With the opening of taco-focused La La Taqueria, which replaced Café Latino at 108 Fifth Ave., Pelham customers have the opportunity to experience some of the best Mexican food in Westchester.
The restaurant’s small space is maximized with several tables, creating a homey feel. Upon entry, customers are greeted by a friendly staff ready to accommodate and answer questions. The menu features a variety of options, ranging from its specialty tacos to more restaurant-style entrees, such as the enchiladas with mole sauce.
A benefit I found with La La Taqueria’s menu is the sizing options of the appetizers, which allow you t0 choose a small or large with a $5 to $6 price difference. I loved this because I was able to order several small appetizers and try a greater variety of food from the menu.
La La Taqueria offers seven tacos at $5 to $6 each, a fair price given their authenticity. Most of them can be modified to be gluten-free or vegetarian. Additionally, there are four options for quesadillas plus eight sides.
All descriptions of the menu items were accurate and helpful, with each ingredient that may come in a taco or a quesadilla listed, preventing ordering mishaps.
No surprise, La La Taqueria has a Taco Tuesday menu, which cuts prices on those menu favorites by $1 to $2. For customers who love tacos, this feature is both economically beneficial and another detail that sets La La Taqueria apart from generic restaurants.
When I visited, the food came with only about a 10- to 15-minute wait for a pretty hefty order.
The first item I tried was the carnitas taco, which included shredded pork, black bean sauce, pickled onions, chile amarillo sauce and cilantro. The pork was cooked and shredded perfectly, a feature that distinguishes an authentic carnitas taco. All ingredients worked well with one another, and the blue corn tortillas were just crispy enough.
The next taco I tried was the al pastor, which is always a favorite. The taco included grilled pork, pineapple, crispy cheese, onions, cilantro and salsa verde. The pork was absolutely delicious and was seasoned in a way that gave the rest of the taco incredible flavor. The amount of pineapple worked well, as it didn’t overpower the other ingredients but served as a sweet backdrop. The salsa verde was the right consistency and level of heat, as it was mild enough to give the rest of the taco flavor, but also served its own delicious purpose.
The mole enchiladas featured crispy chicken enchiladas served with mole sauce, onions, cheese and pico de gallo, as well as sides of rice and beans. The enchiladas were absolutely delightful, but the mole sauce was what stood out. It offered the perfect amount of spice while being decadent and flavorful.
Overall, I don’t have a negative comment about the food, which was comparable to the cuisine in a high-end Mexican restaurant. La La Taqueria is quickly becoming a new favorite place of mine to eat.
More information about La La Taqueria and the link to order for pickup can be found at their website.
Rating: 9.5 out 10
