By Dan Newman
Looking for authentic Mexican food? Taqueria Tres Hermanos has you covered. The restaurant is nestled away in a cozy little building on Fulton Street between 5th and 6th Streets. Many businesses have been in this location before, but this one seems to be standing the test of time, as it’s been there for years, serving Mexican food to the masses.
Still, the restaurant is a hidden gem. Recently, the business expanded, doubling the space and adding parking as its popularity surged.
The inside is decked out in colorful decor and paintings. There’s no booths, only tables, and each has a bright tablecloth in the style of a Mexican blanket. A large cooler sits in one room stocked with bottled and canned beverages. They have soda, flavored water, and even beer. You grab them yourself and the waitstaff is at the ready with the bottle opener should you need it. They have an impressive selection of Mexican sodas, mainly fruity flavors, and the old staple: Mexican Coke.
You’ll find breakfast, lunch and supper items on the menu, and even some Mexican delicacies like Menudo, a soup that’s made with cow stomach and pigs feet. They have all the standard fair as well, like burritos, enchiladas, tacos Mexican or American style and chimichangas.
My son ordered American style tacos. These come with your choice of meat, lettuce, tomato and sour cream. There is a wide range of meats to choose from, ranging from the familiar beef, chicken and pork to more interesting offerings like beef tongue, pork head and tripe, and they offer both flour and corn tortillas. He chose flour tortillas and beef. He asked them to hold the tomatoes and got them anyway. He enjoyed them all the same, eating every bite. I didn’t try them, but he assured me the ingredients were fresh and the flavors mixed together well.
I went with a chicken chimichanga, which is essentially a deep fried burrito, that came garnished with a dollop of sour cream on top. The chicken was nice and juicy, and there was so much of it the beans, rice and cheese inside kind of took a backseat. The flour tortilla was fried to a nice golden brown, crunchy exterior but still soft on the inside. Honestly, it was exactly what I expected, so no complaints here.
The service was fast and friendly for the most part. We walked in and sat down and the waitress brought us menus. We got our own drinks from the cooler in the next room and she was there with the bottle opener. The food came in good time after we ordered and we had what we needed throughout the meal. The trouble came when we were waiting for the check. It took so long to get the check it turned into a game of sorts. When it finally arrived, the total was fair for a meal for two, I paid at the counter and we took our leave.
The portions were big, the food was satisfying and the walk home was a chore because we were so full. There were a few things I’d like to mention though. They offer you chips and salsa at the start of the meal, which is nice, but the reason they do this is they cost $3. These are free at a lot of restaurants, so this may come as a surprise.
Also, the meals should come with more than just a chimichanga or tacos on the plate. I’ve come to expect beans and rice on the side but you have to pay extra for that here. And if you do, you end up with such huge portions you have like 3 meals worth of food.
All in all, the food here is great, the staff is nice and forgiving of me (no hablas español) and it’s located in my ‘hood. The atmosphere is south of the border with the decor, music and the Spanish soap operas they watch during weekday afternoons. I recommend you try this place next time you’re craving some Mexican cuisine. I plan to go back again and again.
Check out my video linked above and see the food, the place, and my kid’s antics.
