Cascabel Taqueria East

Whether your plan is drinks with friends, a date, or a casual lunch, the intimate (aka, small) Cascabel always feels like the right choice. Nestled among the not-so-happening streets of the Upper East Side, each trip to this local favorite taqueria is a transportive experience. Bold colors and festive decor brighten even the dampest of days, and the lucha libre masks that line the walls definitely add a nice touch. Authenticity is the key to Cascabel’s scrumptious tacos, which veer towards the traditional without holding back on taste. Not sure what to order? My go-to dinner duo is the chicharrón topped pollo chipotle taco and a cheesy elote asodo (grilled corn) on the side. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, try the veal tongue flavored with serrano chili. For a satisfying lunch on a chilly winter’s day, you can’t go wrong with a giant bowl of sopa de tortilla. Whatever you order, be sure to wash it all down with a salty, delicious-- and thankfully, affordable-- margarita (and keep ‘em coming, please).

So my go-to date spot is Penrose in the UES, however, last night for some reason it was over-packed and neither one of us felt like we wanted to run into anyone we knew from college. It was freezing out and after racking our brains for five minutes, we decided just to walk and stumbled upon Cascabel. Being that it was 10pm on a Wednesday night, the place was pretty empty. I guess that isn't a bad thing though because seating is limited. There's a bar up front, tiny tables scattered around the floor, another counter with black stools and then two stools perched awkwardly in-between window sills around the room. I ordered a traditional margarita on the rocks that was served in a mason jar. It was alright. My date ordered Jack Honey with ginger-ale the entire night. I switched over to tequila and club and then joined him with the ginger-ale eventually. The ginger-ale tasted extremely sweet and had a vanilla after taste. I actually asked the waitress about it, but she had no idea. We ordered chips and guacamole, which I did not quite understand. The guacamole was fine, but the chips were four huge corn tortillas that you had to break yourself. Not only was there not enough chips, but how awkward is that? I definitely would not go there for food nor with a large group. It's fine for someone you are dating or know extremely well and can occupy yourselves with lots of alcohol and good conversation. Also, if you need to catch a basketball game they had about three TVs surrounding the place, so regardless where you are seated, you'll still be able to catch the score.