I’ve always had an appreciation for authentic Mexican food, mainly due to my childhood being spent in downtown Los Angeles amidst several hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants that were densely sprinkled about my parent’s cheese and poultry shop. Upon moving to New York, I soon realized that there wasn’t much that could compare to the quality I was used to and often found myself resorting to Chipotle and Taco Bell for my fix (both good in that junk-food kind of way, but utter crap compared to home-made tortillas and truly fresh ingredients).

A close friend had mentioned seeing a taco joint of sorts around Grove St. in Jersey City, NJ – being the adventurous soul that would give anything a try, I decided to drag my then-fiancé and my parents who were in town for our wedding to give it a try.

Having read that the place was BYOB (+5 in my book) we geared up with a 6-pack of Coronas and ordered up a couple fish tacos, some chorizo flautas, and chorizo quesadillas. Contrary to Yelp reviews the service was decent and the staff was friendly enough although nothing to write home about. They have outdoor seating up front and in the back as well as indoor seating within the restaurant. I’d presonally recommend the outdoor in the back. I wouldn’t call it romantic, but there was something charming about the benches and picnic tables with candles strewn about, reminiscent of a private picnic of sorts that gave the illusion that everyone there was an old friend part of a secret little club.

We received the food after 15 minutes of waiting, and my god, it was flavorful bliss in our mouths. The quesadillas were simply brilliant, the tortillas both chewy and crisp seemingly at the same time while the chorizo danced upon our tongues. The fish tacos were equally beautiful in flavor as were the flautas. Everyone at the table were delighted with the surprisingly great food which we would have never imagined to be available this side of the country.

Prices were fair – although I wouldn’t say it’s cheap (that’s what they have the Bell for) – but every cent was worth the quality of the food. We’ll definitely be stopping by here again, soon and often.