Long Island City Mexican Restaurant Listed Among Best In U.S.

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS -- A ranking of America's best Mexican restaurants has resurfaced just in time for Cinco de Mayo, and one Long Island City eatery made the cut.

Thrillist named Casa Enrique, located at 5-48 49th Ave., among "The 31 Best Mexican Restaurants in America." The site credits the eatery for turning Long Island City into "an essential destination for New Yorkers seeking the best Mexican cuisine the city has to offer."

Some Thrillist favorites at the restaurant include, "the gorgeous spicy and citrusy lime-cured ceviche, the lengua tacos that will turn even the most ardently offal-averse into a believer, the chicken smothered in nutty, complex mole de piaxtla," to name a few. But writer Matt Lynch insists there are far too many delicious dishes to name.

"Just make your way to Long Island City," he writes.

Head Chef Cosme Aguilar opened Casa Enrique in May 2012 after moving to the United States from his hometown of Chiapas, Mexico in 1998. He worked as a chef in Cafe Henri and executive chef of Bar Henri before he and his brother, Luis Aguilar, opened the eatery to serve their family's traditional recipes, according to their website.

The Mexican restaurant has since become a local hotspot, earning its first Michelin Star in September 2014. It has received the distinction - awarded by the Michelin travel guides for high quality cooking - every year since.

"Casa Enrique easily represents one of the best bargains among New York's Michelin set," Thrillist wrote of the eatery.

You can see Thrillist's full list of the best Mexican restaurants in the U.S. here.

(Lead photo courtesy of Casa Enrique)