Empellon Cocina

Great margaritas by Graham the sweetest Bartender! Had the Spicy Shell Crab Tempura and Melted Cheese with Wild Mushrooms and Tomato Frito — both delicious!

Amazing!!! Food and drinks are artistically plated with vibrant colors. Must try the soft shell crab tacos and cucumber margarita. We had a great time sitting at the bar with Graham; great service, ambience and food. Top restaurant in NYC

Review for drinks and guac only ! Was walking around in the east village after a failed attempt to wait out the tables ahead of us at Death and Co (8 tables ahead of us meaning 1.5 hour wait), and came upon this cute spot. Snagged two seats at the bar and ordered off the margarita section of the cocktail menu. The saffron margarita and the drink called the Mezcal were awesome! I am also a mezcal fan so the smokeyness (is that a word?) of the drinks were right up my alley. Also ordered guac which was really really good. And I know it’s hard to screw up guac, but this guac was fantastic. It had pistachios in it and was perfectly salted. I would go back to check out their dinner. Check our more food pics on my IG: saya_​nyc !

This was my first time to eat here. I like different approaches to familiar foods and They delivered. I liked our waiter he was unassuming and professional. The GM Andrew took time to introduce himself which was nice. We were a party of nine up from our six on the reservation and they kindly accommodated us… it was not a busy night… the food was creative and good. We brought in our own champagne… corkage was normal for NYC $ 35. This place is interesting in many ways… but not a bargain but we were not looking for one.

Very cool spot. The atmosphere was great, the crowd was fun and having a great time. It was a little loud but you can tell that it is a result of low ceilings and that the owners have gone to great lengths to reduce the noise. We started with the famous pistachio guacamole. It was over salted but tasty. Next we had the salmon ceviche which was a five star dish. It was served with a sweet tomato sauce. Next we had the squid with black mole, nugget potatoes, and chorizo mayonnaise. Again, we found it salty but fantastic flavour. It was spicy and smooth. The squid was cooked perfectly. We finished with oxtail tacos. It was good but perhaps too heavy a finish given the rest of our choices. The service was spotty. The server had to be called over a few times and made a few mistakes. Despite the service, I would recommend this restaurant.

This place was more overhyped than Obamacare. The tattooed chef acted as if it was an Otologist or Neurosurgeon. Unfortunately, he was beyond rude and should go back to school and take a course in manners. The good news is that I think many people feel the same way!

It’s a little pricey here but I think the food and drinks are worth it. The guacamole and the million salsa dips are delicious. The second to last (spicy end) was our favorite. Chips are unlimited… fantastic! I got the oxtail tacos and it was again delicious. You get two tacos which is enough food and the portion size is nice.
They have a nice range of margaritas on the rocks. I was in the mood for a sweet drink so I got the porque no (pineapple) and spicy cucumber (w/​o the spicy rim). Both were refreshing and tasty.

Been here a few times and they do a great job! The staff is so well trained and know their stuff. The manager Ivan was very helpful and knew all the dishes and tequila! Awesome dude — loved everything about this place. The prices are definitely worth it. The environment is very relaxing. Service is quick. If you want to try great contemporary Mexican food — deff check this spot out :)

I wanted to try a unique dining experience and do not want to do the typical new american tasting menu so did a bit of research and found this place. their tasting menu is so unique and tasty. I would def come back again, not to mention i absolutely love mexican food. they added in such twist to their menu which made the food even more unique.
I took one of my girl friends here for her birthday as a surprise. We got the 14 course kitchen’s table option with the cocktail pairings. DO go for the cocktail pairing, you will not regret it. We had 7 different type of drinks in total (started with a shot of ceviche juice, YES ceviche juice. tequila, then came along riesling, cider, beer, beer cocktail,​port and lastly mezcal).all type of spirits and liquor as you can see!
highlight of the dinner. I don’t want to spoil it for you all so I will just lightly mention a few of my personal favorites.
— trout flauta — this was wrapped like a sushi roll with the crisp to be extra crispy. the juiciness of the trout and seasoning was beyond mouth watery. this was my #1 fave out of everything
— salsa, you get to pick a range of maybe 6 different types of pepper and onions. and the chef will mix it for you.
— scotch egg — i believe this was made with quail eggs. im not sure. but it was REALLY GOOD
usually i don’t get full off these little plates but the 14 course here was more than enough. I was really full in the end and could barely finish my dessert.
overall its def worth the money and experience i would come back again… to try their 21 course tasting!

