When I stepped into Superbueno on a balmy summer evening, the place was swinging—literally. The red globe lights that hung over the bar were waving back and forth, rhythmically pushed and palmed by the bartenders. When I asked the hostess what the occasion was, she replied, “Just to change the vibe in here.” Within seconds, I knew there was a party to be had here.
Since opening in April 2023, everyone who seems to visit Superbueno seems to have a super good time. And they have the accolades to prove it. Food & Wine named it one of the top bars in the U.S., as did Tales of the Cocktail. And in 2024, the bar made The World’s Best 50 Bars North America for the first time ever, nabbing the no. 2 spot fresh out of the gate.
But after visiting, I say you don’t need the awards on the wall to tell you that you’ll have a good time here. Each time I visited, from a prompt 6pm table on a Thursday to a late visit on Monday night, happy New Yorkers occupied bar seats under swinging globes, and tables and booths were just as full, making a reservation necessary no matter the day of the week. The LED lights—lining the room, below the bar, really everywhere—helped to set the mood, starting as a blush pink when I first arrived, transitioning to a sultry red as the evening carried on. When I sat down, on my left, a table jammed to the thrums of bachata playing over the speakers. To my right, a booth clamored to take pictures of their birthday shots served in a Rock’em Sock’em Robots game. And while I sat at a table underneath the wall of hand-painted luchador masks both times, I am positive that a solo experience can be just as fun sidled up to the terrazzo tiled bar.
That is all thanks to maestro de ceremonias Ignacio “Nacho” Jimenez. A veteran of the scene, Jimenez has long introduced the vibrancy of the Mexican cocktail scene to New York, most notably at the shuttered Ghost Donkey in Noho. Jimenez’s solo venture dives even deeper, bringing both the flavors of Mexico and its hospitable (and often rockin’) nature under one roof.
Here, you can find Mexican spices stirred, shaken and infused across Superbueno’s 12-drink menu. Take the Green Mango Martini. Drawing inspiration from the women who sell fruit in the subway, Jimenez infuses his tequila with mango, made even more fruit-forward thanks to a mango eau de vie. But the sweetness is cut with a welcome tang of spice, thanks to a few drops of conteño chile oil. The Vodka Y Soda goes above and beyond as well. Starting with a vodka infused with pasilla chiles, the drink has an underlying but never overwhelming heat that is evened out with a cooling guava purée and bubbly soda.
For something more savory, you can find it under the “Sopa de Dia” (a.k.a., the soup of the day). Here, the Dashi Papi comes threefold with a can of blond lager, a shot of raicilla for sipping and a vessel of savory birria broth to bring you back down to Earth. Oh, and the lager has a dash of hot sauce on the rim for added tang. And for those that don’t imbibe, Superbueno has a tight line up of non-alcoholic options, including a zero proof version of the Mole Negroni. And while the drinks here are good, they are on the spendier side, clocking in at $20 a pop. But as someone who drank nearly the entire menu, I can tell you that the price paired with the experience is justified for a special night out.
To balance myself before exiting, I took a tour of the food menu. A relatively sturdy list, the bar menu starts with hot-sauce heavy Dorilocos with Ceviche Del Dia served in a Doritos bag, three types of tacos (the Crispy Pork Belly come out on top with a satisfying crunch) and a Birria Grilled Cheese with a nice combo of salty cheese, shredded meat and a hot bowl of birria with onions and cilantro bobbing on the surface. While the food is good, the drinks do scale a bit higher on the memorability factor. But the aforementioned items are worth the nosh.
Right before I left, the bartenders once again began to swing the lights. As they began to slow down, they eventually reached an equilibrium, all of it coming together in one perfect moment.
Vitals
The vibe: Whether you visit on a Monday or a Saturday, Superbueno is perpetually full and poppin’. And while the music is always thrumming with bachata and Latin tunes, the party turns on Fridays and Saturdays with nightly conga lines.
The food: While tacking on food can lead to a price hike on the bill, there are a few items that rise above the rest. The crispy pork belly tacos had a satisfying crunch and the Dorilocos had enough heat to cause a sniffle, but not enough to stop eating it. And yes, the Birria Grilled Cheese is certainly a crowd pleaser.
The drinks: Chiles, huitaloches, mole—the flavors of Mexico are in the glass here. While the Green Mango Martini and the Vodka Y Soda were a go-to order, the Roasted Corn Sour with charred corn powder over the top is another easy favorite.
Superbueno is located at 13 1st Avenue. It is open Monday through Friday, 4pm-2am, and 2pm-2am on Saturdays and Sundays.