Tulcingo Deli Vl

Came here for the first time and ordered one of the specials «pipian verde de pollo”(spice chicken on sauce) when I start going in my chicken I notice it was raw and told the waitress, she gave a bad attitude and asked me «SO WHAT DO YOU WANT?»
I told her to give me some thing else and after that she just start to be mean to my wife and kids.
I don’t think I’ll come back in here!

What do you tell someone that speaks Spanish? If you «Tellcinco» then you just asked them for 5 of something. If you «Tellchinga» then you will either get beaten up, or made love to. I’m not sure which of these concepts led to the naming of this deli, but it’s open to interpretation.
What to get: Tacos.
What else: Tellchinga.
The tacos here were pretty standard. I had asada and pastor. They were nicely flavoured and enjoyable, and in a city with limited fantastic taco options, they may even have scored a 5, but I’m going to stick with a 4 for these ones.
The reason they only score a 4 is pretty simple. The service here is awful. The woman ringing up my partner in crime treated her like she absolutely hated her. There was snarkiness, resentment and pissiness. I’m not sure why. Partly because she wasn’t sure what she wanted. But nobody else was ordering at the time, so I’m not sure what the big deal was.
In any case, due to the average food and horrendous service, I probably won’t come back for a second try. However my rating is based purely on the food and it’s a solid 4.

I really was not impressed with the quality of tacos frome here. Ordered the Pastor, Pollo and Bistec tacos with a side of guacamole. They were $ 2.50 a piece and really not too hot when I opened them up.
It seemed like the food was either par-​cooked or kept in a steam table and not cooked fresh to order. How I can tell that this is the case, tacos came out super fast. When I order tacos any other place it takes quite a bit of time not very long but not like fast food.
Same thing with the cebolla and pablano chile pepper these were definitely pre-​cooked and not fresh to order.
Flavor was lacking severly and the guacamole was bland and limp. The guacamole was like pudding not chunky and very thin and drippy uggghhh why do I torture myself.
Pass Pass Pass!

Whereas I was expecting Bronco to be a sit-​down and ended up eating from a truck, I was expecting Tulcingo to be a deli and ended up being a lovely sit-​down!
My bf and I were pretty stuffed at this point in our Sunset Park taco tour, so we got the Arabes and Pastor to go, and dug in after we got home.
The Arabes was heavenly — truly a flavorful combination of east and west. My tastebuds still dream about the rich flavor and succulent texture. It was a five-​star experience, even after the long car-​ride back to the top of Brooklyn.
The Pastor was pretty decent, but nothing to write home about. Go wild and try the Arabes over (or in addition to) whatever your go-​to might be.

This place seemed to be the best Mexican restaurant within a few blocks radius from where I was, and after checking out a few reviews — I tried it! First thing I noticed was the décor. My chair’s padding was slashed, with the stuffing coming out. We were kind of free to sit anywhere, I am not sure if they seat people here. The music was BLASTING very loudly (pop songs, not traditional mexican) and it was really annoying. There was only one other table when we came in, but the service was a little hands off. Our water wasn’t refilled the whole time, until I asked for more towards the end of the meal. Food was a little slow to come out, especially since we were the only ones there.
Now as for the food itself? My chicken with cheese enchilada tasted great! The sauce was amazing, and the chicken grilled just right, hiding underneath plenty of cheese. The presentation was sloppy, the meal looked thrown together without too much care for how it looked. The guacamole was a little too bland, not enough cilantro. We also had to ask for chips… because it didn’t come with any. Odd. The chips were very greasy and oily.
Considering the prices, I think I would come back to try it again if I couldn’t find anything better… just have to cross my fingers and hope it’s good.

I’ve only ordered out, have never eaten at the restaurant. I’ve only ordered their tortas, but I’ve always enjoyed them. Will sit down soon. Their portions looked good. My friend ordered a burrito once, looked massive. Friendly service.

Al pastor and carne asado tacos are bomb! Very fast service too. I want to come back to try the desserts.

3.5
Pretty decent tacos, but you’re spoiled for choice in this neighbourhood and Tulcingo can’t hold it’s own against the big boys like El Broncos or Matamoros or even the food counters in South Park Slope like Reyes & Guerrero.
Some of the accoutrements (limes, radish) were dry and tired and I would’ve liked more flavour from the al pastor. Highly recommend the cactus and chorizo, though.
Really nice people running this joint — pulled out a chair for me while I waited on take out and asked if I wanted to watch soccer.

