Benny's Burritos
93 Avenue A
(between 5th St & 6th St)
New York, NY 10009 (212) 254-2054
- Nearest Transit:
2nd Ave-Houston St (F, V)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch, Late Night
- Alcohol: Full Bar
41 Reviews for Benny's Burritos
The steak burritos here are my favorite. The ingredients are fresh and the rice in the burritos is awesome (kind of tastes like sticky rice).
Also enjoy the margaritas and the laid back atmosphere.
Beware of gorging yourself here-- as the burritos are on par with the size of,( if not larger than), Chipotle burritos! (Note, the taste of Benny's burritos is slightly better than Chipotle.)
BBQ Bay Beef Burrito with some guacamole, salsa fresca, and sour cream please. STOP EATING CHIPOTLE and EAT HERE! Same price, better quality and more options... and it's local (i think).
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Ok, quiet down people who used to live in SF. So, it's not exactly like the style of place X, the best of course, right around the corner from your old home in the mission district. It's still Cal-Mex style more than Tex-Mex or real Mex. There are lots of black beans, veggie options, and no refried beans, flaming fajitas, or table-side quac preparation.
You can get something closer to the feel of the SF joints at Uncle Moe's, but your burrito won't be as delicious as a Benny's mission burrito with black beans with its fresh, stretchy tortilla.
My hunch: my unenlightened carnivorous brethren seem less enthralled with Benny's than those who avoid the meat options.
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Ate brunch here this weekend for the first time. Pleasantly surprised! Tasty. Cheap. Close to the park!
food very average. nothing mind blowing except for delivery speed. 7 mins, and im 6 blocks away. i dont know how typical this is but its probably enough to make me call back.
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It happened again! No chipotle sauce on the chipotle chicken burrito. Actually there are 3 things that could have happened:
a) they actually put no chipotle sauce on my chipotle burrito twice
b) they put so little sauce on there I couldn't taste it
b) their chipotle sauce tastes like air
It has to be a) or b) because the first time I got one, I thought to myself, mmm this is good chipotle sauce!! do they keep running out?
I even said to the guy before I left, it's definitely chipotle, right?
Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. Fool me thrice I'm a total idiot and I deserve what I get.
Clearly not going back. Will go to Itzocan instead, which wayyy delicious, just as filling and maybe even cheaper for takeout burritos.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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07/05/2008
The burritos at Benny's are not super cheap, but they're huge and delicious. I've only had the… Read more »
After an intense softball practice some friends and I were hungry to the max. All we could think of were margaritas, salsa, and burritos. Being the ridiculous Blockheads addicts that we are (so sue us, addiction is not a choice) we went to Benny's because we knew it was a close relative of our beloved Blockheads and it was close.
- Just a little note before I really begin...Some of these stars are based solely on the euphoric feeling I got when I saw the glowing Benny's sign and I knew margaritas and sub par Mexican cuisine awaited me inside-
We had a group of seven and we sat down right away....they get brownie points for that. They do not have complimentary chips and salsa at dinner???? What the hell??? Blockheads wins there. The salsa was really good though...lots of cilantro. The waitress was a little overwhelmed and flustered but I have to cut her some slack. Someone in our group asked for his strawberry margarita in a normal glass because, "He'll be damned if he's going to be seen drinking out of a fancy glass." Dude, you did order a STRAWBERRY margarita. Then he proceeds to ask what is on the rice and beans plate...a serious question (I wish I was joking). This poor waitress did not even know what to say to him. She brought me a small margarita instead of a large and felt so bad she did not charge me for a few of my drinks (there's the other star).
The menu is pretty big. There are tons of burritos to pick from. I got the veggie and it was OK at best....should have gotten the chicken. Nobody was too thrilled with their meal. They have a ton of vegetarian options.
On Benny's behalf I have to note that the group I went with is all sort of (well.....very) biased. We put Blockheads on very high pedestal. It is hard not to compare the two though.
Benny's is a good place to go for drinks...but maybe just that.
BLOCKHEADS IS BETTER (sorry, I had to do it).
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This is my first review on yelp. I just had to say something.
Why is it that in such a global metropolis like New York City, with a constant flow of people moving in and out from other cities, and where the best foods of those places are often emulated, is the bulging, properly made, foil-wrapped San Francisco burrito so hard to find, and yet mexican food joints shamelessly boast "San Francisco Style" on placards in the windows? To echo another ex-san franciscan reviewer I've seen on this, I'd like to see them all torn down.
