Interested in trying some new Mexican spots in Philadelphia? You're in luck: we've found the freshest businesses to fill the bill. Here are the newest places to check out the next time you're in the mood for tacos, tortas and more.
Heffe
1543 Spring Garden St.
Fishtown's Heffe has opened its latest location in the former Long River Chinese space. It comes courtesy of chef and restaurateur Peter McAndrews, who is also behind Modo Mio's and Paesano's.
In addition to serving "tacos that don't suck," Heffe also offers burritos and quesadillas. On the menu, look for the "Kraken" tacos with fried octopus and chimichurri, the "Almost Pastor" with pork and pineapple, and the "Tijuana Poutine" with Mexican chili and crema over waffle fries. (Take a look at the full menu here.)
With a 3.5-star Yelp rating out eight reviews, Heffe is still finding its way, but it's early days.
Yelper Tiffany B., who reviewed Heffe on March 28th, wrote, "Wow!! Heffe's was great. The inside is brand new, but limited seating! I ordered the carne asada bowl, and it was absolutely delicious. The bowl was flavorful, the meat was juicy and tender, and most importantly it was a filling meal."
Pat X. noted, "Not quite good, but not quite bad. This place fills a niche for tacos and burritos, but they're not very consistent. But they've only been open for a week, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt."
Heffe is open daily from 7am–10pm.
La Roca
4161 Main St., Manayunk
Housed in the former Union Taco space, La Roca serves elevated takes on Mexican-style street food and tequila.
The extensive menu features dishes like a teriyaki skirt steak and cheese burrito with fried rice and egg; ahi tuna tartare with onion, jalapeños and cilantro; and chorizo-stuffed chicken with sweet corn purée and sautéed peppers.
La Roca also offers 10 different taco variations, as well as tortas (Mexican-style sandwiches), burgers and salads. (You can check out the full menu here.)
Yelpers have warmly welcomed La Roca, giving it a current Yelp rating of four stars out of 24 reviews.
Yelper Michael F., who reviewed La Roca on March 26th, wrote, "Outside replacing it at its physical location, La Roca is in no way associated with Union Taco. I repeat, La Roca is not just Union Taco renamed...As you can guess from the rating, La Roca delivered some fresh food and should be on its way to locking itself down as a Main Street Manayunk staple."
And Jared J. noted, "I really like this place. La Roca has plenty of spunk, a decent menu and great service. I really enjoyed the pork cracklin's and Caeser salad that night."
La Roca is open daily from 11am–2am.
Illegal Tacos
427 S. Broad St., Washington Square West
Over in Washington Square West, Illegal Tacos serves fast-casual eats with a side of controversy.
Owner Florian Furxhiu, himself an immigrant from Albania, explained to The Inquirer that while some were offended by the name, the name hints that the food is "so authentic, it's illegal."
On the menu, look for tacos with proteins like al pastor, carnitas, chorizo, chicken, or vegetables; burritos with pico de gallo, crema, queso, and black beans; and a fried tortilla bowl filled with veggies and a choice of meat.
The controversy over the name hasn't kept Yelp reviewers from raving about Illegal Tacos; they've given the taqueria a 4.5-star Yelp rating out of 41 reviews.
Yelper Brittany H., who was one of the first users to visit Illegal Tacos on March 22nd, wrote, "After reading other reviews, I decided to go with the El Pastor. Excellent choice. The spices were so on point."
And Chris D. wrote, "Those sauces, especially that red sauce, just wow. Illegal tacos has some great offerings, and there are some particular ingredients that you can tell they take a lot of time and care into making."
Illegal Tacos is open daily from 11am–9pm.
