NYCReview
photo credit: David Lee
El Mitote
El Mitote makes the Upper West Side’s best Mexican food, including everything from Baja fish tacos to Guadalajara-style specialties (where the owner grew up).
Order a comida corrida platter that comes with rice, warm corn tortillas, and, the star of the plate, the brothy black beans. These black beans have the consistency of a stew and the lingering herbaceous flavor of epazote. When we eat these beans, everything else becomes a side dish.
Another reason to order the comida corrida platters is because they arrive at your table on bright-colored trays. It wouldn’t be wrong to think of this place as a neighborhood cafeteria for people who have fun and enjoy tangy tomatillo salsa - but with food that far exceeds the underwhelming expectations of a school lunch.
You probably won’t be the only one trying to eat at El Mitote for daily brunch or dinner, whether that’s outside on the patio next to a family of four or indoors where a couple friends are drinking rounds of margaritas. We recommend Mitote for anything from a date to dinner with your family. Just show up on the early side if you don’t want to wait for a table since they don’t accept reservations.
photo credit: David Lee
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Food Rundown
photo credit: David Lee
Comida Corrida With Shrimp
El Mitote serves seven different protein options for this dish, but we particularly like the version with lightly fried chipotle garlic shrimp. They’re about the size of a quarter if a quarter had three dimensions, and mild enough to act as a foil for all of the salsas, onion-laden Mexican red rice, and beans.
photo credit: David Lee
Fish Tacos
A good way to start at El Mitote if you’re doing some soul searching for an appetizer. Each order comes with three tacos in your choice of tortilla (we like flour for fish tacos). They’re beer-battered then fried, and work well with the acidic cabbage slaw and radishes standing by.
photo credit: David Lee
Enchiladas Suizas
The beauty of El Mitote’s chicken enchilada dish lies in the blanket of molten, almost crackly fried white cheese on top. This makes every bite of the tortilla layers contrast from soft to crispy, not to mention savory from the pulled chicken then spicy from the tomatillo sauce bath on the bottom. As if this dish needed to get better, it also comes with a side of brothy Guadalajara-style black beans.
photo credit: David Lee
Margaritas
Need we say more?
