If you find yourself thinking about tacos every single Tuesday (and let’s be real, pretty much every other day in the week), this is the list for you. Whether you don’t think your meal is complete without rocking a colourful sombrero while you feast or you’re into a more authentic, traditional experience we’ve broken down the best places in Brisbane for a taco. From neon-lit eateries to fine dining spots there’s something for every taco lover.
La Patrona
Teneriffe
If you’re getting a little sick of the Old El Paso taco kits it might be time to delve into some more authentic, traditional Mexican cuisine. La Patrona is focused on dishing up the same flavours you’d find in Mexico and their tacos are no exception. There’s plenty of unique flavours to test out, including rib fillet with chiles and onion toreados and salsa, or the tacos de papa con queso—a crispy taco stuffed with potato and cheese and topped with white cabbage and feta.
El Planta
South Brisbane
This Mexican restaurant is a god send for the plant-based among us (and also just anyone who loves their veg) as the entire menu is vegan. Their taco flavours rotate each week so there’s always something new to test out, but one that we hope will never leave the menu is their (not) fish taco. Toppings do change, but currently you’ll find it topped with garlic top mayo, roasted garlic salsa and pickled green cabbage.
Comuna Cantina
Brisbane City and Everton Park
This relaxed pink-hued spot has plenty of mouth-watering soft-shell tacos to choose from at both their Brisbane City or Everton Park restaurants. The Latin street food destination has crumbed cauliflower, crispy halloumi and crispy or chargrilled chicken tacos on the menu along with plenty more. We personally can’t go past the pulled pork tacos with chipotle aioli, pickled onion and crisp sweet apple pieces.
Mama Taco
West End
This West End restaurant is more than just a perfectly pink, Insta worthy venue, it also serves up quite possibly the best tacos in town (it is named after the famous dish, so you’d hope so). With tortillas made by hand and pressed in house and house made sauces that take up to two days to make, there’s a reason they’re so good. Vegos should opt for the caramelised miso eggplant with queso fresco and salsa, but for us it’s all about the king prawn taco with chipotle mayo, salsa verde, queso fresco, watermelon, radish and raspberry. Sounds strange, but it works.
El Camino Cantina
Bowen Hills, Chermside and South Bank
Since El Camino Cantina first landed in Brisbane a few years ago, its reputation for delicious Tex-Mex, epic margaritas and colourful sombreros has become well established. Their tacos are definitely worth feasting on, especially if you make it in on $2 Taco Tuesdays. The Winger is always a fave, with popcorn chicken, lettuce, pice de gallo and spicy chilli mayo, but meat lovers might prefer their barbeque beef brisket taco with slaw and coriander. Or just get both?
Baja
Fortitude Valley
Sleek Valley restaurant Baja serves up polished northern Mexican food with a local twist. It’s worth testing out their whole menu but if you’re like us and can’t go past the tacos then give their battered king fish and chipotle slaw taco or spicy marinated pork shoulder with pineapple and salsa number a go. You won’t regret it—unless you don’t also order up one of their Tommys Margaritas to go with them.
Birria Boy Tacos
Woolloongabba
This juicy taco pop-up is getting their own store in the coming months, but in the meantime you can enjoy their crispy, crunchy, flavoursome birria tacos every Tuesday at Woollongabba’s Mac From Way Back. The cheesy tacos are definitely the main event, but you also have to get a side of beef noodle broth to dip them in—and just enjoy on its own.
Cheeky Poke Bar
Various locations
If you’re wanting to give a whole new taco experience a go, Cheeky Poke is where to head. Their poke tacos come in a crisp nori or wonton shell, with fillings of your choice. You can choose from salmon with wasabi mayo, kingfish marinated in coconut and lime or mushroom with beetroot hummus, just to name a few. It’s pretty hard to pick a favourite so it might be wise to sample a few options. Better yet, head in for Taco Tuesday to get three for $15.
California Native
Coorparoo
This Coorparoo restaurant uses the freshest local produce to create a menu bursting with Southern Cali flavour. Their soft fried tacos are one of their best menu items stuffed with insanely delicious fillings from slow cooked shredded beef to fried spicy tiger prawns with slaw, salsa, black beans and chipotle mayo.
South Austin
Upper Mount Gravatt
South Austin specialises in fall-apart-in-your-mouth slow-cooked meats which makes for some pretty mouth-watering tacos. When you check it out, give their smoked brisket tacos with guacamole, tomatillo salsa, pico de gallo and red onion pickle a go—you’ll be wanting to head back and try the rest of the menu as soon as possible. They’ve also become pretty well-known for their birria tacos—grilled, cheesy beef shin tacos served up with a cup of broth for dipping.
Red Hook
Brisbane CBD
Tucked down Gresham Lane in Brisbane’s CBD, Red Hook serve incredible New York style street-food including yummy tacos. Try the Duck Tacos, loaded with Peking duck, slaw, fried shallots and hoisin sauce. It’s the perfect fusion of your favourite Chinese flavours with the yummy, messy, juicy eating goodness of a taco.
Maya
Fortitude Valley
For tacos with a view, you can’t go past Maya. This Mexican restaurant and bar has transformed their rooftop venue into a breezy, coastal, cactus-adorned venue where you can sip watermelon margaritas as you take in the views. Of course, with a margarita in one hand, you need a taco in the other, and here it’ll be a confit duck taco with pecan salsa, pickled golden beetroot and radish.
Mucho Mexicano
South Bank and Hawthorne
Mucho Mexicano has become a staple in the South bank dinner scene—and not just for the all-you-can-eat tacos they dish up for $25 every Tuesday. Now you could opt for some individual tacos, and they’re all delicious, but really, the must-order here is the Mother of All Tacos—a massive share board of either brisket, chargrilled chicken, pork belly or lamb shoulder with tortillas, guacamole, salsa and sour cream.
Want more Mexican fare? Find Brisbane’s best Mexican restaurants here.
Image credit: Larissa Drazic, Ranyhyn Laine, Cheeky Poke