Prices are as reasonable as any Mexican. But the reason this quaint little bar next to the Thai…read morerestaurant on Oxford St gets packed night after night is because of the drinks and menu. With the usual taco and burrito flairing varieties is a myriad of classic almost not Mexican if it wasn't for the sauce items. Items like the succulent pork ribs which might I add fell off the strangely long bones... and the chicken breast with a sauce that tasted like a weird salsa mixed with cream type substance. Also tender and quite the yum. There is also beef ribs and other dishes that help make La Quinta cross the line past regular semi decent Mexican place to decent Mexican place with a touch of class. I thought it was a great idea to put the flag on the top of the cactus Whenever you required the waiter, genius. Simple and effective. Great place to come and catch up with friends, tables are fairly close together so I wouldn't recommend bringing a pram for you mums out there. Also ring ahead for Fri, Sat and Sun, like ring on Thursday ahead.

What do you think of when you think of Mexican? What comes to my mind is beer, mexican hats, tacos…read moreand La Quinta Mexican. They certainly do a good job here, the food is amazing plus they have great cocktails. All in all, not a bad evening out I reckon. I came here not long ago on a week night. It is not as busy as you will find of a weekend and it was nice to reward myself after a particularly long day of work with some nacho goodness and a drink of two. I realise nachos are not normally considered a main meal, but I don't really care, I find it hard to go past them on a menu and these come with tasty BBQ chicken.

I know. Mexican in Australia is just not the same as Mexican in California or Mexico. And that's…read moreokay. Salsa's puts up a decent front against the other Mexican player in Australia. You know the one - yellow and black logo and rhymes with Fuzman. It's the kind of meal that gets you through from meeting to meeting when you're on the go with reasonable healthiness. And, although I've visited the Gasworks store several times, I was delighted today to see that you can now make your own bowl. Pick your base, add the protein, include some vege and you're laughing. For $11.90 I got a rice-based bowl with chicken, corn, guac, onion and capsicum. None of the stuff you don't want and more of the stuff you do. How could you lose? If a bowl isn't your cup of tea there's nachos, tacos, burritos and even a kids meal available. On most occasions I've visited, the Gasworks store staff are quick on their feet and meals are delivered to you (order at the counter, you'll be given a number) in great time. TL;DR: Fresh mex at prices that won't break that bank and ingredients that won't break the diet!

A good place for a quick meal. Very generous portions and options for the health conscious. A great…read moremenu and this months special of $5 margaritas in the warm months is just a great deal. A good alternative to the other Mexican chains around

Looking for authentic Mexican food? You need to track these guys down…read more Serving up soft tacos - four different types. Do opt for the queso (cheese, handmade!) Tacos are $6 each, or grab two for $10. Trust me, you can't just have one... they might have other 'especials' so look at what the board says. My husband and I shared two tacos between us (I know, I said you can't have just one... I still mean it), and an agua fresca. He had the Beef Juan/Beef Barbacoa, and I had the Tacos de Calabacitas/Veggie taco. Oh my goodness, the veggie taco was NOM-nom! It takes a lot to impress me with vegetarian Mexican stuff, but these guys were genius having those roasted peptides in the mix -- it gave it the whooop! Out front of the ordering/pick up window is a shelf of bottled hot sauces. Yes they have Tabasco, but please, please, don't pick that up. Try the Cholula, ok? Seriously, give them a go...

Love it, love it, love it! If you're hesitating, DONT. I'm from California and I am used to the…read moretaco truck-style of tacos (which is amazing by the way). Since moving here I've been searching for a place that makes legit tacos. I am so happy that I found this place, and they have amazing prices (for Australia that is, I'm still getting used to the difference). AND they have Horchata, which is a delicious cinnamon rice water, and Jacaima, which is super refreshing. I ordered the Beef Juan, which originally came with pico de gallo and salsa verde, but substituted that for white onion, cilantro, and salsa roja (my favorite). The best part is that they even include a lime! You really can't have too much lime. After eating one taco I went for another. Can't wait to eat here again! I really really recommend this place. Best tacos around.

The location is great and the Mexican food here are totally delicious and highly recommended! You…read moremust visit this warming and relaxing place.

Authentic Mexian homestyle cooking! El Torito is a West End…read moreinstitution. Thanks to the recommendations from Gabriela we had a wonderful Friday night dinner here - flautas and tamales to start, followed by chicken enchiladas in salsa verde and cochinita pibil (slow cooked pork in a spicy tomato based sauce). The food is very good, the prices are reasonable and the service was genuine and friendly. BYO at $2.00 per head was a plus.

