The Burrito Poblano - A Tuckahoe Treasure

Main Street in Tuckahoe has seen many changes in recent years, with new businesses and residential buildings arising. Along with its convenient location near the train station, it has become a perfect spot for restaurants to thrive.

If thoughts of burritos, quesadillas, tacos, fajitas enchiladas, chimichangas and tamales cause your taste buds to tingle, may I suggest a trip to Main Street in Tuckahoe, where the casual and unassuming Burrito Poblano Mexican Restaurant is serving some of the best authentic Mexican fare in the area. The Burrito Poblano has been treating us to Mexican food for about 18 years. The adjoin space was just vacated and Burrito Poblano has now expanded. From a small storefront with a counter and a few tables, it now seats about 60 guests. The new space has cactus in the windows and large murals of Mexican dancers and landscapes on the colorful walls. It is in this very simple atmosphere with dark wood tables and chairs that you can enjoy some terrific Mexican fare.

Owner Gilberto Garcia offers a large menu of dishes from his native Puebla. Both his wife and his nephew are busy at work with him in the kitchen." We prepare everything from scratch. Fresh jalapenos, tomatillos, and avocados are some of the prime ingredients in our kitchen. Poblano peppers of green color are less ripe and not as hot as red poblanos which are riper. Our dishes are traditional and many of my recipes originated in my mother's kitchen in Puebla. Since our expansion, we are open for longer hours to accommodate our hungry guests. We do a brisk take out business, as well. Given the opportunity, I would love to continue serving my lawyer, John Roman, one of my first customers. One of my goals for the future, is to open another restaurant in the county. "Garcia arrived here in 1985 and worked at many restaurants in lower Manhattan. He learned all aspects of restaurant ownership, from dining room to kitchen and eventually open his own spot here in Tuckahoe. If Garcia was savoring a meal at his restaurant, he might start with a chorizo tostada and follow that with an enchilada with green sauce. Dessert might be chocolate mousse.

The colorful menu with mouth watering photos starts with several appetizers. On a cool day you may wish to try their tortilla soup or a steaming bowl of chicken or beef vegetable soup. A variety of nachos, guacamole with chips or on a tostada, or several choices of tostadas. We started our tasting with irresistible Mexican tamales. These labor intensive packets were among the best I have eaten. Cornmeal and a generous portion of shredded cooked chicken were wrapped in a corn husk and steamed. We enjoyed home made green sauce with it. Like many dishes on the menu these are prepared fresh every day. Here they are truly a classic. We passed on the salads and moved on to tacos. There were many choices ranging from shredded chicken, grilled chicken, grilled steak, Mexican sausage, spicy pork and shrimp and the list goes on. Choose soft flour or corn tortillas or hard shell tacos. We loved our soft corn Mexican style tacos topped with chopped onion, shredded pork and lots of fresh minced cilantro and a wedge of lime which added wonderful flavor to the tender pork.

Enchiladas are varied. A plate of three soft corn tortillas can be filled with vegetables, shredded or grilled chicken, ground beef, steak or spicy pork. Topped with mild queso fresca, lettuce, onion, tomato cilantro and a slice of radish and a choice of red green or mole sauce, they were very satisfying. Garcia explained that chili peppers can vary in their spice level making the sauce more or less pungent. The mole sauce is an integral part of Mexican cuisine. This complex sauce includes Mexican unsweetened chocolate and chill peppers. At Burrito Poblano it is an exquisite addition to many dishes and like everything here, it is made from scratch.

If your appetite is craving a super sized entrée, try the burritos enchiladas. You might opt to share this generous dish. Ours was filled with chicken and steak strips as well as rice and beans. It was rolled up and topped with melted Monterey cheese and surrounded with that outstanding mole sauce. Chorizo, spicy pork, or ground beef are other possible fillings. Open wide and bite into this tasty treat. Our chimichanga arrived as a flour tortilla filled with sautéed red and green bell peppers, onion and grilled shrimp. Rolled up and deep fried in vegetable oil, it was crisp and accompanied by shredded lettuce and corn niblets as well as nicely seasoned guacamole, which was combined with onion, tomatoes and fresh jalapenos and cilantro. This colorful offering can be filled with different varieties of chicken, meat or vegetables. Freshly prepared red and green sauce and sour cream are at your table, if you wish to enhance any of your dishes.

Future visits may include chile relleno, the roasted poblano stuffed with cheese, chicken flautas, grilled shell steak, chicken mole, pork chop in green sauce or a selection of fajitas as well as several shrimp entrees.

The desserts at The Burrito Poblano are all home made as well. Both the classic flan and coconut flan were smooth in texture and just sweet enough to please the palate. They were not drowning in syrup. The homemade tres leches cake rested in the three milk mixture and was accompanied by freshly whipped cream and berries. The cake absorbed the milk mixture and supplied a satisfying finale to our Mexican feast. Margeritas, mojitos and sangria will add to your dining pleasure here.

Some new additions will be added to the menu soon including ceviche and fish tacos. Enjoy lunch or dinner seven days a week where you can concentrate on classic traditional dishes freshly prepared in a simple atmosphere.

The Burrito Poblano Mexican Restaurant 
85 Main Street
Tuckahoe
(914) 3377900

Green Sauce Recipe {about 2 cups}: 
10 Jalapeno pepper, boilded or raw, stems removed
¼ Of an onion, chopped
1 Bunch of cilantro
1 Clove of garlic, chopped
10 Tomatillos, peeled, boiled or raw
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Place first 5 ingredients in blender container. Process until smooth. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Enjoy with your Mexican meal. Store in refrigerator.