Casa Enrique

Never really a big fan of Mexican food, and I guess Michelin critics feel the same way as I do — that justifies the fact that there is one (and only one) Mexican star on the list. Fair enough. Today I am gonna try out the singleton and see how it differentiates itself from the rest of group.
Apparently from the outside, Casa Enrique could not be more ordinary — no fancy decorations. Dinner started with a plate of snake-​like crispy puff that was about to pop up in my mouth. Very cool! We shared a bunch of small plates — grilled scallop, shrimp cocktail and brisket taco, as well as the lamb shank entrée. Really enjoyed my brisket as the taco bread was so soft and chewy, unlike many others elsewhere. The lamb meat was tender and juicy, my second favorite of the day. For dessert, we kept our Mexican style and ordered the flan and chocolate mousse cake. Both were delicious and we left completely full.
Service was kind of slow. Actually we waited thirty minutes before our waitress came to us and took our order, a bit disappointed. Other than that fact, everything was impeccable.

By far my favorite Mexican restaurant ! The food is delicious. The portions served are perfect. The service is great & the atmosphere delightful. The place is small & intimate. Great for a night out with your other half or a small group of friends.

This is the best/​most affordable restaurant for authentic Mexican. The staff was amazing. This hidden gem located in LIC is great for dates or social gatherings. I highly recommend the steak tacos, guacamole, and carne asada. Portions are huge and absolutely delicious! Make sure to save room for dessert, the tres leches was mouth watering. I sure hope they expand to the Miami region as discussed. I would definitely be a regular here :)

Will come here soon and hope to have a 5 start experience. Accidentally reviewed the wrong place.

Some friends recommended the place to us, but I’m glad I didn’t read all the good reviews, as I would have been even more disappointed.
We were happy at the beginning, since we just walked in and were seated right away (on a weeknight, but it was early — 7.30 pm). The place looks small but there are 2 additional rooms and we ended in the terrace, which was very nice with Christmas decorations remaining.
I like having the time to choose my dishes, but then after a while, we had to ask for someone to come take our order. Not a good start, and it continued.
After 30 minutes of being seated, we still didn’t have our drinks. I can understand waiting for the food, but the drinks, really? no.
They arrived with the food, which didn’t help enjoying them — my drink really did not go with my dish unfortunately (I did not order it with the intention to have them together…)
I ordered the MOLE DE PIAXTLA, which sounded fun with the chocolate sauce. The dish looked good at the beginning but unfortunately I was not pleased when eating it. There’s too much sauce, the chicken is drowning in it. Worse was the rice: I can bear some spice, but it was really too spicy and I think that the menu should show some indications about this — I would clearly not have chosen this, had I known.
I was too disappointed by the overall experience to try the desserts. We just asked for the check, of course had to wait 10 minutes to get it, and left.
The only nice and helpful person was the gentleman filling our glasses. Our waitress did not seem very interested in us and made no effort to be heard when giving us the specialties — the place was very noisy and we couldn’t get what she was saying.
I leave very close but I don’t think I will go back again.

I really really love Casa Enrique! Came here on a weeknight with three friends (it’s popular, so a reservation is recommended!). We walked into a cozy rustic restaurant, but my favorite part was the deck seating with romantic string lights draped across the ceiling. It’s enclosed, so you can even sit out there in the winter.
Onto the food, we started with the guac which was great! I liked that the tortilla chips were longer strips (oh to hold more guacamole with!). Try some of the cocktails — I enjoyed my pineapple margarita! The pisco sour was quite strong!
I had the mole chicken enchiladas — it was my first time trying mole and I thoroughly the rich flavors as well as the moist chicken. I tried some of my friend’s dishes as well — the lamb shank was HUGE!!! Great for sharing or polishing off by yourself if you’re hungry hehe. It comes with rice n beans n tortillas too. I also tried the steak, it was medium rare and tender to perfection. There was something special about the way it was marinated that made it unique — sweet yet salty. Highly recommended. Also tried the ribs, tender fall off the bone and delicious!
Will have to come back here for brunch!

