whenever i'm in the mood for some Mexican i usually hit up El Loco since finding decent Mexican in Sydney can be somewhat difficult. just be prepared for a crowd if you plan on going during dinner. this place packs out and seats can be limited. overall El Loco is pretty solid as far as tacos go. my favorite has to be the carne asada and then i always get whatever the special is for the day. every taco is $5 and i would say 3 of the bad boys would be a good meal. they have a good selection of Mexican beer....that's if they're not out. been there on a few occasions where they're out of some types. try the hotdog. yes i know it seems strange to have a hotdog at a Mexican joint, but i assure you it's pretty darn tasty. just beware of the mountain of cheese that comes on the hotdog. El Loco is good for groups if you can find the seating. read more

El Loco - Mexican Near Me - Surry Hills, NSW

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Ill keep this short and sweet: The tacos = small + $5 + sensational flavours [the prawns in the camaron taco were so fresh, and the beef in the Carne Asada was so de.li.cious.] The corn chips/guacomole/salsa = $5 + delicious mexicano flavour also! This is a must. Churros = hint of orange, $7 and probably THE BEST CHURRO I HAVE TASTED! strangely light and crispy. Finding a seat = hard to find, but well worth sharing a table with others. no probs, everyone is friendly. Interior = mexicano vibrant colours, skull motifs and rainbow stools are a plenty. Parking = street. 1 or 2 hour off side streets, or on foveaux if youré lucky. Dress code = casual - smart/casual Population = spilling onto the street + trendy Music = Pumping! read more

I like to do the "shotgun" approach when trying new places: order as much food as I can, and worry about waste afterwards. (I am from North America after all.) The chorizo quesadillas were amazeballs. The fresh chilies added a much welcomed and loved heat to the dish. The beef tacos were quite good and packed with flavour. Then things went south. The chicken and pork tacos weren't bad, but we're lacking anything to set them apart from the norm. The pork taco was so watery the tortilla fell apart. I think they forgot the chipotle on our chipotle corn. Thankfully we had the sauce from the quesadilla to add a bit of flavour. The venue was loud and busy. The guy behind me kept elbowing me, I assume because he had no room to eat, I'll never know if it was personal. I would have tried the hot dog as well, but didn't want to do another 15 minutes in the line. Good overall, but don't know if I'll be back in a hurry. read more

El Loco - I have a habit of walking into places and ordering "one of each". - Mexican Near Me - Surry Hills, NSW

Fantastic place - will definitely be back. Highlight - the gluten free soft tacos are stirling: delicious and held together perfectly. Wide range of drinks, super friendly staff, easy to find a seat and order, fair prices. It's our new fave Mexican spot for sure :) read more

I don't usually enjoy Mexican food, but...I enjoyed this place. The salsa was very fresh, the chips were thick and crispy. I was able to get a tofu taco with a lettuce bun! It was spicy! the service was really good! But! one thing - The guacamole is made with sour cream?!? what?!? who does this? I was really shocked to hear this. Food was good, spicy and fresh. Atmosphere was nice as well! read more

MAN! This place makes me miss my California home and the abundance of tacos everywhere. But the lack of small, bite sized tacos here in Sydney makes me appreciate places like El Loco much more. Get here early if you want a seat, it gets packed here! A friend and I ordered every taco off the menu to try all of them (overachievers or pigs? you decide!). Of course, I then went on to read about ordering the chips and salsa and guacamole. And a margarita. Then I put on my fake mustache and went around yelling "aye aye ayeeee!!!" Okay maybe not the last part. The world is your taco! read more

