Fernando and Priscila Mendoza run the deli and restaurant Los Ferchos in Dobbs Ferry, which they bought about a year ago. Their slogan is “The Best Tacos in Town,” but do they live up to that reputation?
Los Ferchos is located at 90 Main Street in Dobbs Ferry, named after Fernando’s nickname from his hometown, “Fercho.” They serve a wide variety of Latin dishes and products. From their specialty Mexican dishes to their daily Dominican lunch and dinner specials, everything we tried (and we tried a lot) was excellent. For all you dessert lovers, they even make homemade desserts like passion fruit, mango, and blackberry ice cream.
Another great part of Los Ferchos was their display of hard-to-find Latin American snacks and drinks. They had some of our favorite Latin American drinks in stock, such as Inca Cola Tropical and Manzana, imported from Peru and Ecuador.
While ordering our food, the first thing we noticed was how fresh everything was. After every order was placed, we could watch the kitchen staff pull out ingredients and cook everything fresh on the spot for all their customers.
The Food
Course #1 — Tacos
Matthias Jaylen Review (Birria taco): My birria taco was absolutely spectacular. The beef was juicy and tender, with a rich and flavorful taste and a little spicy kick. The onions and cilantro on the taco tasted fresh, enhancing its flavor. When I added their homemade green chile hot sauce, its fresh and spicy flavor elevated the taco to a whole new dimension. At $4, this purchase is incredibly delicious, and I have to rate it 9 out of 10.
Xavier Rolston Review (Bistec taco): The bistec taco was a strong start to the meal. The taco was served on a smaller corn tortilla, typical for a Mexican-style taco, but was loaded up with small chopped up pieces of steak. The mix of bright-green cilantro and white onions, alongside their signature green chile salsa, tasted fresh and acidic. Those bright flavors paired perfectly with their saltier grilled steak. If I’m really stretching to find a critique, the only drawback was the tortilla: the tender grilled steak deserved a better vessel than the relatively standard corn tortilla it was placed upon. With a freshly made tortilla, these tacos would be unstoppable, but what I had was still nothing short of delicious. I’d rate these a solid 9.5 — I’m blown away!
Course #2 — Costilla de Res Guisada (stewed beef ribs with rice and beans)
XR Review: The Costilla de Res Guisada was yet another delicious dish. The soft bed of flavorful, somewhat sweet and deliciously spiced rice was cooked to perfection — not too sticky, and neither too soft nor too firm — and was only elevated by the salty, soupy broth of the pinto beans, which were mature and deep in flavor, and had clearly been simmering for a while. I could eat an entire portion of the beans and rice alone and be satisfied — but after trying the beef ribs on top, there’s no going back. The beef fell right off the bone, and the meat was not too fatty, though it certainly wasn’t “lean beef” either. This plate earns a 9.0 — right on!
MJ Review: Another great dish was the Costilla de Res Guisada. The portion size was very large and filling, which earns them some points. The beef ribs were very savory and the meat was so juicy that it fell right off the bone. There was also a nice flavorful balance between mean and fat. Because the ribs were slow-cooked for so long, you were able to suck on the bone and get all of those juicy flavors into your mouth. The rice and pinto beans were a perfect and filling balance to contrast the salty and flavorful beans. For such a big and flavorful plate of Dominican food my rating is a great 8.5/10
Course #3 — Chorizo Burrito
MJ review: The standout dish on the menu was the chorizo burrito. Served piping hot, it was filled with spicy chorizo, signature rice and beans, guacamole, cheese, and fresh greens, all wrapped up in a tortilla. The flavors were fresh, hot, and delicious, making it a must-try item. The burrito was massive and could easily feed two people, but it was so good that you might not want to share. At just $11, it was a steal and easily the best dish at Los Ferchos and the best burrito in the river towns. A perfect 10/10 rating.
