I eat mexican food ALL the time, but by the time I’m done indulging in several orders of chips and other enticing appetizers, I’m usually too full to order a main course, especially tacos! Furthermore, tacos are typically made with flour tortillas which is a no-go for us nobread-ers. After eating the tacos at Otto’s Tacos, a fast-casual Mexican restaurant in the East Village, I’ve realized that tacos need to be added to my dining-out rotation; these tacos are incredible and have my vote for the best tacos in New York City…
The tortillas at Otto’s Tacos are 100% gluten free, as are most of the items on the menu. They are 99% corn with a touch of rice flour; nobread perfection! Balls of masa dough are flattened into a tortilla and cooked on a tortilla-making machine. These shells are a bit thicker than shells I’ve had in the past and they are really filling! Ordering at Otto’s is simple- there are 5 tacos and you can pair your taco with a recommended sauce or a sauce of your choosing. The shrimp taco was my absolute favorite. This taco is paired with serrano cream, so if you are nodairy like myself, you should choose another sauce that suits your liking. I paired my shrimp with guacamole and it was UNBELIEVABLE. I also ordered the chicken taco and carne asada taco– both were incredible, too. So what CAN’T you have? Unfortunately the carnitas taco and the churro have gluten, so definitely avoid. Also, anything fried (like the masa fries and chips used with the guacamole) is subject to cross contamination.
Now, to save the best for last, the masa fries and the guacamole. Literally ADDICTING. Masa is dough made from corn flour, and these fries taste similar to polenta fries. Corn tortilla chips are served with the guacamole, but I used the masa fries with the guac and was amazed at how great the combination was. The guacamole at Otto’s Tacos is also some of the best guacamole in New York City. The guacamole is simple; there is no tomato and it’s not loaded with additional ingredients, just the way I like it.