexica. In the early mornings, after drunken benders that lasted until the wee hours of the morning, we felt the pangs for breakfast tacos, authentic burritos, and greasy plates loaded with huevos à la Mexicana, frijoles, and rice. Mexican diners along the border were headquarters and we were the fucking Mexican Power Rangers. For us, the term "Tex-Mex" was worse than a misnomer. It was a Yankee term used pejoratively to describe The Great Beyond, the Abyss that stares back, except we are the Abyss, seething, yearning for nuance and complexity in Gringolandia. We left Yellow Rose with that same yearning, asking ourselves "What the hell was that?" Chips were stale, a forgivable offense if the salsas are good, which they weren't. They were sweet and flavorless. The mole was gross and my version of good mole comes from a glass container, sold in bulk at Mexican grocery stores, admittedly offensive to the great moles or Oaxaca. What does that tell you? Imagine if Michael Jackson had an impersonator. Now imagine the impersonators impersonator. What do you even call that? It's not a cheap imitation. It's your drunken uncle "moonwalking" to Three Doors Down. He's at his local dive bar, it's closing time and he's crying while half drinking a beer. I love you unc, but it's time to go home. Now, I know what you're thinking. Who does this Mexican think he is, what gives him the right, and wHy iS hE sO mEaN? Let me just say that these questions are stupid and I won't entertain them. Do I have a well thought out response? Yes. Am I lazy? Watch it there, buddy. Texas (once called Tejas before gringos took it over) is a liminal space, a Mexican state colonized not by the US, but by Taco Tuesdays, your racist aunt who DoorDashes green enchiladas on Saturdays and scoffs at Mexican gardeners on Sundays, and the bipedal ancestors of Governor Greg Abbott. The food, however, is beautiful, from the swampy wetlands of Houston to the blistering desert heat of El Paso--Mexican food has a unique expression anywhere you land. Yellow Rose is your drunken uncle. It's closing time. He doesn't have to go home but he has to get the fuck out of here.

Met a few friends for Sunday brunch here! They do have a bottomless brunch option if you're into…read morethat. We didn't get it, but their mimosas were so good. All of us loveedddd our meals. I got the stacked brisket enchilada and it was soooo good. The brisket was cooked perfectly and the rice and beans on the side were yum too. I'd deff come back again for some Tex Mex goodness!

We have eaten here before but at the Union Square location. This is right around the corner from…read moreour daughter and we were very please with the food and service. Wyatt was our server and he was very accommodating to our requests. We got there right before happy hour was over and he even told us we had a couple of more minutes before the end of HH and if we wanted anything else. Who does that? This place is a cool restaurant in a good location. Right next to the 72nd street Q station, so real easy to get to. The menu had a great selection and I am glad we found a place that serves you chips and salsa with your meal at no extra charge. This is not the status quote with other restaurants in the area. My wife had the Javelina salad and added chicken. We asked if the chicken was all white meat chicken and Wyatt said it was a mix, but could get some fajita chicken if she would like. It was a dollar more than the regular chicken up charge. Perfect, we were good with that. I ordered the Enchiladas De Tejas. I don't know if I have had a better dish. I was so good. I am a huge enchilada person and very picky on what I get and I definitely will be getting this again. The red chili gravy on the enchiladas was amazing. Of course we had to have a couple of HH drinks and they were great. The margaritas were good. The beer was the only beer they offer which was up my alley. We will go back and keep trying new things. Stay tuned.

Service was great, very attentive staff!! The food was so good, authentic Mexican food. The drinks…read moreare so strong, especially the gummy bears infused with vodka, omg!

food was amazing and our server Jenny dI'd such an excellent job! Loved the atmosphere and decor…read moretoo. Great experience overall!

I encountered La Contenta when scoping out Resy and OpenTable for brunch reservations in the Lower…read moreEast Side. The reviews were strong everywhere, so a reservation was made. Interestingly, it looks like you can reserve on either Resy or OpenTable? Also, there was a pescaterian in our party, and La Contenta's menu seemed to offer several meatless dishes which was also a point in their favor.  I walked in and found La Contenta to be cozy-sized with a bathroom to match. We were the only diners for a little while but then the space filled up. Our server was pleasant and checked on us regularly. She also offered options for things which I appreciated. We ordered the guacamole ($17) to start. As my main, I picked the chilaquiles verdes o rojos con huevo ($19) with chicken for a few extra bucks. The dishes were actually bigger than I expected, always a nice surprise in Manhattan. The chilaquiles were fantastic. Several of the entrees sounded delicious but I was content with the chilaquiles. There were a lot of customizations available for 'em: you could get tomatillo sauce instead of the chipotle-tomato red, you could add steak, your egg was cooked any way you wanted. Regarding beverages, some folks ordered cocktails and mocktails. They were beautiful to look at!

