Bettina Makalintal

Bettina Makalintal is a senior reporter at Eater.com, covering restaurant trends, home cooking advice, and all the food you can’t escape on your TikTok FYP. Previously, she worked for Bon Appétit and VICE’s Munchies.

The first thing you’ll notice at Frijoleros, Greenpoint’s new Mexican spot, is that cocktails take up as much space on the menu as food, featuring ingredients like brown-butter rum and prickly pear foam. But you don’t have to be a cocktail person to enjoy Frijoleros: As much as it’s about the drinks, the restaurant takes its food seriously, too. An ambitious menu of moles, mariscos, and tacos makes Frijoleros as equally suited to an all-out dinner as it is to drinks and snacks.

What to order

• The pulpo and charros ($24), which come with tortillas, feature a charred yet tender piece of octopus in a pool of beans enriched with ham and bacon. Crumbled chicharron adds crunch and even more pork flavor for a smoky treat for people who can’t choose between land or sea.
• The plump gorditas ($18 for two) are dense with flavor and filling, stuffed with a tangle of tender and richly flavored lamb, strips of nopales, and queso Oaxaca.
• The tacos de pescado ($16 for two) are prime examples of the form, with beer-and-masa-battered cod that holds its crunch alongside the generous swipes of guacamole and chipotle aioli.
• The tomate o tomaté highball ($18) is crushable, with just enough savoriness from its za’atar-salt rim.

Bettina Makalintal

The vibe

With tall ceilings, big windows, a calming blue-green color palette, and a large bar set to the side, Frijoleros has a spacious, approachable feel. It’s lively, but not cramped or loud.

Insider tip

At happy hour, which runs every weekday until 6 p.m., tacos are $5 each. (There’s a pared-down list of classic cocktails for $10, too.) The tacos here are satisfying — the tacos de cecina, with thinly sliced salt-cured steak, and the tacos chorizo verde both come topped with crispy french fries.