Chilaquiles is the best meal ever invented. For those who have never ventured into the wonder that is chilaquiles: it’s a traditional Mexican dish made of tiny fried tortillas served with a red or green salsa and Mexican crema. You can pair chilaquiles with eggs, steak, avacado, and basically anything else tasty that you love. Luckily for us all, there are many places in Bushwick to enjoy chilaquiles.
Flushing Avenue in particular is strung with three businesses that are known to serve up this delectable dish fallen from the heavenly skies. I tried them all out to see which one faired best. This isn’t a review. This isn’t a roundup. This is war. More specifically this is Flushing Ave and the war of the chilaquiles.
Battle 1: Taqueria El Fogon, $7.5, 1050 Flushing Ave
Score: Lost the battle
El Fogon on Flushing Ave became so popular that they opened another location right on Bogart Street. But there’s no way their popularity came from the taste of their chilaquiles because their chilaquiles are sadly… not that great. The chile sauce they use gives you a strange aftertaste and the tortillas are underfried and overcheesed. The main bonus is their avacados.
Battle 2: Bushwick’s Livingroom 983, $8, 983 Flushing Ave
Score: Won the battle
Livingroom 983 serves an incredible chilaquiles but only for brunch. While their chilaquilies fly solo, I’m sure they’d be willing to add some meat atop for an extra few bucks. Their chile sauce is seriously on point being just hot enough and the fried egg on top is a welcomed tradition. Crispy, fresh and flaming, these chilaquiles (though somewhat-bourgie), are a true show-stopper.
Battle 3: Carrera’s, $7, 915 Flushing Ave
Score: Won the war
Out of all the chilaquiles on Flushing Ave, Carrera’s is by far my favorite. They give you the option to add steak, chorizo or chicken to the dish for an extra $2 and ask you if you prefer their red or green sauce. The Mexican crema is evenly spread throughout the tortillas. The richness of the flavor mixed with the crispy texture gives you a surprise, deepening the flavor with every eggy bite. This is the winner of Flushing Ave and the war of the chilaquiles.
