Came in for Happy Hour on Monday, 4:30pm after learning that Ayy Chihuahua had a fire in the building and was closed until it could be cleaned up. Sometimes it takes crazy events to discover something new! Easy to get a spot at the small bar as the first customer of the night. Many tables and fun decor for busier evenings. Latin artist music videos playing on the TV behind the bar. Friendly bartender, Adrian. Ordered from the Happy Hour menu (4-7pm M-F). $8 margarita on the rocks with $1 mango puree- loved how natural and smooth it tasted- a very nice quality margarita blend and tequila. Was asked if I wanted a salt, sugar, or tajin rim - went for the tajin with chamoy on the first round for that spicy sweet flavor profile and then big chunky rock salt on the second round for a more classic flavor. Was with a friend who needs gluten-free options, so we shared the Happy Hour Blue Corn Tortilla Chicken Mini Quesadilla $7, and the HH Nachos $9 with $6 Chicken. The avocado crema and red sauce were nice complements for the Quesadilla. Nachos were flavorful on their own, but even better with a little extra drizzle of sauce. Great weekday happy hour spot in the neighborhood, just off the beaten path to make it less crowded. read more

I stopped by Ya Valio to indulge in their Monday Special: 3 tacos, a margarita (frozen or on the rocks), and a Hookah (Love 66, Passionfruit, and Mint) for $25. Just so happens that it was St Patrick's Day so there was a $9 green margarita special. The tacos were delicious. We ordered the Steak and Chicken tacos (3 comes in each order) Both were delicious but Steak was my favorite. Both frozen and non frozen margaritas were on point. The service was good but could have been a bit (ask for napkins multiple times and didn't get any). There was a dj played mostly Latin tunes and the restaurant is good size with strobe lights and sugar skulls all over. read more

Went for happy hour and stayed for dinner. Everything was delicious. Would definitely come back. read more

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Happy New Year everyone! For my first review in 2025 I will be reviewing this Mexican hidden gem. In a quiet area on Steinway sits this amazing restaurant! My mom and I came here on a Friday night for dinner. Fun place for a night out with friends. We went during the happy hour and I found everything to be reasonably priced. They had a DJ playing great Latin music. Note that on some days they have live music! Check their Instagram @yavalionyc for potential days. Our server was friendly. To start off, my mom and I ordered the Birria Empanadas and Nachos. These nachos were different than the typical nachos I've had, but in a good way. They were topped generously with melted cheese, refried beans, and some sauces. Chips were nice and crispy. The birria empanadas were also generously filled and fried nicely. Meat was tender. Could have used a little more flavor, but still good! We ordered El Classico Burrito and chose shrimp as our protein. This burrito was perfect! Very flavorful and filling. Can easily be shared with someone. Probably one of the best burritos I've had. The burrito also came with a tasty chipotle-like sauce and a green sauce. For dessert, we ordered a Tres Leches. This was also different than the typical Tres Leches I've had as it was topped with caramel, but so delicious! Although it's not made in the restaurant, their Tres Leches supplier knows how to make a cake! I'll definitely be coming back to this place soon to try more on the extensive menu they have. Note that there's a 20% gratuity automatically added on to the bill. read more

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I really wanted to give them a better review, especially after reading all these amazing reviews. Disclaimer* I am very picky with meats and their textures. If you are like me you will understand. They should get a 5 star review technically BUT since I thought the food was awful I had to be very transparent. Came here for a bday dinner for myself with my husband. Called to make reservations just in case . As we did not need them the place wasn't too busy when we got there. When we were seated we weee given a choice of seats or higher seats by the window. I picked the booths by the window. Then we asked if we could switch because it was very cold by the window. Not a problem. Waitress was super nice and helpful. We started with margaritas they were ok I also tried the llorona drink it was good a little sweet just like the waitress said. It's made like a coconut margarita but with i think grenadine I would be wrong. I ended up sticking with coconut margaritas the rest of the night they were so good. We ordered nachos with chicken. Now i LOVE Mexican food I always order nachos. But these were not it . They were individually loaded with beans cheese and the protein which we opted to chicken. It was dark meat and cut very thick and it gave me like a chewy taste that I did not liked . I had to pick through the nachos to just eat the ones with white meat. My husband ordered the chotizo fondue it came with blue tortillas he said it was very good. He also ordered a chorizo and shrimp burrito. He said it was okay and then really disliked it when he bit a piece and the shell of the shrimp was in the burrito. I asked the waitress if the chicken tacos had the same chicken as the nacho because it was kinda thick she offered that they can shred it. Okay we can do that. When they came out they looked so dry topped with a bit of onions and cilantro. No die of guacamole or sour cream. Unless I had to ask for it not sure. They were absolutely flavorless. Like no seasoning. I spit it out it was bad. I'm not going to complain because I didn't like the way it taste. Taste is subjective and I know I'm picky BUT it was the worst tacos I've ever had. And the place is so nice the vibe, the service. Unfortunately the food was not it here. The bathrooms were clean there was even a heater inside. It was very cold in the restaurant. Some ppl still had their coats on as they were eating. I personally cannot eat with my coat on it's very uncomfortable. Also I realized i didn't get a pic of the tacos. read more

