What: Los Dos is a new Mexican eatery by the same team behind Buddy Who’s. It’s located at 100 York Street, in the former home of The Royal (previously Lisbon).
Interior: Los Dos is more cantina than it is restaurant. You’ve got a long bar upfront and a few high-top tables and stools throughout the rest of the space. Decorations are sparse, which gives the space a no-frills vibe. There’s a big chalkboard with the “Los Dos” logo and happy hour specials displayed on it. That’s probably the liveliest piece of decor in the restaurant.
The Menu: The menu at Los Dos is divvied up into “shared” plates and “a la carte.” You’ll find all the standard Jersey City-Mexican fare like quesadillas, nachos, tostadas, burritos, and tacos. A few unique dishes include Carne Asada Fries and the Sonoran Hot Dog. Prices are reasonable for Paulus Hook with items ranging from $5 for chips and salsa (bummer that they’re not on the house) to $13 for a shrimp burrito.
We Loved: The Mahi Mahi tacos are on point. The fish is grilled — not fried — which I personally like because you can actually taste the firm, swordfish-like flavor of the Mahi Mahi. The meat on the Carne Asada Fries is also nicely grilled and seasoned. I like that they don’t hold back and give you a generous amount of carne asada with your fries. Kudos to the staff for being friendly and attentive. (They constantly checked in to make sure we were good on food/drinks).
Mahi Mahi Tacos ($9.25)
Could Be Better: The fries in the Carne Asada Fries were limp and greasy. Some fries toward the bottom of the dish were also lukewarm. Although I liked the Mahi Mahi tacos, the taco fell apart after one bite. Double tortillas are definitely suggested. Currently, the restaurant lacks any character. The drab interior and generic music (Coldplay, Flobots, etc.) made me feel like I was dining at a Chili’s off the New Jersey Turnpike.
Final Take: I love Mexican food, but if downtown is going to have a new Mexican restaurant every few blocks they should stand out from one another. Currently, Los Dos is just blending in. To be fair, the restaurant is still in soft open mode. Their official grand opening will be on Friday, May 3rd. A lot can change between now and then and I’m hoping it does because in its current form, Los Dos isn’t adding anything new to Jersey City’s already crowded taco scene.
Carne Asada Fries ($10)
Los Dos | 100 York Street
Any reason to go to Los Dos over Taqueria Downtown or Orale? (Other than it being cheaper than Orale).
Los Dos has no wait, so it’s easy to just walk in and get a table. They’re also pushing their happy hour with a decent selection of tequila. (I’m not a big tequila person, but I took a photo of the menu).
More Mexican! Don’t we have enough Taco joints or Mexican food to begin with??!?!
Believe it or not, but there are at least two more spots in downtown alone that are slated to open soon-ish.
On their Instagram bio, they claim to be a Mexican restaurant with “Sonora influence” yet they have Calaveras designs on their walls. Calaveras is a symbol used during the Day of the Dead, which is a festival predominately celebrated in the Central and Southern States such as Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Michoacan – far away from Sonora. Nothing on their menu is Sonora inspired. As a Mexican-American, I’m quite disappointed. This is just another gentrified Mexican restaurant.
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