Los Tacos No. 1

Los Tacos No. 1 is a fast-casual Mexican restaurant brand based in New York City and associated with Tijuana-style tacos. The business began in May 2013 as a compact taco stand inside Chelsea Market in Manhattan. Its founders were Christian Pineda, a native of Tijuana, and Tyler Sanders and Kyle Cameron, both from Brawley, California. Pineda’s motivation came partly from the contrast between the Mexican food he knew and the taco options he encountered in New York City. The founders developed the concept around direct, street-food-style preparation rather than a conventional full-service restaurant format. The original Chelsea Market operation was deliberately simple, with a service counter and no dedicated seating area. Its menu centered on a small set of tacos made with corn or flour tortillas: carne asada, adobada, pollo asado, and nopal. Adobada uses the Tijuana-area name for pork al pastor and became one of the brand’s most recognized offerings. The restaurants also serve quesadillas, including a deep-fried preparation known as the especial, tortilla chips with guacamole, aguas frescas, and Mexican soft drinks. Some branches offer breakfast burritos in the morning. The brand expanded beyond its market-stall origins in July 2017, when it opened a second location at 229 West 43rd Street in Times Square. This was its first standalone restaurant and placed the concept close to the Broadway theater district and other high-traffic Midtown destinations. A third Manhattan location in Tribeca was announced in 2018. By March 2026, reference material described the chain as having nine locations throughout Manhattan, with at least one additional location planned. Los Tacos No. 1’s operating model combines a limited menu with visible preparation and an emphasis on freshly made tortillas. The brand’s identity is built around Tijuana and broader Mexican street-food influences rather than the heavily standardized format associated with many large national fast-food chains. Its flour tortillas have received particular attention from food critics, while the adobada taco has been repeatedly identified as a signature item. The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily disrupted the business. After a brief closure, the Chelsea Market operation reopened in 2020 with a new takeout window facing West 15th Street and a focus on takeaway and delivery. Co-founder Tyler Sanders described the pandemic’s effect as devastating to the customer base and said the reopening was approached almost as if it were the launch of a new restaurant. This adaptation preserved the brand’s compact service model while responding to reduced dine-in traffic and changing consumer behavior. The founders also oversee Los Mariscos, a related Chelsea Market restaurant focused on fish tacos and ceviche. Los Tacos No. 1 remains primarily a Manhattan restaurant brand, with its reputation built through local dining coverage, visitor traffic, and word-of-mouth rather than broad international franchising. Reviews have praised the tenderness and seasoning of the adobada, the quality of the flour tortillas, and the brand’s focused execution. Criticism has included reservations about the nopal taco and the texture of certain breakfast burritos. Overall, the brand is positioned as an accessible, high-profile New York taqueria offering a concentrated interpretation of Tijuana-style Mexican food.

Los Tacos No. 1 was established in May 2013 by Christian Pineda, Tyler Sanders, and Kyle Cameron. Pineda came from Tijuana, while Sanders and Cameron came from Brawley, California. The founders were influenced by the difference between the taco culture they knew in Southern California and the Mexican food available to them in New York City. They launched the business as a small taco stand in Chelsea Market, a prominent food hall in Chelsea, Manhattan. The initial format was intentionally informal. Rather than opening a conventional restaurant with a dining room, the founders operated from a service counter without designated seating. The menu was narrow and centered on four taco preparations: carne asada, adobada, pollo asado, and nopal. Customers could choose corn or flour tortillas. Adobada, the Tijuana-area term used by the restaurant for pork al pastor, became especially associated with the brand. Quesadillas, chips and guacamole, aguas frescas, and Mexican soft drinks supplemented the tacos. The concept gained attention from New York food writers. In August 2013, The New York Times named the restaurant a critic’s pick. The review praised the adobada for its texture, warmth, and seasoning, but was less favorable toward the nopal taco. This early coverage helped establish Los Tacos No. 1 as a notable destination within New York’s developing modern taqueria scene. In July 2017, the company opened a second site at 229 West 43rd Street in Times Square. The location was the brand’s first standalone restaurant and extended its reach beyond the Chelsea Market food-hall environment. Its position near the Theater District also made it a practical option for theatergoers and Midtown visitors. A Tribeca location was announced in 2018, reflecting continued interest in expanding within Manhattan while retaining a concentrated geographic footprint. The Times Square restaurant received further attention in 2018. Eater recommended it for visitors seeking a meal near the theaters and highlighted the thin, lard-based flour tortillas. The same review expressed reservations about the breakfast burritos sold at some branches, particularly their texture after being wrapped and held. These contrasting assessments illustrate the brand’s emphasis on a focused taco program alongside a broader but less uniformly praised menu. The COVID-19 pandemic created a major operational interruption. Los Tacos No. 1 briefly closed as restrictions and the collapse of normal Manhattan foot traffic affected the business. In 2020, the Chelsea Market site reopened with a new takeout window on West 15th Street and concentrated on takeout and delivery. Co-founder Tyler Sanders described the loss of customers as severe and said that the reopening was treated almost like the launch of a new restaurant. This period demonstrated the brand’s ability to modify service logistics without abandoning its counter-service identity. The three founders also oversee Los Mariscos, a related Chelsea Market restaurant specializing in fish tacos and ceviche. The two concepts share an association with the founders but have distinct menu focuses. Los Tacos No. 1 has remained centered on meat, vegetable, and breakfast offerings associated with its taqueria format. By March 2026, the chain was described as operating nine locations across Manhattan, with at least one additional location planned. Its development has therefore been largely local and controlled rather than a rapid national rollout. The brand’s reputation rests on Tijuana-influenced recipes, freshly prepared tortillas, visible cooking, a concise menu, and strong recognition among New York diners and visitors. Coverage in 2023 continued to place Los Tacos No. 1 prominently within discussions of New York’s taco culture, even as critics noted that its style may not produce the same reaction among diners accustomed to Texas taco traditions.

