La Batalla, Bergenfield

[tommy]

I'm stilled bummed that none of this stuff was around when I lived there!  No Pickleicious, no Fink's, no good real Mexican, etc.  It's become so cosmopolitan!  It was just a sleepy suburb when I grew up there 

something tells me not everyone got a lot of sleep when you were there.

really though, that area, and if we throw in hackensack and ridgefield, are destination places for me.

Edited July 8, 2003 by tommy (log)

[Jaymes]

The aged beef seemed a bit to salty for me.

THAT sounds interesting, Can you provide more back gound? Are we talking aged and concentrated beefy texture?

Mexicans tend not to age beef, so this could be a big-time find.

"Cecina" is not so much "aged" beef, like we think of it; but rather, dried beef, just as Sibley says. Often, after the drying process it is shredded, whereupon it is called "machaca" and used for tacos, enchiladas, etc.

In Tucson, there are several Mexican restaurants that specialize in this kind of dried, shredded beef and as you approach the restaurants, if you look up you can see the cages on the roof where the beef is hanging - drying in the sun.

Edited July 8, 2003 by Jaymes (log)

[KatieLoeb]

something tells me not everyone got a lot of sleep when you were there. 

Especially not my poor sainted mother, may she finally rest in peace...

really though, that area, and if we throw in hackensack and ridgefield, are destination places for me.

I've mentioned in other posts some of my favorite places that were around back in the Jurassic era when I was in high school, but for the sake of argument, I'll do it again...

Heritage Diner in Hackensack for California pie.

Bischoff's ice cream was the after a school event or after a date place.

Louie's Charcoal Pit for late night coffee and pie or fries.

Butterflake Bakery - I'd drive all the way to Teaneck from college in Philadelphia to pick up Passover goodies to take to roommate's family seder every year.

There used to be an absolutely insane cheesecake bakery in Bogota but I can't remember the name of it. A small 7" diameter cheesecake cost about $20.00 (in 1978!) and must have weighed two pounds! Truly the densest and most amazing cheescake I've EVER had, even until now. Nothing has ever matched it.

My favorite bar in Fort Lee, the Bombay Badminton Club (aka the BBC amongst my friends). Used to go in there and have a few drinks and play backgammon for hours! I think it closed ages ago...

[schmooty]

After reading all the great reviews, I had to check this place out. I haven't had "real" mexican food since my college days in Colorado..that's about 4 years. I pulled up at around 8:30pm and took a seat at the counter. I mentioned egullet and than grabbed a pineapple drink. After seeing's Jason's picture of the Tacos de Carne Enchilada, I had to have them. They came 4 to an order (for $5!) and they were fabulous. I decided on the pollo poblana with a little help from the chef. It was chuncks of white meat chicken sauteed in a tomato based sauce w/ peppers and a big slice of a great white cheese(melted). It also came w/ rice and beans which were great as well. On the counter, they have a red sauce and a green sauce. I could put the red one on almost anything. I am so glad that I joined this site. Between Finks, Wondees, Cinco de Mayo and China 46/Tapas de Espana in the very near future, I have finally found some great local cuisine.

-Al :

[tommy]

you continue to do us proud, Al.

[schmooty]

thanks tommy, we will have to get together for a meal sometime. I find myself dining

alone a lot when I am eating local. Most of my "eating" friends live in the city.

[jhlurie]

After reading all the great reviews, I had to check this place out. I haven't had "real" mexican food since my college days in Colorado..that's about 4 years. I pulled up at around 8:30pm and took a seat at the counter. I mentioned egullet and than grabbed a pineapple drink.   After seeing's Jason's picture of the Tacos de Carne Enchilada, I had to have them. They came 4 to an order (for $5!) and they were fabulous. I decided on the pollo poblana with a little help from the chef. It was chuncks of white meat chicken sauteed in a tomato based sauce w/  peppers and a big slice of a great white cheese(melted).  It also came w/ rice and beans which were great  as well. On the counter, they have a red sauce and a green sauce. I could put the red one on almost anything.  I am so glad that I joined this site. Between Finks, Wondees, Cinco de Mayo and China 46/Tapas de Espana in the very near future, I have finally found some great local cuisine.

