New vibes same great food, get the mushroom and pork tacos. Loved the margs & great outdoor seating- Kristin is a rockstar
Chris Austin
Tequila is great and nice taco to go with it. I would recommend this place for a few
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Scorcha L.
Went in last week for happy hour tacos! Delicious, will definitely keep it on my list. Had the fish and special of the day chorizo and papas. Very delicious and good deal. Relaxed atmosphere amazing service.
Renee' V.
This place is soooo good! Popped in on a whim and it did not disappoint. The bar and decor looks so cool. The staff was friendly. Drinks are on point. I tried a margarita. I got fish tacos and fries and it was delicious. I definitely want to come back to try more stuff.
Kristen L. Matulis
My partner & I stumbled upon Empellón while in search of food + cocktails after seeing some live jazz @ Mezzrow in the West Village. The vibe inside this place is really cute (we sat at the bar). In terms of service, the bartenders were really attentive & kind. The margaritas were good, I tried the Classic (one as-made & one spicy). My boyfriend had an IPA - the bartender was knowledgeable about the logistics of their 2 offerings, which was helpful!!The food was decent - good for a quick bite if you’re looking for a bar snack. We did their nachos & guacamole. Honestly, I wouldn’t return here for the food (there are better spots to enjoy similar dishes). But, if you’re near W 4th and are in search of a decent drink & a nice atmosphere, this place is a good pick!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Classic, Guacamole
John Lichtenstein
Alex I love you, but you are breaking my heart. I understand the reinvention, making the space more a bar than a sit down restaurant, but the smaller selection of tacos, the dip in quality of the once almighty brussels sprout taco, and the TV in front of that iconic mural take Empellon down a star for me.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Dominic Arlistico
Great service can't go wrong with the staff treated us
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Estefania Miranda Sanchez
The waiters serve poorly. Before charging they already ask you for the tip, otherwise their response is that the next time you order they will not serve you.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Juan David Urazán
The waiters treat the customers very badly, a tip is impolitely demanded for each drink, otherwise they will not serve, it is simply extortion. There are many more places with better service and food nearby.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Aly Sene-Dorsi
Save yourself the trouble & go to any other restaurant.Stopped by the restaurant last night after walking around f the neighborhood. It was not packed like the other places & the music was not too loud so we decided to stay there.Ordered drinks & food. The margarita is basically margarita mix with a drop of tequila (if that!)I nicely asked the manager if the bartender could add a splash of tequila. He said: « I can bring you a shot of tequila. »I agreed. Thinking that it was to make up for the fact that the margarita was basically water.My friend ordered wine that was $18 and should have been much much less given the quality of the wine.You je crab empanada is tasteless & will set you back $20. Skip it!The shrimp tacos has 2 shrimps drowning under shredded salad. Skip it.To make a long story short, bad drinks & bad food will cost you over $120 for 3.To my greatest surprise, when I went to pay the bill, they had added and extra $15 for the tequila shot. Leaving that I literally paid $32 for a glass of tasteless margarita made from a mix & without any of the real ingredients except bad tequila. Yay!!!DO NOT GO!
The place looks really nice but the food is a no-no. The tacos are disappointing (arrived less than 2 mn after ordering), have barely any taste, and the portions are very small for the price. My friend ordered a margarita that was a watery premix, and they made her pay another $15 when she asked for an extra shot of tequila in it. Don't waste your money there.
Elle Kirsten
Updated 10/28/23: Empellon USED to be one of my favorites but I won’t go back again. We arrived last night before 10pm to have some birthday drinks and snacks - more than two hours before closing - they wouldn’t seat us outside even though there were many tables available. We went inside (also empty) and sat by the window bar which receives no service - which they told us, so that’s ok. We went to order drinks at the bar and the bartender was extremely rude - we felt so awkward ordering and waiting for drinks. I asked for water for our group and he frowned at me and basically shoved five water glasses my way - it was so uncomfortable. It would have been nice to get more water but we didn’t dare ask for any refills (how ridiculous that we felt we couldn’t ask for a water refill). The drinks, two mezcal margaritas, the cucumber drink, and two gins, were terrible - they were not drinkable.All in all a very unpleasant, uncomfortable, and embarrassing situation (I felt bad that I had brought my friend here for his birthday).I actually hope this is the end of empellon - which I have never said about any establishment before. But the way we were treated last night and the fact that there were barely any patrons suggests they’re on their way out. Oh well - onwards and upwards, hopefully something better comes along.Summer 2022: Delicious mezcal margaritas, salsas, and shishito peppers - excellent dinner ?
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Jonathan Grana
Great tacos and appetizers. Shishito peppers with cheese. Popcorn chicken was great and gluten
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shishito Peppers with Lime, Skirt Steak Tacos, Guacamole
Casey Spain
best margarita in west village… I think I’ve tried most of them… also amazing happy hour.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Welmis Gutierrez
Absolutely love this place. I go every few years and the quality of absolutely everything is consistent. Everything was absolutely delicious. Don’t miss out on the 7 salsas or one of the queso fundidos.