• 2026

  Nine Manhattan locations reported

  [1]Los Tacos No. 1en.wikipedia.org

  Reference material described the chain as having nine Manhattan locations and at least one more planned.

• 2020

  Takeout reopening during the pandemic

  [1]Los Tacos No. 1en.wikipedia.org

  After a temporary COVID-19-related closure, the Chelsea Market site reopened with a West 15th Street takeout window and delivery-oriented service.

• 2018

  Tribeca expansion announced

  [1]Los Tacos No. 1en.wikipedia.org

  A third Manhattan location in Tribeca was announced.

• 2017

  First standalone restaurant opens

  [1]Los Tacos No. 1en.wikipedia.org

  The brand opened its second location at 229 West 43rd Street in Times Square.

• 2013

  Founded in Chelsea Market

  [1]Los Tacos No. 1en.wikipedia.org

  Christian Pineda, Tyler Sanders, and Kyle Cameron launched Los Tacos No. 1 as a taco stand in Chelsea Market in Manhattan.

• 2013

  Early critical recognition

  [1]Los Tacos No. 1en.wikipedia.org

  The New York Times selected the restaurant as a critic’s pick and praised its adobada taco while criticizing the nopal preparation.

A high-profile, fast-casual taqueria focused on Tijuana-style Mexican street food, handmade tortillas, direct counter service, and a compact menu of tacos and related specialties.

• Tacos · 2013

  Carne asada tacos

  A core menu category featuring grilled beef prepared for service in either corn or flour tortillas. It is one of the four taco varieties offered since the brand’s launch.

• Tacos · 2013

  Adobada tacos

  The restaurant’s Tijuana-style pork taco, using the local term adobada for a preparation related to al pastor. It became the brand’s most prominently praised taco, particularly for its juicy texture, heat, and seasoning.

• Tacos · 2013

  Pollo asado tacos

  A grilled-chicken taco offered as part of the original four-item taco lineup. Like the other principal tacos, it can be ordered on either corn or flour tortillas.

• Tacos · 2013

  Nopal tacos

  A cactus-based vegetarian taco included in the founding menu. It provides a plant-based option within the core range, although early newspaper criticism described its texture and flavor less favorably than the adobada.

• Quesadillas · 2013

  Quesadilla especial

  A deep-fried quesadilla variation offered alongside the standard taco selection. It extends the brand’s street-food menu while retaining the quick-service format.

• Breakfast

  Breakfast burritos

  A morning offering available at some locations rather than uniformly across the chain. Reviews have noted that the wrapped tortillas could become damp or limp when held for extended periods.

• Tortillas · 2013

  Handmade corn and flour tortillas

  Fresh tortillas are central to the brand’s proposition. The flour tortillas, made with lard and rolled exceptionally thin according to restaurant criticism, are especially distinctive within New York’s higher-profile Mexican restaurant scene.

• 2020

  Reopening with takeout and delivery emphasisStrategy

  Background

  The COVID-19 pandemic sharply reduced Manhattan foot traffic and temporarily closed the Chelsea Market operation.

  Action taken

  The company reopened with a new takeout window facing West 15th Street and focused on takeaway and delivery orders.

  Aftermath

  The founders treated the reopening as effectively a new launch and continued operating through a service model adapted to pandemic conditions.

  Source

• 2017

  Expansion from food-hall stand to standalone restaurantStrategy

  Background

  After operating from Chelsea Market, the company sought a larger independent footprint and access to the high-traffic Times Square and Theater District market.

  Action taken

  Los Tacos No. 1 opened a standalone location at 229 West 43rd Street in July 2017.

  Aftermath

  The opening marked the brand’s first move beyond its original food-hall counter and was followed by the announcement of a Tribeca location in 2018.

  Source

1. 1Los Tacos No. 1en.wikipedia.org