OT: Best Mexican/Spanish Restaurants in CT

[shizzle787]

Spanish: Barcelona's in West Hartford
Mexican: Bar Taco in West Hartford and Puerto Vallarta in Avon

 

[Deepster]

Coyote Flaco in Hartford or El Sarape near Park/Broad St if you want authentic items like beef tongue tacos.

 

[8893]

Arby's.

 

[imno1]

I really like Ola in Orange
And
...and the always delicious Taco Bell.

 

[UC313]

Coyote Flaco in Hartford or El Sarape near Park/Broad St if you want authentic items like beef tongue tacos.

I second the coyote flaco call.

 

[ScottBonz]

Coyote Flaco in Hartford or El Sarape near Park/Broad St if you want authentic items like beef tongue tacos.

Mexican: El Sarape is really really good. Small Tacqueria in West Hartford called Los Adobes is also very good.

Spanish: Costa Del Sol

 

[superjohn]

Best Mexican food in Connecticut, bwahaha. This should be a really short list.

 

[JMick]

Best Mexican food in Connecticut, bwahaha. This should be a really short list.

meh there are tons of Mexicans and authentic Mexican restaurants near me.

 

[huskymedic]

OT: Good Mexican Food in CT

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Spanish: Barcelona's in West Hartford
Mexican: Bar Taco in West Hartford and Puerto Vallarta in Avon

Me gusta mucho Barcelona's y Bar Taco. Puerto Vallarta es mas o menos pero las camareras son muy simpaticos.

 

[boog204]

As a kid, I loved the Cuckoo's Nest in Old Saybrook. Last time I went, though, it was awful... So either my palate has changed, it has changed, or it is another example my youth being dead.

 

[August_West]

As a kid, I loved the Cuckoo's Nest in Old Saybrook. Last time I went, though, it was awful... So either my palate has changed, it has changed, or it is another example my youth being dead.

It's totally changed. It was never really authentic but in the 80s and early 90s it was really good food and 1/2 menu was Cajun.

Now it may be the worst restaurant in the state not exaggerating. They use American cheese in Mexican dishes.

 

[boog204]

It's totally changed. It was never really authentic but in the 80s and early 90s it was really good food and 1/2 menu was Cajun.

Now it may be the worst restaurant in the state not exaggerating. They use American cheese in Mexican dishes.

But.... I used to love those authentic "Mexi-skins..."

 

[Balker]

It's totally changed. It was never really authentic but in the 80s and early 90s it was really good food and 1/2 menu was Cajun.

Now it may be the worst restaurant in the state not exaggerating. They use American cheese in Mexican dishes.

yes! Cuckoo's Nest tanked like 12 years ago. Not sure why.

Mezcal in New Haven is my current favorite. And the taco trucks along Long Wharf have some good stuff. Senor Salsa is pretty good fast food in Fairfield and Westport. The shoreline is pretty dead from New Haven to the Atlantic Ocean.

 

[chiller99.5]

Like Anthony Bourdains sez...Every big name resteraunt in the USA is staffed by Mexica chefs except for Mexican food.

 

[Walker11]

We had a Coyote Flaco in BPT by my house, which was ok but overrated and went out of business, only to be replaced by Ola, which is amazing IMO, but does terribly as well and will likely close. Bar Taco and Barcelona are good but nothing special. Not Mexican at all, at least Barcelona. Bodega in Fairfield is in the same vein, but good. I liked Rio Bravo in FFLD and WPT on the few occasions I ate there.

 

[UconnAlum04]

I'll take Puerto Rican food over Spanish/Mexican any day.

With that said, El Coquito in Bridgeport has amazing food and tropical ice cream.
It's more of a take-out than eat-in place though if that is what you're looking for.

 

[junglehusky]

yes! Cuckoo's Nest tanked like 12 years ago. Not sure why.

Mezcal in New Haven is my current favorite. And the taco trucks along Long Wharf have some good stuff. Senor Salsa is pretty good fast food in Fairfield and Westport. The shoreline is pretty dead from New Haven to the Atlantic Ocean.

Seconding Mezcal. My coworkers wife is Mexican and she gave her approval. The owner sometimes goes table to table and drinks mezcal with the patrons.

