Taco Hunt: Reyes Deli | Gowanus, Brooklyn

Making plans in New York always seems to lead to completely different and unexpected adventures. This was exactly the case. After getting an invite to Brooklyn's Morbid Anatomy Museum from my friends Christine and Sophie and scratching my original plans, I proceeded to do what I do best: search the web for nearby tacos. Having been friends since we were teenagers and two of my closest friends in New York, I knew we were in for a day of exploring, laughing, and overall fun. I was correct!

I was pleasantly surprised to find many Mexican restaurant options in Gowanus – everything from fancy, to traditional, to street-style. After reading through a few reviews, I decided we'd give Reyes Deli & Grocery a try. The bodega-style Mexican corner store is exactly what you would expect: a small space with a few aisles of packaged food items and a small deli behind the counter. However, instead of the traditional bodega bagels and sandwiches, they serve tacos, quesadillas, tortas, and other Mexican dishes. This hole-in-the-wall spot seemed like the perfect way to start our day of exploring.

We were initially a little confused on how to order, but after finding the menu and a small counter to sit at, it was time to wait. As we sat as drank our Jarritos, we noticed a steady stream of clientele coming in and out. Based on their interactions with the men behind the counter, I could tell they were regulars… which must mean this place was worth coming back to, right?

About 10 minutes after settling in our food started rolling out. Since this was a one-man operation, our food was served one-person at a time, however hot and right off the grill. I ordered three al pastor (marinated pork) tacos (first picture on this post) and boy were they good! As soon as I took the first bite I knew I was eating authentic street-style tacos: flavorful meat with lots of color and their salsa verde was nice and spicy. To take the street-style taste to the full extreme I would have loved the tortillas to be a little greased up with the meat juice… but I'm not complaining! I usually try to order several different types of tacos to get a varied taste of their options, but at Reyes Deli you have to order at least two tacos of the same kind of meat – which means I have to go back to try the others.

My friend Sophie ordered the spicy chicken tacos, which she described as "Spicy… in a good way!" and Christine ordered a vegetarian torta, which is basically a Mexican cross between a sandwich and a burger. A standout moment during our visit was when they asked for crema fresca and were given the whole container – without having to pay a dime extra. As Sophie and Christine excitedly put it, "Girls love crema fresca!"

After about 20 minutes of stuffing our faces and hogging three of the four stools available, we wrapped up and got ready to head to our next location, The Morbid Anatomy Museum. On our way out we spotted the perfect treat to keep us cool during our walk: paletas (frozen ice pops)! If you haven't had a Mexican paleta yet, you're missing out! I savored on a green limon one while Sophie and Christine both nibbled on arroz con leche ones. Based on the shot below, I think you can tell we enjoyed them!

Overall, Reyes Deli was a pleasant surprise that I can't wait to visit again! Their low-profile appearance and tasty eats make them a hidden gem, waiting to be discovered by unsuspecting taco lovers.

TACO HUNT SCORE: 4/5

PS - Though Gowanus is a little out of the way, don't be discouraged to visit Reyes Deli because of it – make a day of it! Like us, you can take a walk to the Morbid Anatomy Museum or a short bus ride to Prospect Park. Trust me, you won't regret it.

Know of other fun things to do in Gowanus? Share them in the comments below or on Twitter/Instagram at @mromja or using #DesignPlusTacos

Take a look at a few more shots of our day below:

We made a new friend!

Is a caption even needed?

We got a little too excited at the sight of the museum.

This is the entrance at the Morbid Anatomy Museum where they have a gift shop, cafe, and small artifacts.
The main museum is upstairs and we weren't allowed to take pictures.

Hello there, babies!

"The Dog Beach" at Prospect Park

This pup was having the time of his life!

After a day long adventure, we decided to take a nap near this waterfall. Yes, it was lovely!