Choose your location
Wed / Feb 24
Party Earth Review Wrapping the hard-shelled authenticity of a food truck with the flour-soft comfort of a sit-down restaurant, Cascabel Taqueria East lives by the motto that patrons should “eat, drink, and love tacos.” Originally a counter... ... read full review
1538 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10075
4, 6: 77 Street / Lexington Avenue; 4, 5, 6: 86 Street / Lexington Avenue
212-717-8226
M–Th, Su 11am–midnight, F–Sa 11am–1am
Upper East Side, New York –
Wrapping the hard-shelled authenticity of a food truck with the flour-soft comfort of a sit-down restaurant, Cascabel Taqueria East lives by the motto that patrons should “eat, drink, and love tacos.”
Originally a counter-service establishment, the expanded venue’s interior is awash in a citrus explosion of lemon and lime, with the otherwise bare walls peppered with photos of masked luchadores a la Nacho Libre.
Long high-top tables meant for communal dining and smaller tables for more intimate groups account for most of the seating, though there is also a bar full of organic tequila and microbrews crammed in one corner and a wraparound patio out front that usually offers more breathing room.
Regularly busy, the large crowd manages to seem subdued by a layer of calm as flip-flopped locals sip $6 margaritas during the weekday Happy Hour, which kicks off at a vacation-friendly 4pm.
Colorful tacos ranging from traditional faves to inventive varieties like veal tongue and cornmeal-crusted yellow fin are the stars of the show, but tables are also inevitably loaded with pints and salt-rimmed mason jars, the contents of which keep noise levels high later in the evening.
By Thursday, dinner time can mean a wait for a seat (como se dice “No Reservations?”) as hip young professionals pre-game over tequila flights and couples get giggly over booze-laced snow cones.
But even with a little wrestling required, getting a spot at Cascabel Taqueria East is worth the fight to get in, get tacos, and leave tipsy.
Taco fans, tequila tasters, Upper East Siders looking to mix up their dinner routine, groups of über-casual friends, couples, young families with a kid or two in tow, old families who kicked the kids out a long time ago, mid-20s to 40s+.
Ambient music barely audible beneath the din.
Four flat-screens usually tuned to sports and usually ignored.
Masked wrestlers staring down menacingly from the walls. “¡¡¡¡¡ ATANGANA!!!!!!”
Menu of kicked-up Mexican grub including tacos with shrimp, veal tongue, pork butt, and tuna, as well as sandwiches, steaks, and a handful of desserts.
Daily food specials.
Happy Hour M–F 4–7pm.
Brunch menu $7–$10, appetizers $6–$10, tacos $8.50, entrées $12–$14.50, desserts $2–$4. Beer $4+, wine $9, cocktails $12, margaritas $11.
Casual: jeans, polos, flip-flops, traditional office attire, tank tops, sundresses, Hawaiian shirts.
Thursdays through Saturdays for a packed dinner scene, weekends for a busy but more relaxed brunch, or weekdays for Happy Hour and a healthy crowd.
Swig (1629 Second Avenue) keeps the relaxed vibe going with budget-friendly drinks, burgers, and traditional Irish favorites.
Cascabel Taqueria East User Reviews