 

[August_West]

Arby's.

If Arby's got in the taco business there is no doubt that it would be better than 90 percent of CT tacos.

Just like their smokehouse offerings are better than CT BBQ.

Arby's 4 lyphe

 

[Stinger92860]

Spanish: Barcelona's in West Hartford
Mexican: Bar Taco in West Hartford and Puerto Vallarta in Avon

Both are owned by the same company.

 

[storrsroars]

Haven't given one thought to eating Mexican in New England since the Forest Cafe in Cambridge closed a few years ago. Disappointed to learn Maya in NYC had to add tacos to their menu because people believe that's the be-all-and-end-all of Mexican food. Maya used to be an excellent sit-down restaurant, similar to the experience of having a business dinner or lunch in Mexico City. Now it seems dumbed down.

This happens to be a cuisine I know very well (lived and worked there) and I can probably make most dishes as well as your abueleta.

Beef tongue (lengua) tacos are certainly a start toward "authenticity" (an impossible goal, given local ingredients), but do let me know when grasshopper tacos (chapulines) hit the menu. Or even simpler dishes like a decent red snapper veracruzana or grilled octopus in chipotle. Or hell, pretty much any seafood or fish not served in a tortilla.

Pro Tip: if the menu contains a list of combo plates with numbers and everything comes with sides of rice and frijoles, it ain't authentic and it likely isn't any good.

I did like Barcelona in Norwalk for tapas. Haven't been there in a decade though. Some tapas bar out there really needs to add fish cheeks in garlic though.

I'm a worse Mexican food snob than even a pizza snob.

EDIT: I looked at the menu for Mezcal. It's close to what I'm thinking of... I'd give it a try if I'm out there.

 

[UConnKev]

Went to college in New Mexico so needless to say, there isn't anything remotely close to replicating what I ate out there.

Sayulita is probably the best I've had in Connecticut. Don't care for Bar Taco or Besito.

Sayulita is modernized Mexican but they do a great job of bringing flavor to life and they have some innovative items on the menu.


Coyote Flaco is good, could be a lot better if they could/would spice things up. They are catering to a lot of people who want cheese dumped on everything.


Starting a new job in New Haven in a couple weeks, looking forward to seeing what they have to offer.

 

[storrsroars]

Sayulita is probably the best I've had in Connecticut.

Damn, they actually have red snapper ala veracruzana. And jicama slaw as a side. Seems very promising.

 

[UConnKev]

Damn, they actually have red snapper ala veracruzana. And jicama slaw as a side. Seems very promising.

A Review of Sayulita, Mexican Cuisine With a Twist

 

[HooperScooper]

Coyote Flaco in Hartford or El Sarape near Park/Broad St if you want authentic items like beef tongue tacos.

But aren't there a lot of shootings around there?

 

[elmcityboy]

la cosanita has been my favorite brick-and-mortar spot in new haven for a while. they recently got written up in the ny times along with a couple of other ct spots i haven't checked out yet:

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/17/nyregion/authentic-mexican-food-amid-a-nuevo-taco-craze.html?_r=0

definitely not as authentic, but i have a huge soft spot for jalapeno heaven out in branford, as well.

 

[August_West]

But aren't there a lot of shootings around there?

If there isnt at least the slight threat of violence when getting authentic tacos, you arent getting authentic tacos.

Its like trying to get a great Jamaican Beef Patty without dodging a mugging.

 

[elmcityboy]

also... fresh taco downtown in new haven. looks like a chinese takeout spot and is run by a chinese family, but they make dirt-cheap tex/mex tacos with made-to-order fresh flour tortillas. such an underrated spot.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

Hidden gem- Tacos La Rosa in Willimantic.
The most authentic Mexican I've ever had. It is delicious. They make everything homemade. The Pork Huarache is unbelievably good.
If you are ever in the area of Storrs/Willimantic and want a quick bite and like Mexican, then there's your place.

 

[Deepster]

But aren't there a lot of shootings around there?

The last time I went to El Sarape, there was a double shooting across the street 2 days later. I only go on weekdays for lunch.