Baby Bo’s Cantina

We come here all the time. It’s consistently great! I never left a review before because I just don’t generally leave reviews… but last night I left my phone back at our table when we left and a guy from the restaurant chased us down the sidewalk to return it. Which was just so nice… he could have kept it there until I realized the next day in a panic, but he went the extra mile, literally. :)
As far as the restaurant goes, we generally pick our regular places based on ambiance and this place has that and then some! It’s lit all over with tiny colorful lights strung up across the ceiling and walls. They have neat art work and eclecticness abounds everywhere. Even the bathrooms are fun! It’s always lively without being so loud that you can’t have a nice conversation.
The food is also fantastic. We get the steak burrito and guacamole nachos. Both awesome!!! Servers are always nice and helpful.
Like I said, we come here all the time! It’s one of our favorite restaurants in the city! :)

Nice quaint place. Good for date night or just hanging out with the crew. The four cheese enchilada is to die for!
Came back today for a late lunch treat and once again Baby Bo’s didn’t disappoint! Went for the garlic spinach enchilada… I’m in love! Nora encouraged me to try something different… I’m glad I did! Thanks Nora, you’re the best!!!

Walked in and there was some confusion on us getting seats
Asked for a table of 4, still waiting on 2 people, they said take a seat at the bar … No seas available at the bar so we stood around awkwardly looking at the countless empty tables wondering why we can’t get them
2 person approached … Same outcome
3^rd team member now… Still no table
On the 4^th team member I just had to say can we sit anywhere as we are standing here like idiots
Anyway… Once seated we had a chance to chill
The location is small, decked out similar to the day of the dead Mexican celebration… I liked it
Toilets are tiny and need a good clean
Food … Not bad but not mind blowing just pretty average for me personally, got the quesadilla gigantic and it was less than gigantic unfortunately
Flavours where good just again nothing I haven’t eaten in any other average Mexican
Team after the initial hiccup on seating were very friendly and we all left feeling fed and watered … And 220 bucks lighter and enjoying the company, beer and margaritas more than the food

Awesome spot. Awesome food. Awesome drinks. Definitely my favorite spot to go for good mexican food and Margheritas.

So yes, I caved in and ordered that infamous duck BBQ burrito through Seamless. I simply didn’t want to cook today. My verdict: it’s OK.
The duck is tender and goes well with the sauce, but that sauce itself isn’t spicy like I expected. The beans and rice were unmemorable but did their job. Portion wise, my burrito came down to about $ 19 including tax and tip, but also had 2 generously sized burritos (meaning I got 2 meals).
Would I order again? No, there are simply too many good places in NYC left for me to try. But it wasn’t a bad meal.

Monday Madness take two.
A seemingly better coordinated staff lent to friendlier and more efficient service. Arriving a little after 7:00 to a fully occupied bar, our party of three grabbed a table at the back. Shortly thereafter we were greeted by a pleasant server, and soon after that our first round of drinks was brought out by the bartender, who happily greeted my friend, remembering her from the past.
To eat we shared orders of the black bean and pickled jalapeño nachos, which were quite tasty, and the steak fajitas. These were just as good as the chicken ones!
In sum, service says a lot.

I used to really love this place but it has taken a turn for the worse. Their food used to be fresh and delicious but lately, something has been awry.
We dined in only to find that it was freezing inside! It was so cold and the air was blowing right on our food that it made the appetizers cold. I had to say something because I couldn’t stay, my teeth were chattering. The next thing I felt was sweet, sweet warmth of heat blowing me us. Thank you.
Someone came over and asked if the temperature was better and I said it was, much. We ordered a round of drinks, which we were now able to consume and the air came right back on! WTH?
Moving on to being almost done with our entrees, they tasted more mediocre than the last time we came. We couldn’t finish them and we had no desire to take them home. Whattya know, Pete and I got totally turned off to Bo’s. It’s sad, because this used to be our Mexican spot.

Super cute small neighborhood Mexican restaurant. I truly enjoy going to Mexican or Latin places for brunch because they always offer a unique twist to typical breakfast dishes. I stopped by this place for a Sunday brunch. Loved the decoration on the inside; it just had that small NYC restaurant feel to it. Just as I had anticipated their menu had some great options and I chose the eggs benedict that came with chorizo. To start we ordered a small guac to enjoy with the chips. It was well done, flavorful and as usual hard to just have a couple of bites so a chips refill was ordered. When I got my dish I was a little disappointed with the portion of chorizo considering it was the entire reason why I chose the dish. Also, I felt like it didn’t have the typical salty flavor to it so that was a bummer. I also had to ask for my orange juice half way through my meal since it was never brought out. I really want to give this spot another try but for lunch or dinner. Hopefully I’ll enjoy my selection better.

