I hate speaking in hyperbole, but the best Mexican food I have had in New York City comes from Ollin. They're located in East Harlem, so it was a bit of a trek from the Mexican food desert that is lower Manhattan, but beyond worth it. It's a no frills, family run restaurant that serves up homemade Puebla style Mexican food. Right when we walked into this authentic ambiance, I knew we were in good hands. We went with their signature cemita, birria tacos, chilaquiles, empanadas, churros, and carrot cake. The Cemita is stuffed with spicy pork, black beans, lettuce, onion, tomato, avocado, Oaxaca Cheese, mayo, and chipotle sauce slammed together between a sesame bun. It was a work of art and a high level sandwich, but wasn't our favorite thing we got. These Birria Tacos belong in a museum, and are head and shoulders the best tacos I've had in the city. They reminded me of the ones my granny used to make for us growing up, especially with the crispy fried shell. A blast of favor on every bite, and they actually tasted better than they look. The sleeper of the meal was the Chilaquiles, as they are homemade tortilla chips simmered in a spicy green salsa. They were perfect. If you take nothing else from this review, please don't skip the dessert. We had to rip the homemade churros and carrot cake. I'm running out of adjectives here, but these were up there with any dessert I've had this year. The decadent cake was moist and dense, and I could have eaten a whole tub of that icing. Truly a big back meal, but the soul needs that every now and then. "Ollin" is the Aztec word for movement, which is fitting because they have so much motion in here. IG @johnny.novo Tiktok @jnov__ Substack @johnnynovo read more

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I visited Ollin NYC last year for cinco de mayo and it was amazing so my friends and I decided to re-visit last week. Ollin NYC, located in East Harlem, offers authentic Mexican cuisine with a focus on traditional Puebla-style dishes like cemitas, mole, and birria tacos. The menu also features handmade sopes, tortas, burritos,The restaurant is small, but always lively. This time, I had the Birria Enchiladas + Consome with two margaritas, one strawberry and one passion fruit. The margaritas were extremely fruity and I loved every moment of drinking them. During happy hour margaritas are $8. My friend had Huevos Rancheros, which is 2 deep fried tortillas with 2 fried eggs on a homemade tomato/habanero salsa topped with pico de Gallo, sour cream, cheese and avocado, and served with rice beans. The wait staff was attentive and friendly. There is a 3 percent surcharge on credit card orders and 20 percent tip added for large groups. Overall it was a good experience. read more

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The best Mexican food I've ever had. My Latina friends agree. Tres leches was out of this world. Churros were great. Tacos were delicious. Service was kind and soooo inviting!!! read more

I gave them another try recently and while they were once again late with the delivery (30min late), the cemitas are just too good to hold a grudge. They are a good size, absolutely delicious (great combination of flavors and ingredients) and very reasonably priced. I like the spicy pork and the carnitas. Really hard to beat this sandwich, the only place that could give them a run for their money is el Aguila on 103rd St. read more

Modest authentic Mexican restaurant establishment. Friendly and helpful waitstaff. Loved their tamarind margarita and birria dish. Very reasonable prices and super filling. Everything was delicious and well seasoned. I would go back if I were near the area. read more

Ollin Restaurant - Tamarind margarita - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

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The chilaquiles were not it. If you want a place with good chilaquiles and not in caldo de salsa verde and day old corn chips you're better off making a trip to Cafe Xochmilco in queens. You've been warned. read more

Ollin Restaurant - What they're passing off as chilaquiles - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

Came here for happy hour for a meet up. I was trying to find a spot that doesn't have happy hour end at 6 this place goes till 8pm. The atmosphere was simple and cute. They were playing music but you can still have a conversation. There was some outdoor seating as well. Music was reggaeton. I got guac and chips and passion fruit and tamarind margarita. They were excellent just enough strength and delicious. For entree burrito in a bowl with carnitas. Amazing. They even add guacamole to the dish which was cool. The service was good. The place again was simple but clean. I had a great time and will return. read more

