Michelada House II

Michelada House II in Jackson Heights has perpetual birthday party energy. This is in large part because they serve about a dozen varieties of cartoonishly large micheladas, as well as trays full of Corona bottles and shrimp or chapulines. Their family-style Mexican dishes could very well feed the majority of a subway car, and the dining room is decorated as though a sparkly green, white, and red firework exploded. It’s the kind of place that reminds you that more is actually more.

Of the near-infinite things to order on the menu - 40-centimeter long crispy beef taquitos, crunchy fried chapulines in soft tortillas, and porkchop platters with rice and beans and pork - we think you shouldn’t leave without getting the restaurant’s titular drink and an order of the chilaquiles torta. The sandwich remains ubiquitous in Mexico City but relatively hard to find in ours. And it’s about as dreamy as the contents between two pieces of bread can legally get.

Remember Michelada House II for your next family dinner or whenever you need a fun place to bring seven people who are celebrating another year in the life of little old you.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Hannah Albertine

Torta De Chilaquiles

A friend of ours who lives in Mexico City once described the architectural genius of a chilaquiles torta. He raised his voice a little and said it has all of the crunch-and-sog of classic chilaquiles, but stacked in a little mound and situated between two airy pieces white bread - something Americans conceptualize in surrealist stoner dreams. In reality, Michelada House’s is just as satisfying as you’re currently imagining it to be, with spicy red sauce, crumbles of queso fresco, a couple slices of creamy avocado, and thin, breaded chicken milanese sitting on top of fried tortilla chips. We like to order this sandwich with chicken, but it’s also available with beef.

photo credit: Hannah Albertine

Tacos Coralillos

For some context, coralillos translates to milksnake (a common species in the Americas), and that’s exactly the shape of these tacos. You know the silly glasses with eyeballs attached to slinky-like springs? If you order this dish at Michelada House II, that’s the general reaction your body will produce. For $25, you’ll get two 41-centimeter-long objects that are made by tightly wrapping chopped beef and onions in a corn tortilla and then frying until golden. This is a party food, not something you need to order with one other person (or even two).

photo credit: Hannah Albertine

Tacos Chapulines

Simple fried grasshoppers blanketed with a couple slices of avocado, cilantro, and diced red onion. Grasshoppers themselves don’t have a ton of flavor (they’re tiny, after all), but the crunchy-creamy bites will excite anyone who loves textural contrast.

photo credit: Hannah Albertine

Micheladas

It’s in the freaking name of the restaurant. Regardless of which version you order - be it the 91-centimeter cup or the version with shrimp tails sticking out - you’ll get to choose the beer you want in yours. We always stick with something light like Modelo or Corona.