A well-balanced diet is a taco in each hand…so make sure your hands are full come Wednesday, October 4 as we celebrate all things Mexican, on National Taco Day.
This is nacho average day – it is Juan out of the ordinary, as taco lovers wrap their tortillas around beef, pork, chicken, or seafood, to create a South of the Border version of a sandwich.
Did you know annually Americans eat more than 4.5 billion tacos? That’s more than 790,000 km stacked end to end and would take you to the moon and back.
Here are six joints to say arriba to National Taco Day on Wednesday:
Fresh, flavourful, festive and fun, find Mexican with a twist on the plate at The Prickly Pinata on The Esplanade in Cotton Tree. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, this Sunshine Coast dining destination boasts a funky vibe of colourful wall murals, recycled timber tables and Mexican accents, while the alfresco area beckons on balmy days for tequila and tacos with amigos.
Say hola to delicious gourmet tacos like grilled prawns in garlic and coconut cream sauce, with baby spinach, tomato salsa and green chilli jam; then devour an ultimate burrito bowl with Mexican rice, cheese, grilled corn mix, fresh tomato salsa, black beans and lime aioli.
Mexican street food and good booze are what have Hobart foodies raving over Grinners Dive Bar on Elizabeth Street in the heart of the city. Chill out with a cocktail and unwind from the hustle and bustle outside in eclectic surrounds of a cattle skull, walls covered with stickers and posters, along with live music to keep the toes tapping and dishes to appease all tastes.
Drop in on Wednesday and pair a blood orange Margarita with caramelised pork belly tacos, brown sugar apple butter sauce, spicy pickled radish, slaw and pico de gallo, or fried calamari, chorizo, rocket, pickled onion and chilli lime dressing.
Sip on a Margarita and enjoy traditional Mexican home and market plates from the lane or relaxed kitchen dining room at Clay Cantina on Griffith Street in Coolangatta. Stroll up from the sands of this iconic Gold Coast beach to find an oasis of green where chilling out amongst potted greenery, cacti, terracotta tiles and mismatched table settings sets the mood for taco and tequila with your amigos.
Say gracias to street fare such as shaved whole street corn, queso, chilli, lime and totopos to start, before chowing down on pork belly tacos, finished under flame and served in a warm corn tortilla with onion, coriander, lime and tajin seasoned pina.
Bringing a little casual funk to the Port Douglas dining scene, locals and visitors alike don their sombreros to head to The Mexican on Macrossan Street for good times and vibes. Take advantage of the balmy Tropical NQ lifestyle and dine alfresco to watch the world pass by, or head indoors where the walls are adorned with Mexicana accents such as a steer’s skull, along with an eclectic mix of artwork.
Don your sombrero and start with soft-shell mud crabs, mango gel, avocado crema, habanero hot sauce and caviar; then get your taco on with achiote pork, Tequila apples, fiery crack sauce and chicharron, or barramundi, slaw, green chilli mayo and radish.
Experience true Mexican flavours, music and traditions right in the heart of Brisbane at La Patrona on Florence Street in Teneriffe. This little piece of Mexico has been built with love and filled with treasures in the dining room, from statues to cacti and vibrant wall murals; on balmy days, take to the terrace with a Margarita in hand and soak up the sun while enjoying an unforgettable lunch, or romantic dinner.
Celebrate all things taco on Wednesday with beer-battered fish, mozzarella, chipotle mayo, purple cabbage, cucumber, red onion and chile de arbol salsa; or chow down on guajillo and achiote marinated pork, char-grilled pineapple, onion, cilantro and salsa verde.
Those seeking authentic Southern California tacos and much more find SoCal Tacos food truck at various locations around Brisbane. This retro food truck parks up at Weller’s Hill Bowls Club in Tarragindi and All Inn Brewing Co in Banyo as well as trundling around the city streets dishing up Mexican fare with flair; you can also hire SoCal for your next corporate or family event or celebration.
Wrap your mouth around pulled pork tacos with pineapple salsa verde, pickled slaw and coriander, or barbeque chicken, corn salsa, guacamole and coriander; vegetarians opt for drunken Mezcal beans, pickled slaw, corn salsa, guac and herbs.
