This Mexican restaurant has been a neighborhood staple for almost 20 years and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the food remains delicious and very authentic in terms of flavor. The must have dish here is the chile relleno, the tomato sauce that they use is so flavorful and the chile is stuffed with cheese and then fried. I highly recommend this dish. The prices are very reasonable considering the quality of the food. On most nights they usually have a guy singing karaoke and he's very entertaining. I'm glad we were able to enjoy a nice meal indoors before the city shuts down indoor dining on Monday. read more

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I love this place for tacos! I don't order anything else. I should but I don't, apologies. The tacos all cost the same amount for the most part 3.50 each. I have tried almost every taco on their menu and so far DELICIOUS ! My favorite are the shrimp tacos! They taste amazing they are season so nicely. Light but tasty. It has a guacamole lime sauce in it with cilantro and onion. Have it with the verde salsa or red salsa if you want spice. The taco pastor is also great! I love the pineapple in it and their pork is seasoned so well! These are great on their own for me. It's perfect with a drink or on it's own. They have a couple of tables for guest and some times they have karaoke. It is always full of locals when it's karaoke and I mean full. They have one bathroom and I have never seen it unclean so that's a plus. Definitely worth a trip and your patronage. Order a taco! read more

Ima tell y'all right now! They have a new chef in the kitchen and it SHOWS! The rice has never been good and I've been coming here for 20 years now. The food is pretty tasty. I love their tacos for sure they're so good (asada.) The tortas are just as delicious aswell as their daily specials. My favs are the carnitas michoacanas and the costillas (in any sauce tbh.) the only thing I don't like is the change in the nachos. I actually liked the ones when it was like 8nachos each prepared instead of a pile of chips with stuff on top. They had put American cheese and that's where I lost it LOL but ima let that slide bc now I know to stick with everything else which so that's ok. Also great for breakfast if u want like huevos rancheros or even pancakes. I try supporting them whenever I can I def don't wanna lose this place to the pandemic! Good job :) read more

My worst experience I had by far at a Mexican restaurant/cafe as this is more of an authentic Mexican. I understand being cultural competence is very important and language was kind of main barrier. Since me and my friends didn't know what to order, we just order from the "Platos/Platters" category and clearly on the bottom of the menu it states "All above served with rice, beans, guacamole and tortillas." So I ordered grill chicken platter ($12) and I told her I did not want beans and salad and instead I want more rice. My both of friends got the Mexican style chicken platter ($11.95), we all pointed at it on the menu so she know exactly which one we wanted. So for my order she came out with a plate just with three pieces of grill chicken and some rice on it. My jaw drop as I was thinking "WTH is this." I asked her where is my guacamole? She told me my order didn't come with guacamole. I ask her to please go look at the menu and she went to the kitchen and came back to get my plate. Not to mention not only guacamole but she didn't not give me tortillas either. Tried a tortilla from my friends order, it was not warm and didn't taste good so didn't bother telling her. Food was terrible. The chicken was extremely dry and the price was a bit hard. Only ate one piece of the grill chicken and did not bother packaging the remaining food. The best part was the chips and the salsa. read more

Kahlua's Cafe - Grill Chicken platter ($12) - No beans and salad - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

