Tacos always go down a treat, so we thought we'd let you in on a little secret. The city centre is home to a plethora of amazing restaurants, and if you look close enough you'll find some of the best tacos outside of Mexico on some of these menus. Whether you're going out for Taco Tuesday, need something on the go for your lunch break, or just can't get enough of tacos, we've rounded up some of the best places for you to try to get your next taco fix.
Image credit: Ghost Donkey Facebook page
Ghost Donkey | Commercial Bay
Ghost Donkey, the newest mezcal & tequila bar to the city centre, does tacos exceptionally well. The menu is simple, with just five taco choices to choose from - mushroom, Baja kingfish, mole chicken, al pastor, and 'double stuff' hanger steak. $14 will get you two tacos, and we highly suggest mixing up the flavours. The Baja kingfish with avocado & border slaw and the "Al Pastor" sliced pork, pineapple & chipotle salsa tacos are favourites amongst the team here at Heart of the City.
Image credit: Mr Taco Facebook page
Mr Taco | 64a Federal Street
Mr Taco is new to the Federal Street scene and is serving up some of the best and most authentic tacos in the city centre. You could be forgiven for walking straight past this little eatery but this hidden gem has quickly become the regular for many of us here in the Heart of the City team, and we're sure it will become your new lunchtime regular too! Here, you can try all sorts of authentic Mexican flavours from beef tacos, to chicken, jackfruit and cactus!
Frida Cocina Mexicana & Tequila Bar | Viaduct Harbour
Tacos and a view? Frida's in the Viaduct Harbour ticks all the boxes. The street style soft corn tortilla tacos that Frida's create are beyond delicious and come in a variety of different flavours. We suggest the 'De Pollo' - tinga chicken, charred corn, pico de gallo, salsa azteca and cilantro. For something a little different, give the 'Nopales' taco a try - cactus, mushrooms, onion, salsa & queso fresco. Yum!
Besos Latinos | Elliott Stables
The Machete from Besos Latinos is their most popular taco, and it's a whole foot long! Made up of refried beans, melted cheese, sour cream, red chipotle salsa, shredded lettuce and your choice of angus beef, chicken breast, or vegetarian, all in a soft, warm, corn tortilla.
Ceviche Bar by Besos Latinos | 132 Halsey Street
Four amazing taco options are on offer at Ceviche Bar in Wynyard Quarter. Whether it's a crispy chicken taco that strikes your fancy, braised venison cheek or slow cooked pork belly, we're sure you'll be leaving Ceviche Bar with your taco cravings fully satisfied.
Miss Clawdy | T6/12 Jellicoe Street
Three mouth-watering taco options await at Miss Clawdy's, one meat, one vegetarian and one fish. For the carnivores, the BBQ pulled pork taco with pineapple salsa & coriander slaw will be right up your alley. If you're more of a plant based eater, the bourboun street mushroom taco complete with pickled red onion & black garlic aioli is just as tasty as it sounds. And for the pescatarians out there, the Baja fish taco with coriander slaw and chipotle aioli is not to be missed.
Food Truck Garage | City Works Depot
The Food Truck Garage aims to make fast food, good food and there's no doubt they're achieving this. Although the entire menu is equally appealing, it's hard to look away from the soft taco section. The tortillas are made fresh in-house daily and are filled with tomato kasundi, lettuce, sweetcorn, pico de gallo & chipotle yoghurt along with your choice of either Aztec chicken, vegetarian nut mince or chipotle prawns.
Mexico | 23 Britomart Place
It's no surprise that a restaurant with a name like Mexico will be serving up some delectable tacos. The menu here is inspired by the street vendors in Mexico, so you can expect authentic flavours in every dish. We suggest trying the pork belly barbacoa taco which comes with achiote dressing, pumpkin mayo, charred pineapple and slaw. Match your taco of choice with a tasty 'Frida's Margarita'. Could there be a better combo than tacos and margaritas?
Dice & Fork | Victoria Park Market
Been looking for somewhere to eat tacos and play board games? Dice & Fork is just the place to go. This board game bar and eatery is always fun for a catch up with friends, and their tacos are delicious too. We're putting the jackfruit taco on our must-try list - young jackfruit, tofu, red salsa, baby spinach, red onion, crispy taco strips, almond crema & coriander.
Image credit: Mexican Cafe Facebook page
The Mexican Cafe | 67 Victoria Street West
The Mexican Cafe never stops buzzing, which makes it the best spot for a lively catch up with friends. Grab a seat on their covered deck and order a round of margaritas - these will go perfectly with your taco! Go for a classic chicken or beef taco or skip the meat and get the vegetarian with guacamole. These soft shell tacos are filled with beans, salsa crudo, tomato, lettuce, & cheese! If those don't tickle your fancy, try out one of their seafood options - scallops, prawns or beer battered fresh fish of the day in soft corn tortillas with lime infused mayonnaise, lettuce and salsa fresca.