The People Behind New York’s Ramírez Taco Counters

A different kind of creative work

Before their taco counters became New York destinations, Giovanni Cervantes and Tania Apolinar worked in photography. In a 2024 interview with Cultured, the founders described the move toward cooking that produced Taquería Ramírez in Greenpoint and Carnitas Ramírez in the East Village.

The compelling detail is the focus. These are distinct concepts with specific preparations at their center, rather than an attempt to make one kitchen stand in for all of Mexican food.

Focus gives a small menu room to say something.

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Two names, two visits

Cultured's interview followed the pair as the carnitas project expanded their work into Manhattan. Read it as the founders' account of that moment, then use each restaurant's current information when planning a visit today.

For the original Greenpoint taqueria, the official site provides a particularly useful detail: the address is 94 Franklin Street, with the entrance on Oak Street. It also describes the restaurant as dine-in only. That makes the stop something to plan time for, rather than an assumed delivery order.

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Let the counter guide you

A first-visit plan

• Decide whether you are visiting the Greenpoint taqueria or the separate carnitas concept.
• Check the current opening days; the Greenpoint site lists Monday closure.
• Use the Oak Street entrance for the Franklin Street address.
• Ask about the day's preparations and portions before building an order.

The founders' story is a reminder that a restaurant's identity can come from choosing a few things with conviction. A first visit is an opportunity to understand those choices, one taco at a time.

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