HOW TO HAVE A GOOD NIGHT AT EL LOCO Go on a school night Wednesdy or Thursday OR go after 2am on a Friday or Saturday night with a group of friends or alone. Either way you will leave with a group of friends - new or old. Go to El Loco after throwing back a few margaritas at Tio's. I rate Tio's margaritas higher because I'm always put off by the plastic cups for the El loco $14 price tag. Order the tacos al pastor or any of their fish tacos. You won't be disappointed and these are the house specialties. $5 tacos!! Order chips and guacamole as the taco service depending on how packed the place is can sometimes be slow. The guacamole is alway fresh and the chips although really thick are nice and crunchy. Don't have the secret tacos - we've ordered twice before and both times ended up with tripe. If you don't know what tripe is it's best not to find out. Don't try the tofu tacos - believe me tofu and mexican cuisine do not mix. It is a major fail. Hitting up El Loco is a perfect way to end (or start the night!) after going to Tio's. I love your work Mr Hong you cool cat. read more

The décor sets the tone for El Loco: a rough and ready Australian interpretation of an American perception of Mexico. All mismatched tables poorly painted in gaudy pastels. The menu is equally a free interpretion. But if what you are looking for is Mexican flavour, not and authentic experience, El Loco will not disappoint. And since you are abandoning traditional cuisine, get the El Loco salad, a towering heap of chilli tofu, radish, cabbage, coriander and avocado topped with queso fresca cheese and tortilla chips slivers. read more

This place is my local bar. Well, it would be my local bar if it wasn't so f*cking trendy. While I do like this place, it gets very crowded after 7pm almost every night and it's loud and hard to get a table to eat. The music is usually good and the crowd is cool and attractive. Everything is bit more expensive than I think it should, but you're paying for the trendiness, which is worth it if that's what you're after. The only vegetarian things on the menu are the chips and guacamole and tofu tacos. They are very much non authentic Mexican food (BBQ sauce on tacos?!), but they are good. I think the kitchen is open late on Thursday - Saturday, which is awesome and unusual for Sydney. The service is usually sub par. The bartenders don't seem like they want to be there and move slowly. read more

Pretty good local pub and band venue. The front's a smallish, busy, boisterous pub, with happy hipsters swilling schooners of beer. Certainly not relaxed, but cool. There's a small room at the back where they have live music just about every night. Most are small, local bands. I saw a triple bill, with headliners Captain Kickarse & the Awesomes, for ten bucks. If you want to see a random Australian garage band in a dingy room with 40 other people - and I most certainly do - then get thee to the Excelsior. Great fun. read more

Fair warning: You'll either love it or hate it here - in fact, a scroll down the reviews here already seem to back this up. So, first off - the place can get packed. I think this is good atmosphere, our small group (5 people) squeezed around a table and shared margaritas and tacos. The proximity to other groups doing the same thing did not bother us at all - in fact, we got talking with the other group and made a few friends. The food and drinks were reasonable, for the price - $5 tacos, 3 were enough for me to feel fed for dinner. The margaritas were not bad, not the best I've had but good enough to yield no complaints. So if you dont mind a bit of a crowd I would say you should head down.... but if it's late and you are crowd adverse I would recommend hitting something else. It's unlikely to be quiet here! read more

Not sure if I like this place. Yes does look funky when you in it but I didn't really like the food that much. Don't get get me wrong I love Mexican food but the quality of the food was just not there. My tacos didn't taste like they should and it's not really that cheap all together. My hot dog was really salty too. I think it's only good just for a drinks. read more

The $5 menu works well for a quick snack on your way to the SCG, but not a good place for a dinner. NEVER go to this place on a Friday night, it's always overly packed and filled with awkward hipsters (not the usual poser surry hills type). Typically, the security staff will be overly demanding and insist you squeeze into the sweaty and packed back room rather than allowing you in the street. I usually opt for the $5 quesadilla and I'm often disappointed because it is overly oily and never has that authentic flavour....... The $5 beef taco is good but stay away from the Chicken and also the hotdogs they offer. For some reason, I keep going back to this place, time after time. But I have a feeling that with the increasing number of places offering decent mexican in sydney this place will soon just be a distant memory. read more