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I was actually in the neighborhood to make a return visit to Bangklyn for Thai food, but they were mysteriously closed today, and so we pivoted to Ollin, which based on what I read online appears to have garnered a bit of fame on TikTok. We arrived in the early afternoon on a Saturday, and it was not busy at all. It seems like the move here is to order one of the epicly-proportioned cemita sandwiches, which come packaged with a very generous serving of white Oaxacan cheese, lettuce, avocado, and a layer of black beans. I opted for the vegetarian Azteca cemita, which also comes with nopales and potatoes, prepared in the fashion of NY diner home fries. I usually take issue with nopales being provided as a vegetarian substitute when there are so many more interesting options available, but here they were very well seasoned in what appeared to be a stir fry mix with the onions. read more

Ollin Restaurant - Vegetarian cemita azteca - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

My chicken fajita was good but the real highlight was their birria which was fantastic. Very casual place with helpful waiters. Would recommend if you're in the area and want legit Mexican food. read more

Ollin Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

Ordered a burrito via delivery and it was really solid. Good portion and I was very full after. In DoorDash they had a BOGO deal which was clutch deal. The ratio of ingredients was well done in the burrito and the chicken was solid. A good option for a burrito. read more

Ollin Restaurant - Burrito - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

The food was delicious, great service! The drinks felt a bit watered down but I had a great time. The inside is cute and cozy but there's not a lot of inside seating. read more

Ollin Restaurant - Birria chilaquiles - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

Delicious food and wonderful service. After walking Randall Island for 4 hours in the sun the group was ready for food. Originally someone wanted a deli sando but another friend demanded a sit down restaurant- so glad we stumbled on this gem. I was able to get vegan nachos (nachos with no crema or cheese add vegetable medley) and the friend group got chilaquiles, mole, and a bowl. Huge portions and the food was delicious and filling. Everyone's plates were cleaned. The Jamaica hit the spot and we were given multiple bottles of water for the table. We glanced over at another table and saw huge tortas- next time! Both indoor and outdoor seating is available, the restroom is tiny but extremely clean. read more

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I've had Ollin saved for ages and finally was able to stop in tonight. I'm pretty sad that their outdoor space was locked up because it's so adorable. We sat inside. It's a pretty small space but it has some great Mexican art and decor on the walls. To drink, we ordered some margaritas. These definitely slap you after a few sips. The tamarindo was especially delicious. My partner had the lime margarita and agreed it was equally strong and delicious. To eat, we had the chicken enchiladas and the birria tacos. The birria tacos were absolutely amazing. They tasted great on their own. The dipping sauce added an extra layer of flavor. The enchiladas were fantastic as well, just a bit spicy. But I was spoon-feeding myself the green sauce because it was so good. The service was awesome, even though the waitress was busy taking to-go orders and dine-in orders. Ollin is as authentic as it gets. I'm definitely returning to them soon. East Harlem's best kept secret. read more

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Great spot! Finally made it out here, and had a great plate for breakfast/lunch. It was a cold sunny day, and i decided to sit outside in the patio. This space is so cute, and well-decorated, its like its own little house. The waitress also offered to close the windows, which was so cozy. I ordered the plate with beef, and it came with rice and beans, cheese, avocado, and warm tortillas. I wish they had more coffee options, but its just instant for now. It was a lot of food, especially beef for the ratio of everything else. The beef was a little dry/salty, but could also be the cold day. Generally it was great, would loved to have added an egg. read more

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Food was horrible, simple nachos with pork had absolutely zero flavor, cold, jalapeño not spicy but old, suspicious melted white cheese (not in description). Hardly any meat mostly fat, on the not sure what cut of, pork. Beans on the side completely void of flavor. This is neither authentic Mexican nor American version of Mexican. I called to explain my surprise & disappointment and didn't receive an apology or refund but instead a threat they're recording my call and will find me on social media to say something disparaging. Attention Restaurant, I paid for food not you purchasing a product from me. read more

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Authentic tacos. Best food. We order delivery weekly. Always fresh and flavorful! Family run small business serving authentic Mexican food. We enjoy their Beef Empañatas, Birria Quesa Tacos with Comsume Combo or w/o consume with sliced of avacado, chopped red onion & cilantro and a lime. You can request to not have sides if preferred. Also love their guacamole & chips but must be eaten right away!!! Absolutely delicious! Looking forward to trying other items too. read more