I used to live in the Mission District of San Francisco, near 16th and Valencia, where I would eat at either Poncho Villa, El Toro, or the defunct Maya three or four times a week. Here they would have the long assembly line of fresh ingredients, big jugs of aguas frescas, side bars of salsas mild, picante and verde, peppers, carrots, onions and fresh cut limes to squeeze into your burrito and over your complimentary fresh fried corn tortilla chips. All that for usually under 6 bucks.
Now I know that the cost of living here in New York is much higher than its left coast counterpart, but when I asked for a carne asada burrito and the kid behind the counter rung me up and told me 14 dollars, I couldn't believe my ears. "Sure", I thought. "I'll give it a try". But sadly, I was presented with a barren, unwrapped glob, with which the only aluminum to be found was the container it was placed in, with a side of sour cream and ragu-style salsa. I admit it tasted ok, but definitely not San Francisco-style. Sigh.
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"hmm?..."
this is the sound my brain makes as it considers the vegetarian possibilities on the menu
"clank-click-clank"
this is the sound my fork makes as it looks for a filling other than saucy rice in my burrito
"SIZZLEFIZZLESIZZLE"
this is the sound of my raging heartburn
"pitter-pat-pitter-pat"
this is the sound my feet will make as I keep walking past Benny's from now on
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I've never had a burrito in SF to know whether or not they are truly good with the SF style, but regardless the burritos are simply delicious, and are reasonably priced.
bennys is delicious- the price is low and the food is always fresh!
san fran burrito is amazing! also try the guac and chips!!!!!
also great for veggies!~ check it out!
I don't need schmancy Mexican food to impress me, so Benny's did the trick the two times I was there for brunch. In fact, the first time I was there I had some particularly memorable shrimp and chorizo tacos. Granted, my love for chorizo knows no bounds (like chipotle, it improves the taste of just about anything), but even so, the tacos were a one way trip to Yum City. Affordable and so filling, I could barely eat anything else the rest of the day.
Service isn't that attentive as and the salsa could be better, but the location is great (always fun people-watching on Avenue A), the atmosphere is laid back, and it's a nice casual spot for Mexican.
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Ok...so I'm form Kentucky so I can't claim to know what authentic burritos are supposed to be like. I know there's some great knowledge of the food that comes with living in California or something but to me burritos are just sh*t wrapped in a tortilla. Now that I've effectively insulted all Californians let me say that I think Benny's is pretty great. The Bay Burrito is a nice, simple yet flavorful mix of chicken, beans, rice and cheese and seriously that's all I need in a burrito. But if any of you Californian peeps would like to school me on what a good burrito is supposed to be I'd love some guidance.
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Well.
Remember when Benny's used to be such a great place. Lots of great crispy, sharp tasting mexican food with good spicage and great suaces. A group of us middle aged women would sneak out of work early once upon a few fridays. We called ourselves the ccc - cool chicks club - even though we were anything but. However by the end of the margarita fest, we thought of ourselves as super super cool.
Nowadays this spot serves "mexican" food with stale tortillas, tastless green goo (i think it was at one time guacamole) and assorted what-not that tries to pass itself off as cheese....or vegetables...or is it shrimp? Not too sure.
I grew up near the borders mexico and arizona. I have eaten some mexican food in my time. This is not mexican food, it is barely a restaurant.
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Good food for a bit too much.
The corn fritters were delish.
The sauces and salsas I had were flawless.
My waiter forgot my margarita so I got it at the Happy Hour price.
Boy, was this disappointing. But to be honest, Benny's never stood a chance with me.
As a native southern Californian, I was already hesitant to try this "Mexican" place in East Village. Unfortunately for Benny's, this was my first Mexican food experience in New York.
I ordered an enchilada because I figured it'd be easy enough. Can you really screw up with an enchilada? I now know that the answer is a resounding YES. It wasn't disgusting. It was just bland, flavorless and... didn't have enough cheese!
The only reason I ate the entire thing was because it was nearly $10. For lunch. No sides. Just the enchilada. $10. Seriously.
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I hate to be a negative Nancy, but the East Village Benny's isn't nearly as good as the West Village version.
I really wanted to live the EV location, too, since it's closer to my office, but the burritos just don't taste as good and the drinks aren't as strong.
