I'm not sure what it was that brought us to Frijoleros last week. I didn't have a reservation anywhere but wanted to go out. There are a dizzying number of options in NYC which makes a last-minute decision potentially agonizing if you have decision paralysis and/or FOMO like I do. Something in me said I needed Mexican food and, despite living in uptown Manhattan, something in me said I needed Brooklyn vibes. Call it spidey-foodie senses or call it a well-organized Google Maps, but we ended up at Frijoleros and, if I do say so myself, it was as if I successfully manifested my exact fantasy. Neither the cocktails nor the food are the main event here, they share the spotlight well and both are excellent. Tons of variety, tons of flavor, and the prices are pretty fair. The vibes are somehow both lively and chill which seems paradoxical when you write it out but vibes are not written, they are felt, so IYKYK.
We came here at around 9PM on a Saturday night. We didn't have a reservation but I'd seen tables available on Resy so we tried our luck. We were seated immediately though place was probably 80-90% full. Again, couldn't have scripted it any better (I'd rather wait 15-20 minutes for a table than go show up to a relatively empty spot).
We were both eager to dive into food and drink alike, so we wasted no time before looking at the cocktail menu. As folks have mentioned, there's quite a lot to choose from and all options are seemingly good ones. To start, I got the Taiyo (yuzu vodka, mango, vermouth, yellow chartreuse), a fruity martini-type drink served with a sidecar that was a little sweet and dangerously smooth. My partner got the Holy Smoke (Manojo mezcal, earl grey, peach, l'orgeat, lime) which was also an excellent sip. I then got the Pepino (mezcal, cucumber, lime & agave) with tajin because, despite all of exciting creations, sometimes a really really good marg is all you need. There were many other drinks I wish I could have tried but had I kept making my way through the menu I probably wouldn't have any memory of what I ordered and couldn't review it for you anyway.
The food at Frijoleros is equally impressive. Plenty of options for folks with a range of preferences/diets (i.e., GF, DF, vegetarian, pescatarian). Most dishes are great for sharing (and sharing is recommended), aside from maybe a soup or something like that. We got a solid range of cold/hot/smaller/larger and overall it was a good amount of food. Didn't quite finish our last dish because we were full but we happily enjoyed leftovers the next day. I usually grade dishes individually but in this case it was As across the board. Eats, below:
Hamachi Aguachile w/ prickly pear, strawberry, habanero, cucumber, jicama
I love aguachile and this one is particularly vibrant, in color and flavor alike. I could have taken sips of this marinade straight all night - fruity and bright and a little spicy. A perfect way to start the meal and wake up the palette.
Tuna w/ flour chicharron, soy-lime, macha aioli and avocado
I can see why this is highly reviewed. Incredibly flavorful and umami, more filling than you might expect before it's served to you. The aioli and texture from the chicharron make the dish, though it is totally viable to eat the tuna and avocado straight and skip the chicharron should you prefer to do it that way.
Gambas w/ recado negro, Mexican beurre blanc
Hard to pick of favorite of the night but these are in the running. The seasoning on the shrimp was just divine and the beurre blanc was perfection with great consistency, having us both trying to extract every teensy morsel we could get out of each shell.
Gorditas w/ lamb pansita negra, queso oaxaca, chile ajo nopales
I hadn't tried anything like these before this meal, which are basically arepas - in this case, decked out and rich, served with a lighter, slightly spicy sauce for dipping which perfectly complemented/balanced the flavors of the gorditas.
Mole Blanco y Negro w/ brussels sprouts and squash
I could easily have this as my veggie side for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All veggie, so so good. The mole was delicious, the brussels were roasted to perfection and the squash was very lightly fried and wonderfully crispy. A seasonal sensation. read more