Friday, July 19, 2013

Baby Bo's Cantina

Baby Bo's Cantina seems to me just another unpretentious neighborhood place that has spruced itself up in the last year or so.  Sort of hidden away on Second Avenue North of 34th Street..

And here are the happy stories and maybe the unhappy ones... 

Baby Bo's Cantina

4.0 star rating
298 reviews Rating Details
Category: Mexican
627 2nd Ave
(between 34th St & 35th St)
New York, NY 10016
Neighborhoods: Midtown East, Murray Hill
(212) 779-2656
Nearest Transit Station:
33 St (4, 6, 6X)
Grand Central - 42 St (7, 7X)
28 St (4, 6, 6X)
Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 11 pm
Fri 11:30 am - 12 am
Sat 11 am - 12 am
Sun 11 am - 11 pm
Parking:
Street
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Price Range:
$$
Attire:
Casual
Good for Groups:
No
Good for Kids:
No
Takes Reservations:
No
Delivery:
Yes
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
No
Wi-Fi:
No
Good For:
Dinner
Alcohol:
Full Bar
Noise Level:
Average
Ambience:
Casual
Has TV:
No
Caters:
No
Wheelchair Accessible:
No

Review Highlights   What's this?

  • "I had the BBQ Duck Burrito with a hint of habenaro and pineapple." In 21 reviews
  • "The atmosphere is very cozy, and the margaritas are great." In 70 reviews
  • "I finally found a place in Murray Hill for a fix of Mexican fare." In 25 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
Sort by: Yelp Sort | Date | Rating | Useful | Funny | Cool | Total Votes | Friends' | Elites'

298 reviews in English

  • Review from

    4.0 star rating
    7/3/2013 1 check-in here
    Murray Hill is most definitely not my hood.  When several friends -  a mix of omnivores and vegetarians - gathered at an apartment to decide on dinner, Baby Bo's was suggested.

    First of all, what a cute name.  A quick Yelp checked confirmed that this place is solid (though 4 out of 5 stars doesn't mean you're protected from ordering poorly).

    I got the duck burrito - no explanation necessary.  This was pretty good, I appreciated that the rice was on the side and not in the already filling burritos.  Yes - plural, there were TWO.  Plus rice and beans on the side.  Easily two means in one.

    Two of my friends ordered El Dorado - a vegetarian burrito stuffed with grilled portobellos, spinach, plantains and chihuahua cheese.  These were smothered in a red chili sauce and cheese.   I tasted a bite, and it was amazing.  The plantains added a sweet twist to the flavors, and the spinach.  I can't even begin to explain how delicious the sauteed spinach was.  It was cooked in some of the most pungent garlic, which gave the spinach a really intense flavor.  Mixed in with the portobellos and the plantains, it takes this already interesting creation to a whole other level.

    As much as I love duck, I will be getting El Dorado next time.

    We got take out instead of dining in - tables were impossibly close together and very loud.  Not a good place to do some real catching up.
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 2 reviews
    4.0 star rating
    6/16/2013
    After two of my coworkers, one of whom used the word "life-changing", recommended Baby Bo's, I knew I wanted to try it out.  The perfect opportunity came when four family friends came to visit and specifically requested grabbing dinner at a Mexican restaurant.

    Yelp listed that they didn't take reservations, so we showed up around 7:30 expecting to wait.  The place is a bit cramped, but very cute.  Unfortunately, all the seats at the bar were taken so we ended up waiting just behind the bar, at the behest of the waitresses and waiters.  I felt that the servers were slightly rude.  This may have been because our group looked like a flock of tourists, which although true for the most part, is no excuse for rudeness.  When asking for the beer list, the waitress rattled them off quickly, then became annoyed that she had to repeat herself.  Each interaction with our waitress after that was some variation of her being impatient.

    They primarily only serve Mexican beers.  I love trying new beers, and who doesn't like Coronas, but my group preferred something more mainstream and light so we started with Coors Light.  After the first round they told us they were out, which is weird unless they had given us their only five Coors Light.