New vibes same great food, get the mushroom and pork tacos. Loved the margs & great outdoor seating- Kristin is a rockstar
Tequila is great and nice taco to go with it. I would recommend this place for a few
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Went in last week for happy hour tacos! Delicious, will definitely keep it on my list. Had the fish and special of the day chorizo and papas. Very delicious and good deal. Relaxed atmosphere amazing service.
This place is soooo good! Popped in on a whim and it did not disappoint. The bar and decor looks so cool. The staff was friendly. Drinks are on point. I tried a margarita. I got fish tacos and fries and it was delicious. I definitely want to come back to try more stuff.
My partner & I stumbled upon Empellón while in search of food + cocktails after seeing some live jazz @ Mezzrow in the West Village. The vibe inside this place is really cute (we sat at the bar). In terms of service, the bartenders were really attentive & kind. The margaritas were good, I tried the Classic (one as-made & one spicy). My boyfriend had an IPA - the bartender was knowledgeable about the logistics of their 2 offerings, which was helpful!!The food was decent - good for a quick bite if you’re looking for a bar snack. We did their nachos & guacamole. Honestly, I wouldn’t return here for the food (there are better spots to enjoy similar dishes). But, if you’re near W 4th and are in search of a decent drink & a nice atmosphere, this place is a good pick!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Classic, Guacamole
Alex I love you, but you are breaking my heart. I understand the reinvention, making the space more a bar than a sit down restaurant, but the smaller selection of tacos, the dip in quality of the once almighty brussels sprout taco, and the TV in front of that iconic mural take Empellon down a star for me.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Great service can't go wrong with the staff treated us
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
The waiters serve poorly. Before charging they already ask you for the tip, otherwise their response is that the next time you order they will not serve you.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
The waiters treat the customers very badly, a tip is impolitely demanded for each drink, otherwise they will not serve, it is simply extortion. There are many more places with better service and food nearby.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Save yourself the trouble & go to any other restaurant.Stopped by the restaurant last night after walking around f the neighborhood. It was not packed like the other places & the music was not too loud so we decided to stay there.Ordered drinks & food. The margarita is basically margarita mix with a drop of tequila (if that!)I nicely asked the manager if the bartender could add a splash of tequila. He said: « I can bring you a shot of tequila. »I agreed. Thinking that it was to make up for the fact that the margarita was basically water.My friend ordered wine that was $18 and should have been much much less given the quality of the wine.You je crab empanada is tasteless & will set you back $20. Skip it!The shrimp tacos has 2 shrimps drowning under shredded salad. Skip it.To make a long story short, bad drinks & bad food will cost you over $120 for 3.To my greatest surprise, when I went to pay the bill, they had added and extra $15 for the tequila shot. Leaving that I literally paid $32 for a glass of tasteless margarita made from a mix & without any of the real ingredients except bad tequila. Yay!!!DO NOT GO!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
The place looks really nice but the food is a no-no. The tacos are disappointing (arrived less than 2 mn after ordering), have barely any taste, and the portions are very small for the price. My friend ordered a margarita that was a watery premix, and they made her pay another $15 when she asked for an extra shot of tequila in it. Don't waste your money there.
Updated 10/28/23: Empellon USED to be one of my favorites but I won’t go back again. We arrived last night before 10pm to have some birthday drinks and snacks - more than two hours before closing - they wouldn’t seat us outside even though there were many tables available. We went inside (also empty) and sat by the window bar which receives no service - which they told us, so that’s ok. We went to order drinks at the bar and the bartender was extremely rude - we felt so awkward ordering and waiting for drinks. I asked for water for our group and he frowned at me and basically shoved five water glasses my way - it was so uncomfortable. It would have been nice to get more water but we didn’t dare ask for any refills (how ridiculous that we felt we couldn’t ask for a water refill). The drinks, two mezcal margaritas, the cucumber drink, and two gins, were terrible - they were not drinkable.All in all a very unpleasant, uncomfortable, and embarrassing situation (I felt bad that I had brought my friend here for his birthday).I actually hope this is the end of empellon - which I have never said about any establishment before. But the way we were treated last night and the fact that there were barely any patrons suggests they’re on their way out. Oh well - onwards and upwards, hopefully something better comes along.Summer 2022: Delicious mezcal margaritas, salsas, and shishito peppers - excellent dinner ?
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Great tacos and appetizers. Shishito peppers with cheese. Popcorn chicken was great and gluten
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shishito Peppers with Lime, Skirt Steak Tacos, Guacamole
best margarita in west village… I think I’ve tried most of them… also amazing happy hour.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely love this place. I go every few years and the quality of absolutely everything is consistent. Everything was absolutely delicious. Don’t miss out on the 7 salsas or one of the queso fundidos.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5