What a hoot to discover el Loco! I am not sure how we found out about el Loco, but we did go on a Saturday night when we were warned it gets a bit crazy - and so it was - but, once we had our space out the back, it was great fun. To be honest, there is nothing really special about the place, except the decor does look like a Mexican cantina (not that I have ever been to one in Mexico). And there was a strange feel about the place as the decor did not go with the fashion sense of the inner city crowd. But, the food was fabulous! Well priced, fresh, bloody tasty and incredibly simple, economical and ergonomic. I could go and write heaps - but just read the rest of the reviews. We also snuck down for lunch a couple of days later and it was ever better as there was no crowd. read more

Still my overall favorite Mexican joint in Sydney. The food is delicious and also very creative. its nothing fancy, but sure ticks all the boxes. The atmosphere is as good as the food. Loud music, casual setting, busy bar, and loads of people having fun. I can't get enough of the El Pastor Pork Sandwich, or the chrizzo quesidilla. Best part about El Loco is that it is open for lunch, and closes at 3am on the weekends. read more

El Loco, what a laugh. The things that happen when the people you're with don't want to walk any more. As a place on a weeknight (or weekend) - lots of fun, uni crowd and not a bad place to go. The food isn't what you come here for, but the drinks, vibe and odd smorgasbord of people? Yes. I mean, there were big cactus things. Need I say more? read more

The vegetarian menu was wonderful, but the highlight was the staff, especially the manager Chris. He made the night. The cocktails and sangria were perfect too. read more

Hello, My friend just left your establishment. While waiting for her Uber to arrive one of your security guards followed her (leaving the restaurant) and continued to address her in a sexual manner. My friend expressed she was uncomfortable, however he continued to make unwanted advances. She arrived home quite distraught over the exchange. I'm sharing this here, in case this isn't the first time this has happened. This is not appropriate, security guards are intended to prevent these type of experiences from occuring. You need to do better. You need to do better. read more

It was only a matter of time before the Latin American foodie trend hit Sydney. And it's arrived with a vengence! One of the first cabs off the rank, and the most kitsch, is El Loco. El Loco has taken over the old Excelsior Hotel after Merivale Group bought the pub, gave it a quick overhaul, a fresh lick of paint and threw in all the cactus, pinata's and sombreros they could find it Sydney. And ya está! Bienvenido El Loco cantina y barra. El Loco is a work in progress and owner Justin Hemmes has plans to overhaul the site completely and open an authentic mexican restaurant. It's funny because the bare concrete floors, wooden tables with metal stools, bright strip lighting and colour remind me somewhat of the more "authentic" mexican restaurants that you find in Mexico. Chef Dan Hong is pumping out some super fun and tasty food. The tacos are good - actually for $5 the tacos are great! There's Beef, Pork, Chicken, Prawn and Tofu to choose from I've tried them all and they're all tasty. Then there's the torta's (sandwichs although in thise case they are more like burgers) hot dogs, and there's even an El Loco salad. My tip Grab a couple of Tacos, the Corn Chips with Salsa and Guacamole, a bottle of Cerveza Pacifico or if you re feeling fancy a Jalapeno Margherita. Then kick back and enjoy the fun. Mi Gusta El Loco. read more

The old Excelsior Hotel in Surry Hills has gone loco. El Loco in fact. Which I can only assumes means Mexican. Under the hands of new owners this old pub has had a makeover and now houses a Mexican eatery which I have heard good things about so I decided to try it for myself. It looks pretty similar from the outside but has a bright new 'El Loco' sign out front and those bright colours run through out the place. The small room as soon as you enter hasn't really changed except for the odd splash of bright paint but the main eating area out the back is laced with cool paintings, pictures and bright colours. Yep, there are some bright colours throughout! There are quite a few options to consider food wise, all Mexican of course but I can't go past the $5 taco. It's what I have been told about and basically the reason I came here. And thank god I didn't go past it. Sure it's only a taco but it really hit the spot. I went the vege option. It's midweek at lunch but there is still quite a buzz in the place. I wish I didn't have to go back to work. I contemplate it for a long while but begrudgingly leave and head back to the office. I'll have to pencil in an evening session. There's a lot that I'd like to try although I'm pretty positive I'll stick with the taco and maybe some drinks to wash it down. read more

