Las Poblanitas

This restaurant is closed. Found out today when I tried to eat there for lunch. It’s been replaced with another restaurant, but I was so disappointed, I walked away without writing down the name. Unilocal makes you give a rating, so had to go with one star, although I don’t think it’ll affect their business.

This Mexican place is authentic and has great burritos. FUCK QDOBA, Baja Fresh, and Chipotle for selling cheap imitation mexican crap, Las Poblanitas is where you should go to have REAL Mexican Food

Even though Ninth Avenue is donned «Restaurant Row,» Mid-​Town West is hardly a eater’s galore. If you’re trying to eat authentic anything-​especially Mexican-you’ll be doubly-​disappointed. However, Las Poblanitas might be the only eatery in the Theater-​dominated area that oozes authenticity. At first glance, Las Poblanitas looks more like a target for the Department of Health as opposed to a place to eat, but trust me, amidst the crumbling plaster interior, there is a golden shrine of Mexican food.
Las Poblanitas serves up traditional tacos, enchiladas, burritos, and other Mexican favorites for $ 7.50. That’s right, dinner for under $ 10 in New York City. As if the wallet-​friendly prices weren’t good enough, the serving sizes are huge-​all dishes come with a luxurious side of rice and beans.
Of all the items on their menu, the most memorable was the enchiladas con carnitas (pork) with red sauce. It might seem risky to get pork at a skeezy-​looking joint, but the key is to follow your stomach instead of the Surgeon General. You won’t be disappointed. The tortilla tasted fresh and homemade, the carnitas was juicy and tender, and the red sauce had a traditional bounce to it. Unlike other low-​budget Mexican joints in the area, the beans didn’t taste like they came from a can either.
It might get a zero for décor, but if you’re looking to get filled up with good Mexican food for under $ 10, Las Poblanitas will soon become «su casa.»
Mexican Dishes: $ 7.50
Note: Las Poblanitas also serves breakfast and lunch, and apparently their lunch is the same portion size as their dinner-​but for about half the price.
Contact:
32 West 38^th Street
(212) 629‑0090

For midtown this is a nice spot, reasonable price. $ 7.50 gets you 3 tacos. I recommend getting a torta, most likely a chorizo torta. Good for a quick fast lunch in the rush hour of the daily grunt.

yesiree! …this is a hole in the wall authentic Mexican place. Dingy alright but willing to give it a try as I like to try authentic culture cuisine. I try not to think of dirty (in terms of rats and cleaniness) thoughts as I down the food. My coworker and I hesitated to sit or take the food us as we felt a bit uneasy at the place but we braved it and sat there clutching our purses.
The workers speak very little English but we got by. I wanted to speak some Spanish to them but I think I would offend them as my spanish is not very good.
They gave us a menu and I ordered the enchiladas with bisteca (steak) which came with beans, rice and lettuce laced with sour cream. The steak part was not tender or marinated but more a tough flank steak. The wrap part was baked… healthier than a cheese laden greasy wrap. The beans tasted like it came out of a can and the rice was dry. Overall, food is bearable but definitely had better… if this was priced less than $ 6, then it would be a steal but I paid $ 8 and with a snapple, tax and tip, it came to $ 12.
another note — I think the waitress is either overcharging us a $ 1 or the menus have not been updated. we didn’t challenge and assume the menus haven’t been updated.

Okay, I was warned by Jamie S. that the veggie options at this place probably wouldn’t be so great, but I was still sad that she was right. I got cheese enchiladas, and if it weren’t for the salsa verde, they would have been completely tasteless. The cheese inside wasn’t even melted — just big chunks. The beans tasted like they came right from a can and onto my plate. My boyfriend liked his chorizo taco, but the fried stuffed pepper taco wasn’t even warm. I guess the prices are okay, but the food just isn’t up to par for me (unlike, say, Taqueria y la Fonda on the UWS). I would probably go back, but I’d definitely try something else. One extra star for the ridiculous posters on the walls (and ceiling).

You can get a pretty cheap mexican lunch at this little joint. I am not the biggest burrito fan so I go with the tacos ($ 3 each or 3 for $ 7.50) or a torta. I usually stick with the chorizo filling, its a little gamey and full of spicy flavor, but I plan on trying the al pastor next time. There are tables to eat at with semi-​waiter service. This is not a high class establishment, but its pretty solid food, quick and filling.
Check out the ceiling poster of some sexy senoritas who love to drink Corona in club attire.

