Tacos La Hacienda at DeKalb and Wyckoff. — Photos by Willy Staley
Call me petty, but one of my least favorite things about New York is how obnoxiously named so many businesses are. This is especially apparent in Lower Manhattan, where businesses are often named for their previous, working-class tenants. Be it a union hall, massage parlor, piano manufacturer, or dress maker, it’s fair game, regardless of how disingenuous the the tip of the hat may be. In one breath, these businesses show off that they exist in what used to be a working-class neighborhood, and let you know that they serve food and drink that also references working-class life in just as dishonest a fashion. But hey, if people want to put truffle oil on things like grits, more power to them.
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Brooklyn has less of this, but it’s definitely present. I can think of two defunct Northern Brooklyn music venues that used this very same naming trick. That isn’t because Brooklyn hasn’t changed much; there’s plenty of evidence to the contrary.
Take this little taquería on the corner of DeKalb and Wyckoff. It’s in an old 40′s-era pre-fab diner. What a novel reversal of expectations! Were this in Manhattan it would probably be called whatever the English name of the diner was translated into Spanish and have a secret downstairs dining area (oh wait…that place actually exists). But, Tacos La Hacienda does no such thing (Taco Plantation, by the way, just sounds odd). In fact, as well as being a taquería, this place still has a more-or-less full diner menu.
Like most diners, this place is all about the basics. They serve up good, cheap Mexican standards, as well as a long menu of specials. So far I haven’t strayed from the burritos, and both the carne enchilada (spicy pork) and the cecina (cured beef) have treated me well. The slabs are well spiced, and easy to hold. They also come wrapped in wax paper, which is a nice touch. In San Francisco, where I grew up, if your burrito isn’t wrapped in tinfoil, you’re in deep trouble. I find that many New York joints lean toward the fork and knife burrito, which I find simply unacceptable unless it’s drenched in enchilada sauce and sour cream — but I digress.
Ultimately, Tacos La Hacienda is mostly remarkable for its unique, vintage exterior (and interior, I suppose). The food is good and cheap, and these days, that’s about as remarkable as I want a restaurant to be.
Tacos La Hacienda
96 Wyckoff Avenue | 718-821-8816
Kevin Edwards April 8th, 2009 at 9:56 am
I use to live a block away from them two years ago. They have amazingly priced breakfast specials. If I recall correctly, it’s something along the lines of two eggs, bacon, toast and coffe for less then $5.
Guest April 8th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
I like the chorizo. I hope to never know what’s in it, but it’s mmm mmm good.
Joseph April 9th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
I’ve eaten here a few times and the food is OK. I like the old diner but there is something so depressing about the place. It seems dirty and really empty. The fact that there is only counter seating makes it difficult to have a conversation with your dining partner and it seems like everyone there is alone, just eat and get out.
Tony T April 10th, 2009 at 12:56 am
I used to eat there when it was a diner back in the early 70′s. Good brisket and mash potatoes. There used to be old fashion booths for seating and each booth had one of those juke box record selector that you could use for a dime.
Eric April 11th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
I walked by Tacos Hacidenda twenty minutes ago.
Let’s just say that I’ve drank out of cleaner toliets.
tim weathersfield April 14th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
a massage parlor is a working class business?
It annoys you that new restaurants move into what was
once a working class neighborhood?
There are others which harp on what you want to preach (the idea that gentrification should be harnessed and that it doesnt generally create better situations for existing denizens of such an area) but its easy to punch a hole in your story. The point of my needle begins with the idea that you arent working class. tu comprendes blanco?
Professional Alternative April 14th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Uh, all Willy was saying was that it’s lame when new businesses use the name of a previous business, especially since it’s so overdone. This does not look like a critique of gentrification in general.
Willy Staley May 5th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I was referring to a seedy Asian massage parlor, turned nightclub in the LES, but I suppose you’d be correct to say that wasn’t exactly a working-class establishment. My bad.
Also, I work as a food runner in a restaurant. Not sure what you think I do for a living, but now you know. You do not have to be working-class to think that there are better ways for neighborhoods to change that would be more fair to the residents. I’m just trying to point out the fetishistic aspects of the way New Yorkers treat any gentrified neighborhood’s former squalor. I find it fascinating, and easy to mock.