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I hit the jackpot with the spiced pork (enchilado style) burrito! My two other companions had a chorizo burrito and a shrimp chimichanga, which were pretty good, but man!... the spicy pork!! The atmosphere was perfect: dark, cozy, good drinks. The guacamole was freshly made perfection--even around closing time, which is when we went in. Stay at home for salsa and chips, but... Man! That puerco enchilado was...! Amazing!!!

First off, i'm automatically drawn to any place that provides an escape from the gross trendiness of the LES. Across the street, there's banal twentysomethigns clogging the Essex, but inside the darkened confines of Festival there's never more than a few people. But this place isnt empty because its serving slop like some Mezzican joints in the hood (I''m talking to you, El Sombrero) its overlooked because people would rather sit elbow-to-elbow at the latest hotspot than eat at a run down mex place. Well, thank you mindless hordes, because I love this place. The huevos rancheros are fantastic. They are drowning in green chiles and served on a big plate with refried beans and rice. I think its like $6.95, too. A steal. Chicken soup is among the best i've had. Ask for it spicy. I also had a fried steak torta with guac and refried beans, which was great. There may be some clunkers on the menu, but what i tried was really good. I'm a fan, but don't be flooding this place for huevos on weekends, cuz that's my jam.

So, this place is not where you want to go for standard "mexican" fare - aka, salsa, chips, tacos. The gems of this place are the homestyle meals, the warm and cozy plates only your mother can make -the ones that make you happy to be alive again...comfort food. Try the tortilla soup or the pollo festival, ney-sayers will be forced to change their footing. Experiment with items on the less "tortilla flats" side of the menu. Enjoy.

Wow, wish i read some of the reviews here before going to this joint. Should have known considering it was empty on a Saturday night when we walked in. The poor reviews are spot on, not sure who would give this place 4 or5 stars? The service is average, but I imagine no Mexican mother would deign to call this food as even the Chinese Mexican joints in the city can serve up better food than this place.

I've been coming here for 12 years. The people who work here are so sweet. The margaritas, chicken soup and vegetarian tacos are my favorite dishes and I always enjoy the atmosphere.

I have lost all faith in people from NYC to recommend a Mexican restaurant. I generally avoid them in NYC because for some unknown reason, good Tex-Mex food is so hard to find. However, last weekend I had a craving for some Mexican and decided to take a gamble. A calculated gamble I thought since this place was highly recommend on here and NYMag alike. However, I must say the food was not good and there were no redeeming qualities. The salsa was like soup, the guacamole was watered down and tasted like slop. The ingredients weren't fresh, the rice somewhat stale and the combo plate was overly garnished with a watered down sour cream. The bistec was soggy and overcooked, and the tortilla soup was literally just tortilla, grease and little else.

Nothing more to say, delicious! Perfectly warm and cozy, I ask for it spicy, I ask for a large :) And that's all I need on a cold winter day.