Boca Chica

[Pan]

In the Two Days in Manhattan thread, AzianBrewer stated that Boca Chica presents "awesome Latino fare." I've walked past the place hundreds of times but I don't think I've ever eaten there. Is the food really so great? And how are their drinks?

[alacarte]

Funny, I thought it was "awesome" when it first opened in the early 90s, but last time I ate there (last year?) I thought the food was tired and the restaurant just too damn loud. But maybe it's just a sign that I'm just too damn old.

To be more specific -- I can't recall exactly what I had a year ago, but I do remember plaintains (good), rice and beans (too salty) and a fish dish that also was way, way too salty. I do remember that the drinks were large and packed a good punch.

[JennyUptown]

When I still lived in NYC, it was one of my go-to's for inexpensive EV fare. It is loud, but in my slightly younger years, I thought of that as a good thing. You know, "atmosphere."

[juuceman]

In the Two Days in Manhattan thread, AzianBrewer stated that Boca Chica presents "awesome Latino fare." I've walked past the place hundreds of times but I don't think I've ever eaten there. Is the food really so great? And how are their drinks?

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far from authentic.. good, reasonably prices food, trendy vibe, nice place to meet a friend for drinks and dinner.. my girlfriend (an East Village resident) goes here a few times a year with her girlfriends for a reasonable meal in a fun atmosphere.. you're out for about $25 per person, with an entree and a cocktail.. they've got great plaintain chips and a back bean dip, gratis, to start with.. this is probably the highlight of the meal though, as it's all i really remember after a few visits..

contrast with Flor's Kitchen a few blocks up, which serves much better food in a smaller, less sceney surrounding, for about the same price..

pick accordingly..

[David Lerner]

Their vegetarian green chile is delicious, and they serve excellent flour tortillas with it. (I think they offer basically the same chile as a burrito filling or quesadilla filling as well.) It's a great value sort of place, but it is too loud for me.

[Bux]

As I recall, it was the noise that most left me with no desire to repeat the experience. In regard to the inauthenticity which is usually a very subjective thing, we found it inauthentic in regard to food we knew well and inauthentic in a way that didn' timprove it for us.

Noise is also subjective. There are noisy restaurants we frequent, but not with others as it's one thing to carry on a conversation with the person in front of you at a small table, but another more difficult thing to converse with someone at an opposite corner of a table.

[Stone]

If it's the place I'm thinking of, very good coconut mojitos.

[AzianBrewer]

In the Two Days in Manhattan thread, AzianBrewer stated that Boca Chica presents "awesome Latino fare." I've walked past the place hundreds of times but I don't think I've ever eaten there. Is the food really so great? And how are their drinks?

←

Perhaps "awesome" is an overstatement. But it's sure better than Cafe con Leche in UWS and Cabana.

[Pan]

I don't know Cabana but did have a nice dinner at Cafe con Leche a few months ago. I hadn't been there for years, but have never had anything less than a tasty meal there on other visits, either.

Where's Cabana?

[AzianBrewer]

I don't know Cabana but did have a nice dinner at Cafe con Leche a few months ago. I hadn't been there for years, but have never had anything less than a tasty meal there on other visits, either.

Where's Cabana?

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There are 3 locations of Cabana.

1022 3rd Ave,

New York 10021

Btwn 60th & 61st St

South Street Seaport

10710 70th Rd

Forest Hills, NY 11375