Mary Ann's

86 Second Ave.
New York, NY 10003-8628
Phone: (212) 475-5939

There's no particular reason, actually, its not that I cry with joy because the food is so good, or the decor is beautiful, or its so cheap I can eat there every day of the week. Mary Ann's fits none of those descriptions.

But the food is solid. If you want the general flavor of Mexican food, this is a good place to go. I've never had a bad dish there, and although I've tried a number over the past few years, I've settled into getting the Sabrosas every time I go. The Sabrosas is a combination platter of a guacamole taco, a bean burrito, and a chili cheese relleno. All served with a generous side of beans (smothered in delicious cheese), and rice.

The guacamole taco is crisp, cold, and delicious, and stands in perfect contrast with the hearty burrito and the fluffy, gooey relleno. For those of you who don't know, a relleno is a giant chili pepper, filled with cheese and then battered. It's delicious and terrible for you, and I always order it at restaurants if it's on the menu.

The best part about Mary Ann's, though, is the gigantic Margaritas. Personally, I prefer a plain frozen margarita with salt, but they have a number of fruit flavors available, both frozen and on the rocks. I have never disliked a Mary Ann's margarita, and they have never failed to get me completely wasted after drinking one of them.

One time, after sharing a pitcher of frozen margaritas at Mary Ann's, my roommate and I ended up eating candy in front of a gym, much to the delight of the passerbys. Then we drunkenly stumbled to a movie theater, paid for a ticket to "The Princess Diaries," got a free cd and poster for "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," because the studio employees thought we were there for a private screening, and ended up sneaking into "Legally Blonde."

Point is, Mary Ann's is good times.

The one down side of Mary Ann's I'll point out is their very, very sad nachos. Never order the nachos. The come on a tiny plate with about four of them, have a single slice of cheese, and maybe a jalapeño. Its actually a little confusing that every single dish available for purchase at Mary Ann's is gigantic, except for the nachos, which are usually too gigantic everywhere else. And sometimes, what one needs is a gigantic plate of nachos to complement their gigantic margarita. In the event of such a situation occurring, Quesadillas just don't cut it.

But that's a relatively minor quibble. Mary Ann's is a good place, fun for groups, and gets VERY crowded at night, so better to stake out a table early. Tell them Alex sent you. Although they have no idea who I am, so that won't make much of a difference.

- Alexander Zalben