Florencia 13

Just walked by this place last night to find it is closed! I am completely devastated — having been born and raised in Arizona this was the only place in NYC that brought me back home to my favorite Mexican food. Please come back!

Authentic Cal-​Mex food really delivers.
ON the coldest night of the year, I was so hungry for great chips and guac.
The place was oh so cold because of the temperature outside, but my friend and I really enjoyed the bartender– part of the family who owns the spot. And all the male heteronormative chatter at the bar with all different kinds of NYC men.
I wish it was warmer soI could partake in more ice cold beer, but nevertheless the place is clean, humble, and severely delicious.
So fresh and authentic.
Looking forward to seeing the bartender’s new spot in the LES. I’m sure it’ll be great!

I came here late Saturday (probably around 1 AM) with two others. We had been out and wanted one more drink and food before bed. I’ve wanted to try Florencia for quite some time (I live one block over) but its always super crowded, so I was happy to see open spots when we swung by. We all ordered margaritas and the bartender/​owner did an awesome, patient job recommending inexpensive, but good, tequilas for my husband to sip on.
I had a giant bowl of guac while my friends ordered tacos. Overall, it was all delicious. The real standout was the margarita though. It was light and fresh, but strong. I’ve been thinking about it all week.
Definitely check this place out.

Tried to give this place a shot as it is local for me and was so disappointed. Way $$$$$ and Bambeleo across the street is the way better bet.

For lots of NYU students and West Village visitors, Florencia 13 presents perfectly fine locale for a margarita and some conversation. After all the establishment screams bar far more than it does restaurant and it shows. There is supposedly many elements that would make this a Cali-​Mex inspired spot, but the food doesn’t seem to match up.
The interior is dark and intimate with some funky décor that would make Robert Rodriguez and perhaps a few LA vatos proud. Boasting outdoor seating during the day and neon lighting in the night, there is a seedy yet guilty pleasure vibe that lends itself to drinks before anything else. Their margaritas are potent and the tequila shots are deadly. The ever popular «Homie-​rita» gets a slow clap for a guaranteed good time.
Having had too many of the aforementioned drinks in the past, it was the only precursor attempt in appreciating the food. Sober, it’s hard to look past a lot of issues. Burritos are bland, tortas are totally mas-​o-​menos, tacos are extremely disappointing and even the salsa for the complimentary nachos is lacking. Maybe the chile-​relleno just had a bad day or the enchiladas just went flavorless. I get that this is supposed to have a Cali-​Mex edge to the food, but it is really nothing beyond NYC-​Mex, which is stereotypically just mediocre.
The wait staff has been a little more absent minded than the bartenders in my experience. Maybe it’s because I’ve visited during their busiest times (happy hour, dinner service) and they’re just too flustered to get my orders right. The same cannot be said for the bartenders, who are friendly and calm, all while magically preparing a serious alcoholic concoction.
And so it goes, I can’t endorse the food but that doesn’t mean a good time can’t be had here. Bring good company and get ready to quench your thirst for tequila.

In a neighborhood dominated by students and their families, this place feels like a homey, Chicano spot with a California vibe.
The margaritas are definitely a draw. I like the flaca (made with fruit juice and no simple syrup) and the flaming (made in a pint glass). Both are $ 13, a bit steep, even by neoyorkino prices.
The food is decent. I’ve had most of the items on the menu over the years. Most recently, I ordered the guacamole, and it was off (sour, overripe, whatever). I told the bartender, and ordered something else. He apologized and comped us an order of chips and salsa. We had the queso fondido, which was amazing, creamy and rich, with ground beef on top and warm corn tortillas on the side.
The décor here is fun and the servers are friendly and all connected to the owner (not from New York themselves but definitely interested in the neighborhood).

If you are from California, I think you will really enjoy this place.

Kind service but the bartender, who was also the only server, was more interested in sitting and chatting with other guests than checking in on us and caused us to miss a second round of happy hour, by mere minutes. Most bartenders would let it slide but no such luck.
Fajitas were the special but the meat involved was pitiful — more like the leftovers you feed your pet. The flavor was good but there was just no substance.
Only three small tortillas for the meal and with more than half our food left over charged us $ 4 for extra, which seemed exorbitant.
All in all, not the worst dinning experience I’ve ever had, but I certainly won’t be back. I’d recommend better happy hours in the area.

This is a small spot with some outdoor seating! I had their florencia 13 beef burrito (always go after what they’re named after, right?). It was pretty plain and I wished they had more filling to ‘em (perhaps if there was some guac, cheese, etc?). I’d probably order something else instead!

