King David Tacos, Brooklyn – Restaurant Review

I’ve stayed in my Pandemic Bubble – lil’ ol’ immunocompromised me still does not take chances, even with two shots of Moderna in my system! – but I have slowly but surely been making occasional journeys for well-spaced outdoor dining over the past few months. (My trick? Go early in the morning or later in the evening to guarantee fewer people are around as you dine. I mean, I use this trick for MANY of my outings, let’s be honest…) The same goes for restaurant invites. During the pandemic, I received a few dozen invites to come to various restaurants in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens for comped meals and “influencer events” to post about on my blog and / or Instagram feed, but…no. I never felt safe pre-vaccinations, and I still err on the side of caution. Also, I’m very intentional with what I share with you – my audience – and if I’m going to start going out again – no matter if it’s an invite or if it’s to a place I’m dying to try – I want to go to a place that has some heart, soul, and some great history + I want it to align with my (pandemic) dining values, namely encouraging take-out and / or having a stellar outdoor seating set-up.

I recently accepted an invite to visit the brick & mortar location of King David Tacos. This is a business I have visited in the past, and I have a clear recollection of one of their food carts tucked away not too far from South Street Seaport many moons ago; I was so excited to try something different to eat for breakfast as I hustled off towards a ferry to somewhere outside of Manhattan. I don’t quite remember what taco I ate or which ferry I eventually hopped on, but I clearly remember thinking, “This is delicious, and I hate scrambled eggs!” Ha! (Perhaps King David Tacos is the reason I am so amenable to scrambled eggs now? Should I just pin it on that? Because I’d be happy to!) 

King David Tacos was founded by Liz Solomon Dwyer, an Austinite that wanted to bring this goodness to NYC from Texas to switch up the breakfast scene. (You can read more about the evolution of King David Tacos here.​​) I stumbled upon the KDT carts a few more times over the past few years – pre-pandemic, my most recent interaction with them was at a street vendor gathering on Governors Island – but my visits to where their downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn carts were located were far and few between, being both an uptown Manhattan resident and worker. Still, whenever a cart came across my vision, I made a beeline for it, always satisfied with my decision. 

When I received an invite to visit the new King David Tacos brick & mortar location at 611 Bergen Street in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, a spark was lit. There was some nostalgia as well as some curiosity to try some tacos that had previously never passed my lips. As previously mentioned, In this current-pandemic world – no, no, the pandemic is NOT over, folks! – I take great care to protect my lil’ ol’ immunocompromised self. Two of their selling points for me that prompted my interest to visit were that they encourage take-out – they even have a cute little take-out window! – and the outdoor dining situation is large enough and comfortable at 10 a.m. on a Sunday morning to give me some literal breathing room. So off I went; the 3 Train from 96th to Bergen treated me particularly well despite the usual MTA weekend b.s., and I made it in record time! 

I arrived and was greeted by Kevin, a friendly employee who may or may not have changed my life for the better by suggesting that I get a shooter of their velvety queso sauce. Though I’ve had King David Tacos before, and though I had studied the menu of their 611 Bergen location beforehand, I walked in and my mind just BLANKED. I was looking at the tacos, wrapped in vibrant gold wrappers, trying to think of words and cravings. Thankfully, Kevin was patient and got me back on track. (Blessed.)

I went with two tacos I had not previously tried: The Or’izo and the No. 5. The former consists of warm-spiced chorizo, potato, Vital Farms eggs, & cheese, while the latter is one for the plant-based eaters with its Chili Non Carne™ with poblanos and carrots & potato. I am an omnivore that loves her meats, but I have been incredibly impressed with the plant-based “meat” market; if I hadn’t known, I would have easily mistaken the Chili Non Carne™ for ground beef!

Also, their 5″ flour tortillas are shipped straight from the source: Austin, Texas! I know some people choose one side over the other, but I’m Team Flour Tortilla for life!

Kevin told me to enjoy the queso on my tacos, and I could make the No. 5 non-vegan by pouring a little on top. My conscience got the best of me, and I only poured my queso on the Or’izo, I just couldn’t sully the Chili Non Carne™ otherwise. (Ha!) But what a delight it was! I might have licked the remaining queso out of its tiny container. (Actually, there is no “might have” about it.)

The menu at King David Tacos is vast with items to satisfy anyone, with meatier tacos, a dedicated vegetarian option, nachos, chips & salsa, and some beverages to satisfy your thirst, such as Topo Chico, cold brew, and – what I was so excited to get an iced cold cup of – perfectly-spiced & creamy horchata! 

The urge to hop back onto the 2 / 3 down to Bergen is strong, but this Manhattanite would have to do it early: their hours are currently 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. daily. Definitely something fun to do if you want to grab a taco or two, a horchata, and take a stroll down to Prospect Park on an early morning jaunt. And for those of you in Brooklyn, especially Prospect Heights: Y’all are the lucky ones! I’d be coming here all of the time!

Whether you stumble upon on of their carts or find yourself in Prospect Heights craving something satisfying for breakfast, King David Taco will surely check off many boxes for you as well. Be sure to pay them a visit soon!

NOTE: I was invited to King David Taco for a comped meal for blog & Instagram coverage, + I tipped 25% based on the total cost of my items I was comped for. All opinions are my own!