Border Town, a Mexican pop-up with a cult following, is opening a permanent location at 189 Nassau Avenue in the former home of Busy Bee Food Exchange, Eater NY first reported.
Busy Bee, a Polish grocery store, closed in 2023 after 50 years, and its space has been split into two addresses, with Border Town at one of them (the other potentially turning into a cannabis dispensary).
Border Town is run by Greenpoint locals Jorge Aguilar and Amanda Rosa, and was “born right here, out of our apartment on Kingsland,” Rosa told Greenpointers.
Aguilar’s breakfast burritos and tacos, wrapped in homemade paper-thin tortillas, developed local acclaim when Border Town popped up at The Screen Door (145 Driggs Ave.), while the ice cream shop was closed for winter, and at Williamsburg’s Egg Shop (138 N. 8th St.).
To make Border Town a permanent feature in the neighborhood, Aguilar and Rosa teamed up with Ben Turley, another Greenpoint local who has been involved in several North Brooklyn favorites, including Marlow & Daughters (95 Broadway), The Meat Hook (397 Graham Ave.), and Cozy Royale (434 Humboldt St.).
Border Town’s menu will offer an expanded selection of tacos de guisados and breakfast burritos that will be available through lunchtime (for those of us who are not morning people).
“The menu centers around our handmade Sonoran-style flour tortillas and Northern Mexican flavors, inspired by the region where Jorge’s family is from,” Rosa told Greenpointers.
To fill the popular hand-rolled tortillas, Border Town’s menu will offer options like shredded beef, pinto beans, and housemade pork chorizo, while burritos will be stuffed with soft-scrambled eggs, and things like mesquite-smoked bacon and fried potatoes.
Completely new options for Border Town include items like a Caesar salad and a chorizo quesadilla. The menu will also offer a small variety of pan dulce, coffee drinks, like an horchata latte, and agua frescas.
“We’re beyond excited to permanently bring Border Town to Greenpoint, especially with so few taco spots on this side of town,” Rosa said.
“As locals ourselves, we feel deeply invested in the future of this neighborhood and want to contribute by offering delicious, high-quality food made with heart at a price everyone can feel good about. Our goal is to create a place that feels like your everyday go-to spot, where you can always count on thoughtful, great food and a welcoming atmosphere.”
Border Town’s future may include dinner and alcohol, but to start, it will offer breakfast and lunch, hopefully by September of this year.
HELL YEAH