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Margueritaville NOT! Kahluas is a neighborhood (Hispanic) favorite with good authentic Mexican food at reasonable prices. My daughter and friends live close are regulars and recommend it. So my daughter her roommate and I came in and were seated quickly as they were not busy. Off to a good start. A pleasant server soon arrived and we ordered waters and three house margueritas. Soon chips and salsa arrived but no waters. Good as were were hungry but unfortunately we were quite thirsty as well. We chatted caught up and looked over the menus. It took 10-15 minutes for the margueritas to arrive topped with a cherry and cute little umbrella but still no waters. Now keep in mind the bar was about eight feet away and they were not busy??? We had to remind her of the waters and after a few more minutes they arrived. WOW! Apparently this place was also a big kareoke bar and gets packed with would be stars. A DJ arrived and set up his labtop and plugged into waiting speakers...soon we had Mexican music background. Later music videos on a nearby tv screen as well. Oh...later he also sang as well. The roommate had too tacos ($3.50 each) that looked good and tasted great she reported. My daughter and I opted to split a combination fajita with chicken beef and shrimp ($17.95) also quite good and plenty for two. Oh... had to request water refills and wait. We enjoyed each other's company the food and music man. We requested our check which turned out to be a hand written note pad "guest check" with the food on the front and drinks on the back. The check seemed higher than I had expected so I looked closer. The entree prices were correct and on the back the drinks were $42 ($14 each) much higher than our food and a surprise. Where had the reasonable prices gone? The very ordinary regular size mostly ice and "well" tequila that you could not taste were $14 each...and took forever to get! She could have at least served our drinks promptly and they should have used tequila and skipped the umbrella and cherry (red dye #2). Are you kidding me? We weren't downtown. Kahluas is in Spanish Harlem and reported as "reasonably priced". I asked our server if our drink price was correct. Yes she said. I told her that had I have known I would have stuck with the rationed water. So folks it turned out to be an irritating dining experience with adequate service good food and surprising pricing. Not sure which was worse the $14 drink or the lack of water. Try it if you find yourself in Spanish Harlem either for the good authentic Mexican food (cactus tacos) or kareoke. Drink at home first and bring your own water. Media, Ricardo y mija read more

UPDATE Sept. 2010 YOU STILL MUST TRY THE CACTUS TACOS. NOW (SEE fuller description in original review below). Do not let the modest exterior nor the truly unique interior (genuinely distinctive, not contrived kitsch, like some honky-owned "Mexican" places I could name) nor the promise of Mexican and "American" food worry you. This is still the only place I've found in the entire city that has grilled cactus tacos and their deliciousness defies adequate description. You will NOT get chips and salsa unless it's dinner (that's an American deal, not Mexican), and as mentioned below this is a proudly working class joint with left-leaning owners (judging from all the huge photos of Zapata and Guevara on the walls, mixed among the old-school Mexican movie and wrestling stars). Normally everybody in the place is speaking Spanish (this IS Spanish Harlem btw), though the staff speak fluent English as well. And they are incredibly efficient, hard working, and friendly. The chilaquiles are the best I've had (a traditional Mexican breakfast dish of crispy tortilla wedges baked in red or green sauce with a choice of meat or egg toppings). And the portion is huge. And accompanied by a huge plate of black beans and rice. The tostadas sencillas (see photo) are huge and bascially a delicious salad of thinly sliced lettuce, crema, tomatoes, and black beans atop crunchy tortillas. Delicious. And cheap. Today we had all of the above plust two coffees for breakfast and the bill was $19.95. Beers are incredibly cheap and always cold. I've been coming here for over three years, almost weekly, and have never had a remotely bad experience. The place is festive, authentic, inexpensive, convivial and offers delicious authentic Mexican food. What more could you want? *********************************************************** YOU MUST TRY THE CACTUS TACOS. NOW. This is the only place in Manhattan that has them, as far as I know. The cactus is grilled with minced onions and cilantro, stuffed into fresh tortillas, slathered with great guacamole, and served with a large helping of green salsa on the side. INCREDIBLY GOOD. TWO BUCKS A PIECE. This tiny place is as authentic a Mexican cafe as you can find outside of Mexico City. The food and prices are superb, the Coronas are ice cold, the air is always alive with jukebox bachata, cumbia, or salsa tunes, the tables and bars are filled with my convivial El Barrio neighbors, and I am usually the only non-Spanish speaker in the place. The decor is charming but this is a proudly working-class joint (witness the large prints of Zapata and Guevara on the walls) so you will not find chain-restaurant-faux-Mex decor. Thank God. Other great dishes: Red Chilaquiles for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!! Tostadas Sencillas Friends have tried and loved the grilled shrimp salad. Cactus Burrito read more

