Holiday or not, I’ll take any excuse to celebrate these days. And if you’ve been indulging in frequent midday margarita breaks, keep on keepin’ on. While Cinco de Mayo feels like it came out of left field this year, local Hudson County restaurants are keeping the holiday alive—even if you can’t be there to celebrate in person.
Around town, Hoboken’s Hudson Table and Sorellina were among the many offering to-go specials for Mexican-style food and drinks. They’ve since either sold out or fulfilled their pre-orders. Here’s where you can still get your hands on some Cinco de Mayo-inspired grub in Hoboken and Jersey City.
Mezcal Kitchen
(Jersey City)
Mezcal Kitchen offers up a Taco Tuesday lunch special every Tuesday, but something about Cinco de Mayo hits different. You can try any of their American “Tex-Mex” favorites including burritos, fajitas or quesadillas but there’s also a number of authentic recipes including their tacos, tostadas, flautas or enchiladas with salsa verde or mole. Don’t forget to order a side of Mexican corn on the cob, either.
Pico Taco
(Hoboken)
Pico Taco prides themselves on using only the freshest ingredients to make their honest, authentic Mexican cuisine. Beloved by many Hoboken residents, they’re hand-making all the tortillas for their tacos which come in a number of meat varieties including al pastor, barbacoa, carnitas and more. To kick off your day, start with one of their breakfast burritos or an order of chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, or egg tacos with potato or chorizo.
Central Bistro *specials*
(Jersey City)
A Heights favorite, Central Bistro is serving a special Cinco de Mayo menu available for takeout, delivery or pick-up. On the menu, they’ll be offering churrasco with rice and beans, a Texas burger, crispy flautas and tacos with a choice of: carnitas, bistec or chorizo.
Tacoria
(Jersey City)
I first ate at Tacoria at their Montclair location, but they’ve since expanded to Jersey City. All of their restaurants are currently offering either takeout and delivery, and have a huge variety of Mexican street food. First, you choose what type of dish you want: tacos, nachos, burritos, salad, etc. Then, you pick your protein (try the brussels sprouts!). They even have vegan options, a kids menu and Nutella nachos for dessert.
O’Leary’s Publik House *specials*
(Jersey City)
One of the Bergen-Lafayette districts favorite spots, O’Leary’s Publik House will be adding a Taco Tuesday special to their menu which includes $2 tacos to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. They’re also serving up what they call “margarita jars,” available in three flavors: traditional, watermelon lime and spicy pineapple jalapeno. Yes, please!
The Shepherd & The Knucklehead
(Hoboken)
Maybe not the first place you’d think of when you think of Mexican cuisine, but The Shep in Hoboken has an array of eclectic tacos worth trying. You have your choice of a hard or soft shell and their taco menu includes selections such as ahi tuna with an orange chili glaze, steak fajitas, veggie or braised pork shoulder with mozzarella cheese.
Taqueria Downtown
(Jersey City)
It wouldn’t be a Cinco de Mayo roundup without mentioning Taqueria Downtown—one of my favorite restaurants in all of Hudson County. My go-to’s are the carnitas and chorizo tacos but definitely try the barbacoa, cabeza or nopales for something out of the ordinary. The chips and guac here are a must, too.
Gringo’s *specials*
(Jersey City)
Gringo’s is offering a BYO taco kit for either pickup or delivery. The kit makes enough for about four or five tacos and comes with shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, side of crema and side of cilantro. You’ll have your choice of soft corn, soft flour or hard shell tortillas and proteins ranging from al pastor chicken, carnitas, ground beef and more. They recommend paring their taco kit with their Quarantine Cocktail, a 32oz quart container of margarita mix.
Main image by @eatpico
Abby is The Digest's Managing Editor. She spends her time looking at dogs on Instagram and eating her way around Jersey City.