Very good Mexican food. The enchiladas were much better than I can cook. So there's a…read morerecommendation. Staff are friendly as well.

Texan who grew up on TexMex and authentic Mexican food here...Going to give honest review of what I…read moretry today. I have been disappointed with Aussie Mex so far, but these place feels a little more legit than the other Mex I tried in the Gold Coast and should be better than Guzzies. I was quickly escorted off to my table and provided still water to drink. The ambiance of this place definitely reminds me of many places I've been in both Mexico and Texas. So far, so good. I ordered a Suprema Margarita to drink with Chile con queso as the appetizer. The margarita (on the rocks) came in a margarita glass, so doing good so far (the other place served it in a martini glass). Very tasty and perfectly prepared. Doing great Pepe's! The chili con queso came and was served with chips, as expected. Although the texture of the queso was more like sour cream than actual queso dip should be, the taste was decent. I ate plenty of it, so the weird fluffy texture didn't phase me too much. This can be better. Note to the cooks: try to look up a copycat recipe for Torchys Tacos queso - that stuff is epic. Fajitas came out sizzling. Smelling good, with a big plate of stuff to use to prepare some tacos. The beef was seasoned well, although not a typical fajita taste to me, was good and almost had some spicy heat to it, almost. The four tortillas, or wraps as y'all call them here, weren't warm or served in a stay warm container, be were folded into fours. They were much larger than I expected, as well. You can tell these weren't made in house, but tasted like just good ole fashioned flour tortillas out of a bag. The guacamole was very good. I was skeptical since the menu said it had pistachios, but good job. The pico de gallo, needed some umph. More lemon/lime juice (not sure if any was in there), a chili pepper, and more cilantro (coriander). The salsa verde was the star. Reminded me of my own. I need more of this. The cheese was perfect and actually more shredded cheese than I'm used to having, so that was a pleasant surprise. In closing, if you're in Brisbane and either missing Mexican food, like I was, or want to try something new, I'd give this spot a shot. Pretty good job, with obvious differences that may just be ingredient availability or regional palette differences. The last question is WHY ISN'T CHICKEN ENCHILADAS VERDES on the menu?!? You have that amazing green sauce, show it off! This would be probably a 4 star review back home in Texas, but it for sure deserves more than that here in Australia. 5 stars, baaaaabyyyyy.

Funky at its finest. Come here for excellent casual food (tacos & burgers) and craft drinks…read more Upstairs has live music upstairs on most nights, and fun dance lessons on Monday & Tuesday nights. Daily $10 lunch specials.

Well, I've found my place. I know I've only been in…read moreBrisbane for three weeks, but you know when you meet someone and you're like "Right. I'll have you. In my pocket, come on!", well, that's how I feel about Bloodhound. I've been there a few times now, and I am always greeted with smiles and genuine pleasantries from the team. My first time I sat at the bar, worked on my phone and casually chatted to Alice the bartender. I sipped my first sip of the incredible Willie Smiths cider (TAS) and was wowed by their stupidly extensive beer menu. Next time I popped in with my mum and housemate. We grabbed our drinks at sat the window, chatting away and had a grand 'ole time. Mother dearest enjoyed a few glasses of tempranillo and L and I tucked into pints of cider. After watching and hearing the team deal with an incredibly rude and offensive customer, I was really impressed with them. They were calm, honest and didn't let it get to them. My next visit was with a friend of mine. We sat at the bar, enjoyed some very good banter about espresso martini's and sunk some pints. They were doing 25% everything in a bottle, so I jumped on it and tried another Willie Smiths. YUM. I've since been back twice with two different friends and I just love it. They spice their own rum, they do buy one get one free tacos on a Tuesday and they have a whole upstairs that I'm yet to even explore. The crowd are cool, the booze is great but hats off to the team, because they really make this venue!

