since my taco obsession really took hold back earlier this year, the taco joint that i've frequented the most has got to be tacos matamoros II, a tiny establishment on 5th ave in the south end of sunset park. they have another larger location (the original) thirteen blocks up fifth ave but this one seats about twenty-five & in my case, is perfect for jumping off the train at the 59th st N, walking up the hill, ducking in for less than ten minutes to get tacos & heading back down the hill to continue home.
when i stop in there, i have a pretty standard routine. i head to the counter, grab a menu & let my brain choose four tacos. that's right...FOUR TACOS. they offer most tacos at $1.50 for a small size & $2.50 for the large size, but i prefer getting a selection of four smaller tacos for a grand total of $6. when i stopped by there this past week, i skipped my usual chorizo but still got a fine sampling of taco meats, all loaded up with a copious amount of cilantro & white onion...
MMM...cilantro. i guess this is what you call "authentic." their tacos are bare bones, with only the aforementioned meat, white onion & cilantro and red & green salsas to spice them up. if you're one of those heathens who doesn't care for cilantro, you'd have to be content with just meat & onion. i'm not sure how well that'd work out for you though. while we're on the subject, let me suggest that you stop being a heathen. thx.
pollo ($1.50) - of all their tacos, this is one of my least favorite. the meat's a basic grilled chicken with a slight bit of flavor to it but not all that much compared to the other tacos. it's not awful or anything though, so sometimes i'll get one to mix things up a bit.
pastor ($1.50) - these ones are made with a roasted pork that's flavorful without being too spicy & sometimes has a little bit of crisp to it. though there's no pineapple accompanying the pork (as found in many pastor tacos), it's ok. they're quite good...but not the best of their pork-based tacos (see below).
lengua ($1.75) - eating tongue ain't easy. essentially, you're violating cow free speech every time you eat a lengua taco. "BUT WE ARE GOD'S CREATURES JUST LIKE YOU! NO! NOT MY TONG...MOOOOO...NOM NOM NOM...ETC." it took me a few visits to gather up the courage to say "fuck it. i'm having me some tongue tonight" but once i did, i saw the appeal. it's a fattier meat that, when done right, walks the line between buttery & chewy.
enchilada ($1.50) - this is my favorite of their tacos, a reddish-orange tinged pork that's both spicy & flavorful and, though not always, is often close in consistency to a good pulled pork. i enjoy them so much that i occassionally end up getting two of them out of my chosen four.
it's the summer time damnit & the summer time is a time for adventure. if you're in nyc, there's a darn good chance that you've never stepped foot in sunset park. if so, you need to venture out there & try some tacos at tacos matamoros II. tell them "the usually-well-dressed short blond white kid" sent you.
taco meter (out of five possible tacos):
tacos matamoros II, 5717 5th ave, brooklyn