A highly praised Bay Ridge Mexican counter-service restaurant with fresh, creative tacos, generous portions, friendly hospitality, and occasional concerns about waits, delivery pricing, and consistency.
Tacos Por Favor delivers exceptional food quality anchored by handmade tortillas and fresh ingredients that earn consistent praise from repeat customers, paired with attentive owner-led service that demonstrates strong menu knowledge. The casual counter-service format and modest setting keep it from reaching the very top tier, though its loyal neighborhood following and reliable execution across visits make it a standout destination within Bay Ridge.
Tacos Por Favor feels like a beloved Bay Ridge neighborhood counter: compact, clean, friendly, and animated by regulars who greet the team like old friends. Diners describe a calm room with banquettes and roughly ten tables, while the owner’s habit of explaining sauces, proteins, and custom options gives the experience unusual warmth. One useful mental picture is a casual taco stop where the food arrives fresh enough to make the short wait feel worthwhile. The cooking is recognizably Mexican but stretches beyond the basics. Al pastor, tinga, birria, chilaquiles, tortas, mole, and tamales share the menu with octopus, salmon, shrimp, and surf-and-turf tacos, so adventurous eaters have plenty to explore. Reviews are especially enthusiastic about the handmade tortillas, house salsas, seafood tacos, chicken tinga, and steak-and-plantain burrito. A few diners report dry meat, oily preparation, or declining freshness, but those are minority observations against a much stronger pattern of repeat visits and broad menu satisfaction. Families should find plenty of accessible choices: tacos, burritos, quesadillas, chicken, fries, guacamole, sweet plantains, chocolate cake, and tres leches desserts. Reviews specifically mention picky eaters enjoying the food and families finding something for everyone. The compact dining room and possible busy-period waits are the main practical drawbacks, but the menu is flexible enough for both cautious children and more adventurous adults.
Area vibe: Residential-commercial neighborhood with a strong local main street vibe and diverse eateries.
Safety: Generally safe with active street life and well-lit commercial strips in evenings.
What's nearby: Near 5th Avenue retail corridor, close to Fort Hamilton Pkwy, local buses and subway access to Manhattan via R train (at 86th St).
The safest picks are handmade-tortilla classics, but the seafood tacos and steak-and-plantain burrito are where the menu gets especially interesting.
Plan for a small dining room and possible peak-time waits, and check delivery prices carefully before ordering.
Plant-based diners have multiple labeled choices, while gluten-free diners should look beyond the single specifically marked breakfast item and confirm details.