New York City has plenty of spots selling the yummy and spicy Mexican street food elote - the corn on the cob, smeared in mayonnaise, seasoned with chilli powder, speckled with cilantro, and cotija cheese.
You can find the city’s most diverse street food underneath the elevated 7 train tracks, alongside Roosevelt Avenue. With hundreds of mobile eateries and cafes, it is hard to decide which one to choose.
To save the day, here we are with the best elote spots in New York City for you to try out!
Café Habana
Cafe Habana is inspired by the Mexican city hangouts and “café Habana” where the revolutionists Che Guevara and Fidel Castro planned a Cuban revolution.
They are famous for their corn on the cob, and literally, the elote is to die for. The café has a fun atmosphere and has an orange bus serving as a food station.
The place is small, and it fills up pretty quickly, so you have to head over there early. Other must-try food on the café Habana’s menu is tacos and steak sandwiches.
Address: 17 Prince St, New York, NY 10012.
Ponche Taqueria & Cantina
It is a small place making some traditional and contemporary Mexican dishes. They are one of the best makers of elote in New York City.
Their corn on the cob is tender, creamy, and perfectly seasoned. It is the elote that you want to try again and again.
The ambience is cheerful, scented with Mexican food. The menu has many options, including the Nachos Verdes, Ponche’s tortilla chips, vegetarian enchiladas, and vegetarian burrito.
Address: 420 W 49th St, New York, NY 10019.
Tamales Y Elote Cart
Tamales Y Elote cart is keeping it real. It is actually an umbrella-topped shopping cart, which comes out on Friday nights.
Within minutes it is mobbed by the people, waiting for their turn to grab super tasty, creamy, spicy corn on the cob. The cart also sells glorious tamales in two colors, savory chicken and tomatoes with firey slices of chile, Verde, and cheese.
The white milky beverage ‘arroz con leche’ is perfect for quenching the gentle burn.
Address: Roosevelt Ave & 74 St Jackson Heights, NY 11372.
El Mero Mero
It is a lovely, small contemporary, family-owned café serving Mexican food in New York City. The food here is of top-notch quality with the right spice level and has the real taste of Mexican street food.
The interior of the café is colorful and lively, but due to covid, they have shifted to a large and decorative outside patio. The menu includes delicious elote, chorizo appetizer, flautas, enchiladas, chilaquiles made with fresh ingredients, tasty sauces, and homemade salsa.
Address: 35-57 38th St, Queens, NY 11101.
Habana To Go
This café claim that they make the best Cuban sandwich in New York City. It is a compact counter-serve selling Mexican and Cuban street food plus coffee.
Must try Habana To Go if you want to have tasty food at low prices. They serve the well-seasoned elote with juicy kernels, with a perfect amount of char on them.
The cheese mayo sauce on the corn is tasty, and the lime gives an extra kick. The Cuban sandwich is super creamy, and each bite squeezes more dripping on the plate. The bread is crunch, fluffy and crispy.
Address: 229 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10012.
Have you tried any of these spots? Which is your go-to elote spot in NYC? Let us know in the comments below.
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