Went for dinner last night. After reading the reviews, I had to try the Tacos Arebes! Wow! Those were worth the trek to Sunset Park. But the Carnitas was awful. So bad that I had to spit it out. It was full of fat and something that looked like pig ear.
Which is why they are getting 3 stars. The rice and beans were good, full of lard and creamy like they should be.
May try them again for the Al Pastor and Carne Asada tacos.
Cold Beer also a plus!

Absolutely disgusting!!! Been there once and was served some mystery meat. Ordered Carnitas and was served some very poorly cooked Tripes. When asked about it the waitress grined and walked away. Took 1 bite and spit back out. I also couldn’t shake the sense the kitchen staff was staring at me when my order arrived. Think they intentionally messed with my order. Would never go back. Best spots in the Sunset area are Matamoros, Ricos, or Tacos Broncos.

Eureka! I found it! Mexican food that tastes like home! Home being so-​cal, the land of lunch trucks and taquerias. I’ve been in NY for about 5 months now and my heart literally ached for some huevos con chorizo, and today my heart (and tummy) were finally satisfied. The restaurant was clean and the service was fast, friendly, and flexible (I made my breakfast plate into a burrito). And the food, ahhh the food… TASTED like I was back in Oxnard noshing on TDM tacos, or feasting at one of the ‘Tos in San Diego (Albertos, Robertos.)…sun on my face, and sand btwn my toes. Eating here was like a portal to home, but step outside, and Brooklyn slaps you in the face. Good thing I have leftovers to take me back home next time I get hungry, which will be very soon:-)

great taqueria!
tacos arabes for 2.50 is an amazing deal
i also enjoyed their carnitas, pastor, chorizo, and barbacoa tacos. they all had a lot of great flavor — and its all complimented by their sauces, there’s a green, red and a sweet salsa you get with chips.
i also tried their pastor torta, and it was awesome. the sandwich — looked small, but its extremely stuffed inside.
They dont deliver to me, so I took off a star, i’m not that far away-​farther places deliver, and I’m not spending $ 30 of tacos and burritos to get them to deliver.
it’s also a pretty nice looking mexican spot, my friends always enjoy coming here.

I came here because of the reviews on Unilocal.As a taco connoisseur, I always go for the Al Pastor, which should be shaved pork with some cilantro and topped with pineapple.
I’m not really sure what I was served. I think it was pork, but it definitely wasn’t Al Pastor, at least not in any traditional sense, and it was missing the pineapple. The waitress later told me that I had to ask for the pineapple. Also, both tacos were inexplicably doused with guacamole. I like guacamole, but not on my tacos. We weren’t served with any other salsas to garnish them with. For my first taco outing in Brooklyn I was pretty disappointed.

¡Taco Crawl! continued at Tulcingo Deli. Although the name gives the impression of a bodega, it’s a full-​service, casual restaurant, although there is an area by the cashier that offers snacks. We only tried the tacos, so can’t speak to the other food.
I suggest passing on the complimentary chips and salsa they serve. Although our chips came in a sealed paper bag, they turned out to be stale. The salsa is so sweet and pulverized that they might as well have just put out a bottle of ketchup alongside the chips. From reading the other reviews I’m sure the chips were an accident, but the salsa… they might want to rethink it.
We ordered a variety of tacos, some of which were interesting. The tacos come with a guacamole sauce, but fortunately they use the right amount, so it doesn’t end up overpowering the rest of the flavors, as it does at Coatzingo in Queens. The lengua and chorizo were perfectly fine — the chorizo was a big step up compared to the one we had at Xochimilco — but Tulcingo also offers specialties such as oreja, arabes and placero.
The oreja — pig ear — wasn’t all that good; it was far too tendon-​y and chewy to enjoy — I had to force myself to swallow — but, since this was the first time I had an oreja taco, I’m willing to give Tulcingo the benefit of the doubt that it’s the nature of the dish, not that Tulcingo prepared it poorly (if any Unilocalers think otherwise, I’m down if you can tell me where to get a good oreja taco).
The arabes was really good; it’s chipotle-​flavored lamb — smoky and spicy, a flavor combination that you’re not going to find in any other taco — served with standard taco fixin’s — onion, cilantro — in a rolled flour tortilla that’s bigger than your average taco. I wonder if there’s a future for innovating with new taco flavors. Curry taco? I’d try it.
The other unique taco we had — and I’m surprised that no one on Unilocal has called it out yet — was the placero, which is your choice of meat with cooked onions, — large, half-​ring-​sliced onions, not the standard finely chopped ones you might expect — rice and french fries. When our waitress explained this most of my group — myself included — looked askance, but to his credit my friend Mike T. was all over it. That was a good call, because it’s a really tasty taco. Meat + starch = awesome, so why not put it in a taco? It’s kind of like adding fries to a gyro or falafel, except a tortilla’s much thinner than a pita (that’s a good thing). According to our waitress it’s really popular.
Tulcingo has its ups and downs, but most of the food is alright and maybe with some more hard-​hitting Unilocaling we can figure out exactly what to order to bring out its best dishes. In my opinion this is the best taco joint in Brooklyn (our crawl skipped Matamoros — I know, I know).

