Open Since 1959, El Parador Cafe Has Been Serving Mexican Food In New York Longer Than Any Other Restaurant
By Lisa Sammons|Published November 17, 2021
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Lisa Sammons
Author
Lisa loves animals and has dogs, rats, cats, guinea pigs, and snakes. She is passionate about animal rescue and live music - traveling across the country to see a favorite band is a pretty regular occurrence! Being out hiking in the woods enjoying the scenery with her beloved dogs is another favorite hobby, and also checking out the Pokemon Go scene in whatever city she happens to be in at any given time (coffee and dog leash in hand). You can reach Lisa at lsammons@onlyinyourstate.com
The Big Apple is the world’s famous melting pot, so it’s no surprise that there are many ethnic restaurants in New York City. No matter what nationality of food you’re looking for, you’ll find it here. Mexican restaurants, in particular, are so commonplace that it’s difficult to imagine a time when they weren’t all over the country. It was actually a relatively short time ago when the first Mexican restaurant in New York opened up, though! El Parador Cafe has been delighting New Yorkers with across-the-border food since 1959.
In today's multicultural world, it's amazing to think that it wasn't that long ago we didn't have Mexican restaurants here on the east coast. El Parador Cafe was one of the first few Mexican restaurants in New York City.
While there's something to be said for culinary experimentation, the vibe here is definitely more old-school. The dishes here are made the same way they have been for the last 50 years.
The mole recipe actually comes from one of the oldest Mexican cookbooks in existence, written back in the 1800s!
The restaurant doesn't publicize its status as the oldest surviving Mexican restaurant in NYC. The chef wants it to be known for the quality of its food, and not only its longevity.
Many of the regular diners have been eating here for years, or are the children of those who came back in the 1960s when it was a novel idea to have Mexican food in New York.