This place is great! Came here on a busy Friday. My fiancé found this place from Eater, and lo and behold, it was awarded a Michelin star. I still think it’s pretty good value — but I guess some things are well priced are some over over priced. We had an 830 res but we didn’t sit until 9ish… and overall, the service was pretty slow. But our server was enthusiastic about his recommendations and tried his best to tend to us. The kitchen is definitely small so I’m sure they try their best. We had:
— The complimentary chicarons — I don’t know what they call them actually but they’re the free cracker things
–I had a Michaelada, my favorite beer Mexican cocktail. spicy, tangy, with Pacifico. Was great. I’d take this over a margarita or mojito any day (though they have a lot of unique choices for those)
–We shared the market fish ceviche– great portion, fresh fish, perfectly done, with awesome thick cut strips of tortailla
–My fiancé had an order of pork tacos (2) and an order of the steak tacos. The steak tacos were well seasoned, but cut a bit too thick so eat hard to eat as taco. The pork ones were good too– but not earth shattering. I wish they had toasted the tortilla. A $ 10 an order, I felt the tacos could have been better. We topped it off with the hot sauce trio, and honestly, the mild green one was like a salsa verde, and I enjoyed that. the medium didn’t taste like much, and the hottest hot sauce– orange from haberno– was the best. It wasn’t really that hot.
–I had the chicken enchiladas in salsa verde which was delicious. I’ve honestly never been a fan of enchilada but I feel it’s because I never had a true enchilada. This was refined, not overly sized and cheesey and beany– soft corn tortillas with plentiful, tender chicken breast in a yummy green sauce with delicate cojitia cheese atop. Yummy. A great value and filling for $ 16.
–We shared the tres leches dessert which was a rec by our server. I should have gone with my gut for the Mexican chocolate pot du crème– firstly that’s one of my favorite desserts and I usually don’t pass that up. But, tres leches is also and this one was way too sweet –caramel-​y, too soaked (so too wet), and too sweet/​sticky.
All in all, a great meal and worth returning, esp if you live in the area. After tip/​tax came to about $ 100 for both of us.

I wanted to see what the big deal was about this place considering its Michelin star and I am happy to report that it is definitely deserved! To top off the amazingly fresh and savory food, the prices are simply unbeatable for such quality. My only qualm is that the waitress, although courteous, seemed a bit detached; when I asked her about her personal favorite twice, she gave me an impersonal/​generic response that was clearly not what I was looking for but I won’t let that detract from the overall experience because it was simply fantastic.
Now for the food… they put these ‘Funion’ type looking things in a bowl to munch on when you sit down and I must say I wasn’t going to bother but as soon as I tried the first one, I couldn’t stop eating them! We asked for the guac and chips to start– so fresh! We said we would have it medium in terms of spice and it was just right.
We went during lunch time, so I’m not sure how different the menu is during dinner time but I ordered the mollete and my friend ordered the enchillada. I made the same mistake with the mollete as soon as it was served, and immediately judged it by how it looked and thought, oh no, this isn’t what I was expecting, thinking I would even have to leave some of it, but as soon as I got a taste of it, I was shocked at how deliciously all those flavors blended together– I don’t think I left a single crumb on my plate. I didn’t taste the enchillada but it looked really good and my friend said she loved it. I was pretty full but not so full that I couldn’t have dessert. My expectations were VERY high considering how everything so far had exceeded my expectations. I asked for the tres leches and I will say that I don’t think I have ever had such a good tres leches… and I have had it in MANY places. It was the perfect ending for the perfect meal. I cannot wait to go again!
I will add that I went on Saturday, December 26^th, and I called probably 2 hours before we were planning on arriving to make the reservation, on a whim, assuming that it would be completely booked and we might not get reservations but it wasn’t the case at all. When we arrived, I think there were probably 2 – 3 other tables with customers, it was pretty empty but I think it’s because it was right after Christmas and it was in the early afternoon. To be safe, I would suggest booking a reservation in advance– it’s so worth it.

we are living in LiC for half a year already and were always wanted to come to this place. It is always crowd. and impossible to sit without reservation. so take this into account.
sooo
Ceviche was realy good!
Meat– incredible delicate)
and all i member after that and lots of wine is delicious and fresh tiramisu!
Atmosphere is like i am somewhere in barcelona or new york.
Officially it is my favorite place in LiC

