Finding taquitos that are baja fresh in the Lower East Side is a rarity — one that inspired Matthew Conway and his two partners to open Taquitoria.
The three co-owners, Brad Holtzman, Barry Frish and Matthew Conway, all worked under Iron Chef alum Marc Forgione at Restaurant Marc Forgione, where they came up with their taquito-filled idea.
After a trip to San Diego and sampling the best taquitos Southern California had to offer, the trio came back to New York and designed a business plan. The result was Taquitoria — a hip restaurant on Ludlow and Houston streets, serving its authentic namesake dishes at a reasonable price since Sept. 17.
“If you’re in a hurry, on a budget, you’re out drinking or you don’t have time to sit down for dinner, this is a perfect option,” general manager Holtzman said.
The menu is simple and straightforward. There are four filling options of chicken, beef, pork or beans, and two styles — classic or cheesy. Classic comes with guac sauce, shredded lettuce and cotija cheese, while cheesy has a mix of nacho cheese, sour cream and pickled jalapeño relish. The prices for these deep-fried, palette pleasers are $5 for three or $8 for five. They all come with their specialty Pancho red sauce, and you can add extra guacamole, sour cream or pickled jalapeño relish for $1 more.
Holtzman also aims to attract a college audience.
“I remember being in college,” Holtzman said. “I wish I had a place like this “We would love for the NYU students to grab a hold of it and make it their own.”
With the loud hip-hop music, edgy graffiti walls and friendly, hospitable service, Taquitoria could be the new late-night snack spot for NYU students.
Lesley Greenberg, a junior in the College of Arts and Science, was a fan of everything Taquitoria had to offer.
“I really liked the friendly service,” Greenberg said, “and the fact that I had great-tasting taquitos ready for me within five minutes was awesome.”
Taquitoria is located on 168 Ludlow St.
A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, Oct. 1 print edition. Helen Owolobi is a contributing writer. Email her at [email protected].
