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If you think that you have to hop on a flight to Los Angeles to get some classic West Coast tacos in your belly, think again. A popular L.A.-based taqueria is opening in New York City this week: It’s called Tacos 1986, and it’s set to open on Thursday, July 24 in the West Village.
Originally started as a taqueria stand in Hollywood in 2018, Tacos 1986 was named as one of Eater’s best new restaurants in 2019. It continued to gain in popularity, and now there are eight locations in the Los Angeles area.
The new taco restaurant will be one section of a three-part complex, which also features two bars (the agave bar Mixteca and the soon-to-open Kees) and is located at 1 Cornelia Street. Run by Please Don’t Tell owner Jeff Bell and co-owned by Tijuana-born Victor Delgado and Jorge “Joy” Alvarez-Tostado, the restaurant will feature tacos from that Baja city.
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The menu is built on the seemingly simple (but incredibly flavorful) combination of grilled meat layered in handmade corn and flour tortillas; guests can choose between carne asada (steak), adobada (thin-cut adobo-marinated pork), chicken or a meat-free mushroom option. Along with traditional tacos, there are also mulitas (a hybrid of the taco and quesadilla), vampiros (a mix between a tostada and a quesadilla), and classic quesadillas.
The collaborations between Bell and Delgado and Alvarez-Tostado began when the trio worked together at Coachella in 2023. It was only a matter of time before they found a way to bring the flavors of the West Coast to New York City.
Like one of New York's best taquerias, Los Tacos No. 1, Tacos 1986 will be a standing-room-only counter-service concept. When it opens, the new spot will only operate in the evening, but there are plans to add morning and afternoon hours. When the rest of the One Cornelia complex opens, guests will even be able to order Tacos 1986 while they drink cocktails at either of the two bars in the venue.