Was very hesitant on how good this place could be even if it has one Michelin star, but everything was fantastic. The place, trendy and clean, definitely gets packed so you should make a reservation and be prepared to be in tight and possibly loud quarters. We were seated in the back patio, covered and heated in the winter, which was really nice.
We ordered the guac, ceviche, lamb shank, roasted pork rib, and the mole enchilada. The guac, chips, and salsa they provided were delicious but the ceviche, although tasty, was tiny for the price. We also ordered 2 pitchers of sangria which were delicious. The service was attentive and friendly, and we felt fully satisfied with the portion.
The place is a bit more expensive than other Mexican restaurants but worth it. Great for a date or a casual dinner. Highly recommend.

After reading that Casa Enrique has the best Mexican food in the city, my boyfriend and I were determined to check it out. We went for dinner during the gap between Christmas and New Year’s, which meant it probably wasn’t as crowded as usual. Even so, we got there right around 5 pm to avoid any potential wait, and it was fairly crowded by the time we left. (We did try to call ahead, but the line was persistently busy.)
Instead of the usual tortilla chips, they served these puffed wheat things that looked sort of like Cheetos without the cheese dust. I don’t remember what they’re called in Spanish, but all you need to know is that they’re delicious and addictive. I also ordered a passionfruit margarita, which was the drink special that night – amazing! I slurped that down in record time and was on my second one before our food even arrived.
I ordered the De Pollo en Salsa Verde enchiladas (chicken breast rolled in corn tortilla topped with tomatillo sauce, lettuce, black beans, crema fresca, queso fresco, and avocado), which were very tasty. Were they the best enchiladas ever? Hard to say, since enchiladas are kind of hard to totally mess up. I was happy with them, though. My boyfriend got two kind of tacos (they’re pretty small and each order comes with two): Lengua (cow tongue, slowly cooked) and Pastor (pork marinated in chilies and pineapple). He said the tongue ones were phenomenal, but the pork ones were disappointing because the pork wasn’t very tender.
For dessert, we got the Pastel Tres Leches (sponge cake made of three kinds of milk, goat milk, caramel), which was amazing. We split one piece, but we easily could have eaten another one. Truly delicious.
We agreed that we would definitely return since the majority of what we had was really good.

Tonight me and my boyfriend came here for dinner after hearing great buzz about Casa Enrique. Started the night with the Aguachile Margarita and he had the caprihinia, both were delicious. I’m extremely picky with my margaritas and I can say it was the best I’ve ever had with a perfect hint of spiciness. We had the guacamole which was great as well, literally licked the bowl clean!
As for entrees I had the pastor taquerias which was pork marinated in chili with pineapples, perfect blend. My boyfriend had the skirt steak and devoured it! Very tasty and juicy!
We’re not big dessert people but we decided to try the flan and tres leches, tres leches was our favorite although a little sweet for my taste but that’s just me!
So glad to have found this spot, will definitely be back soon!
The only con I have about this place is that we were very squished with the people on the left and right of us that it was hard to have a conversation, it felt as if we were all having dinner together but it doesn’t take away from anything else still a great place

I had to check this place out since it was right in the neighborhood of my recently married friends who I was visiting. We tried to go for NYE dinner, but they were closed (good for them — work/​life balance makes happy employees :)) so we dropped by the next night. We were able to sit at the bar and wait for a table without reservations which was awesome, especially since they were actually super busy — no doubt due to their Michelin Star achievement as well as excellent quality!
Well, the drinks helped the time fly by as they tasted absolutely incredible with exotic flavors and nicely contrasted ingredients. My favorite was the coconut drink with Serrano peppers because the sweet and spicy opposition was complicated and wonderful. The blueberry drink was also quite good, and did not have any outstanding spice (at least to me, but I can handle really spicy foods, so… Forewarning!).
When we were seated at our table, we noticed how beautiful and interesting the flower arrangements were, along with the simple yet chic décor all around the restaurant. We were given some complimentary chips to start off with, then ordered guacamole for an appetizer, along with beef tacos. Both were delicious and left us excited for the entrees. I personally ordered the chicken mole enchiladas, which were so, so good! The mole sauce was not too chocolatey; it was very balanced and light. My friends also enjoyed their meals, which they noted were definitely authentic and still high quality as they have been to this restaurant several times at this point!
It was my friend’s birthday so we all split the tres leches for dessert which was definitely the best tres leches I have ever had, and I’m typically not a fan of dairy in my desserts. If you can get a reservation here, I definitely recommend trying this place, or at least sitting at the bar for a drink (or dos!).