They stuff their tacos. I couldn't finish the two that I ordered (pork and beef tongue). I've never had beef tongue and figure this place serves enough of it to have it fresh and cooked well. The tongue was alright, a little too gamey for me, I wanted it to be either more like liver or more like steak. Pork tacos were excellent. We shared a side of the cactus since there were good reviews. It's a weird texture, kind of like those flat long string beans but slightly slimey. Doesn't have much flavor, but it was grilled nicely with salt. Better cut up and mixed in with my taco. The size of a side of cactus was pretty big, 2 large pieces. The price was good, the food good, the place clean with sturdy tables, kind of homey. I like the little magnetized curtain at the doorway- no flies in here! I'd go back for my 'gringo' choices, LOL. And a diner was eating a bowl of chicken soup that looked pretty tasty. read more

Great sopes and delicious authentic flavors of Mexico, no extra nonsense. That's all I gave to say but yelp wants me to type more so blah blah blah. Yummy food good stuff read more

Dropped in for some quick lunch. The food was really tasty, really authentic, and really cheap. I got a spicy pork taco (in the menu as "carne enchilada") and a cactus taco, $3 each. They were served with cilantro, onions, and guacamole, with line wedges and celery on the side. So good! The kicker, however, is the Cubano torta my man friend ordered. Piled HIGH with chicken breast, sausage, an egg, avocado, jalepeno (I think), cheese, lettuce, and tomato. $8 and way more than any mere mortal can eat in one sitting. Bravo! P.S. Extra points because they were blasting funk classics the whole time. read more

Kahlua's Cafe - Half of the Cubano torta. I dare you. - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

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Went to this restaurant a few weeks ago with a good friend of mine for lunch. It is a quaint little spot that offers authentic Mexican food (which I love). The staff was friendly and courteous. They brought us free chips and salsa (love any part of my meal that's free, lol). The waitress took our order and the food didn't take that long to come. They have a lot to choose from on the menu and what we ordered was delicious. I had the chicken burrito and since I was being greedy that day I ordered regular American type breakfast I mean it was brunch time and I couldn't decide, lol...along with my burrito (see pics) I had pancakes, scrambled eggs and corned beef hash, which was not bad at all for ordering at a Mexican spot. I couldn't eat it all so took the rest home. Generous portions and the prices were good. I would go back if I'm ever in that area for lunch or dinner! read more

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Brunch. $7 for a really serious amount of huevos with onions and jalepenos. Mmmm. I have lots of leftovers for tomorrow. I also had what I believe to be a strawberry shake, even though I ordered a mango one. All shakes are delicious, I don't even care. The cinnamon sprinkled on top was delightful! I'm into this place. I never would have gone into this place based on its exterior appearance. It's so colorful and amazing on the inside. Apparently I made an error in not getting the cactus burritos. Next time, for sure. read more

THE most authentic of the last few Mexican restaurants I tried, in recent memory. Never did the brunch, but had early dinner, twice, here -- and if it were not uptown, I would be here a lot more often. Had some business to take care of in the area and I just happened to see the sign walking around. It called to me, right away! Once inside, by the look of the cute yet not 'fake' Mexican ambiance, I was even more sure it would be a hidden gem. It is a colorful little place, sometimes with Mexican or Dominican Bachatas blasting on the jukebox. Its hopping with locals (another good indication of great food) and we were the only non-Latin people in here. I felt like I hit the jackpot! The first time, I was so excited we ordered everything from the menu -- even the specials that we had no idea what they were (written in Spanish). I had a pork special of the day that was a stew with the meat falling of the bones, out of this world! So tasty, I cannot describe! I wish I could remember the name of the dish -- and perhaps one of you kind Yelpers could let me know what it might have been. It was one of the best things I ever ate in any restaurant! We also had their famous cactus tacos and a bunch of others, among them a an el pastor. All were YUM. We also had a chicken mole dish, to die for! Totally, authentic and tasty and done just right. The meals here, are divine. Whatever you order here, you won't be disappointed. If you are not sure of something, the waitresses will help you. (If one doesn't understand enough English, they will be kind enough to send over another girl who does). My only very small wish is that they would serve Margaritas. But, for with this kind of great food, I'll settle for a nice, cold beer. (Just stay away from the white wine, its very sweet). BTW, I almost forgot. They serve a huge salad topped with such HUGE pieces of fresh avocado, it'll make your eyes pop! Its so big, you might not be able to eat anything else. Just warning you! I just wish it was closer! Definitely worth the trip, though. Will definitely be going back, soon! read more

