Tacos El Compita

Astoria, Queens really isn’t known for it’s Mexican cuisine, but for a cheap dinner, Mexican grub is hard to beat. A newbie to the neighborhood is Tacos El Compita. This tiny taqueria is situated on 34th Avenue, snuggled between a Chinese take-out joint and a neighborhood convenience. Dimly lit, this sweatbox barely has enough seats for eight. To the back of this dungeon hovers what seems like a faux bamboo tiki bar, likely the ruins of a former eatery. The leftover fixtures from former restaurants isn’t surprising considering this is the third restaurant to occupy this location in a little over a year. With mariachi music playing in the background and bright Mexican blankets serving as impromptu tablecloths, the atmosphere is a little lacking. But the distracting environment makes this restaurant the perfect place to make your order to-go or better yet, have it delivered. Because what this taco joint lacks for in décor, it more than reciprocates in cheap, authentic eats.

All of the tacos from Tacos El Compita come wrapped in paper rolling the soft corn tortillas into a cone shaped delight. Topped with the traditional onions and cilantro, and with creamy guacamole bursting out of its interior, a quick squeeze from the provided lime wedge and a small pour of their hot sauce is all you need. The hard part is deciding which filling you would like your tacos stuffed with. Tacos El Compita offers a variety of eight different tacos ranging from chicken to beef tongue. El Metro Miser highly recommends the enchilada taco (with its small tender chunks of beef simmered in a spicy sauce) and the chorizo taco (with its delicate, juicy morsels of spice-filled sausage). The best part is that all the varieties of their tacos will only set you back two greenbacks a pop.

Of course tacos only make up a small portion of the hard-to-decipher menu. Classics like burritos, tostadas and flautas are abundant. A newcomer to my palette is the huarache. Huarache literally translates as “sandal”, because of the large, thick, oval shaped tortilla used in this big brother of the tostada. This doughy cornmeal pita is fried until the edges are nice and crispy, then slathered with refried beans and topped with seasoned pieces of steak, lettuce, tomatoes and fresh cheese. It’s an excellent marriage of flavors and textures, although I’m not sure completely worth the $5.50 selling point.

By far the best bang for your last few bucks lies in the mighty torta. Mexican for sandwich, this monster is served in a Mexican-style roll called a bolillo and packed with goodies. I opted for the milanesa de pollo, or breaded chicken cutlet version. From top to bottom the fillings were black refried beans, pickled jalapenos and carrots, a fat chicken cutlet, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, mayonnaise, another chicken cutlet and guacamole. I was in heaven from the first bite to that last tiny piece of crust. A steal at $4.50, this Mexican sandwich gets The Metro Miser Seal of Approval. And for a buck extra, Tacos El Compita offers the cemita, which the friendly waitress informed me, was the larger version of the torta. Probably well worth another ducket, although the normal-sized torta made for a perfect dinner portion.

Unfortunately, many of the dishes on Tacos El Compita’s menu are out of The Metro Miser’s price range. Although I’m almost positive, if they’re anything like the cheap staples served, you won’t be disappointed.

Tacos El Compita
32-20 34th Avenue (btwn 32nd & 33rd St.)
Astoria, NY 11106
(718) 472-9066
view menu