Accidental Taco Showdown in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Bonita in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Ryan: We went to Williamsburg, Brooklyn to see Beirut a few weeks back and decided to grab tacos at Bonita, a Mexican restaurant we’d been to once before. Our first trip there was pretty underwhelming for me as I ordered the fish tacos and was left wanting more food–and tastier food. But this was about a year later, and with Tacos Por Vida in mind, I wanted to give Bonita another shot.

3 beef tacos at Bonita in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Oh lord, what a mistake. We ordered glasses of sangria and they were watered down and overpriced. We ordered chips and salsa. Honestly? I can’t remember the salsa, but the chips were decent. Definitely overpriced ($6!) and we had to order the dang chips. What self-respecting Mexican joint doesn’t give you chips?! Oh, but their biggest affront was with their tacos. The three beef taco plate was only $11, but they were three of the tiniest tacos ever. The taco shells were, no joke, much smaller than any other tacos I’ve had here. I’m pretty sure they were the same size as the little tortillas that came with my entree at Rosa Mexicano. Baffling, to see them used for tacos.

Aside from being disgracefully small, the tacos just weren’t that great. The beef wasn’t cooked, spiced or even simply flavored in a way that would EVER make me want to eat there again. I’m actually a bit annoyed that we wasted our time and money at Bonita. Please, if you consider going there dear reader, don’t. Not worth it.

Chicken Burrito at Bonita

Elizabeth: I have to add something here.  I take full responsibility for urging the return trip to Bonita.  Last year, unlike Ryan, I quite enjoyed my food.  My chicken burrito contained nicely seasoned whole pinto beans, flavorful meat and a nice amount of cheese.  And–bonus!–it was warm and toasty on the outside from a light grilling.  I wanted another, or at least a different type of good burrito in this (relative) burrito wasteland of NYC.

As is obvious from the tone of this post, my repeat experience didn’t live up to my expectations.  For one, I’d recently had an amazing burrito at La Fiesta, and topping it would be unlikely.  However, Bonita’s burrito would have been a disappointment no matter what.  On my plate arrived a medium-sized burrito, a perfect proportion in my mind (I never understand why the slightly smaller version is never available these days.  Sigh.).  Instead of a medium-sized flour tortilla containing beans, meat and cheese, though, I soon discovered that the burrito consisted mostly of a giant tortilla wrapped in on itself.  At least one third of the burrito was nothing more than the flour tortilla, a providing a dry, tasteless and textureless experience.

Taco Truck in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Ryan: Fortunately, my foodie night was sorta saved by the Williamsburg taco truck. For $2.50, I got a single beef taco. Ah! But you could fit two and a half Bonita (maybe all three) tacos into that one taco truck feast–it was a big one. And flavor? Yes! Was it spicy? A bit; not too much, but enough to give it a lil’ kick. The beef itself was probably of the same quality level as what Bonita was serving.

Beef Taco, Taco Truck Style

Elizabeth: I was somewhat stuffed with flour tortilla (I know, I know, it’s getting old. I’ll stop harping on it.), so I decided to forgo extra food.  But I was extremely cold, so I ordered a Mexican hot chocolate.  It had just the right amount of spice and warmth to really get the night back on track.

Ryan: We were going to hit the taco truck up initially, since it’s stationed right outside the subway, but we decided not to due to the weather. And I damn near froze my fingers off that night while scarfing down the taco on our way to the Beirut show. But ya know what? It was worth it. Hooray for the taco truck! To hell with Bonita.