We first told you about Jumpin’ Bean, a new Mexican restaurant slated for 3081 Emmons Avenue, way back in early October. At the time, they had planned to open just a few weeks later.
Then Sandy hit. The entire interior needed to be redone, and all kitchen equipment replaced (the kitchen, mind you, is a few steps below street level).
It took some time, but the restaurant quietly opened its doors on Wednesday, and has asked us to spread the word to our readers.
On a related note, V & S Pizzeria on Emmons, and Munchinette and Delmar’s Pizzeria on Sheepshead Bay Road are all now open as well. Istanbul on Emmons Avenue should be opening any day now, if it’s not already.
I’m going to go get a margarita to celebrate the recovery!
THE BITE: A Mexican-Hawaiian take out restaurant? Only in New York City.
Empire Tortillas Aloha Teriyaki Grill (3556 Nostrand Avenue) is one of those anonymous storefront takeout joints that line Nostrand Avenue from Avenue U to Avenue Z. This nondescript takeout restaurant could pass for any cheap fast food joint, and I’ve passed it by for years, never giving it a thought.
Until recently that is.
One cold day last month, I stopped in for the first time. I was immediately greeted by the friendliest woman I’ve ever encountered in a takeout restaurant. It was an odd time of day and the staff was all seated at a small table and eating their lunch. As she stood to greet me, I explained that I was only picking up a menu and that I didn’t want to interrupt her meal. She handed me the menu saying, “Please come back, you’ll enjoy your food.”
Well, I have come back and I have enjoyed my food, mostly. But what continues to impress me most about Empire Tortillas Aloha Teriyaki Grill is the customer service. These folks are friendly and work to keep the customer happy.
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THE BITE: Twenty-twelve has to be the year the Mexican restaurant established itself in Sheepshead Bay. We’ve seen the opening of El Mexicano Restaurant, and the soon to be open Jumpin’ Bean on Emmons Avenue, as they join La Villita as part of the smattering of Mexican restaurants in the neighborhood. I’ve also noticed a few Mexican food booths popping up in the various groceries and doughnut shops of Avenue U. I endorse this trend.
Tacos El Rey, while not quite in the neighborhood, and not quite new, is probably the granddaddy of them all. Located at 3168 Coney Island Avenue, this nondescript hole-in-the-wall has been quietly serving up authentic Mexican food for more than 10 years.
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Photo: Erica Sherman
THE BITE: Mexican food is sprouting, slowly but surely, in the neighborhood. And they’re taking an interesting path into the food scene.
Don’t look for traditional “restaurants.” Look instead to the back of bodegas, like El Jarochito, or, strangely enough, in doughnut shops.
At Shaikh’s Place, though you may not know it, you can find some of the tastiest tacos in the neighborhood alongside their beloved doughnuts. Just up Avenue U, at El Mexicano Restaurant Y Panaderia Mexicana (1607 Avenue U) they find their toughest competitor. Located in back of Doughnut Connection, El Mexicano Restaurant Y Panaderia Mexicana kicks the game up a notch.
Unlike Shaikh’s Place, where the tacos are just part of the menu, El Mexicano Restaurant Y Panaderia Mexicana has dedicated a large portion of the floor space to a Mexican fast food counter. A true Mexican restaurant lurks here in this mini-food court of Avenue U.
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THE BITE:The Bite exposes our magnanimous publisher’s super secret Mexican restaurant, El Jarochito located just outside of Sheepshead Bay’s borders at 195 Neptune Avenue. From the outside, one would expect a standard bodega, but it’s really a different story inside.
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