This place was hit/​miss for me. I felt a bit like a piñata.
— I was happy they served up some good chips and a tomato based salsa. But the latter was inexplicably sweet. Some salsa makers add a bit of sugar, but this bordered on being beyond the expectations of any natural salsa ingredient. As such it lacked the semi sweet/​salt/​heat sparring match of a good salsa and chips +.
— I was happy my carne asada taco was a heaping fist-​size pouch of meat, guac, onions and cilantro. Unfortunately much of the meat was in fact — fat, and the edible meat was, in turn, flavored like fat. While I do like fat as part of a meat dish, it comes down to technique. Here was a fatty meat that didn’t have the flavor seared in or cooked out, but instead it simply steamed in it’s own grease. Yes, cooked, but not properly. I ended up making a pile of inedible fatty bits on my plate. That was a stick blow to the head.
— Conversely, the Tacos Arabes were fantastic. Nicely cooked meat in a deep, spicy sauce, wrapped in a thicker version of a tortilla (reminded me of a Kati roll). I could eat these daily. Good beans as well, which is a simple, yet key indicator of a decent Mexican joint.
— The servers were friendly/​nice but moved at their own, random pace. I had ordered a beverage, for example, and halfway through my meal it hadn’t arrived. It eventually arrived but required 2 reminders. Waited 20 minutes for my check, but had to throw on my coat and head to the kitchen area to get rung up.
Overall I thought it was decent, but hit some sour notes so I don’t share the same joys of other reviewers. They do have a pretty large menu so I’ll probably re-​visit — but not for their carne asada.

It’s true — when it comes to NYC and Mexican food, it’s usually all disappointment and leaving hungry for this native Californian of Mexican heritage (a Chicana if you know that word) — NOT the case at Tulcingo. I had two tacos al pastor, delicious and well priced considering they come with a dollop of guacamole each. Ben had a steak with some sort of Arabe inspired sauce — not a traditional dish, a risk, and Tulcongo is rewarded for it’s efforts to prepare true Mexican food without allowing rote boring offerings to dominate the menu.
We were both well pleased with the food, service and location. Once, I try something more complicated than tacos, I will likely upgrade/​downgrade this review. Having tried over a dozen Mexican joints in NYC, this is first is I actually want to return to. Two gripes: chips and salsa presentation is cute, but not ideal in the taste arena. Horchata should be house-​made, this one smells/​tastes like it came from concentrate. I hope I’m wrong about that one, they lose another star if it’s not better then next time I pop in for a more a dish that requires more skill.
They get points for having pan dulce on display in the restaurant.

