Rachel’s Taqueria Crew Serving Up Fresh Tortillas With Tacos & More At The New Varrio 408

Varrio 408, the new joint from the folks behind Rachel’s Taqueria (408 5th Avenue, between 7th and 8th Streets), is now open, and despite a number of Mexican options in the area, this one looks like it will be a nice addition to the neighborhood.

The new space — which we first thought would be called Tortillas, based on a note posted in the window and its neon sign — has taken over the storefront at 412 5th Avenue, a space that has held a string of pizzerias (most recently Napoleon, which only lasted a few months there).

They’re serving up traditional Mexican food from Tijuana — including tacos ($3), mulas (sort of a taco sandwich, $4), and burritos ($7.50-$8) — and the main draw are the fresh tortillas, constantly being pressed and cooked behind the counter. The grill-top where they’re cooked is called a “comal,” which they explain over time “will develop a character all her own, never producing the same tortilla twice.”

When we stopped in on Saturday afternoon, things were hopping. And though we’d already actually had brunch, it was too hard to resist the breakfast taco special.

The breakfast taco ($4, and was also available as a burrito) was one of those delicious fresh tortillas piled ridiculously high with chorizo, potatoes, and eggs. And then we topped it with items from the salsa bar, which includes grilled green onions.

The result was a huge, wonderfully messy taco that was well worth that price, which is comparable to nearby places like Calexico and Fatty Daddy Taco. We’re looking forward to trying the Al Pastor, which you can see above set up at the grill, layers of marinated pork piled above pineapple, spinning on the “trompo,” and the option of Carnitas served family-style.

If you want to try it yourself, you’ll have to get down there and pull up a table — they’re not doing delivery, so that the integrity of the tortillas can hold up, as they really are the kind of thing you want to eat immediately. We’ll have to try a few more things to be sure, but so far, we think it’s going to be worth the trip.

Anyone check it out yet? If so, what did you think?