Review: Mala Madre Taqueria in Westbury and Mineola
Named after a leafy succulent plant that's found across Central America and Mexico, this stylish taqueria gets all the details right. Owner Alejandro Nava hails from Puebla, but his straightforward menu of tacos, tostadas and enchiladas also draws from Baja, California and the Yucatán.
Mala Madre Taqueria
Range of entrees: Tacos $5.50 to $6.50
Accessibility: No stairs
Attributes: Celebrations, date night, dine at the bar, family-friendly, open for lunch,, vegetarian-friendly
Reservations: Not needed
1610 Old Country Rd., Westbury and 358 E. Jericho Tpke., Mineola
instagram.com/malamadretaqueria | Westbury: 516-502-1277 | Mineola: 516-699-3917
Cochinita pibil and chorizo tacos are standouts — but the best item on the menu may be the Baja fish tacos, which are faithfully rendered with fresh strips of cod battered and deep fried into bulbous nuggets.
Cochinita pibil, pork tacos, at Male Madre in Westbury. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
The housemade corn tortillas are exemplary, sleek but hearty enough to hold their own. Scattered with wisps of radish and micro cilantro, these are some of the best tacos you'll find on Long Island.
Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
Notable dishes
Cochinita pibil, Baja fish and shrimp tacos, or if you’re at the Mineola location, get the ribeye taco
Tip:
You'll probably want to order at least three tacos per person, because they don't come with sides.
Nava opened his second location, Tacos Malamadre, in Mineola in the fall of 2025. With a bigger kitchen, he was able to expand the menu with new tacos, as well as an excellent aguachile seafood dish and Mexican torta sandwiches. The pulpo and chorizo taco features crumbled and spiced chorizo with fat slabs of grilled octopus. Very northwestern Mexico. Another taco is inspired by a spot in Mexico City called La Once Mil, featuring a juicy slab of rib-eye with a cheese crust on a housemade hibiscus tortilla.
Notable dishes: Cochinita pibil ($5.54) and Baja fish and shrimp ($5.95) are must-orders from the taco list.¶Tip: You'll probably want to order at least three tacos per person, because they don't come with sides.
In a feat of ingenuity, red and green salsas are served inside repurposed Jarritos bottles that go out to every table. The roasted salsas are chunky and assertively spicy; they don't mess around. But that's not the only creative use of Mexican soda bottles here. Both locations have an entire wall of glowing Jarritos and Topo Chico bottles. It helps give the rooms a party vibe. And the margaritas here are choice.
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Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