-Al  :

Yeah, I was back at Cinco De Mayo recently after months away (it's not exactly local to me) and was reminded again how good a place it is. I mean it's not going to give Mexican in most of the Southwest or California a run for their money, but for the Northeast it's great.

Also, Al, if you dig around in the NJ forum, there are actually a few topics about the fact that there's apparently been a minor renaissance in Mexican food in Northern New Jersey lately--at least compared to a lifetime of bleak bland inauthenticity (okay, a VERY minor one--but 3 or 4 places is better than nothing).

[schmooty]

Ate here again last night. Just to let everyone know, they changed their name

to Batalla. Same owners, same great food. They just decided that the name was too generic. Funny that today is actually Cinco De Mayo! I had the mole last night and it was

great. I don't think I have ever had it before, so I have no basis for comparison.

-Al

[glenn]

7 PM last night. I haven't been in Bergenfield after sunset for quite some time. Seems like the nightlife is gone. The streets were empty on N. Washington as was Batalla. Well, there was one guy sitting on the end stool slumped over reading the paper waiting for a take out order. He looked like an extra from "Night of the Living Dead." The door was open and it was chilly. The 2 Mexicans behind the counter were making jokes and leisurely doing whatever needs to be done when there's no business. They were speaking Spanish and I couldn't understand what they were saying, not that I could hear them anyway with the 1960s Mexican music blaring. All I could think of is what the f890 am I doing here and what the f890 is a dump like this doing in nice middle class Bergenfield??

Then my world lit up. I saw all the groovy nostalgic Mexican sodas stacked against the wall. I went over and ogled. Wow, I haven't seen a bottle of coke like this for 30 years! Well, make that never. This was the gray market kind, or if Coke had their way, the never to be seen again kind. After all, this was the real deal coke somehow smuggled in from Mexico where they still bottle it in the old thick glass bottles and are apparently unaware of today's 21st century chemicals.

Then my taquitos came. I may as well have been in Mexico City. I got a combo of 4. Unlike my usual self and since I was in foreign territory and no one knew my face, I braved it and ordered 2 tongue taquitos along with 2 spicy beef. Holy molely! I wondered why it took so long to make these things, and now I knew. You can't rush art. I have not seen or tasted tacos like this since I was last in Mexico a bazillion years ago. And I think the prices were about the same, well, almost. $6.50 was the total tab which included the controversial coke.

I have a feeling they do a lot more business during the day. The place reeks of good food and good times and a pleasant escape from gardens and the garden state.

[Jason Perlow]

I have a feeling they do a lot more business during the day. The place reeks of good food and good times and a pleasant escape from gardens and the garden state.

They do a very strong breakfast and lunch business, and tend to do more evening business during the weekends.

[Rachel Perlow]

Glenn, I see you were there on a Thursday night. We stopped in on Saturday night and the place was packed. We actually had to wait for a table. Service suffered a little because of it, but the food was as good as ever.

[glenn]

Rachel, I guess you need to change your Mexican dining habit from Saturday to Thursday night.

I should probably start a new thread, but a quick unrelated question. I used to work at Foster Village a zillion years ago (at the dead and bankrupt Fellowship S&L) just up the road. I noticed the kosher deli I used to frequent is still there. Is it still the same owners and is the food still great?

[Jason Perlow]

Rachel, I guess you need to change your Mexican dining habit from Saturday to Thursday night. 

I should probably start a new thread, but a quick unrelated question.  I used to work at Foster Village a zillion years ago (at the dead and bankrupt Fellowship S&L) just up the road.  I noticed the kosher deli I used to frequent is still there.  Is it still the same owners and is the food still great?

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There's a kosher deli up the road? Which shopping center is Foster Village, the one on the intersection of New Bridge Road with the Radio Shack and the new Wallgreens across the street? Thats a bit more than just up the road, thats way up Washington Ave heading toward Teaneck. I've been to the kosher deli in that shopping plaza, its OK. I prefer to stop at the Caribbean joint that makes jamaican patties next door.

