Kahlua’s Cafe

Came here to try some «authentic» Mexican in the neighborhood. Service was ok, food was mediocre at best. I ordered the shrimp burrito and it was extremely dry. It was 90% rice, 9% beans, and 1% tiny shrimp the size of a finger nail.
The burrito itself was so try I had to dip it in salsas just to liven it up. My boyfriend got the mole poblano and said it was less than average.
There are definitely better spots in the neighborhood (Taco Mix).

Ordered the beef tripe soup, chicken enchiladas, chorizo tostadas and some rice n beans. The waitress brought everything out almost at once and even brought a trio of onions, jalapeños and cilantro to add to our liking. Not only did the beef tripe soup taste AMAzE it reminded me of my grandma Rosalitas recipe from Tijuana. Brought me back to those carefree days of eating all these Mexican delictables while hearing the sounds of gunshots in the distance over some cartel drug war. Ahhhh the good life

Dropped in for some quick lunch. The food was really tasty, really authentic, and really cheap. I got a spicy pork taco (in the menu as «carne enchilada») and a cactus taco, $ 3 each. They were served with cilantro, onions, and guacamole, with line wedges and celery on the side. So good! The kicker, however, is the Cubano torta my man friend ordered. Piled HIGH with chicken breast, sausage, an egg, avocado, jalepeno (I think), cheese, lettuce, and tomato. $ 8 and way more than any mere mortal can eat in one sitting. Bravo!
P. S. Extra points because they were blasting funk classics the whole time.

We came to Kahluah’s Café to eat breakfast earlier this week. I am fan and see myself coming back!
When we got to the café we couldn’t help but notice that there was no AC! *sad face* but luckily for us (and them) it was not that hot outside. The waitress was very attentive. She took our order and the wait was not very long for our food to come out. The food was really good! I ordered the Jamaica water. Now, my parents are Mexican so I am really picky when eating at «Mexican» restaurants and I get so upset when the food (or drinks) do not taste how they are supposed to. I am glad to say that the food and my Jamaica drink tasted as if my own momma had made it lol well you dig what I am trying to say.
The bill was not that high and as I mentioned before the waitress was great. I can definitely see myself coming back.

I really loved the colorful interior, and our waitress was friendly and patient.
The food was good. The salsa that comes with the chips was delicious. The guacamole was really plain and simple– too simple for me. I think all they put in it were onions and I like a lot of stuff in mine. We actually ended up even adding salt and pepper to it.
The Fajitas Shrimp were good but there wasn’t much to them, though the shrimp was fresh and delicious. I also got a carnitas enchilada with salsa verde. It was good but I do with the salsa had been spicier and there had been more pico de gallo on top.
Overall it was a good meal but not something I would come out of my way for. A somewhat seedy fella attempted to buy us a drink (we were three women dining alone). Our waitress came over to let us know, and told us we could refuse if we wanted to, and we did. My friend who lives in the area says that’s pretty normal.

Perfect a Mundo. …if you want awesome food and an awesome time Hells yea. GET THE TACOS small but tasty, addictive, and filling.

They stuff their tacos. I couldn’t finish the two that I ordered (pork and beef tongue). I’ve never had beef tongue and figure this place serves enough of it to have it fresh and cooked well. The tongue was alright, a little too gamey for me, I wanted it to be either more like liver or more like steak. Pork tacos were excellent.
We shared a side of the cactus since there were good reviews. It’s a weird texture, kind of like those flat long string beans but slightly slimey. Doesn’t have much flavor, but it was grilled nicely with salt. Better cut up and mixed in with my taco. The size of a side of cactus was pretty big, 2 large pieces.
The price was good, the food good, the place clean with sturdy tables, kind of homey. I like the little magnetized curtain at the doorway– no flies in here! I’d go back for my ‘gringo’ choices, LOL. And a diner was eating a bowl of chicken soup that looked pretty tasty.