Since achieving a Michelin star, we wanted to try the food here. We didn’t have a reservation but we were seated immediately even though it was busy. The service was excellent, very attentive. We started with some cocktails and guacamole.
The guacamole was so good! I could have eaten the entire bowl myself. You could really tell that it was homemade and fresh. The margarita was delicious, but it didn’t taste like the special of the day that I had ordered, it tasted like a regular margarita.
For the main dishes, my husband and I shared 3 dishes between us, 2 portions of tacos (pork & brisket) and chicken enchiladas. Our server took our order and then came back to check he had definitely got it right — and the order still came out wrong! We ended up with chicken taco, which we had to send back for the pork ones. It wasn’t a deal breaker though as we already had lots of food to share between us already and if anything it meant that we had hot tacos to eat when the correct order came out as opposed to them going cold waiting for us to get around to eating them!
My favorite items were the tacos, in particular the brisket. It was juicy, full of flavor and tasty. The pork was also very nice, they had a kick to them from the chilies! I enjoyed the chicken enchiladas but didn’t think there was anything particularly special about them. I’d probably give them a miss next time and try something different.
Overall, it was a great meal and after I’ve tried everything else in LIC, I will probably revisit. Especially just to have that guacamole again! So good!

Casa Enrique is a small michelin-​starred restaurant in LIC off the Vernon-​Jackson 7 stop. It has a cute interior ambiance with a home-​grown feel, bits of south western and Mexican adornments make the place feel authentic.
As expected, every dish was great. We had a few orders of Mole chicken and Mole enchiladas, Salsa Verde enchiladas and a gigantic lamb shank for 2. The meat on all dishes was so tender a knife was not even necessary. The mole perfectly balanced all of the complex flavors, even turning one anti-​mole person in our group on to the delicious sauce. The portion size was great, and each dish was expertly presented.
The only spot where the food was lacking was the guacamole we ordered to start… although very fresh, it was bland and lacking in flavor. The «hot» guacamole is actually quite mild by any standard.
One more amazing thing about Casa Enrique is the quality of the craft cocktails. There were several tequila based cocktails that were simultaneously spicy, smoky and sweet, and the standards were mixed quite well.
Case Enrique place has fully embraced the elevated pricing of a michelin-​starred restaurant. Our group spent about 75 a person for an entrée, appetizers, a few drinks and dessert. Not a terrible value, but a tad overpriced in my opinion.
Waitstaff is friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, and had some excellent drink and food recommendations for us.

I read about the hype for this place on eater its the ONLY Mexican restaurant to ever receive a Michelin star in NYC yes only its never been done before.
We started off with the ceviche for the price it was surprisingly small for the $ 10 price tag, you definitely need 2 for 2 people! I guess it was not so bad considering the margarita la verde was absolutely delicious, yes it was as good as it looks possibly even better.
We then decided to place an order for the lengua tacos these are tongue tacos they are very hard to find in NY the only other place i could think of to get these is tacos morelos which is also good but I found it better here.
For the main course i had the pork ribs in pumpkin and squash seed sauce the meat was melt off the bone but the real prize was the sauce it was very well done my friend had the mole didnt get to try…
For dessert I had the pastel del tres leches this is soooo good and sweet you just cant stop eating it.
Our total was under $ 100 with tip unexpected.
The verdict is GO TRY IT NOW!