Seriously? Comon Unilocalers, you don’t know authentic Mexican food unless you’ve scrapped the shady parts of Southern California or gone to the non-​tourist areas in Mexico. Sadly Las Poblanitas does not live up to its true Mexican brethren’s standards. I was so excited walking in, hoping that the scummy floor, drunk and passed out patrons, restroom lacking soap and cleanliness would mean that I had hit the authentic Mexican hole-​in-​the-​wall jackpot.
Unfortunately I only got half-​heartedly made tacos that tasted nowhere near the real things and a run-​in with the resident drunk who tried to steal my jacket. I’m only thankful for one thing — that I’m not sitting on the toilet right now, cursing my curiosity’s existence. Cash only, if you actually still want to go to Los Poblanitas.

True Mexican fare? Really? It is a hole in the wall, but the food is nothing but too expensive for eh food. I walked away really wondering where the $ 20 bucks went. Ive visited many great hole in the wall Mexican joints, but this place needs some serious help, perhaps a visit from the health department too…

I was going to give ‘em 4 stars– BUT…
i went here twice in one week, once on a monday — got a decent sized pollo burrito for 4 bucks flat. delish, complete with a lil chopped onions n cilantro, sourcream and gwac fixins on the side. woulda been an easy 4 stars based on authenticity and price and I was like ‘goodbye chipolte’.
SO, I humbly return at the end of the week friday and try to order the same burrito and but this time ask for some chips on the side. this time there was a guy there who spoke decent english, as opposed to monday when it was just the ladies who spoke no english at all. So he goes thats 3 bucks extra for chips and i give him the ‘what’ look and then he goes ‘ok for you 2bucks’. So in my head im like cool 6 bucks burrito and some chips n salsa…
when he finally rings me up i ask him how much is the burrito and he goes 8 bucks?! plus 2 bucks for the chips– 10 bucks… this time I decided to dine in… his reasoning: he has two size burritos the special lunch ‘4buck’ smaller’ burrito and i guess was on the printed menu the 8 buck burrito… THEY WERE THE SAME SIZE! (SHADY!) I didnt feel like getting into an arguement, it was lunch and i was starving, but do i look like i have SUCKER stamped on my forehead?!
i ate in the corner– trying to enjoy my delicious burrito but had that dirty wet mop smell creep up on me every once in a while while watching those sexy novella girls in bikini’s.
sorry yall — only doin take out now. and only ordering from your ‘special’ on the wall menu.

Ever wanted to cross the border just to find out what true mexican food is? well this is it, a genuine taqueria if you dare enter.
prices are cheap as they should be, generous portions, and if I were Mexican, this is where I’d come on a hint of any homesickness. You can fill up on $ 4, or gorge yourself on $ 8. Options include tamales, even posole, and if you order anything with a hard shell, including chips, they’re fried fresh to order. the green salsa is mildly hot, very good, and compliments the mexican soft rock jams going on.
Negra Modelo for $ 4!

This is a serious hole in the wall establishment with some incredibly delicious Mexican fare.
The atmosphere is rather cozy with a TV broadcasting some great Spanish soap operas and numerous patron’s just hanging out and enjoying the company.
The times I’ve visited I’ve always had non-​English speaking service so be prepared to stumble through your order with your limited Spanish combined with your hand signals.
The food is very well priced and the quality is top notch.

A true blessing in disguise, Las Poblanitas is one of the few places I am willing to consider as a true dive and authentic option for Mexican fare. For those who are questioning the standard and quality of Mexican food, try this place and see if it satiates the cravings that many of us from the South or West coast have so often.
Its dingy, its not even completely clean, and most of the best items are premade and gone by dinner time. Hence, this is a great lunch spot or early dinner area so as long as they still have most of their items available. If not, its made immediately on the spot in the back in what can be described as home cooking fashion. In short, the food is fabulous, the portions are great, the prices are quite good, and the service is fantastic.
The tamales are only $ 2.00 each and are thick yet delicious. The corn meal inside is smooth in texture and rich in taste. The tamales con pollo y queso is my favorite, as they make a great snack and beat a hot pocket any day. The macarrones con queso y pollo ($ 4) (essentially mac and cheese with chicken + Oaxaca cheese) is a border dish that is common up north but not so big here in the states. This dish is available on a limited basis and is a great dish. Their burritos ($ 5 – 6) are stacked, big enough qualify as a brick if frozen. The tostadas ($ 4) are decorated with lots of sauce and lettuce, with ample amounts of meat within and a crispy corn tortilla layer below.
Most of the patrons here have been hispanic for the most part, mainly Mexican if anything. Speaking Spanish here is almost a must as most of the staff is unable to communicate in English (yes, its that authentic!). Despite the fact the takeout menus say they deliver, this is no longer the case. Some of the dishes are only made once a week and one would have to call in to find out which dishes are available during that day. It may sound like a hassle but its a hassle I’m willing to go through in order to eat the best Mexican in the Garment District.