El Loco - Mexican Near Me - Surry Hills, NSW

Always one step ahead of the pack, this latest offering from the Merivale crew latches onto the taco trend with gusto. While the rest of the recently acquired hotel had yet to be renovated, the dining room of El Loco is a bona fide explosion of bright colours, kitsch Mexican paraphernalia and even plastic coated, fruit print tabletops. Former Lotus chef Dan Hong is dishing out meals just as tasty at this new joint, thought the vibe is markedly more casual. We tested out the hands-friendly tacos with roasted pork and pineapple salsa, and chicken and sweet corn salsa fillings - the chilli marinated tofu taco also made an appearance at our table, but I'd advise you steer clear of that one. A fusion combo that just didn't taste right. The little hut serving cocktails near the streetside entrance is all part of the experience - the classic margarita was perfectly sour, but the jalapeno version is also a good option with just a hint of spice. read more

Although El Loco is not 100% authentic, it is self-confessed Mexican fusion, meaning some things can probably be forgiven. El Loco is a whirlwind of bright colours and loud music with an underground street food style. Communal benches provide a nice change to the usual indifference between Sydney diners. In fact, after a hot sauce table challenge you may just walk away with a set of new friends (and a burning tongue). The tacos are served small and on corn tortillas, just like they are in Mexico. My only qualm is that they should be served with two tortillas to prevent them from falling apart so easily. And lets be real, it isn't Mexican if there isn't a wedge of lime. The Pastor and Carne Asada both have nice flavours but I have preference for the Pastor. The food is relatively cheap but once you order a few to make a decent sized meal, it really starts to add up. Maybe a 3 for $x or 5 for $x deal would help encourage people to order more food. If you are looking for a relaxed, low key, entertaining night out with decent food, I urge you to give El Loco a try. The beautiful host Elise will help look after you, get you to your table (if there are any) and explain anything you might need to know. Buen provecho! read more

Pretty good local pub and band venue. The front's a smallish, busy, boisterous pub, with happy hipsters swilling schooners of beer. Certainly not relaxed, but cool. There's a small room at the back where they have live music just about every night. Most are small, local bands. I saw a triple bill, with headliners Captain Kickarse & the Awesomes, for ten bucks. If you want to see a random Australian garage band in a dingy room with 40 other people - and I most certainly do - then get thee to the Excelsior. Great fun. read more

Awesome place! The staff were friendly, helpful and fun. (It seems like an awesome place to work). The service was unbelievably fast, it was great. The setting is great. All Mexican themed everything! It had a really fun vibe. Their huge range of tequilas is pretty impressive. I would highly recommend the beef taco!! Everyone at my table who got one was also amazed at how great it was. read more

Pretty cool vibe, good food, and overall a great place to have a meal. Prob don't go here if you want to have an intense conversation, as it is quite noisy. Def a place to go for a nice loud get together with friends - its fun! Will return. read more

i loved el loco so much, it has this really comfortable blue couch that was much more comfortable than it look! :) tacos were absolute trash though. read more

El Loco - blue couch - Mexican Near Me - Surry Hills, NSW

Got there at 6.30pm with trepidation that I should have made a booking for dinner with a friend however thankfully he got an great spot to sit as you walk into El Loco from Foveaux St. Started off with drinks which then required some food. Went up to the bar and got talking to 2 guys who had a menu sitting between them. Turned out they worked there and was on a break! Score - inside knowledge as I didn't know what to order. I ended up ordering too much - the hot dog would have been fine but I couldn't resist ordering the beef taco which they swore was pretty awesome. Not quite sure how I fitted them both in as the hot dog was actually enough. $5 tacos were pretty cool though. My friend had the special taco, beef taco and pork taco which he said was all great - juicy! p.s was very glad we were sitting at the bar facing Foveaux St. For some bizarre reason, the other bar where other people sitting had a line 10 person deep and was seriously packed (too many people for my liking to be heard and comfortable factor heading down). read more

