New Taco Express is one of those super cheap Mexican food joints that is neither authentic nor outstanding but offers quick and decent food at great prices. It’s almost identical to the Fresco Tortilla restaurants that are available all over the city. While the food isn’t spectacular, it’s reliable and you always know what to expect; it’s kind of like fast food in that regard.
I usually get the same order at these places – a combination plate with chicken, and tex-mex chili on a flour tortilla. The combination plates are huge and come with chicken, rice, beans (black or pinto, your choice), lettuce, tomato, and two flour tortillas. The flour tortillas are my favorite – they’re homemade and thicker and doughier than supermarket tortillas. They have a nice mild flavor and a pleasant chewy texture. The chicken that comes with the combination plate is an ample portion and more than enough to fill the two tortillas. I always mix the rest with the rice and beans and eat it with a fork.
Chicken combination plate
The tex-mex chili is pretty standard but I think of it as comfort food. It’s usually a bit oily but this version was actually not that bad. And it just gives me an excuse to eat another flour tortilla.
Chili on a flour tortilla
Josh got a combination plate with steak and chicken. Again, it’s a lot of food, and the meats are decently tender and nicely seasoned. At less than $6 a plate, you really can’t go wrong.
Chicken and steak combination plate
If you accept New Taco Express for what it is, the food really isn’t terrible. It’s not gourmet, and not even really Mexican, but the food is cheap, filling, and dependable. When it’s late at night and you’re at a loss for what to have for dinner, it fits the bill. The delivery comes super quick and the food is always hot. The two of us can eat for less than $15, and I’ll still have leftovers for lunch.
New Taco Express
857 9th Ave. between 55th and 56th St.
New York, NY
Tags: Delivery, Mexican, Midtown West