La Esquina
Prices
Average main course: $21.
AmEx, MC, V.
Description
This cabbie pit stop turned taco destination has three distinct dining-and-drinking areas: A brightly lit street-level taqueria serves a short-order menu of tacos and tortas; a more intimate 30-seat café is flanked by book- and record-lined shelves. The third and most spectacular is the dungeonesque restaurant and lounge, accessiblethrough the taqueria (to enter you have to confirm that you have a reservation). Its worth the hassle: A world of sipping tequilas, tiled mosaics and refined Mexican (huitlacoche quesadillas, blue-crab tostadas) awaits.
Hours
Taqueria Mon–Fri 8am–5am; Sat, Sun noon–5am; café daily noon–midnight; restaurant daily 6pm–midnight.