Delivery was literally dog food. Two stars because the delivery guy was nice. Burrito was basically a «wet pocket»

It’s rare to find a little slice of Los Angeles, Chicano-​Style, in New York City. In fact, some of my SoCal transplant friends who have now made NY their home, complain, especially, how rare it is to find food that looks and tastes like the original.
I’d say Florencia 13 goes beyond that. Decorated on the walls and surroundings of the restaurant is some of the most fantastic LA inspired art and décor that you can find in NYC and throw in the music selection, you feel like a little East LA just joined you for dinner. I will be coming back to take a better look at what’s up on the walls and to listen to a really great selection of old-​school (west coast) hip-​hop.
Food and drinks are creatively titled and well made: My friend Jess and I had the fajitas (which were slamming! The chicken, onions and peppers were juicy and crisp at the same time! I felt like I was eating from my Uncle’s grill) and the taco salad, which was simple, but fresh and filling (though I normally order the Burrito, and last time I came to Florencia, I ordered a second one because the first was that good). We spent 3 hours there over dinner and a couple of margaritas, the staff was attentive, but never tried to over sell us desserts or extras like you might encounter at most restaurants in the area. It was laid back, the way I like it and at the end of the night, I decided I wanted to meet the manager. Lennard couldn’t have been more sincere and awesome, a young cat from Echo Park who has been in the West Village for years, and understands New York City even though his roots are LA.
I highly recommend this restaurant, not just because this is Mexican food done right, but because of the ambiance and the energy, which is really fun, positive, honest and down to earth, well crafted by the owners and the staff.
I live in Brooklyn, and rarely come to the city to eat anymore, but I’d go the extra 25 minutes to Florencia 13 any day. That’s how much I appreciate what they do and how they do it there.

I’m basing this review purely on the drinks, guac and atmosphere. I wasn’t very inspired by the food menu.
In any case, Florencia 13 is a little nook right off of Houston. The space itself is organized well, with low lightly and all that jazz. My friend and I had the back table all to ourselves (it was a Wed night) and we ordered the Spicy Guac so that we could just sit down.
For drinks, I had the Michelado and my friend had the Homie-​rita. ALRIGHT. The Michelado was eh — it definitely felt like they didn’t calibrate the proportion of hot sauce to beer. The Homie-​rita was hilarious. I didn’t taste it but it looks like any other Marg with a little «homie» figurine plopped on top. Hygiene issues aside, I thought it was a playful idea.
This place has potential!

OK First off, I’m from Los Angeles and have lived in NYC area for 4 years. THERE IS NO MEXICAN FOOD IN NYC! Until I found Florencia 13! The name was the first thing I noticed walking by one day. Anyone from LA KNOWS what Florencia 13 is, so I looked at the menu and it was full of city names I grew up with. So I had to try it.
We went for my birthday at the end of March and got a table right away at around 8:45pm on a Friday. It’s a small place, decorated in low rider style. The music playing sent me right back to LA — lots of rap and old school. We were greeted as soon as we walked in. The menu isn’t huge, but it had a little of everything. The guacamole was fantastic! We got 2 margaritas, a Flaming-​Rita and a Homie-​Rita. The Flaming-​Rita was like a Cadillac margarita and it WAS flaming. Very good and served in a regular pint glass. I hate margarita glasses. The Homie-​Rita was sweeter but the best part was the Homie. If anyone is from LA and they remember going to Ralphs and seeing the $ 0.25 machines, you remember Homies. Little plastic Vatos wearing Locos, or bandanas. Well one of those came in the drink!
I ordered the City of Angeles which is a little of everything. My idea is if a place calls themselves ‘Mexican’ they better know the basics. So it was a hard taco, soft taco and an enchilada. The soft taco was AMAZING! It was straight street style. The carnitas was one of the best I’ve ever had. They use shredded beef in their hard taco, which is traditional. (No hard taco at a Mexican place should be ground beef). My boyfriend had the Terrace Burrito wet. It was really good. I am definitely getting the carnitas again. I can’t wait to go back.
Right before we left the owners son came over and I thanked him and told him it brought me back home. Turns out his dad is from Watts! Can’t really get much more LA then that.
Try this place! It is really good. And that’s coming from someone that’s lived off Mexican food my entire life. This is as close to real Mexican food in NYC that I have found.
And everyone was very nice.

Came here for happy hour. Their margaritas were $ 5 and beer was $ 4. The beer selection was great and the service was good. The bar definitely has a Día de Muertos vibe to it. Will definitely go back if I’m in the area for a drink.

