Oxomoco
“A Michelin star for tacos, earned over a wood fire in Greenpoint. The city's best casual star. Book it for first dates.”
About Oxomoco
Justin Bazdarich built his reputation firing pizzas at Speedy Romeo before opening Oxomoco on Greenpoint Avenue in 2018 with a harder thesis: every element of a Mexican menu, from the proteins to the salsas, run through a wood burning hearth. Michelin gave the room a star within its first year and has kept it there through the current guide, which still makes Oxomoco one of the very few starred restaurants anywhere serving dinner for the price of a Manhattan appetizer spread.
The masa is nixtamalized in house and it shows at the seams of every tortilla. The lamb barbacoa tacos at $24 arrive under salsa de pipicha and squash blossom, the beet chorizo taco converts committed carnivores, and the masa tempura shrimp taco is the kitchen's cleverest trick. Tacos run $13 to $27 by the pair and trio, ceviches and shared plates fill out the card, and the mezcal and tequila list runs deeper than rooms twice as formal.
The room reads Greenpoint rather than Michelin: whitewashed brick, hanging plants, a skylit back section and a bar pouring smoky margaritas to a crowd in denim. Reservations release on Resy and weekend prime goes quickly, but the pace of turnover keeps walk in hopes alive, and brunch runs the wood fire in daylight. It is the least intimidating starred booking in New York, which is precisely its value.
The Room
Whitewashed brick, greenery overhead, a skylight over the back tables and the hearth's glow at the pass. The soundtrack is loud, the crowd is young, and dress means whatever you wore today. Two seats at the bar beat a table for watching the fire work. In summer the front opens to the street and the room doubles its light.
Why book it, occasion by occasion
A table this hard to win should be spent on the right night. This is who should book Oxomoco, and when.
For a first date with zero stiffness and real credentials
The trick of Oxomoco for a date is that the star does the impressing while the room removes the pressure: nobody freezes over a $24 taco. Plates land fast and are made for trading, the margaritas arrive with actual intent, and a two hour dinner costs less than parking near a Manhattan tasting room. Book a Resy slot at seven, start with the beet chorizo taco, and let the hearth's glow flatter everyone.
For the birthday crew that wants fun over formality
Group birthdays die under fixed menus; Oxomoco's card was built for a loud table ordering in rounds, tacos by the trio, ceviche for the middle, mezcal flights when the singing gets close. The room's volume means nobody shushes your toast. Book the skylit back section on Resy for six or more and tell them the occasion; churros with candles beat any cake ceremony.
For the solo meal that costs less than the cab home
A bar seat, a smoky margarita, two tacos and the fire at work: this is the starred solo dinner with no ceremony tax. Walk ins land bar seats most weeknights before seven, and the kitchen paces single covers quickly without rushing them. Order the lamb barbacoa and the masa tempura shrimp, and you will have eaten the argument for the star in twenty minutes.
What to order
Order in rounds, from the raw plates toward the hearth, and let the masa carry it. Four fixed points.
- Lamb barbacoa tacos, $24
The house standard bearer: smoke deep lamb, salsa de pipicha, squash blossom on top. The plate that shows why Michelin stopped here.
- Beet chorizo taco
The vegetarian order that outruns most meat in the city; spiced, charred and sold honestly by the pair.
- Masa tempura shrimp taco
The kitchen's technique flex: shrimp fried in masa batter, crunch against fresh tortilla. Order one per person, no sharing.
- Mezcal over the second margarita
The agave list is the room's quiet depth. Ask for a flight and a sangrita back instead of round two of cocktails.
Practical
- Address
- 128 Greenpoint Avenue, Greenpoint, Brooklyn
- Reservations
- Resy · weekend prime goes fast, walk ins possible
- Prices
- Tacos $13 to $27 · shared plates similar
- Brunch
- Wood fired brunch service, the quiet entry
- Dress
- Come as you are
- Drinks
- Deep mezcal and tequila list, serious margaritas
- Dietary
- Strong vegetarian options · corn tortillas throughout
- Subway
- Greenpoint Avenue G, three blocks
Questions diners ask
Does Oxomoco really have a Michelin star?
Yes. Oxomoco earned its star in 2019, within a year of opening, and has held it through the current guide. It remains one of the least expensive starred restaurants in America, which is exactly the point: the guide rewarded the cooking, the in house masa and the wood fire discipline rather than tablecloths.
How much does dinner at Oxomoco cost?
Tacos run $13 to $27 for pairs and trios, with the lamb barbacoa at $24, and shared plates land in the same range. Two people eating fully with margaritas typically clear $80 to $120 total, a fraction of any other starred room in the city. Brunch runs cheaper still.
Do I need a reservation at Oxomoco?
For weekend dinner, yes; tables release on Resy and prime slots go days ahead. Weeknights are gentler, bar seats hold for walk ins before seven, and brunch rarely requires planning. The room turns quickly, so same night hopes are realistic in a way Manhattan's starred rooms never allow.
What should I order at Oxomoco?
The lamb barbacoa tacos at $24, the beet chorizo taco and the masa tempura shrimp taco are the core three; add a ceviche to start and churros to close. Drink from the mezcal list rather than stopping at margaritas. Two tacos and a shared plate per person feeds a table properly.