El Dorado burrito was unique and yummy. Chimicanga was really good. Sangria strong but not too strong. Small half pitcher though.

Finally stopped in here after living nearby for 3 months. Celebrating successes and my birthday was easy to do here with a great happy hour menu and the generous, helpful, cool Victor taking care of us thru our visit. Veggie nachos, fish tacos and chicken tacos and beer with whiskey shots made for a comfy relaxing delicious night. So glad to have this in our neighborhood. We will be back!

I’ve been coming here for well over a decade and I still love it. There was a time they were changing things up on the menu and the people retaliated. Mgmt listened and it went back to it’s awesomeness. The best pico de gallo I’ve ever had. Always on point.

Food is average but customer service is terrible. After paying to have extra guac and dressing for a take out order, we got nothing instead when I opened it at home. I called the person who I placed the order with to just deliver it since I live 3 blocks away. 2 hours later and after multiple phone calls of the person saying the delivery guy is just 10 min away, we finally got the guac. If the guy would’ve been more honest about when it was coming, I could’ve just picked it up. This wasn’t the first time something like this happened with my order so I definitely won’t be coming back just to avoid this nonsense.

I. Love. This. Place. SO good! My boyfriend and I found this place by accident… but it was the best accident ever because we both loved the food, ambience, customer service, and the drinks. I am skeptical about eating Mexican food outside just because I’ve had one too many negative experiences, but boy was I glad I tried the veggie chimichanga because it was amazing to say the least. This was my first time having a chimichanga — my boyfriend always raved about how I would love it because it’s so crispy (I looooove crispy foods). The flavors were great — perfectly seasoned, just enough salt, just enough spicy, and the beans/​rice/​cheese combo was awesome. The portion was generously huge so I ended up taking the other half of the chimichanga home — a little soggy when I had it the next day for lunch but that is to be expected… the flavors were still there!
Food aside, this place has a really cool ambience and vibe to it — I really enjoyed how fun and decorated it was. Our waiter was great and really patient as well. Overall, this place is the real deal… I can’t wait to go back!

*sat but didn’t actually eat the food
Walked in on a Friday, no one waiting outside, a few empty tables, not a big place but it wasn’t out of control busy… However, the staff was completely out of control. They were cursing, dropping things, not even paying attention to people coming in and trying to get a table. I had a party of three and one of whom was on her way. The manager proceeded to interrogate me about each and every step she was taking, saying «come on man where is she», after watching the staff operate like armless deaf children and being yelled at multiple times by the manager, by the time the chips and water came… (10 minutes later) we had had enough. A person shouldn’t be made to feel uncomfortable or like a piece of crap for attempting to give a restaurant their business. Hell to the no, complete and utter amateur hour here. Would never return based on the staff alone, too many spots in nyc.

I have no idea how this place has four stars. The food was basic, nothing special. Their salsa was more like pico. The only thing this place has going for it is the ambiance/​atmosphere which was pretty cool. Service was pretty bad, the waitress didn’t come back to refill drinks, and all the workers were at the bar goofing off eating & drinking. We had to flag the waitress down to get our check. Sub par food with bad service. We won’t be back.

I got there about 35 minutes after opening. This place was recommended to me. The food was OK: my cornbread came out cold, my enchiladas were good, I had to ask for chips and salsa, and got it when my food came out. The service was not good. There were 3 tables seated and I sat at the bar. There was one waitress, who seemed to be prepping for the day in the back, running food and waiting tables. There was a guy (maybe the manager or owner) who was stocking the bar and doing some other stuff in the back. The waitress clearly needed some help and the tables needed some additional attention. There service needs help.
Oh, the music was good.
No need to return for me.

This spot is snuggled in Murray Hill. It is not the easiest location to get to, but worth the trip!
To begin they bring out spicy salsa and chips. The chips are good, but need salt.
We started with the nachos with jalapeños, beans and cheese. They use quality cheese and it’s just the right mixture of spice. It is quite small. It’s best to only split with one other person.
I ordered the El Dorado burrito. This is the reason I travel this way! It’s so flavorful. I really like spinach burritos and this one tops them all. It has plantains and mushrooms in it. With the sauce, cheese, rice and beans all blended together-it’s absolutely delicious! I can never finish it, so it’s a great lunch the next day.
The person I was dining with ordered fish tacos. He is just as big of a fan as I am. Although he was disappointed that they didn’t ask if he wanted it fried or grilled. He said it is much better grilled. It’s three large tacos topped with great flavors mixed together. The pickled onions not only taste good, but look pretty!
Where they lose a star is on the drinks. The drinks are way too weak for the price. Also, the happy hour isn’t on margaritas. I didn’t see any tables ordering drinks, which leads me to believe that we are not the only ones who feel this way.

