Juarez Mexican

Newburgh

Decorated in lively orange hues, this 40-seat breakfast/lunch/dinner spot is an American dream come true. Mexican-born owner Manuel Juarez came to this country first as a migrant farm worker, eventually settling in Newburgh and working at a tortilla company for 16 years before opening his eponymous restaurant, Juarez Mexican, 10 years ago. It’s all a family affair. Juarez and his elder son, Manuel Jr., put together a distinctive menu that plays up authentic dishes from the homeland (in fact, the menu sometimes lapses into Spanish only). Don’t expect Taco Bell-style crunchy tacos or fluffy mounds of guacamole. Instead, all the tacos are soft-shell, and two basic house sauces accompany most foods: a spicy red made with jalapeños and a green that combines avocados, jalapeños, and cilantro. Try the huarache (a type of Spanish sandal, $7), so named for its shape: a flat corn masa topped with beans, nopales (cactus — no needles), lettuce, and queso fresco. Chicken or beef tostadas ($6) make a satisfying lunch in themselves. Or order a slew of tacos ($1.25 each) loaded down with pork, beef, chicken, or longaniza (a spicy chorizo-like sausage). At $15, Parrillada — a hearty mixed grill of shrimp, chicken, and steak in a spicy house sauce — is the one of the priciest items on the menu, but it can easily serve two. While there is a full bar, you can also indulge in homemade non-alcoholic “aguas frescas” like orchata (sweetened rice water with cinnamon) or hibiscus tea, steeped to achieve a festive magenta hue ($3). For dessert, don’t miss the flan with carmelo ($2). 845-569-9263

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