NYCReview
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Empellón
Included In
Empellon has three locations, two of which are downtown. Taqueria is good for an easy date night in the West Village, and Al Pastor is a little spot on St. Mark’s where you can eat a cheeseburger taco at 1am. Both are pretty casual, and you wouldn’t think twice about wearing t-shirt to either of them. The new location in Midtown, on the other hand, is big, flashy, and feels sort of like the first studio picture from an indie director who finally got tired of his sh*tty craft services table.
Compared to the other Empellóns, this place is a blockbuster. Although in this particular film, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are played by sea urchin roe and steak tartare. And, like most summer blockbusters, Empellón Midtown is a little excessive and kind of disappointing, and it might come in handy if you have a few people to entertain.
Here, you’ll find octopus tacos, uni nachos, and wagyu fajitas. We don’t have a problem with any of these things, but, at Empellón, none of them are quite as good as you hope they’ll be. They aren’t bad - but if you’re the one paying the check, you might lie awake at night and wonder what else you could have done with your money. Take, for example, the fajitas. They’re $125, and they come with about four domino-sized pieces of beef.
Although, to be fair, nothing else costs close to $125, and most other dishes are at least borderline worth-it. Feel free to try the crab and uni nachos. The concept is a little Flavortown-esque - but they’re fun to eat, and there’s plenty of crab and uni. The tacos are also a reliable order, especially the ones that overlap with the menu at Taqueria.
Would we rather have the tacos from Los Tacos No. 1? Of course. But you can’t bring a client or a date to a place like that. You can, however, bring them here. Empellón has two floors, an open kitchen, and a giant shelf of all-white sculptures that look like they were looted from a ceramics class before glazing day. It’s a great-looking space, and it works for anything from a team outing to your mother’s tequila-themed 50th birthday. The service is also top-notch, and the restaurant is lively without being too loud.
So if you need a last-minute place to impress a group of clients, out-of-towners, or a date who cares more about your body language than the mouthfeel of their queso - this place is a viable option. Although if you aren’t stuck in Midtown, you might as well just go to Taqueria. It doesn’t have the same production values, but it’s less gimmicky, more intimate, and makes this Midtown outpost feel like a Spider-Man reboot from a young director who should be doing more interesting things.
Food Rundown
Guacamole With Seven Salsas
photo credit: Noah Devereaux