    Despite the somewhat rude server and limited beer list, I really enjoyed Baby Bo's.  I ordered the Chipotle Enchiladas with chicken which were amazing.  The place is really cute too with twinkling lights covering the ceiling.  I would love to go back to try their sangria.
  • Review from

    4.0 star rating
    6/6/2013
    What a cool spot! It really takes you away from New York City for a minute. We really liked the small, cozy/hole-in-the-wall atmosphere. Great decorations. The drinks were amazing (spicy margarita for him, merlot for me, please! ;-) )

    Food was refreshing. Filling and tasty. Service was what you would expect--don't expect too much. But honestly, so long as I have my wine and meal and my good company with me, I don't need to be complaining about good or bad service. The people were still nice.

    Will be going back sometime soon-- hitting that bar, probably drinking all of their spicy margaritas.

    Also- they don't take reservations. Pick the earlier part of the evening if you want to hear what your friends/family are saying. :-)
  • Review from

    • 117 friends
    • 148 reviews
    3.0 star rating
    7/9/2013
    Another too tightly packed small Kipps Bay Mexican, and they definitely do not know how to manage their space...but....the friggin chimi-freakin-changas!!! Si, me gusta mucho!
  • Review from

    4.0 star rating
    7/9/2013
    Solid Mexican spot in Murrary HIll.  A great alternative to the oft crowded Blockheads around the corner.
  • Review from

    2.0 star rating
    5/16/2013
    "Wow, you're really particular."

    This was said to me when I asked what kinds of hot sauces they have. By the waitress.

    My question was reasonable. And on the other side, I had asked a few questions prior. Stuff like "Do you guys have any mezcal?" "No? Ok, which tequila has a really good smokey flavor?" "Yes, I know añejos and reposados are smokier than blancos, but which one would you recommend?"

    Really frustrating. Her response was kind of blurted out as well. Like I'd asked her a few questions before that showed her lack of knowledge, and this one apparently tipped the scales.

    For the record, the answer was Trappey's and one they make in house, the latter of which is good.

    The food is ok, if overpriced. Bland rice/beans & tortillas. But the service actually left me dumbfounded.
  • Review from

    2.0 star rating
    5/24/2013
    One of the few times where the experience of the rest of Yelp has differed from mine. I  have ordered delivery and gone here in person. The food is average at best,...AT BEST!!! (That was a little intense, sorry)

    The ambience is of a hole in the wall bar trying to pretend to be a hole in the wall mexican restaurant. Really dark on the inside and the layout is awful.

    And finally, this is New York, I expect people to be rude to be me. But the waitress at this place was absolutely awful. Had no idea about the menu items. Would not help to accomodate my large party. And the worst sin of all- took forever to get our food to us.

    Please please please NYC, get a good mexican restaurant. Maybe we can get Rick Bayless to move here?
  • Review from

    • 1 friend
    • 10 reviews
    3.0 star rating
    5/10/2013
    S'ok. There nothing wrong with the food- just nothing really good either. We came here on a Tuesday evening, and were seated quickly even though it was crowded. I orders the vegetarian burrito, and my companion ordered the fajitas. The salsa was nearly tasteless with the chips.

    Both my burrito and the fajitas got the same reaction from this SoCal girl. Meh. Nothing repulsive, but just blah.
  • Review from

    • 22 friends
    • 61 reviews
    4.0 star rating
    4/22/2013
    After living in the area for about a year now, I finally got to try Baby Bo's and thank god I finally did.

    From the outside, Baby Bo's looks pretty sketchy..not gonna lie. They don't have a nice awning/sign and there's one window that is covered on the inside by iron bars. It wasn't until a few people told me how good it was, that I actually wanted to try it out. I guess you can't judge a book by its cover.

    Inside is much different. It's small, but not in an uncomfortable way. It's actually pretty cozy. The walls are painted with mexican art and there are string lights hung up all over the place. Since it's fairly small, waiting for a table could easily happen. We got there fairly early on a Sunday night (around 6:30-7 maybe) and were seated right away, but within an hour, there was a wait.

    My roommates and I got the vegetarian queso to start, which was amazing. Avocado and corn in melted cheese? Yes, please. We each got a different entree and decided to also split 2 pitchers of their red sangria. Ok, 1 pitcher would have been enough. Oops.

    I found the food was pretty good overall. I got the fish tacos. I would have liked it if there was more to the taco besides a piece of fried fish and some cabbage on top, so maybe I'll get something else next time. The roommates seemed to like their dishes. The sangria was yummy. Definitely did its job.

    The wait service was pleasant. Nice people working there.

    I'll be coming back for another pitcher of sangria. And definitely some guac.

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