It's not a total waste though, because it is still a Benny's Burritos after all, and there aren't a ton of other great cheap Mexican options in the 'nabe.
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Awesome breakfast/ brunch spot! I truly loved this place. I lived very close to this restaurant for two years from 05-'07 and loved coming here for brunch. They have awesome egg dishes. i recommend huevos verdes and their stake and eggs. You have to try one of their mojitos or one of many flavored margaritas. My favorites are mango and peach, just delicious.
Went on a Friday night and the service was terrible but the burritos were delicious. I had the one with chicken which was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I look past the fact that the waitress didn't hand us menus or take our order so we had to grab her when she happened to walk by. I'd definitely go back for the food and they have a great vegetarian selection too! Tofu burrito anyone...
This gets 4 star until all the California snobs tell me where I can get their vaunted "Mission-style" burrito within 200 miles of NYC. Good sauces on the meat.
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The once mighty Benny's Burritos has fallen in to steep decline. The burritos have become bland and soggy. They used to be really great and cheap. Now they suck and are expensive.
Also, now that I've been to the Mission in SF I know that Benny's has nothing to do with those type of burritos.
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Solid cuisine, a little more money than it should have been. And it took freakin' forever to get a waitress to notice me. If I wanted to be ignored by a cute girl I would have just gone to a bar.
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This place is great! Their burritos and enchiladas are delicious and the salsa tierra and guac is amazing. Delivery is usually really quick, and the restaurant itself has a very lively atmosphere. It is moderately priced and hits the spot when you're jonesing for something substantial. I have yet to try any of their vegetarian offerings.
My favorite? their jalapeno poppers are AMAZING with the green sauce.
One negative comment? Their nachos with jack cheese arrived at my apartment (which is only a few short blocks away) cold & soggy. Since I like this place, I tend to think of this as an abberation.
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My wife introduced me to this place saying it is her fav place to get tex-mex. Well I have to agree. I started out my bachelor party by coming here. I always get the chimichanga (beef or chicken) and have never gotten a bad one. All the people I have brought here have enjoyed themselves. Benny's has become a place we go to get our nights started.
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not bad - but not 'amazing i'm still thinking about it' good either.
i got take out from here - a quesadilla grande which comes with rice, beans, cheese, salsa, and guac. i asked for brown rice and a whole wheat tortilla - which definitely was a plus b/c if that wasn't offered i wouldn't have gotten food from here.
It was around 10 when i stopped by and the place was packed with young college-looking ppl. towards the back there's a a tv and i guess a small place to just hang out. to be honest, the place is very kitschy ...but in a somewhat dirty way. i don't think i'd want to eat here..but i didn't have qualms about getting my food 'to-go'.
The quesadilla was good..was wrapped in more like a burrito form which was fine. although the quesadilla itself was big, the fresh salsa and guac came in really really small quantities, which was annoying. i ended up cutting up an extra tomato to add some more veggies to my carb-loaded meal.
i'd been craving mexican food for a few days..so this place definitely satisfied my craving..and i might get food from here again..but its nothing amazing
Hey! I like Benny's Burrito and here's why:
1) They are extremely vegetarian and vegan friendly.
2) They have black olives. (Hey man, I really love black olives, ok?)
They aren't perfect, but they are a place i have always had a good time at with pals and has always had something for everyone in groups with a variety of tastes and dietary needs.
Ok, the sun dried tomato tortilla is a waste of money (stick to the spinach one if you want something other than plain flour) and once i had something gross floating in my drink, but the server got me a new one right away and didn't charge me for it.
I've never had a bad experience there and neither have any of the friends i've gone there with, which i admit may have something to do with plenty of fancy flavored margaritas being consumed, but either way Benny's gets an enthusiastic thumbs up from me.
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Very disappointed with this place. Ended up here one night because we couldn't get a table at Yuca Bar up the street.
I had a steak burrito which was very dry. I get better burritos at a cheap take-out place near my apartment. Also tasted my friend's mango burrito which tasted more like pineapple and another friend's cheese tacos that were soggy and fell apart in my hands. To add to my disappointment, the drinks at the bar weren't mixed very well either. I think the hostess that night best summed up the overall quality of this place when she took a short nap near the door.
