What mischief is this? Vegan restaurant Jajaja Mexicana has the best nachos in NYC?

Witchcraft is the only explanation for the nachos ($16) at Jajaja Mexicana in the West Village.

They weren’t lying: they really are a must-have. On a nippy late September Friday evening at one of two small street-side tables, my partner and I shoveled crunchy, lightly salted tortilla chip after chip into our mouths.

Jajaja doesn’t skimp on the toppings. The mountain of chips is practically crushed by a landslide of rich and velvety plant-based sour cream, mildly spicy habanero possibly coconut-based cheese, bright acidic salsa verde, and creamy refried beans. Smoky seitan chorizo (the most flavorful vegan chorizo I have ever had) challenges the sauces texturally and spice-level-wise. A pop of fresh, topaz corn kernels sweeten everything up just enough. Jajaja’s nachos are a lesson in texture and flavor layering.

Don’t be fooled by their place on the starters menu, not for two or three people anyway. They’re a humongous meal unto themselves.

We paid the $3 extra (and you should too!) to get a big scoop of slightly chunky guacamole balanced atop the mountain of crunchy, warm chips and fixins’.

I had been warned before making a reservation at Jajaja Mexicana: the music is loud. And they were right. When I gave my name at the host stand, I used my Big Voice over the bachata and reggaeton, which wasn’t big enough to avoid repeating myself.

(Tip: Make reservations in advance at Jajaja, especially if it’s a Friday or Saturday night.)

Indoors, early evening revealers juiced up for a night out (nights used to end at Veselka, but alas cannot any longer). They packed snug onto wood-benched booths or perched atop stools at the bar in the low light, smiley with near-empty Tepache Palomas ($16) and Popcorn Y Pasión ($17) in hand, swaying to the music. Rattan dome pendant lights hung above each booth.

The vibes at Jajaja? Decidedly low-key. The kind of place where after peeing you can shake your ass a bit in the red-lit bathroom to Karol G’s “Cairo” while admiring the floral metallic wallpaper, then bob your way back to your quiet outdoor table. Not that I did that. Course not.

When we asked the server if he had any recommendations, he recited damn near the entire Jajaja Mexicana menu and really sold it. We went with the “pescado” tacos ($12) in the end (even though the server was keen on the chorizo burrito: we’d seen it cut open in various places online and thought there was way too much rice compared to other fillings).

My partner was a fan of Jajaja’s “pescado” tacos. My take? They tasted like smoky mescal marinated squash, not fish, so why even bother calling it that? It came garnished with two giant, thick pickled red onions. I prefer my pickled onions thin and heaping, but we made do and cut each into four pieces. The fresh salsa that came with the taco was just spicy enough and very fresh, as were the three charcoal, habanero, and something-mild sauces they brought out with the tamal and nachos.

The tamal con mole ($10) was okay. The server explained that it’s filled with plant-based chicken, which was delicious and had a small kick. In the past, I’ve found I’m not the biggest fan of mole though, and there was a slight menthol taste from ingredient.

Can’t pass up dessert! Jajaja’s 2 square inch mango lime pie ($9) was a little disappointing size-wise, but the mound of whipped cream made up for it. I prefer my whipped cream to dessert ratio at a very generous 5:1.

Occasionally, my thoughts are clouded by an overwhelming love for a single thing. At Jajaja, it’s the damn vegan nachos. That chorizo is insane. Taking a step back, the salsas were fresh, the tacos hot and crispy. Everything was flavorful (I can respect mole so even that!). I know that I’ll love their other items. Next time I go to Jajaja I’m getting the dinosaur kale bowl ($17) a friend recommended (the birthday dinner friend!).

The price was right too, especially for the neighborhood. My partner and I splitting the bill, paying about $35 each.

Jajaja Mexicana is my favorite plant-based vegan restaurant in NYC. If you’re interested in more vegan eats, check out my review of Anixi, a beautifully decorated vegan Mediterranean restaurant in Chelsea, Manhattan. What are your favorite vegan and plant-based restaurants in and around the city?