I had pretty high expectations for this place based on the Unilocal reviews (my roommate also said this place was good but I’m pretty sure he has no taste buds). I had the monterrey enchilada with salsa verde which came with a side of rice and beans. The enchilada itself was pretty tasty but it was literally just a tortilla with seared cheese. Delicious, but maybe stuff another layer of something in there? The rice and beans were almost embarrassingly bland. I didn’t put any salt or cotija on it just to see if my taste buds needed to adjust from all the salt in the cheese but no dice; they just tasted like absolutely nothing. My friend had chicken tacos that came with guacamole and she ended up using my salsa verde because her food didn’t taste like anything, either. I want to give them another chance but only because they’re so close to my house. I definitely wouldn’t go out of my way for them, though.

This place is delicious for any meal, but wins big points with me for being open for breakfast and in my hood. There are few places within walking distance that do more than pastries for breakfast, so all the awesome breakfast options here are a treat — traditional stuff like chilaquiles and huevos rancheros, and pancakes and challah French toast too! As others have mentioned, waitresses are lovely and helpful when you have menu questions. And I freaking love their coffee!
Thanks, Kahlua’s Café, and thanks to Unilocalers for helping me find this place amidst the so-​so Mexican places.

THE most authentic of the last few Mexican restaurants I tried, in recent memory.
Never did the brunch, but had early dinner, twice, here — and if it were not uptown, I would be here a lot more often.
Had some business to take care of in the area and I just happened to see the sign walking around. It called to me, right away!
Once inside, by the look of the cute yet not ‘fake’ Mexican ambiance, I was even more sure it would be a hidden gem.
It is a colorful little place, sometimes with Mexican or Dominican Bachatas blasting on the jukebox. Its hopping with locals (another good indication of great food) and we were the only non-​Latin people in here. I felt like I hit the jackpot!
The first time, I was so excited we ordered everything from the menu — even the specials that we had no idea what they were (written in Spanish).
I had a pork special of the day that was a stew with the meat falling of the bones, out of this world!
So tasty, I cannot describe! I wish I could remember the name of the dish — and perhaps one of you kind Unilocalers could let me know what it might have been. It was one of the best things I ever ate in any restaurant!
We also had their famous cactus tacos and a bunch of others, among them a an el pastor. All were YUM.
We also had a chicken mole dish, to die for! Totally, authentic and tasty and done just right.
The meals here, are divine. Whatever you order here, you won’t be disappointed. If you are not sure of something, the waitresses will help you. (If one doesn’t understand enough English, they will be kind enough to send over another girl who does).
My only very small wish is that they would serve Margaritas. But, for with this kind of great food, I’ll settle for a nice, cold beer. (Just stay away from the white wine, its very sweet).
BTW, I almost forgot. They serve a huge salad topped with such HUGE pieces of fresh avocado, it’ll make your eyes pop! Its so big, you might not be able to eat anything else. Just warning you!
I just wish it was closer! Definitely worth the trip, though.
Will definitely be going back, soon!

AMAZING place and the owner is such a gem too. please try it and tell your friends.

Brunch. $ 7 for a really serious amount of huevos with onions and jalepenos. Mmmm. I have lots of leftovers for tomorrow. I also had what I believe to be a strawberry shake, even though I ordered a mango one. All shakes are delicious, I don’t even care. The cinnamon sprinkled on top was delightful!
I’m into this place. I never would have gone into this place based on its exterior appearance. It’s so colorful and amazing on the inside. Apparently I made an error in not getting the cactus burritos. Next time, for sure.

The waitress was very friendly, and man… those cactus burritos are no joke! Huge! Delicious! Sitting on the cutest table cloths on the planet! It can get a little cramped, but I’ll definitely be returning.

No chips n salsa! huh! Order beef hard tacos, and they were not good. No real flavor, and the taco shell was so thin. I’m from Cali and I don’t understand why the NY Mexicans make such crappy food compared to the Californian Mexicans!

Definitely my favorite mexican delivery place. Their tortas are the best i’ve ever had. Delivery is always fast and courteous. My only complaint is the person who take phone orders doesn’t always speak English and you may need to repeat yourself a few times.