[glenn]

Okay, WAY up the road. A nice hike on a crisp fall day. For some reason that deli sticks in my mind as having great knishes, but it's been 10 years since I was there. Back to tongue tacos....

[glenn]

Nice review by Jason in today's Times... I was waiting for the mention of mexican coke :)

[Jason Perlow]

New Photos:

Sopes on the griddle

Sopes closeup

[Rosie]

Great piece Jason. You always find the interesting places that are so enjoyable to read about.

[Jason Perlow]

In case you missed it last time:

We Don't Need No Stinking Taco Bell (click)

[schmooty]

I just wanted to reiterate how much I love this place. I went with my sister tonight and we started off with a black bean soup. At first I wasn't sure if I liked it because the were no whole black beans in it. It was more of a puree. However, as I continued eating it, I enjoyed it more and more. I could really taste the essence of the black beans. Next up was beef taquitos. These were amazing. They were topped w/ lettuce, tomatoes, and a creamy ranch-like sauce. We also tried a pork sope which was just superb. Jason's pictures do them more justice than any words can. For my main dish I ordered Ninos Invueltos (or something very similar sounding). The dish was a pounded and rolled shell steak w/ bacon and cheese in the middle served with peppers, onions, and mushrooms, in a garlicky white sauce. This might be my favorite main dish I have gotten there along with a tilapia dish in a similar sauce. With tax, tip, and 3 sodas, the meal came to $45 and I have some leftovers for some late-night munching. I would VERY highly recommend checking this place out.

-Al

[schmooty]

I forgot to add that my sister had the chile rellenos which were also quite

tasty. It looks like Jason took a picture of those as well.

[Wanimoon]

Me and My Husband Love this place. We try and go once a week. I can't get enough of it. I actually worked at Blue Moon Mexican Cafe in Englewood for 4 years, and you can't even compare it to La Batalla. One of the cool things about working at Blue Moon is that all the cooks were Mexican, so they would always cook their own authenic mexican meals for the staff. I just wish La Batalla had a liqour license. The atmosphere is definitely not "festive" but it almost makes you feel as if you are in a diner in mexico. I haven't tried the Sopes or the chicken soup yet, and I am dying to try them. It's just everytime I'm there, I'm not really in the mood. I also have to get my butt up early enough to try the Huervos rancheros. I'm going there this Saturaday for dinner. We didn't go last week, so we have to make up for it this time. I love the shrimp dishes there and the taquitos are the best!!!

[Rachel Perlow]

I'm pretty sure Santiago would make you the Huevos Rancheros at dinner time if you ask nicely.

[Wanimoon]

I'm pretty sure Santiago would make you the Huevos Rancheros at dinner time if you ask nicely.

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Yeah, i'm sure he would too, we go in just about every week. We didn't go last week and now I'm craving!!!!.....I just hope I can remember to ask him to make it for me.

[fauxtarga]

Just a quick note on the Hillsdale Cinco de Mayo - It seems like this is the same place, the guy from the picture even looks familiar, though it could just be my imagination. I go there almost every time I visit my parents, who live nearby. Their tacos are excellent, though the meat style I find is drier than the meat I got at Tehuitzingo, which makes for a nice textural contrast to the sauce. The Hillsdale branch started out as a small mexican grocery around the block that sold tacos, then they moved into a narrow diner setup next to Ronnie's bagels.

They even had these cool froz-fruit-esque pops that were mango-chile flavored. Excellent. One time I went there for lunch and didn't hear a single word of english.

[markymark]

The reason why the person in the picture looks familiar is that the two owners are brothers. I have eaten at the Cinco de Mayo once. It has about 6-8 counter seats and the place is so narrow that you could probably lean back from the stool and touch the back wall.

The food is similar but the scope is more narrow. The setup is really more for takeout, at least for dinner. When we told the young man behind the counter that we were eating there, he looked confused, and then plates, etc were produced. He wound up being the cook and server and looked surprised to get a tip. While my family was there, though, several take out orders were picked up. The food was good, but I think that there was just a nicer dining experience at La Batalla.