Taquería el Chato will open at the end of this month at 620 Manhattan Avenue, the former home of Screamer’s Pizza, which closed last year.
Taquería el Chato’s team includes Chef Gerardo Alcaraz, a previous semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef, and Chris Reyes who runs Williamsburg’s Aldama (91 South 6th St.) and ran last summer’s seafood pop-up, Pájaro Bobo.
The new taquería will offer a variety of fillings including carne asada, tripe, lengua, suadero (which is similar to brisket), mushroom, and trompo al pastor, “the same one that Aldama is famous for,” according to Reyes.
In addition to tacos, customers will be be able to enjoy their choice of protein in the form of a quesadilla or a vampiro, which is a soft tortilla that is grilled until it turns crunchy, then topped with cheese and meat. The menu will also include seafood tostadas inspired by Pájaro Bobo.
The taquería’s tortillas will be made in house. Like Esse Taco (219 Bedford Ave.), Taquería el Chato will nixtamalize corn daily, producing extremely fresh corn tortillas.
This past Sunday, Chef Gerardo Alcaraz gave locals a preview of his tacos at the neighboring bar Ponyboy (632 Manhattan Ave.). Reyes told Greenpointers that more pop-ups are in the works before Taquería el Chato opens at the end of August.