Empellon Taqueria, West Village

On the 4th of July, we visited Empellon Taqueria for brunch. Amurika day equals Mexican brunch? Sounds good to me! The food was fantastic, and the space felt vibrant, but relaxed. I definitely want to come back here for their tacos and seven different salsas!

The cocktails start from $12, and there are also a few Mexican beers available ranging from $5 to $8. The bar looks really fun and colorful. Here they are mixing up my classic margarita, which was very tasty and took me right back to Cancun.

John ordered the Huevos Rancheros ($14). Surprise surprise, eh? It looked amazing and was topped with thick slices of avocado. The sliced radishes were an interesting touch. I would say this is probably the prettiest plating I’ve seen for huevos rancheros in a while.

My brother ordered the Torta Ahogada ($15) with carnitas and avocado. This is a braised pork sandwich drowned in tomato sauce. I don’t eat meat anymore, but this looked extremely temping. Where can I find a vegetarian version of this? Maybe I’ll make my own.

I ordered the Red Chilaquiles ($14) with black beans and sunny side eggs. Chilaquiles are tortilla pieces that have been cut up and lightly fried. I tried making it once years ago, but I think I overdid the frying. Absolutely loved this dish. The red mole sauce had a light hint of heat, and the runny yolk of the sunny side eggs were perfect with the chilaquiles and beans.