La Esquina

La Esquina Review

Anchoring a downtown corner under a bright neon sign, La Esquina looks like nothing more than a fast-food taqueria, with cheap tacos sold to-go until 2 in the morning. Just around the corner, though, is a modestly priced café serving those same tacos along with more ambitious fare like chiles rellenos (stuffed peppers) and carne asada (grilled meat). The real hipster draw, however, is hidden from sight: the basement brasserie, like a Mexican speakeasy, is accessible by reservation only, through an unmarked door just inside the ground-floor taqueria. Once inside, you'll discover a buzzy subterranean scene with pretty people drinking potent margaritas, dining on upscale Mexican fare. Prices downstairs are high, but portions are large.