Looking for a last minute spot on Valentine’s Day isn’t easy and the five of us stumbled onto Florencia 13.
Great atmosphere and a friendly, low-​key vibe that Friday night. And some of the best music I’ve heard at a bar in a long time. Interesting cocktail menu too, with some nice margaritas (just a few beer selections covering the Latin bases).
I’m with Stephanie H’s review with a 5 for atmosphere and a 3 for the food. Remember, a 3 for food doesn’t mean it’s bad, it just means it’s OK. There were no complaints at our table (although no raves either).
For example, the fish tacos just needed a little kick — a tangy slaw, or sauce to tie it together. The red chili was a little too salty. On the other hand, the guacamole was done nice, as was the quesadilla and grilled corn.
The service was friendly and well-​meaning, but no so fast.
All in all, if your looking for a solid meal and a fun place to hang out with your friends for awhile, you won’t be disappointed in Florencia 13.

5 stars for atmosphere, 3 for food. Would give it a solid 3.5 if I could.
We went here on Friday when Lupa had a two hour wait, as I used to go fairly often in my 20s when I hung out in the area more often.
The place is west-​coast inspired Mexican. The vibe is warm, friendly, and fun.
We sat next to the space heater which was divine, as the temp was in the single digits that night! The staff is super nice, though they are really bad at checking on tables, refilling drinks, etc. I think it’s part of that «We are from Cali and you don’t need to rush, thing.» The place is owned by a family originally from LA, I think. Ok– I dig it– kind of. But we did have to ask for napkins 4 times and some hot sauce 3 times— we also had to wait 10 – 15 min before we got to fill in our drink order and refills required all four of us to simultaneously flag the waiter over!
Also 5 stars for the drinkies— the Homie-​Rita is awesome. Very strong, served in a pint glass. Comes with little homie figurines, which are so much fun to play around with once you’ve gotten your buzz!
The 3 really comes into play when it comes to the food. They don’t serve you chips for free, which is kind of lame. We ordered chips and guac, but the portion wasn’t large enough for 4 people (it’s ideal for 2), so we had to order chips and salsa, too. I got the special– chicken fajitas– and the chicken was scarce (for $ 16) and not really seasoned. I actually couldn’t eat the veggies because they were SO over-​salted. Salt seemed to be the only seasoning they used on the entrée. Dish was served with 2 tortillas (lame) and a very meager portion of rice and beans. No guac, no salsa, no sour cream. It wasn’t a lot of food for the money and the food itself was just «ok». I’ve had way better fajitas at other places. I didn’t leave hungry– but I did leave un-​satisfied.
However, I will say that I used to get their chicken tacos and those, from what I remember, were very good. Chicken was seasoned and the sides were very generous. My friend got the pork tacos and loved them. My two other companions ordered burritos and were also happy with their choices, so I wouldn’t say the food is bad across the board– it was just my experience and particular entrée.

I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed Florencia 13 yet… I must have started to and then probably was so distracted from all the tequila I never made it to a post! Well here you go, the long overdue review of an okay mexican restaurant with a lot of charm and FANTASTIC margaritas!
The food at Florencia 13 is farily blah mexican style food and definitely won’t hold up to the tastes of your California or Texas friends so don’t even try… Don’t come here for the food, come here because the ambiance is great — named after an LA gang the rumor is the owners are ex-​gang members who moved here to apparenly become restauranteurs… nice transition fellows!
This is a great spot for a work group to come, there is one large table in the back that can accomodate a fairly hefty size party, the rest of the restaurant is 2 and 4 tops so if you’re bringing a group call ahead and get there early! And be prepared to stumble your way in to a cab after happy hour…

I live right next door and it actually took me 6 months to ever set foot inside here. BIG MISTAKE!
I wouldn’t classify this as your typical Mexican joint, it is Southern California style and the décor is a mix of East L. A meets a burlesque show (it’s all the red). The music is old school, maybe my favorite touch.
As for the food, it’s great. I’m a huge fan of the burritos, Playa Del Ray (Tilapia, Picco De Gallo, rice, beans as well as the Santa Monica (Shredded Chicken). It’s just the right size of a serving to fill you up for a meal. You should also try the Flaming Margarita, and get your instagram ready.

All I can take away for is the price which was a bit steep. Without the google offer we used we spent over $ 100 on dinner. (however this did include non happy-​hour priced drinks.
Highlights: The Santa Monica burrito was great. I had it mojado and it came with a small amount of shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes.
The Homie-​rita, which Armin L. had was good (I’m taking his word because turning 21 resulted in a brief and torrid love affair with a bottle of 1800 that left me completely nauseated by just the smell of it.)
Interesting décor, pleasant staff, more seating downstairs and pretty popular during late night dinner.
viva la raza!

Mega Watt Mexican flavor is what I love about this SoCal Mex. spot. It is not a cheap eats spot, but the food rocks out with real taste…
Ate:
Chips (homemade) w/​tasty salsa & chunky guac.
WET burrito w/​veggies (calabacin)
Elote
When you taste the salsa your mouth goes– OH YEAH! not oh no! like some other bland Mex. spots. My food bill was $ 26 w/​leftover burrito, but my mouth thanked me.