Javelina
Tex- Mex cuisine is the latest craze sweeping the city and right at the forefront of this trend is Gramercy newcomer Javelina. I've made a few visits since it opened...the first time to check out the queso.
I know from my Texas friends that a good queso is a thing of glory and I gotta say the queso here is pretty amazing. I ordered the sampler with traditional yellow cheese, white cheese and the Bob Armstrong; a big bowl of queso with guacamole, ground beef, pico de gallo and sour cream.
All three were wonderful but I definitely preferred the yellow queso over the white. It looked like a big bowl of Velveeta cheese but had a much creamier texture that was so damn addictive I found myself going back to this bowl of chips more times than I could count.
My next visit to Javeleina was for brunch. A big Mexican breakfast is my absolute favorite thing in the world so I couldn't wait to taste their spin on Huevos Rancheros.
This was pretty classic- two corn tortillas topped with black beans and fried eggs then kicked up a big Tex-Mex notch with hot sauce and a thick layer of yellow cheese toasted to a crisp golden brown.
This was just silly good. There was so much sloppy cheese and sauce everywhere it was impossible to pick up but between my knife and fork and the crispy tortilla chips I was able to successfully devour most of the dish. It came with a side of rice or beans, just in case this Texas sized platter of food wasn't enough for one meal.
Unfortunately among all of this glorious Tex-Mex goodness there are some serious service issues to be worked out. Each visit there were long waits in between everything...getting a menu, ordering a drink, receiving a drink, ordering food. Everything seemed to take two to three times as long as normal. There were multiple people in uniform running around but no one seemed to know what to do. My last visit I even watched a guest leave his table and go directly to the bar for drinks because he had been waiting so long for a server. And unfortunately those drinks are pretty steep...$13 for a tiny margarita can make a bill add up really quick.
So if you want down and dirty, no holds bar Tex-Mex cuisine that will make you happy, check out Javelina; but be prepared to wait and don't forget the credit card.
119 East 18th Street between Park and Lexington
New York, NY 10003
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