Pampano Taqueria
209 E. 49th St., Midtown East, NY
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I get serious taco cravings at work that, up until recently, I didn’t know what to do with. Pampano Taqueria has taken care of that problem. Pampano is a tiny takeout window located in a Midtown East office building atrium complete with wishing well, glass elevator and someone playing a grand piano. An unlikely place for some mid-day taco action, but it does the job. Especially considering the other options are to either deal with the herds at Chipotle or try to convince yourself that Cafe Metro’s tacos are worth the multiple trips to the bathroom they result in. Yes, these are damn good tacos – by far the best we had eaten in midtown until we visited Tehuitzingo Deli Grocery. But the best tacos in town? Let’s not go quite that far, internet.
A few tips to ensure a successful taco run: the corn tortillas are better than the standard flour. Request that upgrade. Also, a key component to a good taco at Pampano is properly accessorizing. There’s a sweet help yourself bar of salsas and fixins to take care of that. Make sure to take full advantage.
Food Rundown:
Pollo Taco
One of our favorites here, the shredded chicken is moist and incredibly tasty. Plus, the tortilla is overflowing with meat, just the way we like it.
Carne Asada Taco
Sadly, the steak tacos are a bit disappointing. The meat is a little on the dry side and this taco just isn’t that exciting.
Pescado Taco
What the fish tacos lack in actual fish, they make up for with an incredibly chronic spicy sauce. It’s hard to overlook the fact that serving size is a bit on the skimpy side, but if you order the special that comes with three tacos, rice, beans and a soft drink (they have excellent fountain soda here), that’s plenty of food. And again, the sauce is stupid good.
Chilorio Taco
Mexican style pulled pork tacos are always a crowd pleaser, and these certainly don’t disappoint. Order these tasty treats with confidence.
Burritos
Not a bad burrito, but definitely nothing to go crazy over. It lacks balance with a little too much tortilla and not enough substance inside. Even though the ingredients are the same, the tacos come together better here.
Cheese Quesadillas
A three cheese mix of oaxaca, cotija and gouda makes for a damn tasty quesadilla, but come on, no sour cream? Weak.
