We’re finally getting a little bit of a break from the heat wave that has consumed much of our summer here in the city. What sucks most about the recent heat and humidity is that it renders outdoor patios and gardens useless.  Who wants to sit outside in stifling, soupy heat?  Which brings us to the 30-seat garden at Diablo Royale Este (167 Avenue A). We went a couple weeks back to check out the relatively new East Village offshoot of the oft-rowdyWest Village tex-mex saloon. The guy at the front asked if we would like to sit out back in the garden. When I quickly declined, he said it’s nice back there and that we might want to check it out first.  So, he led us past the huge bar area up front replete with a long wood bar, leather bar stools and wood-paneled walls and the dark, nicely-appointed Tarantino-esque Mexican saloon interior. Now, we’re not saying the garden is secret in that speakeasy, hidden sense, but when we got outside, it suddenly felt like the temperature had dropped 10-15 degrees and there was a nice breeze to boot. It’s a mystery to me how it stays cool back there without any fans or ac units.  We decided to stay put and have dinner al fresco.

I had read about the Diablo Ricky cocktail ($8) on Always Hungry. It’s three parts Dos Equis and one part frozen margarita. I ordered one of those while Jill went with a Spicy Mango Margarita ($10) infused with habenero. The Diablo Ricky is like Gatorade with alcohol.  It’s that refreshing.  I sucked it down in a hurry and ordered up another.  There’s nothing to complain about their margaritas either, except for maybe the size and price.  At $10 a pop, I’m expecting (or at least wanting) one of those oversized bowl-like glasses they have at places El Rio Grande filled to the brim with frozen slushy margarita goodness.  Instead here you get a  glass that holds maybe half that much.  You could probably take an entire margarita down in about 5 huge sips with a side of brain freeze.  Regular margaritas will run you $9 and are made with Sauza Silver, with a selection of higher end tequila margaritas starting at $11. Ok, so in fairness you probably get better quality tequila in your margs here than other places, but I’d rather have a larger one with a less premium tequila. That should be an option at least.

La comida? The bottom line is if you order right, you can do pretty well here. You start with some chips and salsa on the house. If you want another basket, it’s $3. Personally, I would think there’s a better way to deter loiterers who are sticking around just to deplete the chips and salsa supply. But, so be it.  I went with an order of three tacos ($19; or any 2 for $16) – carnitas, fried oyster and grilled steak. Jill ordered the grilled skirt steak fajitas ($19).  While I’ve definitely had more authentic tacos in the city (Pampano Taqueria, Cascabel Taqueria and Pinche Taqueria), it’s been a long time since I’ve had a taco as flavorsome and as well composed as the fried oyster taco with lemon cumin aioli, cucumber, cilantro, sweet, canela and plantains. It’s one part New Orleans po’ boy and one part Mexican taco and entirely delicious. I could eat a half-dozen of these bad-boys. I wished I had saved it for last because while the carnitas and grilled steak tacos were good, they didn’t hold a candle to the fried oyster one.

Jill’s skirt steak fajitas came out sizzlin’.  The steak was seasoned nicely and cooked perfectly medium rare. Definitely not the best fajitas we’ve had in the city, but solid. Also not as much steak or veggies as you would expect from a fajita dinner plate. And notoriously absent were grilled onions.

We were out before 10pm when the downstairs opens, but we hear the  subterranean tequila bar is stocked with a pool table and leather banquets. 

We’d recommed Diablo Royale Este for big groups, birthday parties, a semi-boozy brunch ($5 Ricky’s, $5 Margaritas, $5 Bloody Marys), as a place to start a night out with a group of friends and as a good spot to grab a couple of drinks at the bar.

Diablo Royale Este

167 Avenue A
Between 10th St & 11th St
New York, NY 10009
(212) 388-9673

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