Save For Later no. 17: Restaurant Spotlight - Border Town
Authentic Mexican flour tortillas at a Brooklyn pop-up.
Like many, I stumbled upon Border Town by accident through a viral TikTok made by the team at Righteous Eats. All it took was a 2-minute video to convince me to hop on a CitiBike and get down to their pop-up location at Commune in Clinton Hill early one Sunday morning back in December. Having also read an article in Brooklyn Magazine about the co-founders and partners, Jorge Aguilar and Amanda Rosa, I was beyond excited to meet the team creating a very unique experience. Between the story of their food and the people behind the project, I needed to get down there and try them out.
When I arrived at least 15 minutes before they opened, there was already a line of about 20 people ahead of me, which speaks volumes to the recent press they’ve been getting and quality of tacos they’re putting out. I patiently waited in line while listening to a recent podcast episode of This American Life, eagerly awaiting my chance to get my hands on these famed tacos.
Border Town specializes in Tacos de Guisado, which are rolled tacos that are a staple in Mexican cuisine. What distinguishes them is their fillings, which are slow-cooked to perfection, and then wrapped in tortillas with deep, robust flavors. These tacos require a certain level of experience to make and are very rare to find in the New York City area. On the day I visited, their menu featured Puerco en Chile Colorado (pork in red chile salsa), Frijoles (refried pinto beans, cheese) and Soyrizo con Huevo (soy chorizo, potatoes, scrambled egg).
Once I made my way through the line, I could see Jorge under the tent rolling out his signature tortillas and Amanda behind the pop-up table taking orders. Her charming and bubbly personality immediately caught my attention and convinced me to order at least four tacos. If you know me, you’ll know that is a rather conservative number when it comes to my taco appetite - but the Border Town team wisely sets a limit on how many you can order per person. Gotta leave some for the rest of the crowd, ya know.
As I walked away, bag in hand, I could feel the warmth of the tortillas through the plate and just knew I was in for a treat. In typical fashion, I snapped a few photos of the tacos, posted about them on Instagram, and then dove into these beauties.
All I can say is wow. These tacos deliver in every way possible.
The Puerco en Chile Colorado was packed with flavor - the pork was so tender it practically melted in my mouth, and that red chile salsa? Damn. Just the right level of spice to kick things up a notch without overwhelming the dish. You could just tell that the ingredients had been simmering together for hours. The Frijoles was my personal favorite, though, and I was pleasantly surprised by its simplicity yet undeniable depth of flavor. The beans were as smooth as can be, and there’s never an issue when you add a rich layer of cheese. Every taco was a reminder of why I love chasing down new eats around the city.
The tortillas themselves deserve a shout-out, though. Fresh, with just a hint of char, they truly offer an escape to Mexico in every bite. The difference is in the flour that’s used in each batch. Jorge said that his parents ship flour from Sonora to California and eventually Brooklyn to give their tortillas the standout texture and taste. It’s this kind of attention to detail that sets Border Town apart from the rest.
A few weeks went by after my first visit in December before I saw a notification on my phone, saying I was tagged in a caption on Instagram from the Border Town account that featured my image. I was stoked. Not only because the team used my image (and credited me) but because it had only been a few days earlier that I was starting to seriously consider getting into the food photography space. This felt like too good of an opportunity to pass up, so I responded by thanking them and offering to take photos of their next pop-up once they got settled into things at their new location in Greenpoint, The Screen Door.
After a few messages back and forth, we agreed to meet early on a Thursday morning. Soon enough, I was out front knocking on the door, ready to start my first organized photoshoot. It was in that moment that I realized this photography side project was a viable path forward for me, and that I should continue reaching out to more businesses who may need this type of service. The NYC restaurant world suddenly felt like it started to become a bit more accessible once I started making connections and putting myself out there. Pretty cool, tbh.
During the photoshoot, I spoke with Jorge, and he said that he makes about 300 tortillas for each day, and they sell out by 11-11:30am. Sometimes earlier on weekends. Countless hours of prep time go into making this operation successful, and I applaud all the effort he and Amanda put into the business. The ultimate goal is to have their own brick and mortar location, and that takes hard work and sacrifice - which the Border Town team has in spades.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my morning with the team and will 100% be back to get more tacos on a monthly basis. Between this spot and Taqueria Ramirez, I now have some epic go-to taco spots for two distinctly different styles of Mexican cuisine. It’s places like this that make me excited and proud to live in New York City. There are just so many stories behind the teams that make the food we eat, and I want to help grow this side of the culinary community.
Do yourself a favor and get here. It’ll be worth your time. Also, pro tip: go on a Thursday morning to avoid some of the weekend crowds and wait time. If you get there right when they open, you’re guaranteed a few tacos!
Location Details
Border Town’s pop-ups currently run out of the two locations below.
The Screen Door - Greenpoint (Thursdays - Saturdays)
145 Driggs Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11222
Commune - Clinton Hill (Sundays)
415 Classon Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11238
I’ll do my best to come back and update this post as they adjust their locations.
Final Thoughts
I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to shoot photos for the Border Town team. I love the way the photos turned out and also learned quite a bit about how to approach shoots moving forward - what types of photos to take, how long it takes, where to refine my process of editing photos, and more. I’m firmly behind Jorge and Amanda’s vision and wish them nothing but the best. Cheers to your future success.
As I continue to build out my photography portfolio, I am always open to new clients and welcome anyone who is interested in a photoshoot for their restaurant or pop-up. Does that sound like you or someone you know? Here is where to get in contact with me. Let’s make something great together.
As always, if you have any recommendations or feedback to share, please feel free to reach out.
My email is saveforlaterrecs@substack.com or DM + follow us on Instagram & TikTok
See you next time ✌️
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