XR review: Yet another mind-blowing portion size, the chorizo burrito was massive — and shockingly cheap. The burrito is stuffed with the same rice and beans I was praising before, in addition to some sliced avocado and tomato. The chorizo is delicious, but its size alone makes it almost difficult to eat. The flour tortilla is nicely warmed and tasty, and the burrito is nothing short of comforting. This burrito is cheaper, and far tastier, than anything you can get at Chipotle or any other commonplace restaurants. While it may be massive, and it certainly will make a bit of a greasy mess, it’s one of the better burritos out there.
The drawback for me is the issue I have with all burritos — it feels excessive, and it’s not the best vessel to enjoy these complex flavors. While a bowl offers you more choice in what you’re getting with each bite, burritos cannot, and so all the flavors morph together. Additionally, I think texture is an essential component, and especially with a meat like chorizo, you can’t get much crunch out of a burrito here. The ingredients are each so flavorful, and the burrito is clearly packed with love, so if you enjoy burritos you’re going to love this one. This earns an 8.5 in my book, likely off anti-burrito bias alone.
Course #4 — Torta al Pastor
XR review: The best item Los Ferchos has on their menu is easily the torta al pastor. The sandwich is filling, it’s deeply layered and complex in both texture and flavor — there’s nothing more I could ask for. All tortas are built on delicious telera rolls (comparable in size and flavor to a typical Portuguese roll), which are toasted beautifully to get a nice charred texture on the bread, Miraculously, the bread remains light and soft on the inside, while still supporting all the contents of this massive sandwich. Other toppings include freshly sliced avocado, which adds a layer of creaminess and fattiness, Oaxaca cheese (which for anyone who hasn’t had it, is a cheese similar in flavor and texture to a fresh mozzarella, though a bit stringier and softer) which melts beautifully and adds some much-needed saltiness to the sandwich, refried beans, and some tomato and lettuce which add crunch and another dimension of freshness.
The best part of the sandwich, though, is the al pastor — a beautifully marinated boneless pork shoulder that is slowly cooked on a spit and sliced thinly with pineapple. The meat, which is PILED onto the sandwich, is super greasy and saucy, and insanely tender. It has a nice spicy and smoky flavor, which is balanced out by the sweetness of the pineapple and the acidity of the tomato. Every bite is nuanced in both texture and depth of flavor. I cannot, no matter how hard I try, find anything negative to say about the torta I had at all. There is no amount of description that can explain how delicious my meal was, and with no doubt in my mind, this earns a 10/10.
MJ review: Another great item that Los Ferchos had to offer was their torta al pastor. Their bread was delicious and was nice and hot and toasted so that alone gives this a strong start. The sandwich was neatly assembled with their al pastor pork, refried beans, lettuce, tomato, and avocado spread that added many layers and dimensions to the deep, rich flavor of the sandwich. The star of the show though was the pork. It was spicy, but the contrast between the spicy and salty pork and the sweet pineapple was a perfect combo. This gigantic sandwich that I devoured has earned a 9/10 in my book.
Takeaways
Our experience at Los Ferchos was nothing short of mesmerizing. While describing our experience with this food may be informative of one aspect of our visit, it cannot possibly encapsulate all the delights of dining there. The owners of Los Ferchos, and all the staff, are some of the most genuinely kind and joyful people. The ambiance is friendly, and the atmosphere of the place is cozy and welcoming, albeit a bit cramped for space. Los Ferchos’ staff go out of their way to make conversation with customers, greet everyone with a smile, and put that same love into the food they prepare, laughing and having fun while doing their jobs the whole time. Being around that positive energy, while also enjoying some of the best food Dobbs Ferry has to offer, is a no-brainer.
In addition to the delicious food and excellent service, everything offered is very affordable. With tacos priced at only $4 each, and our filling portion of Costilla de Res Guisada coming in at only $11, customers are getting the most bang for their buck. It’s hard to find a better offer than that—especially in the Rivertown area.
Los Ferchos’ slogan, “The Best Tacos In Town,” is undeniably true. But our verdict extends beyond that: Los Ferchos is a must-try, hidden gem—that may perhaps be the best restaurant in Dobbs Ferry altogether.