Maybe it's getting the kinks out, I dunno. We live one block south of Oxford Street & have been…read morelooking to see this place open. Excited to finally sit down. Tables on the street were too crowded next to each other. Kept bumping into the other people on each side of us, so we finally went inside. The menue is misleading & the food is more from Honduras than Mexico. I've been to Mexico on multiple occasions and I know the difference between a burrito & a turd wrapped in a tortilla. My wife had an Enchillada - I think the chef should google it. Not even close. The salsa's were some form of art project and when I asked for a side of jalapeno's, I got one deepfried. c'mon guys.... keep it simple. If this is Mexican, I'm going to start taking LSD to get my mind into the same plateau as the chef so my expectations will be lower. It's kinda hard to mess up Mexican food, but hey - now I know to avoid the place. Over priced @ $45 for two in relation to what we ordered, and what we got. Good luck if you go here. Staff was friendly though, & they did try 3 times to get our order right. Chips were stale and cold & nothing to dip em in. Obviously, neither of us were thrilled & will not be going back.

My inner foodie is doing somersaults of joy at the amount of new establishments opening up along…read moreOxford Street. But of course this also means to make way for these fresh new options, older establishments have had to close their doors.. As seems to be the cycle of life along this busy strip. After today's visit I'm a firm fan of La Cantina Mexicana, one of the very freshest new-kids-on-the-Oxford-St-block, and I sincerely hope the locals and visitors will embrace its casual and fresh atmosphere. On our visit today we were welcomed by beautiful bright and cheery fence palings outside the restaurant. The scene was completed by the two men sitting at the outdoor bar on stools with icy cold Coronas. The traditional (and amazingly not cheesy) music filled our ears as we entered the restaurant and we were instantly transported to what I imagine a real Mexican cantina to feel like. Staff were very welcoming and courteous. We chose indoor seating at one of a few mosaic tables with comfortable leather benches over the less formal option in the adjacent room filled with tables and bar stools - I would imagine this other space being used for drinks and bar snacks and could be used for functions. The menu was everything you would expect from a traditional restaurant with many Mexican favourites. I was pleasantly surprised to see some interesting extras such as the snapper with avocado salsa. We settled on the fish mentioned above, with the tacos with chicken and two Coronas to accompany the meals. The men sitting outside did their job selling the idea of an early afternoon beverage. We were quickly served our drinks along with a starter "on the house" which consisted of the most creamy and deliciously spiced corn I have ever had. Staff explained that this was usually a drinking snack over in Mexico, and we were asked to report on how we liked it. The meals arrived quickly after the starter was polished off and our fingers were licked. My tacos were presented on a long plate with many lovely small jars filled with spiced chicken mixed with corn and beans, guacamole (wasted on me as I'm allergic), sour cream, shredded tasty cheese and a mild chilli sauce. I had great fun filling the tacos up and having them crack all over me! We decided tacos were definitely not a good first date meal choice, but thankfully after being together for 6+ years the man-thing was fine with seeing me with taco filling all down my chin. ;) The tacos themselves were thick and delicious, and all of the ingredients tasted very fresh. The snapper was served in a lovely buttery taco shell filled with salad. Two jars contained the avocado salsa and sour cream. The fish itself was deep fried and crumbed, and was rather dry. Everything else was lovely according to the man (I couldn't taste the salsa) - very fresh and seasoned beautifully. I would have liked to have seen the fish steamed or fried without the coating to let the flavour of the fresh fish really work its magic. It came to just over $50 all up; very reasonable in my mind. I advised the staff the corn was delectable, and they were happy to hear we would be coming back very soon - most likely with friends in tow for a few evening nibbles and drinks. I don't think this place will have any issues competing with La Quinta Inn further down the strip. The atmosphere in this little eatery is more casual, light, and bar oriented than their more formal sit-down restaurant counterpart. I am dying to go back and sink a few more coronas and get stuck into their margaritas.

We were actually on the hunt for a pizza, but the selection of choices wasn't good. By chance I…read morespotted Salsa and it smelt good. The two choices we made were absolutely great. Certainly could not fault it except that the presentation itself could be improved. however, tasty, VERY filling and great taste. Would certainly return!!