This place is yum! We weren’t sure where to get lunch while we were here on a Mexican food and sweets hunt this afternoon, and we decided on this place after seeing all the people who were inside eating; of all the small restaurants that we had passed in the area when deciding which place to eat at, this was the one that had the most number of people in it.
So we went inside, and the waitress who served us was very patient with us when we asked questions regarding the different dishes and what certain things meant in English. We had three tacos — beef, tongue, and carnitas, along with one of the specials, a carnitas dish that came with guacamole, rice, black beans, grilled scallions, and corn tortillas. The carnitas was perfect, and the rice and everything else on that dish were really well seasoned. The tacos were really good, too — corn tortillas stuffed with (again, very well seasoned) meat. The beef taco was amazing and better than the beef taco we’d had at Taqueria Coatzingo in Jackson Heights. The meat tasted like it was grilled and had a great crispness on the outside.
The tables are a bit crowded together, here, so maybe this wouldn’t be the best place for a big group to go to for a meal. The service and food are really good, so if you are in the area and need some Mexican, definitely try this place. It even caters to more Americanized tastes as well (I couldn’t believe it when I saw «hard-​shelled tacos» on the menu!!).

I knew from the minute I spied the plaid table cloths that this would be a great place.
Definitely my favorite Mexican place in the city, with a wide variety of sopas for the tasting, but also plenty of Americanized favorites if that’s your thing. Speaking of which, I really love the spinach enchiladas. The cactus tacos are also not to be missed, by any means.
I also love the service here; the waitresses are so sweet.

UPDATE Sept. 2010
YOU STILL MUST TRY THE CACTUS TACOS. NOW (SEE fuller description in original review below). Do not let the modest exterior nor the truly unique interior (genuinely distinctive, not contrived kitsch, like some honky-​owned «Mexican» places I could name) nor the promise of Mexican and «American» food worry you.
This is still the only place I’ve found in the entire city that has grilled cactus tacos and their deliciousness defies adequate description.
You will NOT get chips and salsa unless it’s dinner (that’s an American deal, not Mexican), and as mentioned below this is a proudly working class joint with left-​leaning owners (judging from all the huge photos of Zapata and Guevara on the walls, mixed among the old-​school Mexican movie and wrestling stars). Normally everybody in the place is speaking Spanish (this IS Spanish Harlem btw), though the staff speak fluent English as well. And they are incredibly efficient, hard working, and friendly.
The chilaquiles are the best I’ve had (a traditional Mexican breakfast dish of crispy tortilla wedges baked in red or green sauce with a choice of meat or egg toppings). And the portion is huge. And accompanied by a huge plate of black beans and rice. The tostadas sencillas (see photo) are huge and bascially a delicious salad of thinly sliced lettuce, crema, tomatoes, and black beans atop crunchy tortillas. Delicious. And cheap.
Today we had all of the above plust two coffees for breakfast and the bill was $ 19.95. Beers are incredibly cheap and always cold. I’ve been coming here for over three years, almost weekly, and have never had a remotely bad experience. The place is festive, authentic, inexpensive, convivial and offers delicious authentic Mexican food. What more could you want?
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YOU MUST TRY THE CACTUS TACOS. NOW.
This is the only place in Manhattan that has them, as far as I know. The cactus is grilled with minced onions and cilantro, stuffed into fresh tortillas, slathered with great guacamole, and served with a large helping of green salsa on the side. INCREDIBLY GOOD. TWO BUCKS A PIECE.
This tiny place is as authentic a Mexican café as you can find outside of Mexico City. The food and prices are superb, the Coronas are ice cold, the air is always alive with jukebox bachata, cumbia, or salsa tunes, the tables and bars are filled with my convivial El Barrio neighbors, and I am usually the only non-​Spanish speaker in the place.
The décor is charming but this is a proudly working-​class joint (witness the large prints of Zapata and Guevara on the walls) so you will not find chain-​restaurant-​faux-​Mex décor. Thank God.
Other great dishes:
Red Chilaquiles for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
Tostadas Sencillas
Friends have tried and loved the grilled shrimp salad.
Cactus Burrito