This place is literally so good and I do not say that lightly. One of the best Mexican places I've been to the city. Small and cozy interior, wait staff was super kind and helpful and took the time to walk us through the menu. Horchata was DELICIOUS and creamy, I've also found it's hard to find good flan and this one was great. For an entree I got the cemita, house made chipotle and Oaxacan cheese was delicious. Definitely want to come back for more and try all of the birria options (including birria ramen!!) Could not say enough good things about this place read more

Ollin Restaurant - Cemita Cubana - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

Ollin is truly an authentic Mexican restaurant from the decor down to the food. They have two locations. We ate at the 2nd ave location. The music wasn't too loud which is perfect since I was having dinner with my two besties and we were catching up. The waitress was nice, gave recommendations and didn't hover. I tried two different dishes. The chile relleno that comes with rice, beans and tortillas and the birria quesataco with consome. The chile relleno was not spicy and I loved the sauce. The consome was alittle spicy but sooo good and so were the birria tacos. My best friend had the birria ramen and she said it was bomb! I also had a fruit punch Jarritos and it was the best flavor. read more

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I've been ordering takeout from here for years. The food is always so tasty. I love the quality of the ingredients and the amount of Oaxaca cheese they put in their quesadillas and enchiladas. While takeout/delivery does take a while, the food will make up for it. read more

Over the years the portions have gotten smaller and they no longer consistently offer some things like lime or radish with the tacos but tons of new stuff has been added to the menu. The staff is very friendly. Be mindful that there may be a wait for your food because they can get so busy (bc they're food is SO GOOD) while waiting, you can enjoy their awesome decor and take advantage of the homemade fruit juices they have on the menu, my favorite is the Hibiscus. Please keep in mind they have a second location on 2nd Ave., and that one may be open by the one on first may be closed . Be sure to check both places before thinking you can't have delicious tacos. read more

I use to come to cafe ollin a lot, I stopped by yesterday and ordered three tacos and three tostadas with tamarind juice, I'm pretty sure they have increased their prices because $51 for that order is pretty ridiculous. on top of that I asked for no onions because I'm allergic and they proceeded to put onions on my tacos. if you were going to charge ridiculous prices at least get peoples orders right I was so tired. I didn't go back. What a waste of money and time this place used to be great And affordable but I will not be coming back. read more

Saw this place on tiktok and thought I'd give it a try! The birria tacos have been trending and I was in the mood to chow down on some moist beef tacos. I ordered the birria taco combo and my friend ordered the chicken cemita. A very juicy taco and the broth was a bit spicy which added a nice kick! I wanted to try their chocolate chip cookies since other reviews mentioned how gooey and comparable they are to Levain's cookies. However, they didn't have a batch ready when I went. They have pickup and delivery only and recommend contactless pay. Overall, I'd recommend coming to this local eats place! read more

Ollin Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

The food here is quite good. I had a picadita with vegetables, sope with queso Oaxaca, and a cemita de chilaquiles. The picadita and sope were practically the same thing, but both had a nice variety of ingredients and comforting flavors. A cemita with chilaquiles feels like overkill, but it's pretty much the perfect cheat meal! Definitely worth a visit. read more

This place is soooo good. The food was great. It's small so definitely don't come with a big group. The margaritas were great. They have a variety of flavors. 10/10 do recommend and I will be coming back in the near future. read more

Honestly so disappointed, this place came up on my Tik Tok feed and I was excited to try the birria and the churro pancakes. First off we waited over 20 minutes for two cups of coffee, there were only two other tables and three waitresses. The pancakes don't exist on the menu. The birria chilaquiles were spicy and had no flavor. The green chilaquiles were extremely spicy, and we had asked the waitress beforehand and she had told us low to medium spicy. The portion was also significantly less compared to the birria chilaquiles and were priced the same. The eggs were supposed to be over-medium, they were clearly still runny. The only highlight was the breaded beef camita, the bread was soft and the cemita was overall delicious. I really wanted to try the desserts but the rest of my friends wanted to leave because the waitresses were really rude and the rest of the meal had been lackluster. When I went to pay the waitress asked me what we had eaten because she couldn't remember, when I told her what we had she asked me with an attitude are you sure because I remember it being more. I love the fact that this is a small family owned business but they should treat their customers better. read more