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We have been dining at Ya Valio since earlier this year, and Adrian is the absolute BEST server/bartender/manager you could ever ask for! He always provides us with the most accommodating and excellent experience. We typically go for their happy hour drink and food specials, and their Margarita pitcher Monday deal, and I promise that you will not regret! Gracias, Adrian, for always providing us with an exceptional experience. See you soon! Salud! read more

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Ambiance (5/5): The exterior and interior walls are covered in mural art! It is eye catching and a nod to art. The wall décor, ceiling, sides, bar table, everything was thought out and brings a vibrant energy to the establishment. The dining experience on a Friday night was almost too bright inside, but the background latino music was a nice addition to the energy. Hookha was available as we noticed one a few tables away. Apparently on Saturday nights, they hire a DJ; excited to visit again to see how the vibe changes. Service (5/5): Our party dined close to 9pm so there was no the usual dinner rush but almost all the tables in the front dining area were occupied. We were attended to often and our server, Celia, was such a sweet gal who served us with courtesy. Cocktails: The cocktails here are artisan with unique cups or presentations (such as dry ice!) I definitely want to return to try some. Food: The food was really unique and presentation was amazing. It was also very affordable for the portion size! Elote Corn (5/5): The presentation was awesome with a lid that was burned with a butane torch to give the corn a smoky taste! The corn was made with a blend of cheese, mayo, and spices that really provided a wonderful taste. Unfortunately, a bit too salty though. Lamb Shank (4/5): The lamb portion was insane! The meat was definitely tender but the outer most layer was overcooked--charred and dry. Only the inner parts near the bone were tasty. The sauce to drizzle on top provided an additional moisture and flavor to it. The sautéed mushrooms were flavorful. Steak Burrito (4/5): The cuts of the steak were slightly cooked to well-done. The burrito is much preferred over their taco plates due to the portion size. The sauce is where this dish exceled!! The sesame mayo sauce was FIRE, really flavorful and unique. I would recommend getting this as a side on it's own for whatever you order. Al Pastor Tacos (N/A): I tried only a bite of the pork which was flavored beautifully but the dish requires a cut of meat with some more fat to it. The meat fell flat with it being more dry because of the cut. FREE on the house tequila at the end of the meal! read more

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Food writers have praised this spot, and they weren't exaggerating. The team anticipates needs while showing genuine interest. Simple, laid-back restaurant. The menu offers fresh options with good seasoning and proper cooking. Having this quality spot near me is fantastic. read more

This place was a gem, I have been here plenty of times and have always been satisfied. I'm happy their popularity has grown and I hope they learn how to manage a full house. Once it gets busy be ready to wait a long time. The apps came to half the table while the other half had to wait about 30 minutes more, after that we waited about an hour for the rest of our food for it get to us cold. It's clear they can't handle a big crowd, they seem to lose track of time and the food doesn't come out with the best presentation. It's the first time I've seen them so full and see a huge difference in their service quality as well. The servers are still nice but they seem panicked and forgetful. They brought the food and a few in our group didn't have utensils. I'm not sure if it's new management but this place was good and it would suck to lose a good place. Sadly today was disappointing, I had boasted to friends about this spot and we all left hungry and with no desire to go back. I appreciate the compensation but we didn't have a good time and couldn't enjoy our dessert since it had a hair on it. read more

Ya Valio - Huevos rancheros - Mexican Near Me - Astoria, New York