I have to agree with the other reviews, this place is a hole in the wall and not much and speaking spanish would be a great help, but the food is excellent, with large portions and some of the best mexican I have had in the city. Well worth the visit. Huevos rancheros now will run you $ 6 and is enough for two meals.

This is by far the most authentic Mexican restaurant, with the greatest value, I’ve found in NY. It’s also another of my favorite lunch spots… as well as breakfast spots.
Hailing from Southern California, I refuse to pay an arm and a leg for Mexican food. Back home it’s street food. It’s what you get from the taco truck at 3am when you’re still buzzing and can’t drive home yet.
So one day, I was searching for some Mexican rice to go with this turkey chili I had made. I trudged up and down 8^th and 9^th Avenues in the Garment District, during my lunch hour, poking my head into every hole in the wall place I could find, until I happened upon this gem.
It was a bit run down… small… kind of scary looking… but there were people inside. People who were eating. The workers barely spoke English. Most of the people eating there barely spoke English. I could practice my Spanish. It was perfect!
So for $ 2 I got my side of Mexican rice and went back to work happy.
The next week I started going back regularly.
I tried the huevos rancheros. For $ 5 I got this huge container full of food. I had three eggs, on top of six tortillas, rice, beans, cheese, salsa… It was amazing. And amazingly yummy. It turned into my brunch that day.
Next I got the chicken burrito. Never have I had such a tasty chicken burrito. It was juicy and flavorful, nowhere near dry and stringy like most chicken would be in chicken burritos. No sauce needed! And it was huge too!
Then I tried the chicken tacos. YUM. It was the same chicken as in the burrito, but with a fresh fried shell (because I asked for crunchy) and they were only $ 1 each. I like the crunchy shells better than the soft ones here, because the soft ones can sometimes be a bit dry.
Oh, and I can’t forget their chips. They’re fresh fried. With fresh guacamole. Except you have to get there early to get the guac, because they tend to run out by the end of lunch.
So why the four stars? As much as I love the food, I have to question the sanitation. Who wouldn’t, with a kitchen that’s about 3 feet square, tucked into the corner of the restaurant. Still, God made dirt and dirt don’t hurt. So until it does, I’ll be going back!

You’ll probably discover Las Poblanitas because of a guy standing on the corner of 38^th and 8^th advertising $ 1 tamales. Unlike some of the other cheap eats in the Garment District, you won’t have any problems finding this small restaurant, open 7 days a week from 7 AM to 2 AM. I usually go for the 3 taco special. They’re respectable. Recently I took a look a the daily specials and ordered the maccarrones y queso con pollo — macaroni and cheese with chicken.
The macaroni and cheese is mixed with chicken, topped with queso oaxaca, and accompanied by a kind of picadillo/​salad mix. A small bowl of their mild heat green salsa adds a nice depth to the dish. That queso oaxaca is a real treat. Some of the chicken pieces have small bones, so chew carefully. Other pieces had cartilage, which were soft and edible. The portion was just right, the overall flavor was pleasant but seemed a bit faint. The cilantro didn’t stand out as much as it did at Vasconcellos. I have no basis for comparison of this dish, but for $ 4 I was pleased.
This is a restaurant worth sitting in for its particular charm. There’s a TV that sometimes shows really bizarre Latin soap operas. The jukebox provides removes you from the rush of 8^th Ave. Even if you sit down, you should check out the steam trays and ask what the day’s specials are. The steam trays usually contain items not on the menu, and are often what people order to go. The menu is surprisingly long. Granted, many of these are variations on a theme (e.g. 8 types of quesadillas, all listed individually), but the kitchen seems awfully small. Many of the typical entrees are around $ 8, but there are plenty of options in the $ 5 – 6 range. I like Jarritos, but you can also buy beer here. Most are $ 3.
The food doesn’t particularly grab me, but it’s honest food, honest folks, and fast service. I’ll go here over Pax any day.