With the Lutwyche location going the way of the dodo, I now regularly take a journey to Morningside…read moreto tend to my frequent Arriba cravings. The good news is, Arriba Grill at Morningside is superior to it's former Lutwyche brethren and that's made immediately apparent the second you step inside. The delightful Mexican-grill aroma wafting through the place builds anticipation as you choose a writing utensil from a jar load of connecter pens and get to ticking the boxes on these nifty little rectangular ordering cards, building your dream burrito, nachos or soft or hard shell tacos from scratch. More than just a novelty, ordering like this lets you make sure that they refrain from loading your burrito up with a bunch of rabbit food or any undesirable fillings. The beef and pork is generally good, although can occasionally be a wee bit dry, a problem that haunts the lime rice should you rock up late enough at night. The chicken on the other hand, has been consistently moist and reliable. Vegetarians aren't left entirely out of the fiesta as you could just opt for pinto beans, lettuce, a range of tomato or corn salsas and double up on cheese. If you're vegan, don't bother. You'd have better luck munching on that cow statue across the road then chancing anything at Arriba. Having tried only the burritos, I can't vouch for the nachos and tacos, but the burritos...man, the burritos...Okay! If you've grown up on say, Old El Paso and Montezumas, you'll be in for a surprise. This ain't some slathered in sauce and cheese than baked 'til piping hot experience you'll get at Monte's. These burritos are only 6 inches long, but as wide as the day is long. These things are packed. Something else that has always fascinated me about Arriba Grill is the temperature of the burrito. It's never hot right through. The meat, beans and rice is hot, and I believe they warm it slightly before sending it out, but the cheese never even starts to melt, so if you get sour cream, you don't have to worry about it curdling and getting all watery and sogging up your burrito. The contrast in temperatures really highlights the flavors and just tastes so darn fresh. The tomato salsa isn't overpowering but it's prominent and leaves a nice aftertaste. For the fire breathing heat lovers out there, even the hot salsa ain't gonna set your world on fire, but assuming you're not a dragon, you should be satisfied with the zing it provides should you want your burrito to have a little more personality. Speaking of personality, I would be remiss to not mention the staff. Across the board, they've all been at worst, friendly with a smile. At best? Well, if you've been served by the little lass who oozes enthusiasm and even gets a bit musical upon reading your order, you'll know what I'm referring to. A true stand out character in a sea of today's reluctant waitstaff. On the ordering cards, I always put down the name of someone famous for a bit of a laugh, so on the day Little Miss Pocket Rocket served me, I was Sting. "Best. Parents. EVER!" was her response after setting our food down. True, I'm favorable to anyone who indulges my silly side, but putting on my unbiased hat, she's very good at her job. As far as Mexican cuisine goes, I'm no connoisseur. I'm that kid who grew up on Montezumas. I've never been to Mexico, California or any world renowned Mexican cuisine hotspot. But I've been to Arriba Grill and Tuckeria, and Arriba Grill is the best so far. Do with that what you will.

There seems to be a lot of Mexican fast food / cafes popping up in Brisbane lately, and finding one…read morein our area was a welcome surprise. It would at least provide some variety to the usual Asian take-out we seem to enjoy so much. Arriba Grill in Morningside is located in the group of shops along Wynnum Road, featuring classics like Dominos and Nandos, as well as some independent businesses. Inside its clean, inviting, and does its best to portray itself as definitely a Mexican Burrito bar, with some cactus plants on the table. The staff were friendly and I like the random addition of an old school nintendo console to one side of the store. A good way to pass the time, but I didn't attempt to give it a go. Ordering is easy, by way of a tick-and-flick order form specifying the type of tortilla (white or whole wheat), main filling (chickien, beef, pork, black beans or vegetables), extra fillings (lime rice, pinto beans, black beans) as well as the types of Salsa (mild / hot) and Salads you want (Lettuce, cheese, jalapenos, sour cream). You can add "extras" but it'll cost you from $3.00 (for the double meat), $2.00 for guacamole, through to just $1.00 for the chipotle mayo or double cheese. Seeing as the "standard" price for the burrito was already $12, I figured extras weren't necessary. I went with chicken, the appealing lime rice, cheese, and hot tomatillo. I was slightly surprised when talking to the staff and finding out that the burritos at this particular Arriba Grill weren't even made in-store. Instead they made it off-site at one of their other stores and then delivered. In all honesty I felt a little disappointed. I'm always appreciative of food that's made in-store, and fresh to go. It wasn't long before my burrito was ready and in terms of size, again, it didn't meet my expectations for the $12 I parted with. Don't judge a book by its cover though. As I tucked into it, it became apparent that there was actually heaps to get through. Sure it looked short (like a 6-inch sub) but it was definitely thick, full of the ingredients I wanted. I found it really tasty, with a bit of kick and zing all at once. It wasn't as hot as I thought it'd be, but after struggling to finish, I'm glad it wasn't. All things considered, its a decent option for take-out, although the price and their inability to create the burritos "fresh" would prevent me from giving it another try.