With hundreds of restaurants around the city, it seems like you can taste food from almost any part of the world. But a lot of these places may not be truly representative of their ethnic cuisine, even if they claim to be. Many restaurants like Chipotle and Taco Bell bear the label of “Mexican” eateries, but their food is a very loose interpretation of the actual ethnic cuisine.

CAS junior and Chair of La Herencia Latina, the Latino Heritage Month Committee, Juan Manuel Calero Canaval, explains the key to authentic cuisine. 

“Authentic food for a given Latino nationality is basically whatever I can find on the side of the road between major cities in a given Latin American country,” Canaval said.

If you’re looking for some real, authentic Mexican food, skip the commercialized, more well-known places and opt for one of these instead.

Casa Mezcal

86 Orchard Street

Casa Mezcal is a three-floor experience of Mexican culture. Colorful lantern lights suspended across the ceiling and cultural symbols wedged in every corner transport patrons to Oaxaca the moment they walk through the door. A cantina-style bar spreads across an entire wall, making the experience very interactive. But even beyond the visual appeal are the food and drinks, which are the real standouts. With menus for both brunch and dinner, Casa Mezcal serves traditional and well-loved Mexican staples like huevos con nopales (eggs with cactus stem), chile relleno (stuffed chilis) and enchiladas. But for those looking to immerse themselves in the culinary traditions, the menu includes tostadas topped with black beans, cheese, avocado, tomato, sour cream, lettuce and grasshoppers. In terms of drinks, guest bartenders provide individual twists to the usual margarita and mojito.

Empellón Al Pastor

132 St Marks Place

Guaranteed to become a go-to lunch spot, Empellón Al Pastor has a very casual hipster vibe. The outside is adorned with graffiti art and the inside has a mural that features a goat head, skeletons and stacks of $100 bills stretching across the entire restaurant. Despite its non-traditional décor, the restaurant utilizes a traditional Mexican technique called nixtamalization — a process of soaking the grains in limewater — to create its tortillas fresh every morning.

At Empellón Al Pastor, chefs slow cook their meat buried under avocado leaves — a Mexican technique. Their menu also includes beer braised pork tongue, drunken black beans and a variety Micheladas — a Mexican beer drink mixed with sauces and different spices.

Tacos El Idolo

1 Astor Place (Broadway)

In New York City, sometimes the best food is served out of a truck. El Idolo may not have the most appealing truck compared to others, but its food is rustic, delicious and accessible. The menu is simple yet features goodies like flautas, tamales and sope, all priced inexpensively.

While at first glance a food truck serving fast food seems inauthentic, where the food is served doesn’t necessarily depreciate the value of authenticity. Stern junior and Treasurer of the Mexican Student Association, Daniel Garza reduces authenticity to two things: the ingredients and the way it’s made. These places deliver on both of these criterion by cooking with fresh food and using traditional Hispanic cooking techniques.

A version of this article appeared in the Feb. 22 print edition. Email Medardo Perez at [email protected].