I order from here so much that I know the delivery guy :-) They are always very consistent in terms of quality/​taste/​delivery. I’m very picky about meat and their chicken is very good. Everything is tasty (I think I’ve had just about everything). My favorites are the tostada salad, enchiladas, and tacos.

Ok so let’s say this is my first time going to this place but not my first time eating the food. I have been getting take out from Baby’s for a few years everytime I’m in NY working on Kpop projects it’s a must that the company orders my writing partner and I Chimichungas from there. They NEVER disappointed with the take out so my partner and I figured it’s time to get the full experience. Entering the place it had a pretty cozy vibe, the music was on point (R&B and pop) ! The host suggested we sit at the bar because the bartender was awesome and that we did (I have a theory that the drinks are always better/​stronger when you sit at the bar opposed to table wink wink). And boy was I right the Margarita I ordered had that kick I was looking for to set off the nights dining.
My partner only had a Corona so there was nothing to mess up there (it was cold). We both ordered the Shrimp Chimichungas !!! Pow Pow BANG BANG they were gooooood Crunchy on the outside and cheesy on the inside with a very generous amount of shrimp. It comes with rice, beans, guacamole, and sour cream (the guacamole and cream are both on top of the Chimi so next time I will ask for it on side to preserve ultimate crunch). The bartender offered good service (pretty, tall, slim, black girl, maybe her name is Khia).
The décor is very artsy felt a little voodoo’ish though after I discovered some of the art on the wall had crosses with little faces in the center I decided to just focus on the food in front of me and STOP looking around lol. Overall I would definitely come back again and again probably on a date next time.

Four stars for the food only! Unfriendly and, in the case of the bartender, obnoxious staff. She was bleating and screaming so loudly we could not hear each other and other patrons, perhaps to be heard over her din, were shouting too so my ears were hurting.
And even though it was a hot night, the ac was turned off and the door open, admitting heat, humidity and a mosquito who left me with a huge bite.

Everything about this place is rad. The ambience in 3 words is: intimate — celebratory —
edgy. The service is great — fast and super friendly. Had encounters with 3 waiters and all 3 where fab and ready to please. The food — the food is AMAZING. The guacamole is a must, the salsa is fresh and has the right amount of kick. We had the Poblano Burrito, BBQ Duck Burrito and Suizas Enchiladas and we were all THRILLED! I could have eaten the Poblano Burrito forever — no seriously I want some right now.
The spicy margarita where perfect and the dessert was killer. Basically Baby Bo Cantina now as 3 new lifers. I just wish I lived closer so that I could order from them — on the other hand my personal trainer is happy I don’t. Thanks Baby Bo for a great time.

Prior to coming to Baby Bo’s, there was a lot of build up. Gster and Patch had spoken so highly of it. To the point where I don’t even like Mexican, but I found myself begging Gster to come. I felt left out. I felt like I wouldn’t be experiencing NYC, if we didn’t go here.
Considering I don’t even eat Mexican food, my review won’t be that reliable. However, I will say the atmosphere was truly remarkable, one of a kind, something I have never seen or felt before. It may be because it was horribly snowy and cold that the ambiance felt so unique. Walking in, you feel like you are in a bungalo, on a beach, in a bad part of mexico. You feel like you might need to be looking over your shoulder, or that someone is looking over yours. Not because of the area of town it is in, it just has a badass feel to the scene. There are skeletons of all sorts dancing on the walls, with colored Christmas lights, basically as the only lights in the whole place. It is dark, eerie, majestic. The painted skeletons are everywhere, hanging from the wall, painted on the walls, on the tables. The bar is unique, with wooden panels and all sorts of authentic mexican memorabilia on the walls. One whole wall has wooden crosses, which having been to mexico, are authentic. But overall, the feeling is just eerie. But that is what makes it so authentic.
After sitting, Patch was perplexed as to why I wanted to go to mexican, even though I couldn’t eat it. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the company, and the sangria. I ended up trying the pumpkin soup, which is something I would never have tried normally. It sounded too good to pass up on a snowy day. And it was quite delicious. I also got my cheese quseadilla, which for a cheese quesadilla, was tasty. The boys being regulars here, obvi loved it.