I really loved the colorful interior, and our waitress was friendly and patient. The food was good. The salsa that comes with the chips was delicious. The guacamole was really plain and simple- too simple for me. I think all they put in it were onions and I like a lot of stuff in mine. We actually ended up even adding salt and pepper to it. The Fajitas Shrimp were good but there wasn't much to them, though the shrimp was fresh and delicious. I also got a carnitas enchilada with salsa verde. It was good but I do with the salsa had been spicier and there had been more pico de gallo on top. Overall it was a good meal but not something I would come out of my way for. A somewhat seedy fella attempted to buy us a drink (we were three women dining alone). Our waitress came over to let us know, and told us we could refuse if we wanted to, and we did. My friend who lives in the area says that's pretty normal. read more

This place is yum! We weren't sure where to get lunch while we were here on a Mexican food and sweets hunt this afternoon, and we decided on this place after seeing all the people who were inside eating; of all the small restaurants that we had passed in the area when deciding which place to eat at, this was the one that had the most number of people in it. So we went inside, and the waitress who served us was very patient with us when we asked questions regarding the different dishes and what certain things meant in English. We had three tacos - beef, tongue, and carnitas, along with one of the specials, a carnitas dish that came with guacamole, rice, black beans, grilled scallions, and corn tortillas. The carnitas was perfect, and the rice and everything else on that dish were really well seasoned. The tacos were really good, too -- corn tortillas stuffed with (again, very well seasoned) meat. The beef taco was amazing and better than the beef taco we'd had at Taqueria Coatzingo in Jackson Heights. The meat tasted like it was grilled and had a great crispness on the outside. The tables are a bit crowded together, here, so maybe this wouldn't be the best place for a big group to go to for a meal. The service and food are really good, so if you are in the area and need some Mexican, definitely try this place. It even caters to more Americanized tastes as well (I couldn't believe it when I saw "hard-shelled tacos" on the menu!!). read more

I knew from the minute I spied the plaid table cloths that this would be a great place. Definitely my favorite Mexican place in the city, with a wide variety of sopas for the tasting, but also plenty of Americanized favorites if that's your thing. Speaking of which, I really love the spinach enchiladas. The cactus tacos are also not to be missed, by any means. I also love the service here; the waitresses are so sweet. read more

one of Best Burritos in East Harlem first time trying this place and I'm hook I will be back for more

Amazing food ! The ambiance is great ! Tried the costillas en salsa Verde with cactus they were amazing ! Karaoke night is the best , honestly I would go back anyway. read more

Ordered the beef tripe soup, chicken enchiladas, chorizo tostadas and some rice n beans. The waitress brought everything out almost at once and even brought a trio of onions, jalapeños and cilantro to add to our liking. Not only did the beef tripe soup taste AMAzE it reminded me of my grandma Rosalitas recipe from Tijuana. Brought me back to those carefree days of eating all these Mexican delictables while hearing the sounds of gunshots in the distance over some cartel drug war. Ahhhh the good life read more

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Mexican, authentic Mexican in the heart of Little Pueblo. Let them know you want your food 'piquante'. I hope the designation "American - new" doesn't mean they are going to change their menu or cuisine. You must go if you like Mexican food. Tomorrow may be too late. They also have a fine sense of humor, with Cinco de Mayo Specials such as Mole de Nariz, Chicharron con pelos and Tacos de Chorizo Prado. Vive Kahlua. read more

I went here for lunch on a Friday around 12:30 and I got seated right away. I chose this place because of its proximity to Hunter College's Silberman School of Social Work (my friend was in town there for a conference, so this was a convenient place for us to meet). The service was prompt and courteous. It helps to know Spanish, but speaking English wasn't a problem for me, and the menu is clear. There are quite a few options on the menu for both vegetarians and meat-eaters. I got the vegetarian cactus burrito (see photo). It was very tasty. The price was reasonable. It was nice and cool inside on a warm spring day. Definitely try the agua fresca. They change flavors daily, and my friend got mango and she let me try it. It was HUGE and very refreshing. read more