I had HIGH HOPES for this MICHELIN star in Queens, especially because Danny Brown was such a let down. The décor is MINIMALIST – white furniture against the brick backbone of what used to be the prior restaurant probably. I would recommend seating in the OUTDOOR SPACE; the ceiling is nursery-​like and it feels airy!
GUACAMOLE – CREAMY with a SUBTLY CREEPING KICK. MORE SALT would’ve really topped it off though. The chips were long, perfectly cooked, and RECTANGULAR – perfect for dipping!
OSTIONES EMPAZINADOS – perfectly fried, NOT GREASY LIGHT oysters with a «I NEED MORE» chili mayo SAUCE. I wanted to order another plate!
CHORIZO TACOS – good flavors but NOTHING OUT OF THIS WORLD. I prefer when the chorizo is not MINCED so FINELY; it reminds me of eating a SLOPPY JOE taco. The taco is just the meat and tortilla and doesn’t include usual toppings.
DE POLLO CON MOLE DE PIAXTLA – my second time having mole and it DID NOT EXCEED my expectations. The taste was so BITTER and I couldn’t understand why! It did not help that the plate was SO BIG because the chicken was drowning in a sauce.
PASTEL TRES LECHES – the BEST PART of the meal. WET and DENSE cake that was a SWEET, MOIST PERFECTION. I’m not a fan of GOAT MILK so the caramel for me was very GAME-​Y.
Overall, good try but not Michelin star quality I was expecting. I probably wouldn’t come back because I think it’s over glorified Mexican food. The search in Queens goes on!

I had high hopes for this place, but sadly will have to stick my general rule of thumb of never eating Mexican food in NYC.
Being from California, I’m weary of reviews of authentic Mexican food here since everywhere I’ve tried on the east coast has been far from anything good or authentic. But when I saw the Michelin star rating and reviews claiming authentic Mexican yesterday, I literally made my way over the very next day to give this place a shot.
Tried the crab tostada and mole. Crab tostada was good, lots of crab though it needed more flavour. But the mole tasted like a failed dish I made this weekend when I tried to replace lamb with chicken in a dish and accidentally added too much molasses, except this dish was less flavorful. What happened to the fragrance of Mexican chocolate, the aroma of spices, and the warmth of chilis? Seriously, how do you make Mexican food so ridiculously bland?
If this was on the west coast, this would be a 1 – 2 stars for the food. But compared to other Mexican joints here, it’s better than the tragic average, hence three stars. Shame on me for being star-​struck.

Food was wonderful. I can see how it earned Michelin recognition. Ambiance was low key, quaint and understated, whitewashed, small table arrangements, simple walls, no pomp and circumstance, just straight up authentic Mexican food served with a smile. Our waiters and hostess were lovely, they were present but not hovering.
It’s worth going out of your way if you like Mexican food.

I was invited by a friend last minute to come check this place out, we had heard good things about it.
Once seated we ordered some drinks, I tried the Strawberry Margarita my friend had the Pineapple Margarita.
Strawberry not bad, good taste same goes for the Pineapple both pretty good but my only complain here is the glass? Why are they so small margaritas are meant to be served in a nice tall glass or at least something bigger alcohol wise not bad but can be better.
We didn’t come for food this time but ended up trying the Guacamole with chips, really good guacamole perfect for picking at if u are drinking good chips a little greasy but not bad.
As for the place itself small not much on the décor pretty simple.
Service was good our waiter was super nice & friendly prices are decent looking forward to coming back for drinks as well as to try the food.

Es un michelin star restaurant. Eso ya debería darte la pauta de que no vas a salir decepcionado.
Ojo porque es caro. Uno está acostumbrado a que comer en NY no es tan caro como en Buenos Aires, y menos en Long Island. Y nos sorprendimos un poco cuando vino la cuenta (eramos 4 y gastamos U$S 200).
La comida excelente. Todo lo que probamos era increíble, y eso que no soy muy fan de la comida mexicana. El guacamole, los tacos de pescado, los burritos, todo supremo.
La atención super atenta, y el lugar es muy lindo y sencillo. De afuera nunca te imaginarías el nivel que tiene la comida.

Solo fuimos por postres y margaritas despues del trabajo (Jora) y nos encantaronnn los postres! El helado de queso ESPECTACULAR!!! Y el tres leches muy rico tambien! Muy amigables los chichos! Felipe el bartender les preparo a los chicos unas margaritas deliciosas!