We visited Surry Hills this week and stayed at a nearby boutique hotel. Absolutely LOVED this place and never had a bad meal. I think we ate here 5 times. Great staff. A little pricy but these prices are expected when you visit Australia! Note: I wish they would call it a Californian Mexican Restaurant because nothing on the menu is authentic at all (except for maybe the beer). The food is still delicious, though! read more

Great fish tacos and margaritas. Fun pub style vibe. Ate outside on a nice summer night. Foveaux street was a bit noisy but overall I'm a fan and will be back! Sunday night wasn't too busy, no problem getting a table. read more

I was in Sydney for just a couple days from NY and came to this place multiple times. The best fish tacos I've ever had in my life. Good staff, good vibe. read more

Food is good enough if you're hungry. The tacos taste a lot better after a few but they dont match up to the ones I had at the slip inn el loco. A bit less pretentious than the slip inn location but that could be both a good thing and a bad thing depending on how you look at it. read more

This garily painted Mexican restaurant is casual, relaxed, fun and fast, and seriously popular. Get here early to have any chance of bagging a table and to avoid enormous queues. It is very relaxed - order at the bar, perch at one of the brightly decorated tables clutching an enormous cactus-shaped table number and wait for your order to be brought to you. Be prepared to share your table with other people, and for there to be a fair amount of stool-stealing, shunting and queue barging as people lay claim to their tacos. It's a great place to come in a big party (if you get here early enough and can find a table). I thought the food was pretty sub-standard, especially given the rave reviews I heard about the place. Most people choose the tacos - served individually with a choice of chicken, tofu, prawn, pork or beef and lettuce, salsa and guacamole. They're ok, but nothing special and would get quite expensive if you were starving hungry (you'd need about 4 to fill up). Perhaps ordering the house hot dog would be a better option as it's more substantial - that seemed to be what a lot of the other people were doing. We also ordered the tortilla chips with guacamole and salsa. The salsa was delicious, but I thought the guacamole was bland and too creamy. The tortillas weren't like nachos - no lovely melted cheese, chilli or sour cream. It was as if someone had emptied a packet of Doritos in to a cardboard bowl, served some guacamole and salsa on the side and claimed it as their own. At $5 you can't really complain (much) but I wasn't impressed. As far as cocktails go, they are OK - cheaper than in a bar ($13.50) but served in tacky plastic cups and fairly uninspiring. All in all, I think El Loco is very disappointing when compared to all the good reviews it has. Sure, if you want a casual meeting point to start a big night out, where the food doesn't really matter, then it's fine. But as a Mexican restaurant, it's disappointing and I won't be going back. read more

Tacos are the shizznit!!! Yum!!! Definitely better than Gomez n Guzman and mad mex!!! Margaritas are nice but a bit over priced ($13.50) nice chilled atmosphere read more

Yuck. Couldn't finish the food-which i found i was overcharged for when i checked the receipt later to see the cost of eating here. Burned non recognisable food. Covered in a cross hatch of sauces and guacamole which didnt look or taste like it was made from avocado. So disappointing. read more

Fun, tasty, cheap, addictive, margaritas in plastic cups, heart attack on a plate!

tacos were okay. margaritas were okay. overall this place was ok. probably won't come back to this place. my friend said the hotdog was outstanding though.. which i thought was weird for a MEXICAN restaurant read more

This little gem in Surry Hills is perfect for a weekend lunch. The food here is sensational and so reasonably priced. Try the 'Al Pastor' Pork Sandwich with pineapple salsa it is amazing!! read more

We were looking for Mexican food when we came here but El Loco is more bar than restaurant. The food is average and portions are small. $6 taco sounds good but you'll need a few if you're hungry and they weren't that great (I had the queso de soya). Tequila slushies and jalapeno margaritas made it a fun drink stop though! read more

Came on a busy Saturday night and found a table outside, it was raining but the staff was happy to clean the table. Drinks were good and the food we had was great but over priced for the sizes. Either way we will be back for special occasions! read more

Cute Mexican bar. Great casual vibe for a night out with friends. Very busy though so you will have trouble getting a table. Food is mediocre. read more