3 Long Island spots to try NYC's rib-eye 'slap' taco trend

I will always be a carne asada evangelist, but a trendy new style of tacos has had me questioning my allegiance to fiery charred beef on a flour tortilla. This style of steak taco has been taking over New York City this year, but it comes via Mexico City with a little northeastern Mexico mixed in. 

The name has not yet been completely crystalized, but for now we're going to call these rib-eye tacos, or "slap" tacos, although residents of Mexico City apparently refer to them as "boujee tacos." The folks at El Califa de León call their version the gaonera, named after the bullfighter Rodolfo Gaona. This Mexico City taqueria became famous in 2024 when it became the first taqueria to get a Michelin star, partially because it used high-end tenderloin meat instead of your regular skirt or flank.

The meat is not chopped or charred like Sonoran carne asada, but presented in one long, thin slab of beautiful, juicy steak. This makes each bite delicate and suave, with less char and crunch but more focus on the quality of the meat and the earthy corn tortilla.   

Following its success, the Mexican taqueria pursued a partnership with New York's Tacombi and debuted its thinly sliced steak taco at its Westbury location in October of that year. Since then, we've had a number of high-end steak tacos hitting New York City and Long Island, most notably the excellent Santo Taco in Manhattan, which has a glorious spinning trompo of rib eye that's shaved off onto the tortilla like a deli sandwich. 

But the rib-eye tacos on Long Island also seem to be influenced by a separate style that's popular in Monterrey, Mexico, and the northeastern state of Tamaulipas. The taco is called a cachetada, according to Texas Monthly taco writer José R. Ralat, which translates to "slap," because the thin slice of steak is slapped onto a costra, or crust, of crunchy, melted cheese. Monterrey may not be as well known on the world's taco stage, but when it comes to high-quality beef, the norteños know what's up. So here are three awesome rib-eye tacos I've recently tried on Long Island that are all worth a visit.   

Tacos Malamadre 

358 E. Jericho Tpke., Mineola

Aside from the Califa pop-up, Alejandro Nava, of Tacos Malamadre, was the first to bring the rib-eye taco ($8) to Long Island. The owner of the Top 50 Long Island restaurant says he was inspired by Mexico City taqueria La Once Mil, which has taken Califa's place and is now the bearer of the Michelin star. The taco is only served at Nava's newer Mineola location, because the kitchen is larger there and he's actually freezing the rib eye before he slices it on a deli slicer. This creates a super delicate and thin slice that reminded me of cheesesteak, but a little fattier. The savory meat is spiked with a stellar green salsa that cuts through the creamy cheese costra underneath. Nava is also hyped about the tortilla, which is dark purple and made with fresh hibiscus flowers. More info: 516-699-3917, instagram.com/malamadretaqueria

Zeebo's

Inside Bright Eye Beer Co., 50 W. Park Ave., Long Beach

Here, the corn tortillas are made fresh on-site at Bright Eye from nixtamalized corn. Chef-brothers Sam and Zach Rabiner also use prime rib eye, which is sliced on a deli slicer and crisped up on one side for a little crunch. Sam also said he was inspired by La Once Mil, which has a sizable social media presence. Their rib-eye taco is small and mighty for $10, but it's superbly spicy for this little beach town, and the shaved white onions are a nice touch. Check their Instagram before heading out because this taco isn't available daily. More info: 516-543-5736, instagram.com/zeebos__

Hacienda Tulum 

180 Boardwalk, Long Beach

This much-hyped Mexican steakhouse on the Long Beach boardwalk offers two very different experiences. You can ball out with tomahawk steaks and fine dining aguachiles from Baja chef Eduardo Salgado, or you can saddle up to the bar and enjoy the beach view with some (also fancy) tacos. The tacos are available all day at the bar, and after a visit during the soft opening, this is going to be my regular move. The Pat LaFrieda sliced rib-eye taco ($9) is sliced thin and slathered with a rich but delicate poblano mole on top. There's no spice or tang here, it's just pure savory chocolatey richness. The corn tortilla is fantastic, definitely the earthiest and fullest heritage corn flavor I have had. More info: 516-882-4837, haciendatulum.com