Bar Chucho — the Mexican bar on the Lower East Side that’s a five-minute walk from sibling Mexican fine-dining spot Corima — is pure, funky fun from chef Fidel Caballero, Jesse Kranzler, and Sofia Ostos. Named for a drink that’s an acquired taste, it
doesn’t take itself too seriously, from the bathrooms with upbeat music and retro posters to the smoking man mural painted on the side of the bar.
What to order
- The single-patty hamburguesa ($18; a double is $24) is made with dry-aged beef and a beef garum (a fermented fish sauce), rounded out with melty queso chihuahua, blistered peppers, and a bone marrow-burnt onion mayonnaise. It’s a perfect bar burger.
- For a good veggie option, get the mushroom gringa ($19), a huge crispy quesadilla made with Vato’s flour tortillas, stuffed with cumin-laced mushroom carnitas.
- This is a bar, so have some drinks from beverage director Edward Hardebeck: The Malverde ($19) is a savory, bright sotol drink that’s vibrantly green thanks to the Midori, Granny Smith apples, and cilantro.
- I also had one of the best micheladas I’ve had in a while — the classic ($13) is tangy with a Clamato-Tabasco-Maggi mixture paired with a Modelito.
Best seat in the house
Snag the front corner space by the windows for larger groups and great natural light before sunset. For more privacy, head upstairs.
Make a night of it
Kranzler tells me that the team intentionally doesn’t serve wine so that people are encouraged to hit up Cellar 36 across the street before or after the bar for their wine needs.
Insider tip
Ask for a shot of the bar’s iteration of the namesake liquor, which, Kranzler explains, is a sotol usually infused with osha root (chuchopaste). Bar Chucho’s is made with some toasted green cardamom and herbs — the version I had used hoja Santo. It’s a strong spirit best downed quickly.
