Dirty Taco and Tequila officially opened their seventh location in Bayside last month, bringing their signature Mexican-Korean fusion to 39-17 Bell Blvd. that’s sure to spice up anyone’s Taco Tuesday.
The menu features a hefty selection of tacos, wings, burritos, bowls, quesadillas, nachos and plenty of dirty cocktails for tequila-lovers — all of which are served à la carte.
Some of the restaurant’s claims to fame are its mixed drinks made with fresh purees, house-made Asian sauces and Mexican cremas, and slow-cooked meats including a juicy braised short rib.
The Bayside Dirty Taco and Tequila is located at 39-17 Bell Boulevard and spans two floors, perfect for a quick bite or a sit-down gathering with friends.Photo by Renee DeLorenzo
When guests walk through the front doors, they are immediately greeted by decorative greenery and graffiti-clad walls. Along the stairs to the left, an impressive, larger-than-life mural of a woman donning a kimono and holding a paper umbrella quite literally jumps off the wall.
The restaurant even sells merchandise — including t-shirts, sweatshirts, tank tops, shorts and hats — that allows fans of the restaurant to proudly proclaim themselves as a “dirty girl” or “dirty guy,” adding to the restaurant’s tongue-in-cheek branding that regulars love and embrace.
Table seating is available downstairs — along with some stools at the bar that features over 50 types of tequila — as well as tables and benches upstairs that larger groups can gather around and share a plate of “Dirty” nachos or a tequila flight.
The watermelon basil and midnight blue margaritas are refreshing options to pair with a meal on a warm afternoon.Photo by Renee DeLorenzo
Some favorites on the menu include the habanero tequila-marinated pineapple chili ribs, the watermelon basil and midnight blue margaritas, and the Taco Tuesday taco flight that allows guests to choose three tacos from a special menu for just $10.
Ann Marie Cataldo, one of the owners of Dirty Taco and Tequila, added that the restaurant often uses the special menu to test out new taco recipes and decide whether to add it to their regular roster, which currently includes over 30 options ranging from beef, pork, fish, chicken and veggies.
Taco Tuesdays also include $5 tequila shots and $7 classic margaritas.
The restaurant hosts happy hour Wednesday through Friday from 3-6 p.m. when guests can get $5 Blanco tequila shots, $6 house-made beers, $6 margaritas made with Dano’s Dangerous Tequila, or $7 pineapple jalapeno margaritas.
And, for the mimosa lovers, the restaurant hosts brunch every Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. when guests can choose from a special breakfast menu — which includes churro pancakes, tres leches french toast and breakfast tacos — and sip on espresso martinis, dirty bloody marys and 99-cent mimosas.
The habanero tequila-marinated pineapple chili ribs are a fan favorite at the restaurant.Photo by Renee DeLorenzo
The story behind the restaurant
According to Tom Cataldo, co-owner of the restaurant and husband of Ann Marie, the idea for Dirty Taco and Tequila began over 13 years ago when their son, Tom Cataldo Jr., started attending Arizona State University and quickly realized it would only cost him $69 for a flight to California.
“On the first day he got to Los Angeles, he was just enamored with this Korean street taco,” Tom recalled.
A Korean street taco is a fusion dish that combines Korean BBQ ingredients in a Mexican street taco, often featuring marinated meats with kimchi, slaw and spicy sauces wrapped up in a corn tortilla.
Tom said when the family began thinking about how to bring the concept over to Long Island, they weren’t sure if they could authentically pull it off since they’re not Korean.
But, they began drafting a menu that reflected more of an American-Mexican fusion with Korean elements, as well as Thai- and Vietnamese-style cooking.
“We kind of blended it up, mixed it around and created this great fusion concept,” he said. “It has absolutely taken off like wildfire.”
The “Dirty Nachos” are a hefty portion perfect for sharing with a group.Photo by Renee DeLorenzo
The Cataldos, who have a long history in the restaurant and catering business spanning generations, opened their first Dirty Taco and Tequila location on Merrick Road in Wantagh in 2018, hosting a grand opening that attracted over 700 guests in just one night.
“It was absolutely overwhelming — but it was a great kind of overwhelming,” Tom recalled. “We’ve been so well accepted in the community, which is incredible.”
The team — consisting of Tom, Anne Marie, Tom Jr. and his wife Christina — have expanded the restaurant chain and opened a new location almost every year since.
Dirty Taco and Tequila boasts six locations across Nassau and Suffolk counties — Wantagh, Rockville Centre, Woodbury, Port Washington, Patchogue and Smithtown — but their “lucky number seven” location in Bayside is their first for New York City.
The restaurant currently employs over 300 workers that serve thousands of guests everyday, and Tom said they will soon be expanding to the Westchester County and Connecticut area for another location in the future.
The future of the Dirty Taco chain
“Dirty” merchandise offers a fun way for fans to express their love for the restaurant.Photo by Renee DeLorenzo
Tom said Queens has been a welcome addition to the chain and has received significant praise from locals who frequent the restaurant.
“I really think from what we’re hearing, they’re all saying the same thing — Bell Boulevard needed this,” Tom said. “They needed something different, something with excitement, something that’s unique and different from the culinary standard and different from the bar.”
And, the Cataldos emphasized, Dirty Taco and Tequila is not a franchise — it’s truly family-run.
“A huge part of our success has been that we’re a family unit and family-run restaurant,” Tom said. “We touch every table. As a family, we offer service, service, service. Everything tastes better with great service.”
Ann Marie explained that when a new location opens, she and Tom step in to manage until it settles down and they can hire a good managerial team.
“Some we brought up from within, and some we hired from outside,” Ann Marie said of their staff. “But everybody has to be invested in what Dirty Taco is all about.”
While other restaurants focus on their bottom line, Tom said Dirty Taco and Tequila puts their margins aside and instead values the dining experience just as much as the quality of the food.
“Tom is just a rah-rah guy — he loves what he does,” Ann Marie said, reflecting on their success. “My son came up to us with this idea and we all just ran with it.”
“It’s something the community really seemed to be longing for, and it’s been accepted overwhelmingly by everybody,” Tom continued, adding that people have been texting and emailing the team asking when and where the next location will open. “It’s been a great, great start for us. The plan is to keep growing and evolving — to keep moving forward as long as the community at large wants Dirty Taco.”
The restaurant’s bar is fully stocked with over 50 types of tequila.Photo by Renee DeLorenzo
This larger-than-life mural welcomes guests upstairs at the restaurant.Photo by Renee DeLorenzo
The walls of the restaurant are filled with graffiti-style artwork.Photo by Renee DeLorenzo
The restaurant makes many of its own sauces from scratch.Photo by Renee DeLorenzo
The restaurant uses fresh purees and other fresh ingredients to make its drinks.Photo by Renee DeLorenzo
A painting of La Calavera Catrina on the top floor of the restaurant.Photo by Renee DeLorenzo
More artwork on the walls of the restaurant.Photo by Renee DeLorenzo
A playful take on “hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil” using calaveras decorate the walls of the restaurant.Photo by Renee DeLorenzo