Dirty Taco & Tequila opens in Port Washington
Dirty Taco & Tequila serves a range of creative tacos. Credit: Daniel Brennan
Is it still a Dirty Taco if it's surrounded by water? This rapidly growing Mexican food chain answers that question with its newest location, now open at the Manhasset Bay Marina in Port Washington.
Now with six restaurants across Long Island, Dirty Taco is known for its Asian fusion tacos, cheeky branding and lively party scene. But this spot is the most impressive of the bunch, with an outdoor cabana bar featuring stunning views of the marina. (The chain also opened a sprawling location in Smithtown in June.)
During a soft opening, co-owner Tom Cataldo Sr. said he'd been looking for a spot on the water for three years, and knew it was right when the owners of the former La Motta’s Dockside reached out to him to take over the space. The storied restaurant has silly taco messages and Dia de los Muertos themed art by muralist Darren Boerckel. Women in sundresses pose for photos on the indoor patio overlooking the water. Cataldo said that in the coming weeks, the restaurant will begin to offer private boat dinners with Dirty Taco chefs, servers and/or bartenders.
"Everything is in the typical Dirty Taco fashion except we're a little more nautical this time," Cataldo said.
The flavors are so sweet they're almost like candy, but the variety of these Los Angeles-style fusion tacos is quite astounding: Vietnamese shrimp, Teriyaki salmon, kung pao chicken. Anything flies on a flour tortilla.
Of course some are more successful than others, a clear favorite being the Korean short rib quesadilla ($14.56). The finely shredded meat didn't have any of the funky heat you'd find at a Korean restaurant. But packed between the three-cheese blend and its crispy tortillas, it worked. What also worked: The spicy chipotle margarita garnished with a pineapple and the watermelon basil margarita (both $13.52) tasted of fresh juice rather than mixers. They went down, perhaps a little too easily.
Dirty Taco + Tequila, 10 Matinecock Ave, North Hempstead, 516-944-7900, dirtytacoandtequila.com. Open 4-10 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday, noon to 10 p.m. Thursday, noon to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Monday.
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
