Maravillas Restaurant

Maravillas is more than a divey Mexican restaurant in Jackson Heights. As a part time bar, karaoke spot, and diner, it is in large part one of the more unique venues in the hood. A frequent locals spot, it is a crowd magnet on the weekends, especially for Mexican karaoke, otherwise known as "Cantaoke"

Yes, that means at any point during the night a patron might get the courage to grab the wireless mic and serenade a random Pepe Aguilar hit while eager diners hope to get their 4 minutes of singing fame. I don't think they have anything past 2001 in the system, sorry Paulina Rubio. At least it means I won't have to embarrass myself by singing Luis Miguel off key or butchering Thalia when she attempts to rap super fast.

As a taco lover, I can appreciate their interesting variety that goes beyond the typical choices like placeros (rice and eggs), chivo (goat), oreja (pig's ear), cabeza (head but usually the jaw). Tortas are all $5.00 or so, minus the wildly expensive Cuban at $9. There is some random Italian pastas as well, like penne a la vodka which can run one as much as $15 depending on the protein. Beware of hte Molcajate Bella Puebla, a house platter specialty, which though tasty, is not exactly at a divey price point ($17).

Service is good. They're a fast bunch and the person behind the counter is often the person who dishes out drinks and enters in songs for singing folks. Credit cards are magically accepted here, though most folks pay with cash generally here. If you happen to live nearby, be aware there is a delivery charge at a very random 50 cents per order.

They have decent authentic Mexican food. I only order out thou cause there's also a bar and there's always a group of men drinking.