There’s a feast for the eyes that precedes the actual meal at Ay Guey NYC. The colors and accents of the interior perfectly complement the equally vivacious menu offerings. Part-owner Artemio Vasquez discussed his thoughts on developing the cantina’s look and feel.

Vasquez explained the origin of Ay Guey NYC, “I took over the place two years ago, 2022, I guess. I had worked the Pegu Club, and PDT (Please Don’t Tell). While I was working at Pier 17, I got a call from my friend. He basically showed me the place. We took over and we renovated. It was a Brazilian place before.”

There’s a clear vision here. The colors and flashing lights on the walls are carefully thought out. The purple on the wall is the deep purple of onions. The shade of yellow lights matches lemon peels. The result is that you see the same colors in the food as you do in the environment. It’s a rainbow-like display.

Vasquez described his take on the inside. “The interior is basically cozy. It’s casual. It’s not fine dining. It’s a small place. We’ve got 40-something with the bar.”

As for must-try dishes? “I think the ceviche,” Vasquez said. “It’s a Mexican ceviche, not to be confused with Peruvian ceviche. It’s with lime juice, but we pre-cook our shrimp. That’s the way we cook it in Mexico. I think also the cochinitas pibil tacos. It’s kind of a slow-cooked pulled pork that’s marinated with chayote and skinned chilis. I won’t say what kind of chili, but it’s dried and skinned.”

And of course, grab a drink to go with those delicious tacos. Vazquez explained, “There’s a pressed pineapple infused with mezcal. We do fresh squeezed lime juice, fresh pineapple juice, and serrano infused Cointreau. We use premium ingredients in everything we do. And our margaritas are made with fresh lime juice and Cointreau. It’s how a margarita is supposed to be made.”

The best way to enjoy margaritas is to arrive for lunch or happy hour, Vazquez said “Happy hour we have $10 margaritas. For lunch, it’s 11-4pm, but with happy hour, it’s basically 11-7pm, Monday to Friday.” You can also grab $10 cocktails at brunch, served from 12-4pm Sunday.

It’s worth noting that you want to get over to Ay Guey NYC for Taco Mondays. That’s right: Taco Mondays. Vasquez described his unique approach, “Mondays we used to be closed, but we opened up for my friend Arturo. He owns a taqueria, and we opened a pop-up. We don’t have typical dinner Monday, but we have great tacos. Beef, lamb, carnitas, available only on Mondays. Everybody does taco Tuesday, but we do taco Monday.”

30-86 51^st St. / Phone: 718.255.1633 / aygueynyc.com / Yelp 4.8