Stumbled upon this place while walking and searching for food. The place is pretty dark but has a lot of Christmas lights up around the bar. Food is pretty decent and the pre-​fix brunch is a good deal. For $ 15.99 you get an entrée and drink. I ordered the chicken tostada salad and a margarita — both were good. I would not say the best, but really good. Service is very friendly too.

Although $ 9 guac is a bit expensive, Baby Bo’s $ 9 guac was delicious. Warning, if you like your guac chunky, this $ 9 is not for you. Baby Bo’s guac was so creamy and smooth and flavored perfectly. The tacos were not super impressive, but I’m also not a huge taco fan. We ordered an order of fish tacos and an order of Carnitas Al Pastor tacos, both soft-​shell. Fish tacos were a bit too bland (sour cream overload) and the Carnitas Al Pastor tacos were a bit too flavorful. It’s also quite cramped inside this not-​so-​large restaurant, but it was definitely popping on a Wednesday night. The décor is really interesting– very reminiscent of Day of the Dead festivities. There are so many colorful lights everywhere and it’s overall pretty dim.
I’m not sure if I’ll be back, because I’m still on the hunt for tacos that will blow my mind, and unfortunately Baby Bo’s did not do that for me.

Monday Madness.
If «mad» means «crazy,» then crazy it was. Shortly after 8 p.m., a friend and I stopped by for drinks and dinner. «Monday Madness» entails $ 5 margaritas all night, so it didn’t take me by surprise to find a packed bar. However, since we wanted to have dinner too, we spoke with a server who said he would let us know when a table opened up. Grabbing the last seat at the end of the bar, we waited.
Deciding to start with drinks at the bar, we ordered a round of margaritas, and munched on chips and salsa which, by the way, were tasty. Furthermore, even though it was apparent that the bartender was under a lot of pressure from constant orders, she nonetheless was both friendly and efficient.
A couple more people came in, and also seemed to be waiting for a table. But by that time, a couple of tables had opened up, so we expected to be seated shortly. I asked the same server who greeted us if he needed a name, but he said no, and that he would remember us.
So we waited.
Still more tables opened up.
Shortly thereafter, another server approached us and asked if we were waiting for a table. When we said that we were, he asked if we had put our name on the list. Telling him that we had not, as the other server had said it was not necessary, he took our name.
We continued to wait.
Finally, in light of all the open tables, I asked the initial server if we could take one. After inquiring about them, he brusquely approached us said if we had opened a tab at the bar, to close it first. So we closed our tab, and finally took our seats.
Noticing that several parties who had arrived later had already been seated and served, we considered leaving, but eventually opted to stay for one more round and a shared dish. Selecting the chicken fajitas, they were more than enough for two people, and not among the worst I have had.
Over the course of our meal, we had several different servers, all of whom seemed to be on different planes. Between that and our absurd wait, I would have given Baby Bo’s one star had it not been for the friendly bartender, strong drinks, and tasty chips and salsa.
Monday Madness is best confined to the bar or, better yet, your apartment.

I can only comment on drinks.
Cute and cozy is what I’d describe this place. Drinks were strong and the food smelled delicious.
My biggest qualm would be that the overall feel was sticky and dark. From the reviews and smells I want to try the food but the cleanliness makes me think otherwise.
I’m thinking drinks only is the way to go for this spot.

I know NYC has a bad rep for mexican food, but Baby Bo’s puts the «I CAN» in Mexican. Their food is redic. The décor is really cute. The room is dimly lit. Perfect for a date because music is not going to overpower your conversations. I will def be back to try more items on their menu!

The ONLY downside to this place is that it’s small inside. Other than that, it’s one of my go to Mexican spots in the city.
Atmosphere is great, lit up by string lights and Funky décor. I’ve never had bad service here either. The chipotle enchiladas are a must try. My boyfriend usually goes for the steak tacos and always loves them. The drinks are good and strong too. I usually get the house margaritas on the rocks and they never disappoint.

