By Cara O’Flynn

Tacos Nuevo Mexico
491 5th Ave.
(betw. 11th & 12th Sts.), Park Slope, B’klyn
718-832-0050

Heading down Fifth Ave. in Park Slope, upscale boutiques and bistros give way to 99-cent stores and fast-food joints after you cross the 9th Street frontier. Tacos Nuevo Mexico, located a couple of blocks south of the border, lends a splash of down-home simplicity to the next area to become engulfed in Brooklyn’s ever-expanding yupster landscape. The first in a string of genuine Mexican restaurants that crescendo in the taco-lover’s dream that is Sunset Park farther down on Fifth, Nuevo Mexico is easily accessible from the F, M and R trains without going so far into the borough you fear you’ll never make it home. Its friendly service and tasty, unpretentious offerings make this a go-to eatery for those in search of a hearty, recession-friendly meal.

Come Here, Gringo!
The décor makes you feel like you’ve crossed the Rio Grande. TVs are tuned to Univision, Mexican pop band Maná is on the jukebox and a stuffed parrot is perched in the corner with a fake bottle of Corona. But in a surprising twist, hanging on the wall next to the Virgin of Guadalupe is a gleaming, backlit ad for the soon-to-be-released stoner comedy Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay. This place may have been founded by Mexicans and for Mexicans, but it’s clear that everyone’s money is welcome. There’s even a gringo menu that includes phonetic pronunciation. Want a chalupa, Americano? Ask for a “Sha Lu Pah”!

Loco for Tacos
Since they’re in the restaurant’s name, you really can’t skip the tacos … nor should you. For less than $3, you get two soft tortillas topped with generous fillings, spicy red sauce, guacamole and lettuce, all rolled into a neat, paper-wrapped cone of goodness. The taco al pastor (grilled pork with pineapple) is tops: The meat is perfectly charred and has a sweet-and-salty flavor that will leave you mourning your last bite. Though the lack of vegetarian options may disappoint the average Park Slope Food Co-op member, the meat-free taco is filled with refried beans and a worthy choice for those who eschew carne. Daredevil carnivores, on the other hand, will find a cheap thrill in the veal brain taco.

Tortillas, Tortillas, Tortillas
The menu is chock-full of other mouth-watering small dishes that won’t threaten your financial stability … and most of them involve tortillas. From the appetizer section, Nachos With Cheese ($4.50) comes with just seven or eight chips, but each is individually slathered with warm refried beans and cheese. Garnish your ‘chos with guacamole and jalapeño, then sigh with delight. The potato flautas (three for $3.75) are deep-fried, rolled-up potato tacos—flute-like, as the name suggests. They taste like extra-crunchy French fries and are pleasantly doused in the colors of the Mexican flag: red sauce, green sauce and sour cream. From the “Small Dinners Menu,” try the huarache ($5.50). Your taste buds will say olé to the thick, grilled corn dough-and-black-bean shell that’s topped with the meat of your choice and beans.

Save Your Pesos
The U.S. economy is in the crapper, but this is a place where you can order with abandon and not cry when the bill arrives. Most entrées involve meat or seafood and are well under $12. But the best way to go is to try a bunch of small plates. You’ll be just as happy at the end, and for just a couple of bucks you can find out if you’re a lover or hater of steamed-tongue tacos. Drinks are a deal as well. With margaritas at $5 a pop (or $24 for a large pitcher) and Mexican beers for $3.75, Tacos Nuevo Mexico always feels like Cinco de Mayo.