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We hear it all the time: New York has no good Mexican food, a commonly uttered phrase most often heard when we are shouldered against our West Coast sister (or rival, depending on how you look at it), Los Angeles. But in 2025, does that sentiment really ring true? Restaurateur Christopher Reyes certainly doesn't think so. In fact, he goes as far as to say that New York has “the best Mexican food right now,” rattling off the Michelin-starred Corima and Casa Enrique and the aguachile haven that is Mariscos El Submarino as deft examples. And he should know, as he and his business partner Gerardo Alcaraz have been instrumental to pushing the cuisine forward in Brooklyn and now Manhattan.
You see, in the four years since they decided to combine their resumes and team up—Reyes previously worked at Cosme and Maison Premiere, and the two met while working at the East Village’s Black Ant—the duo have been behind some of the scene’s heavy hitters, starting with Greenpoint's Aldama in 2021. Within a year, the minimalist yet modernist Mexican restaurant was added to the Michelin Guide, calling out Alcaraz and Reyes for bringing the “music, mezcal and warm spirit of Mexico to Brooklyn.”
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“We wanted to show another side of Mexican cuisine—something more contemporary but still rooted in tradition,” said Alcaraz of Aldama, who cooked the likes of pickled daikon tostadas to a jerky-like, dehydrated flank steak, which he used to eat growing up in Guanajuato, Mexico. “Mexico has immense flavors, techniques and ingredients, and our goal was to give people in New York a more complete experience, not just the “typical” dishes they already knew.
Despite its bright burn, Aldama went on a pause in 2024 and has been in limbo ever since (Reyes teases, however, there is a plan in motion). As Aldama continued to hang in the balance, the two decided to iterate on another restaurant idea, leaning into the casual comfort that is tacos. For Alcaraz, this was an easy transition as he previously owned a taco stall in León.
“The stand in León was much simpler: a grill and a trompo in front of an Oxxo [a convenience store],” said Alcaraz. However, for his taqueria in the States, named Taqueria El Chato, he wanted to expand on the concept, much like he had done for Aldama. “We keep that street-taco essence—the trompo, the fresh and spicy salsas, the speed—but with more structure and a team that allows us to maintain consistent quality.”
And it is the taco served from the languidly spinning trompo, the Al Pastor, that has become the shining star of the taqueria. A carryover from the Aldama days, the taco is prepared by layering the vertical spit with thin slices of seasoned pork belly and flank steak, making for a juicier and fattier bite. Next to impossible thin cuts of onion and cilantro, the taco is graced with a small strip of pineapple, swiped from the top of the trompo.
More than just their al pastor, the taqueria cycles through eight tacos in total, including the slow-cooked brisket found in the Campechano and, one of Reyes’s favorites, the chile-marinated and wonderfully smoky Mushroom. Any taco can be turned into a quesadilla, or you can get them served vampiro-style, where the housemade tortillas are fried to a golden brown and covered in a melty cheese. Much like their first restaurant together, within the first year, the taqueria gained a nod from the Michelin Guide.
“We never opened thinking about awards, but about doing things right and with heart,” said Alcaraz of their recent buzz. “Seeing the taquería in the Michelin Guide is a huge motivation to keep working hard, but always with our feet on the ground and keeping the most important thing in mind: that people come, enjoy some tacos and leave happy.”
And soon the frequenters of Union Square will soon leave full and happy. Following a successful second location in the West Village that opened this past May, the taqueria will debut another restaurant in Manhattan, this time at the new Time Out Market Union Square. The third will continue in step, doling out their tried and true favorites next to their housemade salsas and charred jalapeños and veggies for the topping. All in all, Alcaraz hopes to use food to continue to channel his heritage.
“The flavors of Mexico, street tacos, homemade salsas, going for seafood on Mondays with my brother—all of that made me realize that food is not just about eating," said Alcaraz. "It’s culture and identity."