When it comes to Mexican food, whom would you trust?
Unilocaler A: I am from California. I practically cut my teeth on a Mission Burrito.
Unilocaler B: I am from California. No one beats LA’s Taco trucks!
Unilocaler C: I am from California. Also, a Mexican busboy in SD once winked at me
Unilocaler D: It’s all in the stars. I have Venus in Libra.
I would rather listen to Unilocaler D. The odds of being rightly guided are better because as per astrology people with Venus in Libra are balanced and blessed with good taste.
Mexi Californication… is a disease where the patient prefaces all Mexican food reviews with «I am from California». In that hallucinatory state, it is difficult to fathom that: a) ‘Bounded Rationality’ explains why you stereotype or think that people all over Mexico eat food prepared in the SAME manner; b) Burritos and Tacos, alone, do not define Mexican food; c) Just because YOU haven’t found good Mexican food in NYC, doesn’t mean that there is none, a.k.a. argumentum ad ignorantiam (fallacy).
I can not confer authenticity to Tulcingo. I CAN, however, review based on whether or not I enjoyed the food: I did — Immensely. I CAN speak for my reviewing discipline: I review after multiple trials, and on a comparative basis — after sampling the competitive offering. I note my limitations (in this case: I don’t eat pork), and I let the reader get a sense of my experience and enthusiasm.
But, if I were to speak for authenticity, if it weren’t for the helpful Unilocal reviews I would have been Lost in Translation for it was immediately apparent to the server that even my «Hablo y entiendo un poco» was an exaggeration! This differed greatly from my experience at Tacos Matamoros where I had no communication problems given the patronage by H… persons. In terms of food, the difference was day and night.
While I preferred Tulcingo’s Cacina (salted beef) and Carne Asada tacos, given the perfect seasoning, generous use of Cilantro, and judicious use of guacamole — I simply loved the Tacos Arabes («Arabian Taco») an adaptation of the Shawarma (introduced into Mexico City by immigrants) that consists of spit grilled meat served in a rolled, as opposed to flat, thicker flour tortilla (hybrid of tortilla and pita bread).
I also loved the Horchata, which had excellent consistency — neither too grainy nor watery. The Tres Leches cake was also superior to the nearby (drier) options. It was topped with a large strawberry that was flanked on one side with chocolate sprinkles and on the other by colorful ones and inspired somewhat by trifle pudding.
But, I am not a fan of the salsa that accompanies the complimentary chips. Nor of the television programming which incongruously kept repeating a feature on overweight people in various activities (working out, dancing, beached like a whale, etc.). {In my mind, that would explain why I wasn’t able to finish the (huge) slice of cake}.
And, while I don’t expect to cure the MC disease, I do want to help: This is New York, and there’s a reason why you’re here — so for your own sake: get over yourself.

3^rd on a taco tour of sunset park on cinco de mayo. Got an arabes taco @ $ 2.50 and an al pastor (roasted pork) @ $ 2.25. The arabes was really flavorful but didn’t need so much adobo sauce. Some guac or pico would’ve been better. The al pastor was fork tender, came with guacamole, and had the most amount of meat for the price out of all the tacos we tried today. Unfortunately the meat’s flavor was too subtle to warrant high marks. Wouldn’t get it again.
Also got a beer, which so happens to be the only item on the menu without a price… hmmmmm shady… and it turned out to be $ 5. So much for a cheap hole in the wall. I suspect that this was the gringo price. Beware fellow honkeys.
Oh yeah, bathroom had no soap… so how would the workers wash their hands after going… uh yeah… gross.

Can’t go wrong with the tacos and the soups.
Pros: Barbacoa, pastor tacos. Beef nachos done individually is excellent. Seafood soup on the weekends is fantastic. Nice seafood salad. Its very busy restaurant which goes to show that people in the neighborhood appreciate it. Very reasonable prices.
Cons: Nachos Supreme are awful.

I realize that I’m updating this review yet again, but as the Dude said, «new shit has come to light».
And that is their tacos arabes. It’s not a popular dish, or even one that’s talked about a lot at Mexican restaurants, but I really don’t know why. Imagine a taco, but in a tortilla that has a bit more volume than a normal corn or flour tortilla. Then it’s filled with spit-​cooked/​marinated ground lamb and a red mole sauce, and rolled up. Holy cow is it amazing.
Their potato taquitos are also remarkably good, though a note to vegetarian diners, they have little bits of meat in there (which you absolutely do want if you’re not a vegetarian, as they give the dish a bit of spice).
I also ordered dessert for the first time, and was of course pleased with the results. They bake the cakes they serve on location.
This is hands down, my favorite Mexican restaurant in New York.