I always go back for the same thing I need that steak !!…read moreUsually spots that I go to the offer steak at such an affordable price have steak that's tough and not tender! La Contenta changes the narrative!! The space is small inside, but that's good cause everybody makes you feel like you're in your own living room 5 's

Quesadilla is FILLING, plenty of quac and the chips are crunchy but not mouth-cutting. Also the…read moreapple soda was a happy alternative to an alcohol drinks. Good spot would go again.

Hidden gem! Visiting from CA/TX, and we were very happy to find delicious AUTHENTIC Mexican food…read more The brick wall, Mexican decor, and music made for a nice dining experience. The server was very personable. The three taco plate was amazing. I loved the fact that I could pick 3 different tacos. I had pork, carne asada, and mahi mahi. They were all very good. Flan for dessert did not disappont. Highly recommend!

Just like Tijuana Mexico tacos authentic delicious along with they're salsas, aguas frescas and…read moresides

If you're visiting New York, this place is a must-try! They have multiple locations throughout the…read morecity, and while there's usually a line and it's often busy, it's absolutely worth the wait. I tried the chicken, pork, and beef tacos, and every single one was packed with flavor. The meat was incredibly tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. Each taco had its own unique flavor, and it was hard to pick a favorite. I loved it so much that I ended up going back a second time during my trip. When a city has endless food options and you return to the same spot twice, you know it's good. Highly recommend!

What a marvelous little place! We arrived at Happy hour…read more I ordered the Quesadilla de pollo. It was stuffed with shredded chicken and topped with loads of cheese. My daughter ordered the Guacamole and a burrita. She raved about it. Then we shared the Beef short ribs with Thai basil... totally amazing... fork tender. Quite a busy and pretty noisy place.

Three years after my stellar reviews...It's not really the same place…read more The lobster taco that I used to dream about and went several times to satisfy my cravings is now very meh. Nothing special about it at all, it's like they forgot how to make the flavors pop. One thing I didn't like in my other visits was that the spicy version of the guac was not spicy and very bland. The other options weren't appealing to me to I tried it again. Not spicy and very bland. At least they're consistent here. Salsa was different and also bland, which is hard to do with salsa. On the plus side, I love a perfectly fried chip, and they nail the chips here. Spicy Kale was decent. Service was...passable.

After shopping at a nearby, Sample Sale We popped into this location for a quick lunch. The…read morerestaurant was not busy despite its close location to Madison Square Park. We started with two seasonal margaritas and an array of tacos. The food was fresh and tasty. The prices seemed elevated for tacos ($7 for the pork birria taco, $8.75 for the brisket taco, $7.75 for the fish taco), but these days it's hard to gauge. I really enjoyed the smoky chicken taco and ordered another one. For the pair they were $11. Which I thought was quite reasonable compared to the other prices. The dining area was quite large, and the bar was fully stocked. We sat in a booth which was a nice touch. Ines was an excellent waitress and answered any questions that we had.

We had a good time here! They aren't doing anything super new or trendy but it's good Tex Mex and a…read morefun atmosphere. Here are the hits and misses: Nachos: a small is perfect for two. Gooey cheese, spicy jalapeños, smooth guac. It's all there. Loved every bite. A total hit Mauntak marg: if you are not a tequila person this is great for you. Like a pina colada in marg form. Excellent, a hit for me! Spicy marg: right up your alley if you actually do want to taste your tequila. Tajin rim is a nice touch. Hubby likes tequila and enjoyed this one. Grilled black bean burrito: very appealing presentation. Loved the tang of the lime crema. Even the beans and rice on the side had flavor which always shows me an attention to detail that I appreciate. Not "spicy" but flavorful. Put that habanero sauce on there if you want a kick (it's not that hot but it's better than nothing) and you have yourself a hit. Tacos (chicken, Cajun shrimp, and grilled fish): "on point" for the shrimp and grilled fish and "rather dry" for the chicken so that was really the only miss of the evening. Lively crowd in the evening, good food, good drinks. Nothing "amazing" but nothing terrible either.