Ollin Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

The place is a cute family own restaurant ! The margaritas are great and they always have deal going on , as well as activities like painting etc. the music and service is great! The tacos were good , the steak and chorizo ones being the star of the show with lots of flavor and a must have. The torta was good and a huge portion so very worth it . Not picture their guac and chips which was always great with good flavor and fresh chips! The tres leches cake was by far the greatest dish of the day , perfectly made and a must have if you go! The churros were good nice and crispy as well but if you get dessert get the tres leches. Overall a great local place and must try if you are in the area! read more

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4 stars for a delivery order. Food is delish. We had small quesadillas, 2 tacos (carnitas and beef) and chicken fajitas. Everything was really good and really yummy! Not a 5 stars because the delivery service was really slow... read more

Ollin Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

I came here for happy hour and I must say it was very good. We had the happy hour to taste. Their tacos are amazing. We had the carnitas tacos and I must say they were so flavorful. These were delicious and I look forward to trying other items. Their happy hour menu does offer a variety of things. The margarita was good but the tacos were definitely the winner. They had other types of tacos chicken, beef and pork. Their outdoor seating is beautiful. The service is also very good. We had the guacamole which was ok. I did want to try their dessert but we were there a short time. I would definitely come back to try other items off their menu. They are working on getting a frozen machine for frozen drinks. read more

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Wow wow wow! I just had the best Cemita, chocolate chip cookie (better than Levain Bakery to ME) and Mango sangria of MY LIFE! I kid you not, Mexican cuisine is my ultimate fav so I've had my fair number of cemitas. Not only is all the food we ordered AMAZING, more importantly, the customer service is EXCEPTIONAL. To come across such service and human beings during a pandemic; so polite, appreciative and grateful was everything to my husband and I! Now on to this Sangria..... I can't stand Sangria, I've always found it nasty. BUT OLLINS MANGO SANGRIA IS SOOOO SMOOTH AND EASY on the palates, it taste SOOOOOO FREAKIN GOOD. LIKE DANGEROUSLY GOOD! Wow Ollin's, you've gained a forever customer here. Next time I'm going to buy their homemade sauces. read more

Ollin Restaurant - Chicken Cemita, AMAZING! - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

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Home to the best birria tacos + consome I've ever tasted! I haven't had the chance to dine in at this restaurant because of the constant cold and snowy weather in nyc but I have ordered take-out atleast 3 times and the food had been consistently delicious every time. If the take out is 5 star worthy than I can only imagine what the dine in experience is like. This place is a family owned restaurant and the food definitely tastes like it, I can tell that everything from the tacos to the salsa verde are made with love (or maybe just pure talent.) The birria tacos and consome are delicious, the churros are addicting and the salsa verde is a dream. I've recommended it to several friends and they've all visited and loved the food. This has become one of my top 5 neighborhood eats. read more

Ollin Restaurant - Birria QuesaTaco (3)and Consome (12oz) Combo Horchata Agua Fresca (Choose your size) - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

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Possibly the best cemitas (tortas, basically) in NYC. I lived in Texas for a decade, spent an unhealthy amount of time finding yummy Mexican food, and the cemitas here hold up against anything I could find in Texas. If you're looking for anything else, this place isn't bad. The tacos are "good for south of 60th", but if you're in this neighborhood you can get better tacos at Taco Mix or El Aguila. The tacos here aren't bad (decent portion of reasonably seasoned meat plus some pretty nice salsa), but the tortillas can be a bit dried out and they aren't amazing even when they're not dried out, and if you're in this neighborhood you can find better. The same goes for a lot of their other dishes, which are fine, but not outstanding in a neighborhood. In a neighborhood where you can find an outstanding version elsewhere, why eat here unless you're going to order what's great here? read more

