Review: Rincón Taqueria in Norwalk

The atmosphere at Rincón Taqueria is unpretentious.

Credit Lisa Wiltse for The New York Times

By Patricia Brooks

About Rincon Taqueria

From an article in the NY Times.

Those who dine out frequently enjoy discovering a sleeper, an unpretentious gem of a restaurant tucked away from the beaten path. Well, I have a sleeper for you, but it’s hidden in plain sight in a small strip mall on the Post Road on the south edge of Norwalk. 

It is called Rincón Taqueria and features freshly made Mexican food served in enormous portions at what feel like Depression-era prices. It couldn’t look more inconspicuous. A knotty pine panel separates its handful of tables from a counter area where items like tacos and burritos are made to order. The kitchen is in the rear. Mexican tiles decorate the walls; a large refrigerated case adorned with Tiffany-style glass holds food kept ready for takeout. A display case in front of the main counter contains six bowls of dried chiles — some spicy, some not, and all of them ready for use. 

Driving up to the taqueria for lunch, we found the five-space parking area directly in front was full: three Lexuses, one Mercedes and a Honda Accord. Fortunately, we were able to edge our car in farther along the side of the strip mall. 

The waiters dress casually, sometimes in shorts and baseball caps, and are always warm and welcoming. “Is this your first time here?” was the greeting as we sat down. Before ordering, we received, as all diners do, a lagniappe of chopped scallion-dotted black beans, encircled by saffron rice — simple, but appetizingly presented, a vision in black and yellow. 

The contrast between the luxury cars parked outside and the modest Mexican offerings was surprising, but no more so than the food itself. Each dish my friends and I tried was made of obviously fresh ingredients, and the plate presentations were pleasing, often decorated with chopped cilantro, scallions or purple onions or looped-in swirls of crème fraîche. 

Rincón’s entire menu fits on one page. The informal mood is reinforced by the wooden tabletops, each with cutlery clumped together alongside glasses and paper napkins, waiting for diners to help themselves. 

We began with the soup of the day, chicken with vegetables. Straightforward, yes, but freshly made, the carrots and sweet potato slices almost al dente, the broth clear and mildly spicy. 

The bubbling hot casserole known as chilaquiles; and the chicken burrito are substantial enough to share, right.CreditLisa Wiltse for The New York Times

Tacos and empanadas are served solo. That made them good starters: piping-hot, crispy appetite-arousers for the main courses, which were enormous. The burritos are so large that three of us shared one. In fact, we divided half of it three ways, and one friend took the remaining half home for dinner.

Chilaquiles, a bubbling hot casserole, was a one-dish feast of two soft-boiled eggs, a small chorizo sausage, tomatoes, red peppers, salsa and tortillas. Huevos rancheros, also a generous one-dish meal, made for another zesty lunch or, like the chilaquiles, a late breakfast. 

The chicken quesadilla, stuffed with grilled chicken breast, quesa d’oro (which is similar to mozzarella) and salsa, was also delectable. 

There are just two desserts on the menu: an unexceptional flan and an ethereal tres leches cake.

After two visits, I spoke by phone to Maria Munoz del Castillo, who owns Rincón Taqueria with her fiancé, Matthew Pesce. Ms. Munoz del Castillo is no stranger to the restaurant business, having grown up in the kitchen of Bistro du Soleil, a Norwalk restaurant that was owned by her parents, Soledad and Bernardo Munoz del Castillo, and is now closed. The Munoz del Castillo family came to America from Chile in the early 1980s.

“My mother trained as a French chef and taught me,” she said. “Later I helped her make dishes for nine area farmer’s markets. But when I told her I wanted to open a taqueria and serve ordinary Mexican dishes, she thought this idea defied everything she was trained in. But we visited many taquerias here and in California, and I convinced her I could make tacos and other Mexican dishes the French way.” 

Ms. Munoz del Castillo explained that the meats are cooked overnight in braziers until they fall apart and that all the fat is then skimmed off. “It’s a French process that makes a big difference,” she said. 

The food at Rincón is a delightful discovery, and with entrees ranging from $4 to $18 apiece, the prices are even more so.

Rincón Taqueria

493 Connecticut Avenue (U.S. 1)
Norwalk
203-354-7313

THE SPACE A neat, tidy spot at the left end of a small strip mall opposite Kohl’s on the Post Road, serving 30 people. The inside walls along the windows are trimmed in Mexican tiles, with cactus plants in the windows. Tiffany-style glass panels adorn the refrigerated food cases along the entrance wall. Wheelchair accessible.

THE CROWD Diverse at lunch, from small business groups to solitary diners, most casually dressed. Service is brisk, friendly and informal.

THE BILL The menu is small and served all day. Tacos and empanadas are $4 each, soup is $5, main courses range from $10 to $12, and desserts are $4.

WHAT WE LIKED Chicken soup with vegetables; beef tacos; beef, cheese and chicken empanadas; beef and pork burritos; chicken quesadilla; huevos rancheros; chilaquiles; and tres leches cake.

IF YOU GO Open Tuesday through Sundays, See hours. Closed Mondays. Free parking in front of the restaurant and along the sides of the strip mall.