Overview
New York on Tap listed this bar without a review.
History
The Spanish for hot, plus a cab company
Caliente Cab Co. was born in 1984, when Berke took over a former Greek restaurant and nightclub just before Cinco de Mayo1. The name combined the Spanish word for "hot" with a cab-company theme1.
It grew into a chain: at its peak there were about 60 locations, a mix of corporate-owned and franchised, plus a product line of salsas and taco fillings1.
Alejandro Vicuna, originally from Puebla, started there as a busboy in 19921. He became its longtime chef, and Eater credits him with the original Greenwich Village location's survival1.
It's still a Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurant and bar2, billing itself as a 40-year tradition that has become a New York City landmark3.
Sources
Researched October 2026.