SUCH a rip! I’ve lived in NYC for 21 yrs. We eat out A LOT. This was one of the most egregiously overpriced and overhyped places we’ve ever been to. Went with our close friends who were equally appalled by the 2-​bite $ 16 tacos which come with nothing. Two tiny tacos for $ 16 works out to $ 4 per bite.
The service was cloying as they constantly upsell. The waiter told us the «best thing» on the menu was a $ 54 lobster dish; the most expensive thing on the menu.
Just a horrible, loud, obnoxious, mercenary place. After spending $ 260+ for 4 of us, we walked out and had a slice.

A pretty chic spanish restaurant downtown. We liked the food and décor, and the wait staff were friendly as well.
The whole space is pretty open and dim, creating a pretty nice atmosphere that contrasts well with the open kitchen. There’s also a kitchen-​side table that looked pretty sweet.
The food itself is quite good. We had the guac and seven salsas (all were pretty good, some very good) — we just wished there was more guac!
We also had the crab and mango, which was OK, and the fish tacos (which were really good).
Overall, good and not overcrowded.

This place had some of the best Mexican food I’ve had so far in the city — you should definitely give it a try. Cool atmosphere — small and cozy, a really great date spot. The drink menu was also great (especially if you like tequila and mezcal!) — we ordered the spicy cucumber margaritas and they were delicious. For appetizers, you NEED to try the pistachio guacamole. We also got the cerviche of the day, which was shrimp (and unbelievable). The spicy cucumbers were interesting (wouldn’t really recommend).
For tacos, we tried the hot dog taco (it was pretty tangy and very Oktoberfest-​y) and the goat taco. Both were delicious.
Overall, a great lower east side find!

Stopped by to grab a quick bite to eat and was not disappointed. We got the nachos and the sliced mango dish to share and we also each had a cocktail. The spicy cucumber and the por que no. The food was incredible and there was a lot of it! The two of us could not finish everything. The mango dish was amazing. Who knew sliced mangos and crab meat went so well together. The dish was very refreshing and a nice change to the typical bar foods. Additionally, the nacho dish was superb. The jalepenos were a nice kick to the already spicy salsa and the chips were sturdy enough to hold all the toppings. There was more than enough to share between the two of us and we really enjoyed the gussied up version of nachos.
Both drinks were also very delicious! I enjoyed the spicy, salted rim on the cups! Also, the bartender was extremely friendly without being overbearing… usually a difficult balance to master.
All-​in-​all, it was a great experience and I would definitely be back to try their other menu items. The food and drinks were a bit pricey, but you could tell the quality was there. Also, there was a great, laid-​back atmosphere – a very comfortable vibe! Highly recommend!

Went here for dinner on Saturday — not too crowded, easy to get a table.
Great beer selection. Had the squid and potatoes for a starter (really good if you like squid ink), and the hot dog and smelt hot dogs for a main. Did not like the smelt that the waitress recommended — but it is smelt, so I should have known that it would be salty.
She ended up taking the smelt tacos off our bill! Michal is super sweet — ⁴⁄₅ for food but ⁵⁄₅ for great service. Would come back again.

