Life is Burritoful at these 5 Cantinas!

The burrito - ever wondered how this comforting food came to be? Turns out this rolled tortilla packed with goodness that you can conveniently eat with one hand, has quite an interesting history.

One such theory is that Juan Mendez, who sold tacos in the city of Ciudad Juarez during the Mexican Revolution, road around on a donkey with food wrapped in large flour tortillas to keep it warm. The ‘food of the donkey’ became very popular and earned the ingenious name of the ‘burrito’ – which means ‘little donkey’ in Spanish.

These days, we don’t care who invented it – we just want to eat it! Here are five cantinas where the food is always burritoful:

 

Be transported to the lively streets of Mexico City at Eltham’s hidden gem Hecho en Mexico on Main Road where an unforgettable culinary experience awaits. Expect an inviting interior vibe, adorned with vibrant colours and authentic Mexican décor, setting the stage for a truly immersive meal amongst potted cacti, a well-stocked bar and sombreros; take a seat at colourfully mismatched table settings to peruse an extensive menu of all your Mexican faves.

There’s a burrito on the menu to suit all tastes – think grilled or beer-battered fish with Mexican rice, frijoles charros, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, lettuce, garlic, jalapeño aioli, green papaya and carrot slaw; or chow down on juicy fried Southern-style chicken tenders, with rice, cheese, lettuce, chipotle aioli, smoked slaw and chimichurri sauce.

For an intimate Latin-Mex street food experience head to Sydney’s harbourside suburb of Balmain to find Cantina Bar on Darling Street. With a menu drawing inspiration from street food vendors in Mexico, Spain, Portugal and Cuba and a bar selection laid out over 44-gallon drums; even the most-fickle gringo says arriba to tacos and tequila in funky surrounds of wall murals, exposed brick and recycled timber.

Wrap your mouth around Cantina burritos with chipotle beef or marinated chicken, mashed refried beans, Mexican rice, cheese, guacamole, sour cream and corn chips; or deep-fried chicken chimichanga with shallots, mushroom, cheese, corn chips, guacamole and sour cream. Those with heartier appetites, opt for eye fillet, crispy risotto cake, onion jam, aioli and red wine jus.

 

Located in the vibrant Gold Coast suburb of Miami, Caffeine Kings has transformed an old laundromat into an exceptional coffee house, serving all-day breakfast and cool-tune music. Located on Gold Coast Highway, this funky venue boasts matte-black graffiti-covered walls like a little backstreet Melbourne laneway, setting the scene for memorable meals from a modern Asian fusion menu.

Stop in early for a breakfast burrito of bacon, scrambled egg, avocado, cheddar, aioli, spicy black beans and corn salsa; perhaps join lunch amigos for a pulled pork burrito bowl with avocado, cheddar, spicy black beans, corn salsa and saffron rice, or teriyaki chicken, spinach, corn salsa, pickled ginger, edamame, crispy onion, nori, saffron rice and chipotle aioli.

 

Eat, drink and love tacos at Melbourne’s Mexican wonderland, Si Senor Art Taqueria on Swan Street in Richmond. As soon as you enter this new amigo on the block and sibling to Si Senor Balaclava and Si Senor Hampton, it is like stepping back into your Mexican holiday with large custom artwork on the wall and booth and table settings ideal for lazy afternoons with a Margarita in hand.

This fun and funky taqueria covers all cravings from tacos to chunky guacamole, burritos oozing cheese and mesmerising cocktails; devour burritos such as slow-roasted pork and pineapple, char-grilled steak or tempura-battered white fish with cheese, beans, caramelised and Spanish onion, brown rice, coriander avo salsa and tomato salsa.

 

Always fresh and always a fiesta…that’s the motto of The Mad Mexican on Durlacher Street in Geraldton. Step into a vibe of potted cacti, sombreros and wall murals setting a chilled-out Mexican vibe for imbibing tequilas and tucking into tacos; grab a grapefruit and jalapeño Margarita to get the party started, then graze on sweet potato and chorizo croquettes with tangy sour cream. 

Say gracias to chicken chimichanga – a crunchy deep-fried burrito with rice and melted cheese, served with chilli fries, salad, tangy sour cream, housemade grilled pineapple and jalapeño hot sauce – or devour prawn enchiladas with chilli con queso and cheese, served with guacamole, sour cream and salad.