I am a huge fan of Mexican food – especially tacos. La Esquina Taqueria, a fast casual Mexican eatery in Midtown just a few blocks from Central Park, offers tacos, quesadillas and tortas, along with a selection of hot sauces, juices, margs and beer. Their tacos are hearty enough to be a quick lunch to go in the middle of a workday or a touristy day in midtown, but the place also has several small tables where you can sit and hang over some margs and guac. And if you can’t get enough of the shop’s hot sauces, you can even buy a bottle to take home with you….
I can’t remember the last time I had a quesadilla, but all of the tacos and quesadillas at La Esquina Taqueria are made with gluten-free corn tortillas! We split chips (which are gluten-free!) and guac, which had optional additions of jalapenos, cilantro, tomato and chopped onions. The guac also served as a great topping and dip for our vegetable quesadilla and a selection of steak, chicken and barbacoa tacos. I was psyched to have a quesadilla and it was deliciously cheesy, stuffed with small white and purple (!) cauliflower florets, and it tasted great dipped in our freshly made guac or drizzled in one of the Mexican hot sauces that sat at each table. Despite being only a few dollars each, our tacos were packed with protein and we were definitely full after having a couple. They also had a special ham and cheese Croque Monseuir-like taco on the menu. The only thing on the menu that isn’t GF: the tortas, which are made on Amy’s bread and look like hamburgers. But you can enjoy all the chips and tortillas worry-free – there’s no cross-contamination in La Esquina Taqueria’s kitchen.
Overall, La Esquina Taqueria has everything you need to get your gluten-free Mexican fix, whether you’re a vegetarian or meat lover, cheese fiend or are dairy-free, hot sauce fanatic or someone who prefers their Mexican non-spicy. Definitely pick up a taco (or three!) next time you’re heading to Central Park or about to hop on the 57th Street Subway.