Came here with some work friends to enjoy dinner on a Tuesday night. Being vegetarian, I wish they have a couple more options (especially in the mains) but the food that I ordered was not bad. We started out with the guacamole (unique twist adding the pistachios), the seven salsas, the cucumber, the chilaquilas, and the sweet corn. (We ordered a few meat dishes but I can’t speak to them). The Chilaquilas and the sweet corn were amazing! For my main, I ordered the tomato with quesillo and pesto taco. It was good but not great. My friends ordered the two pound lobster and the lamb barbacoa which they thought were excellent.
I would love to give this restaurant more stars because overall the dining experience was great as was the service but I wish they would have had more vegetarian options.

I am originally from Mexico and don’t frequent Mexican restaurants often because I am always disappointed. However, I was so impressed with Empellon that I had to leave a review… First of all, the ambiance of this place is very cool, with dark lighting and trendy décor. second, the FOOD! Everything was outstanding and full of flavor! A couple of things you must eat when you go:
Pistachio Guacamole
Queso
7 Salsas
Goat Tacos (to die for… Heaven on a plate!)
Will definitely return here!

This place was great. My friends and I got there around 7 on a Friday and sat at the bar. As for drinks, we tried the classic margarita, the mezcal, the spicy cucumber, and the por que no. They were all great, but I liked the mezcal and por que no the best.
We started with the queso, which was good, but the standout was the corn chips. They were SO good — they must be fried in fat or something!
We got the goat tacos and the shredded chicken tacos. The goat tacos were amazing. The chicken were very good, but the goat is definitely the way to go.
The service was great. I would definitely go back.

Went there last night for their tasting menu. Got the pairing as well.
The food was original, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Truly excellent.
The pairings were also excellent, and unique in that no beverage was repeated. It wasn’t just an onslaught of wine – rather there was a tequila, a wine, a lager, a cider, a port, an apple wine, etc.
Service was excellent as well.
And finally… Alex Stupak himself was preparing the food in front of us, bringing it directly to us, and explaining it himself.
The whole experience was truly exceptional. Yes, pricey… but exceptional.

I had high expectations coming here as I’ve been to empellon taqueria and it was amazingggggg. However i left feeling unsatisfied from here. We started with the queso and 7 salsas. The queso was INCREDIBLE i wanted to get 10 more bowls of it. The salsas were also awesome, they ranged from mild to super spicy and they were very interesting and delicious including cashews, mustard all all sorts of flavors you don’t usually find in salsas. I would come back if they let me bathe in the queso.
As for the meal, thats when things fell short. First we started with the salmon ceviche. It was definitely good — really fresh large pieces of salmon with mango and a citrus sauce. It was good but didn’t amaze me. When it was finished i was ok, whereas normally i never want it to end.
Next we got the fried smelt tacos. Now i will preface by saying i thought smelt was a type of pork… Its not. Its a white fish. Anyway when i took the first bite i was taken aback, naturally. Then i adjusted to the fish and i still wasn’t thrilled. It tasted very fishy and the sauce on the tacos was very plain. I ended up dousing it in some leftover salsa we had.
Then we ordered the pork with black beans. The pork was basically a thick piece of pork belly but it was sooo dry! The beans also didnt have any flavor! Its crazy because meat and beans are just about my favorite things so its difficult to mess this up in my eyes but there just was no flavor.
Lastly we ordered the lamb tacos for two. This was really enjoyable. The lamb comes in a big bowl and its shredded lamb in a thick sauce — one of my friends called it lamb stew. You then put it on a tortillas with some salsa and a slaw. It was really good, but nothing that would bring me back
The drinks are on point. My personal favorite is the cucumber cayenne margarita. Its so fresh and tasty!!!

Came here for restaurant week. The atmosphere seemed to exude older, suit wearing, business dinner. It felt a little strange for the East Village but I guess it works.
One drink — something with hibiscus. Tasty but too strong for my taste. Food — restaurant week menu. The lobster taco was my favorite dish. We tried the special — grasshopper taco. A little spicy but not bad once you get over what you’re eating.