One of Miami’s most popular new taco popups has just acquired a brand new brick-and–mortar space for their first-ever New York expansion.
“Red tacos” have quickly become one of the hottest new trends from the West Coast. Soaked in flavorful birria, the crimson-tinted tacos have been rising to the top of Instagram feeds across the country thanks to their incredible flavor profile and colorful display. While they have been a staple in Mexican cuisine for years, a new red taco movement has been slowly growing in California that has finally begun to land in New York.
El Primo Red Tacos is a new taco popup that has been steadily bringing the popular red tacos home to the east coast. Begun in Miami by owner Frank Neri, El Primo pays homage to Neri’s Tijuana roots and has been largely responsible for reinvigorating the red taco renaissance in Florida. The concept was established inside Miami’s popular PEZ restaurant as a standalone popup, but the popularity of El Primo’s red tacos spoke for itself, and soon Neri was able to prepare for a serious expansion.
Now, on the heels of establishing his first full brick-and-mortar space in Miami, Neri is now getting ready to launch his first ever expansion into New York. Neri has just recently acquired the lease for the space at 151 Avenue A, between East Ninth Street and East Tenth Street, where he intends to launch New York’s first El Primo Red Tacos. The location was formerly home to a cell phone and computer repair shop, and is expected to be able to seat about 10 guests inside. The concept is envisioned as a quick service taco shop so space shouldn’t be too much of a problem, but the space also offers a beautiful backyard which Neri intends to incorporate into El Primo, adding an additional 28 seats out back.
Additionally, Neri hopes to acquire a new liquor license for El Primo, and is currently getting ready to meet with the community board to propose his new concept. As part of his application, he has attached a sample menu in order to give us some insight as to what to expect from El Primo. To start, guests can expect a soft corn tortilla taco with birria with additional options for a crispy shell and extra meet and cheese. Guests can also enjoy nachos, consommé, and guacamole and chips on the side. El Primo will also offer creative new dishes like the Birriamen with ramen noodles and egg, and the Huesitaco with birria and bone marrow.
At the moment, Neri is proposing operating hours of 11:00 AM – 2:00 AM from Sunday through Wednesday, and 11:00 AM – 3:00 AM Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, while the backyard will be closing at 10:00 PM every night. According to the website, Neri is hoping to have his New York outpost ready for business by September, but the details could always change pending any delays from the community board. For more information, you can follow El Primo Red Tacos on Instagram for updates on all of their new moves.