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whatever, i love benny's. i love devouring a plate of their veggie chili nachos with a nice strong cuervo gold margarita. i love the laid back vibe & the big windows & the vintagey decor. i love just watching a game at the bar. traditional mexican it surely ain't, & not everything on the menu is good, like i would steer clear of the fish tacos for sure, & probably the enchiladas too! but hey, it doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is, & that's something you can say about less & less in the e. village nowadays.
also, i've been going to this place off & on for 10+ years now, & i still see a lot of the same staff, from the busboys to the bartenders. that tells me they treat their staff right, which is nice to know.
The best thing I can say about this place is that I don't think you'll have to worry about getting campylobacter here - they keep it clean. But the food is just bland, bland, bland.
The avocado rolls, which came very highly recommended to me, were just chunks of avocado rolled with some romaine lettuce in a grilled tortilla. They came with some salty, "spicy" sauce, but seriously, what the hell is that? Boring.
I also sampled a vegetarian burrito. The ingredients were fine, though again there was not much seasoning. However, it looked like a five-year-old had thrown it together. A mockery of a burrito! LAME.
This place bills itself as Mission (San Francisco neighborhood)-style burrito joint, so I was duly excited going in. My favorite burritos are from Pancho Villa in the Mission, so Benny's certainly had chosen a worthy locale to emulate.
I must say that the service was sub-par. Not only did my waitress not smile; I can't be sure she actually spoke. I think the first words she said to me were "thank you" as she was leaving my check. And it was hard to even hear that, so quickly did she breeze past my table.
The dish I had was just average. Admittedly, I chose the wrong burrito. I should've gone with a straightforward burrito, but I got a grilled vegetable burrito instead. I was trying to convince myself that I was being somewhat healthy, when I should have just given in. I should've just ordered a double meat burrito the size of a brick, and surrendered myself to its delicious and heart-clogging heft. It was a lapse in judgement.
Coulda, shoulda, woulda.... going to go back. I think I owe it to myself and to Benny's to give it another shot.
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San Francisco style burritos my ass. My burrito was a floppy mess of sub-par ingredients. The enchilada was hilarious: a large tortilla with cheese, rice, and beans, folded in half with sauce on top. Beans and rice in an enchilada?! They weren't even good beans and rice.
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Mediocre and overpriced...other than that it was awesome.
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This is a sister Mexican to Blockhead's so it's the same kind of basic Mexican and their own version of the Black Flower. The prices are reasonable and the food decent.
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Honestly, the Chipotle on St. Marks is my favorite. (However, for some reason it isn't listed on here!)
But anyways, Benny's is pretty no-frills, just tex-mex food. Buy a burrito, get a burrito. Simple as that. But, hey, it does the job.
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Not to be compared with thier cleaner, uptown location on Columbus Ave. This dirty, boring, overpriced-for-a-cheap-meal mexican restaurant made me feel more than a little naseous. The tight quarters, grimy windows and dirty lamenated menus emphasied how unappealing the food was. Served on dished that were obviously not washed very well, the meal has no outstanding feature and the atmosphere destroyed any appetite you may have had when you walked in the door. The pile of steaming refied beans sslopped on the plate resembeled more of a pile of dog doo than a delicious yummy treat.
The waitstaff knew the food was nothing special and were obviously poorly tipped so they didn't treat the customers well, a vicious cycle that results in undertipping.
Give it a serious pass. Blockheads offers much better quality, lower prices and a better atmosphere for cheap mexican fare.
I actually like the Mexican food better at a local tex-mex fast food joint by my house.... Benny's is OK... The food is nothing to really write about....and the service is usually pretty horrible...
Seating is cramped and uncomfy, the service is slow, the food isn't that good, and it is way too overpriced. I gave it two stars only because I would go back if a friend absolutely insisted and was crying/begging me...only cause I'm sweet like that.
I think Connie C. said it best: your standard Tex-Mex fare with a moderately hip setting, Benny's is the kind of place you go to after a nite of drinking with friends. It's excellent drunk food but I wouldn't want to send anyone there sober. It's over-priced for what it is, a dime-a-dozen burrito bar that tries too hard to be cool. It's a wonder it's still there.
Fantastic
I love Benny's Burritos. The chicken burrito is great. While it could be cheaper, and the staff more friendly--- my burritos are always tasty!
I have lost my cravings for a SF taquerias. I would rather eat Chipotle any day.
i've never eaten the food. however, benny's offers the lovely rarity of a 10-11 pm happy hour. if you're in the area and craving a decent $3 margarita, go. maybe eat food if that's your thing.
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