Isabela Mexican Restaurant |

Isabela Mexican Restaurant

Posted by Kyle Huebbe on November 19th, 2008 Comments Printer-Friendly

I read in now defunct (seems to be anyway) Sunset Park Rocks blog about this “unsung” restaurant so I thought I’d go for a bite and sing about it. I went in with a couple of friends after going to Tabla Rasa’s new opening on November 12. We walk in a seat ourselves at a table right by the door.

“We’re right by the jukebox!”, screams Kyle.
“Do you want to move?”, I scream back.
“Nah, we’ll just talk really loud. It’s fine. They have margaritas!”, he screams as an end note.

Kyle And Renee

I look at the menu. They do have margaritas, for eight bucks. Not too bad. And all beer is four bucks.
I glance around. There are a couple of tables engaging in a practice I see everywhere in Latin restaurants in Brooklyn. Two guys, sitting across from each other, each drinking a beer. Sometimes talking, sometimes just sitting. Looking at each other. Sometimes. I can’t relax like that, ever which is why I like New York so much, because I don’t ever have to. But I’m glad they can and I like it. But I digress.

We scream to the (very nice and accommodating) waitress our drink order and the jukebox goes silent. For now. She brings over chips and salsa. The salsa is good, really good. Thinner than most chips-and-salsa-in-a-latin-restaurant salsa that is simple, and hot. It’s my new favorite.

We get an order of three tacos each ($2 each, of course). Renee is worried it won’t be enough food. “What if I’m still hungry?”
“Then you can get another”
Carne Asada, Chicken, and Al Pastor make it onto our plates. I love Al Pastor and I love when you can actually taste the pineapple (yes, I’m talking to you Matamoros. What’s been going on lately?).
The Al Pastor is very good. I wish is was a little more charred, but still good. The Carne Asada WAS nicely charred, and seasoned well.

Someday I’ll actually order something else besides tacos. I don’t know when though.

We noticed on our way out the little take out window in the front with a shelf on the customer side. It seems you can cut yourself a slice of cake and then pay for it through the window. I also saw bags of what looked to be churrus for sale out there, though they could have been fried pork skins.

Isabela Mexican Restaurant
4412 4th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11220
(718) 832-6715
They take cards!