Ouch. My voice hurts from screaming over the din of merry twenty-​something Murray Hill-​ers who have consumed too many margaritas and not enough chips/​salsa. Not only is this place a small metal box in terms of acoustics, it’s also an airless small metal box with maybe the poorest functioning ventilation, such that I currently smell like a combination of fajita smoke and refried beans. Our waitress was exactly how I would picture myself working the Friday happy hour shift — dead on my feet before the night even begins — so I couldn’t really fault her for barely working up the energy to be super friendly. She did give me extra salt though for my margarita rim. Thanks, girl. Keep on fighting the good fight.
Coconut margarita was nice and smooth. Originally, I had my eye on the vegetarian burrito but then I swiftly talked myself into getting the el dorado burrito instead. Come on. Sweet plantains and sauteed spinach? I must say, the poor burrito got a little cold and the inside wasn’t as heavenly as it could have been when served steaming hot. Sides were your normal stove-​top rice and beans. I ninja-​ed a bite of the duck burrito — I think the pineapple pico works in theory but the sweetness totally overwhelmed everything else.
Not sure if I would ever come back. Baby Bo’s is in this no-man’s stretch of 2^nd Avenue that I don’t really frequent unless I wind up there at the ungodly hour of 3 am for some Artichoke pizza, and the burrito wasn’t THAT spectacular. I did overhear two girls getting into a vicious fight over Max (who the heck is Max and why is he worth your squabbling?) and then making up over the duck burrito and leaving together, arm-​in-​arm. Sucks to be you, Max.

The first thing you’ll notice when walking into Baby Bo’s is the festive atmosphere. The dining area has walls adorned with fun murals and Mexicanish wooden and ceramic trinkets. Tables and chairs match the décor nicely (although if you’re really tall, I imagine you may be a tad uncomfortable). The bar is also perfectly matched to the décor. The beautiful lights strung to adorn the ceiling give you that really fun fiesta vibe. The whole thing gives you a sense of actually being in Mexican fiesta.
Of course, after spending a combined 6 weeks in Tijuana, Cancún, and Playa del Carmen, I can attest that Mexico looks nothing like this. Trust me. Mexican food and décor is often better in the USA than Mexico. Unfortunately, authentic often sounds and visualizes better than it eats and looks. I wish it weren’t so. Anyway.
The second thing you’ll notice, perhaps, is that the waitresses here are fun and friendly.
Our first waitress was the daughter of the dueño, I believe. Kind of a sexy looking girl, very friendly, very chatty. She takes pride in the restaurant and told us that it had been there for a surprisingly long amount of time (thinking about how perfectly decorated the restaurant is, it makes sense that it’s been here forever.) If I’m not mistaken, I think she said nearly 30 years (as of 2014)! She also said that things like the salsa had been honed over the many years of serving it.
Our second waitress was an older pretty, thin woman with a kicking body (she looks like she works out in a gym every day… pretty hot!) Suuuuper friendly and chatty in a New York kind of way. Very fun to listen to and interact with.
Then you’ll notice the menu, which is Tex-​Mex /​Mexican by the numbers with a few points that stand out.
I really like this place a lot. The only reason why I’m not giving it five stars is because the food is *generally* cooked for a typical American palette. I prefer my Mexican food spicier, more savory, more garlicky, more oniony. I also had a few issues with various dishes, which I will outline below:
Salsa: A
I was told they honed the recipe for, if I’m not mistaken, nearly thirty years (as of 2014), and it shows. It also shows that they care about their food. The ingredients taste fresh and look perfect. I would’ve liked it a bit more oniony.
Guacamole: A–
Very nice. It’s not the guacamole «porridge» that you often see. It had avocado chunks and a nice assortment of ingredients. Nice flavoring with lime juice.
BBQ Burrito: B+
We were a bit dubious at first, since we’re not overly fond of sweet foods. But it totally worked. We were surprised at how good it was. The sweet/​tangy tequila-​habañero BBQ sauce played nicely with the other ingredients.
Fish Tacos: B–
The fish and tortillas were good, but the tacos were ruined by being «too much». Maybe this is a case where Mexican tacos outshine typical American tacos. Mexican tacos are minimal. Small. You can gulp down three, no problem. There was simply too much taco here. They were drowned in WAAAY too much salad. Really, there’s no reason at all to put salad on top of these tacos. There’s three of them. They’d fill anyone up.
Queso Fundido: B
Another Unilocaler commented that there was too much oil/​cheese. Not so. You’re supposed to eat this with beans and tortilla to cut the cheese and oil somewhat. The cheese was phenomenal, and the dish was served in one of those cute small cast iron skillets. One thing I really disliked, though. The chorizo was not chorizo at all. It was pepperoni. Trust me, I know chorizo when I eat it. Pause.