La Lomita Del Barrio Grocery

It’s not hard to find good Mexican antojitos on East 116^th Street in Harlem, but little La Lomita del Barrio is probably my favorite, not only for the delicious food, but also the friendly and casual atmosphere inside. It would probably do you best to come armed with Spanish if you want to talk with the staff, but from what I gather they can have one of the kids translate if necessary.
This place actually gives me strong enough cravings to visit the neighborhood, quite a distance from where I live. I know I can grab an item or two, take home another, and then grab some wonderful tamales down the street.
My favorite thing they do is the sope ($ 4), a larger than usual rendition that is piled up with beans, lettuce, the meat of your choice, tomatoes, cream, and grated cheese. They make a perfect boat out of the tortilla, a skill that might seem mundane but proves to be the heart and soul of a good sope. I like to heap on their homemade green salsa, which is a bit gelatinous. Whatever they are doing to marinate their chicken and carnitas here should be given an award.