Where to Find Late Night Tacos in the Bronx

El Jaguar, also known as El Taco Veloz MX NY, is the Mott Haven cantina that stays useful long after dinner. Doors run from 1 PM to 4 AM every day of the week, and the room is built around music, cold drinks and a dance floor rather than a quiet table.

Order the happy hour tacos and margaritas first, then build out from the kitchen's large plates: gringas, nachos, tortas and guacamole, plus a bacon cheeseburger for anyone who is not doing Mexican. Tex-Mex shows up in the burritos and chili beans. Portions run large, and this is a neighbourhood spot rather than a scene.

The 4 AM close is the fact that decides the trip. Lunch and dinner both work here, but so does a 2 AM order after a night out, which is rare even in a borough that keeps serving later than most of Manhattan. The rating sits at 4.0 from 100 reviews, and reviewers point at the same things the room leans into: strong drinks, generous plates and a floor that fills as the night goes on. Call (718) 292-8865 if you are deciding whether to bring a group.

Address: 536 E 138th St, Mott Haven, Bronx, NY
Hours: 1 PM–4 AM, every day of the week
Phone: (718) 292-8865
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 from 100 reviews
Known as: El Jaguar, also El Taco Veloz MX NY
Menu: gringas, nachos, tortas, guacamole, burritos, chili beans, bacon cheeseburger
Happy hour: specials on tacos and margaritas
Room: music, cold drinks and a dance floor
Website: eltacovelozmxny.com

Start with the happy hour list, because that is what the room is known for: tacos and margaritas at special prices, ordered while the music is still low. Then take the kitchen seriously. Gringas and tortas are the substantial end, nachos and guacamole cover the table, and the bacon cheeseburger is the one non-Mexican order that still makes sense in a cantina that runs until 4 AM.

Tex-Mex fills out the rest. Burritos and chili beans suit a late order better than a delicate plate, and portions here run large enough that two people can share three dishes and still leave food. Ask what the happy hour covers before ordering a round, since the record notes specials on tacos and margaritas but not a schedule.

One thing the record does not contain is a price band: the price field describes the happy hour rather than a range, so do not assume this is a cheap eat or a splurge. Check the menu at eltacovelozmxny.com, or call (718) 292-8865 and ask what a normal order runs for two.

This is a cantina with a floor, not a restaurant with background music. The record describes a straightforward neighbourhood spot where the music plays and the drinks flow, and it lists dancing alongside happy hour and late-night as the three things the place is built for. Expect the volume to climb as the evening goes on.

That shapes who should come. It suits a group that wants to eat and then stay standing, and it does not suit a conversation-heavy dinner or a family table. Come early in the evening for the food half of the night, then stay if the floor fills. The room is not presented as a club, so the dancing is casual rather than programmed.

Pair it with the kitchen rather than treating it as a bar: order the gringas and tortas while the tables are still the main event, keep a drink in hand, and let the room change pace after that. If you want the food without the noise, lunch is the safer window.

Every day runs 1 PM to 4 AM, with no closed day in the weekly record. That is unusual even by Bronx standards: the kitchen opens for a late lunch and does not stop until most of the city has gone home, so the same address covers an afternoon meal, a dinner, and a 2 AM taco order without changing venue.

The useful windows are narrow and specific. Arrive between 1 PM and 6 PM for the calmest version of the room, or after 10 PM for the version the reviews describe, when the music takes over. Mid-evening on a weekend is the busiest stretch, and the floor fills before the kitchen slows.

The record lists standard daily hours but no holiday exceptions, so call (718) 292-8865 before a holiday visit instead of trusting the schedule. Sunday into early Monday is still open, which makes Saturday night the one that can run longest, and a post-shift order at 3 AM lands in the same window as a Friday dinner that turned into a long night.

What are El Jaguar's hours?
1 PM to 4 AM every day of the week, with no closed day listed. The kitchen and the floor run on the same schedule.

Where is El Jaguar in the Bronx?
536 E 138th St in Mott Haven. It is the same venue as El Taco Veloz MX NY, so both names point at one address.

Is El Jaguar a restaurant or a bar?
Both. The record lists Mexican food, Tex-Mex plates, happy hour drinks and a dance floor, and describes a neighbourhood spot where music plays and drinks flow.

What should I order first?
Happy hour tacos and margaritas, then gringas, tortas or nachos. Guacamole covers the table and the bacon cheeseburger is the non-Mexican option.

How much does a meal cost?
The record carries a happy hour note rather than a price band, so there is no reliable range to quote. Check eltacovelozmxny.com or call (718) 292-8865.

Can I come just for drinks and dancing?
Yes. The room is built around music, cold drinks and a dance floor, and the kitchen runs alongside rather than as the only draw.

How is it rated?
4.0 out of 5 from 100 reviews, with the happy hour tacos and margaritas standing out in what reviewers mention.

Is it open late on weeknights?
Every night closes at 4 AM, Monday included, so a weeknight order is no different from a weekend one.

Keep the night moving around Mott Haven. Ecuadorian Food Bronx Favorites From The 1980s brings bolón plates and four decades of Brook Avenue history, while A Mott Haven Neighborhood Bakery on East 138th Street is the daylight bookend on the same block with everyday bakes and a 4.2 rating. Mexican Food Bronx With Gorditas And Enchiladas covers the earlier dinner shift, Mott Haven Mexican Bar Serving Late Night Tacos is the closest rival for a late table, and A Bronx Eatery Serves Breakfast Plates from 6 AM is where the night ends when the cantina finally closes.