We are regulars at Ollin it is far and away our favorite neighborhood Mexican (that's saying a lot for east Harlem!) the tacos con todo are solid but I wanted to highlight a menu item that I'd imagine is oft-overlooked. Ollin's chocolate chip cookies!! They hit the spot and are delicious, comparable with levain honestly read more

Ollin Restaurant - Chocolate Chip Cookie 4 oz - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

Great service, great food. The birria enchiladas were the table favorite, steak tacos were also excellent. Everything else we got was ok but not amazing. I would go back but I feel like there are better options too. read more

I came to Ollin for a paint and sip and was not disappointed! They are authentic Mexican food in the heart of East Harlem! The birria tacos are amazing and they have such a great variety Of food I absolutely love it! If you ever want to see what real Birria should taste like check them out I promise you will not regret it. read more

Had a great meal & cocktails here on a Tuesday evening. Great outdoor seating too and comfortable, even in the sweltering heat, thanks to the fans cranking! Friend had the chicken quesadilla and I had two tacos con todo, chicken and chorizo and the food was outstanding. Good margarita and plenty of flavor options, perfect for summer! Looking forward to trying different bites next time! read more

I've been coming here since 2012 and Cafe Ollin has never failed me. I remember running across RFK bridge from Astoria via Randall's Island, all the way to Cafe Ollin, because their tacos were the perfect reward for my workout. Super delicious and reasonable priced. Very generous portion which always left me so full that I'd skip breakfast the following day if I had dinner there. They also have drinks happy hour that's -$1 off before 7 pm. My only ask - put more rum and less juice in the sangria. Will come back more often :) read more

Ollin Restaurant - Pork short ribs in red sauce - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

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Chose Ollin for my birthday dinner with a couple of friends & fam. So glad that I did! Restaurant is small but FULL of energy! Our waitress was kind & energetic - patient with all of our questions & shared some of her favs when asked! Food was absolutely delicious - rich & flavorful! Will absolutely be returning on a regular basis! read more

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Disappointing on so many levels . What makes it even a tougher pill to swallow was that I walked away from a restaurant in I was familiar with in the blistering heat just to try this one ! The food I got was a chicken burrito and steak taco with all the trimmings . The burrito is very large . But don't let the size fool you , it's more so packed with barely under cooked rice than anything . The flavor of the rice with the beans in the burrito was just meh . They could've really flavored it up a lot more . The chicken in my burrito was rubbery and slightly over cooked .The chicken is like flat fillet cuts which makes timing the cooking of it more difficult . Also , when I got all the "trimmings" I thought I'd be getting guacamole like any other occasion I've ordered burritos. Instead, I got about 1/4 of an avocado in slices which didn't help give any sorta lift for flavor deprived burrito . Overall this is easily one of the worse burritos I've ever had . As for their steak taco , they again added the sliced avocados but also added a container of green sauce that I used as a dipping sauce . The sauce to me was abit strong and would not have gone well with the chicken but it aided the self eat some. The steak taco's rating was only slightly above the burrito .The chewiness of the steak ultimately became more of a nuisance eating it than anything . Perhaps I'd eat it over the next few days and hope it gets a little better but I doubt it . Overall I'd probably never return here to this restaurant . I was far too disappointed in their offerings to venture that far out again . Also , they are abit hypocritical with the masks . The sign on the door asks patrons to wear them but several workers weren't wearing them themselves . Turn off . read more

Please check your food!!! I'm very disappointed, I ordered Birria tacos and a pitcher of margaritas. As I started to eat my tacos I noticed a hair. I was told by this older Spanish lady it was probably cheese. I only took one bite and before I took the next I looked around and as I thought it was a long black hair. I was completely turned off from eating. She offered me more food and I declined. Most places would say sorry and the meal is free but she said only pay for the pitcher of margaritas and it's ok. I was shocked but went inside to pay to only be asked by her did I have guacamole at the table. I said no and if I did were you going to charge me for that because it didn't have hair in it? All in all I had a horrible experience that could've been handled better by the staff and it wasn't. I will never go back ever. read more

Love the spot very cute food amazing highly recommended Food freshly done. Coming back for more read more