Kahlua's Cafe - a burrito and salad - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

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I had pretty high expectations for this place based on the Yelp reviews (my roommate also said this place was good but I'm pretty sure he has no taste buds). I had the monterrey enchilada with salsa verde which came with a side of rice and beans. The enchilada itself was pretty tasty but it was literally just a tortilla with seared cheese. Delicious, but maybe stuff another layer of something in there? The rice and beans were almost embarrassingly bland. I didn't put any salt or cotija on it just to see if my taste buds needed to adjust from all the salt in the cheese but no dice; they just tasted like absolutely nothing. My friend had chicken tacos that came with guacamole and she ended up using my salsa verde because her food didn't taste like anything, either. I want to give them another chance but only because they're so close to my house. I definitely wouldn't go out of my way for them, though. read more

Kahlua's Cafe - Monterrey enchilada with sides of rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

Went for breakfast and had huevos rancheros and coffee. Both were fresh and delicious. Excellent service and a cute cafe. We will return for sure. read more

I haven't ate the food yet but I ordered takeout and when I went to pay it was a lot more then expect. When I told the waitress she said that the menu prices changed, I completely understand if that happens but it would be nice if they could change the prices on the menu then. She acted as if it didn't matter nor was it her problem. Now I know next time if I decide to come here I have to ask before ordering if the prices are the same or when I go to pay it's going to be way more. read more

I love this place!!! The most friendly staff, and great steak burritos ever. The staff are beyond attentive and I couldn't ask for a better place than this one for late nights. It's very family orientated but then at night you can go wild with the karaoke. Definitely my go too place. read more

Definitely my favorite mexican delivery place. Their tortas are the best i've ever had. Delivery is always fast and courteous. My only complaint is the person who take phone orders doesn't always speak English and you may need to repeat yourself a few times. read more

No chips n salsa! huh! Order beef hard tacos, and they were not good. No real flavor, and the taco shell was so thin. I'm from Cali and I don't understand why the NY Mexicans make such crappy food compared to the Californian Mexicans! read more

Wow! The Mexican food in here is delicious, and the portion is ridiculously huge for the price. Awesome service and the pictures resemble a true culture of mexico. Definitely coming here again read more

Nice bar scene towards the night. Felt like brooding Mexico with the candid karaoke and the oh so delightful chilis rellenos. I wish they had mezcal! read more

The waitress was very friendly, and man.... those cactus burritos are no joke! Huge! Delicious! Sitting on the cutest table cloths on the planet! It can get a little cramped, but I'll definitely be returning. read more

Came here to try some "authentic" Mexican in the neighborhood. Service was ok, food was mediocre at best. I ordered the shrimp burrito and it was extremely dry. It was 90% rice, 9% beans, and 1% tiny shrimp the size of a finger nail. The burrito itself was so try I had to dip it in salsas just to liven it up. My boyfriend got the mole poblano and said it was less than average. There are definitely better spots in the neighborhood (Taco Mix). read more

Perfect a Mundo. ....if you want awesome food and an awesome time Hells yea. GET THE TACOS small but tasty, addictive, and filling.

We came to Kahluah's Café to eat breakfast earlier this week. I am fan and see myself coming back! When we got to the café we couldn't help but notice that there was no AC! *sad face* but luckily for us (and them) it was not that hot outside. The waitress was very attentive. She took our order and the wait was not very long for our food to come out. The food was really good! I ordered the Jamaica water. Now, my parents are Mexican so I am really picky when eating at "Mexican" restaurants and I get so upset when the food (or drinks) do not taste how they are supposed to. I am glad to say that the food and my Jamaica drink tasted as if my own momma had made it lol well you dig what I am trying to say. The bill was not that high and as I mentioned before the waitress was great. I can definitely see myself coming back. read more