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7 hours ago
Came here for lunch with my children – have been several times and have never been disappointed. Great friendly service, perfect menu – something for everyone, and I am super fussy about my pino gris’, there was a glass to keep me happy! there was a stuff up with my bill (I hadn’t had 2 bottles of wine by myself!) however it was easily rectified….all good. Will be back
1 day ago
I have travelled around Mexico for two years so I think I am qualified to say that this was the best burrito in New Zealand, by far. It was amazing, ready within 5minutes, really just could not get enough of it. That burrito was good, but it was filling.
1 day ago
I have been to Mexico twice now and the first time there were a few hiccups but the second time was amazing! We had a big group and managed to get a table (they do take bookings for 10-16 people but you have to get the set menu). The set menu at $30 was a bargain as there was SO much food! We also got to sample all the favourites (ceviche, fried chicken, soft tacos) without having to make any decisions. The food was fantastic, service was great, with a very cool atmosphere. I’m an avid Mexican fan and this is now my favourite Mexican restaurant in Auckland. Would definitely recommend for a good value, fun night out.
2 days ago
Mexico is a breath of fresh air in the Auckland City restaurant scene. The place is fun, it’s loud, it’s squishy… chances are, you will be at a table with other guests, but that’s all part of its charm and the atmosphere that it is so loved for. The walls are a tribute to all things Mexican, crammed with photos, postcards, masks (the masks are a little creepy) and fantastic art… even the ladies bathroom is like walking into a shrine for Frida Khalo. The food is not your typical ‘Americanised Mexican’, instead of an abundance of cheese and sour cream, the menu revolves around jalapenos, lime and coriander. And it’s oh so cheap! There aren’t many places in town where you can feel (a little too) full after an $11 meal. It amazes me that Mexico can have such a terrible rating on this website and yet every time I go, the place is packed with people who adore it. Make sure you go in there with an open mind, chances are you will have to wait for a table… but it’ll be worth the wait!
2 days ago
This place is fantastic! BUT – go with the following in mind: Because it’s so popular you need to get there either early (ie 6pm) or later (ie 8pm onwards) if you don’t want to wait in a queue (and yes this is weekdays too). I’ve done my fair share of travelling to the US and Mexico – this is authentic Mexican. It’s very good food, reasonably priced, very tasty, the place is busy and the atmosphere is manic – just like Mexico. This place is my favourite Mexican in Auckland city! It’s a refreshing addition to the city’s restaurant scene. Go with the right expectations and you won’t be disappointed!
2 days ago
Had a great time there last night…went with a group of 8 and shared a wide range of dishes which were all exceptional….fresh, vibrant and diverse. Really enjoyed the staff who were attentive, relaxed and really keen to make sure we had a good time. The venue itself is superb – feels really authentic. Hadn’t been to Elliot Stables before, but will definately be back.
6 days ago
Shockingly bad value, utterly substandard quality. $18 for a small plate of beans, a few corn chips, a tiny amount of salsa, guacamole, sour cream, a few bits of meat at least one of which was a chunk of gristle, and grated carrot to give it some colour is not up to standard. Places like this are the reason Mexican food has such a bad name in NZ.
7 days ago
This place is a joke! Went with my wife last night and joined their waiting list for a table. The two young girls on the front desk had a very severe case of “superiority concept” – you’re waitresses at a Mexican cafe ladies not Hollywood A-Listers! I asked them for an indication of how long the table would be (it was 6.45) and they said 45 minutes to an hour. We went to get a drink at a bararound the corner and we waited. And waited. And waited. After over two hours we went back and couldn’t get any sort of help so we jumped in a cab and went to Mission Bay instead. It’s now Sunday and they still haven’t texted me to say my table’s ready…..they may be busy now, but once word spreads about the crap service, snotty attitude and total lack of professionalism I suspect they’ll start to look at this sort of feedback more seriously. Woeful. Don’t go there.
10 days ago
I’ll have to agree with a lot of people here, I went to mexican cafe for dinner with a few of my friends, the atmosphere and cocktails were good, but the service wasnt good- meals took too long and waitresses seemed very impatient and unfriendly. The food was terrible, definately not worth the $23 dollars I spent! There is a lot of potential for this place though
13 days ago
After waiting for a table from 5.45pm to 9.30pm we left and went somewhere else. We would have hoped to have some kind of time indication after an hour. Great Sangria though, and from what I could see it would have been a good atmosphere had we been able to go.
13 days ago
Reasonable Mexican, but best ribs in NZ. Really impressed. Service could be a little swifter, but is friendly.
13 days ago
I’m probably the first customer of this great Mexican joint, I’m probably the most recent customer, and I’m probably the most frequent customer. It’s about as authentic as you get (talk to the staff!), so if it’s not what you expect, just be open minded and try some real mex. I like all the dishes, but the Alhambre is the best.
15 days ago
The 3 front of house staff were extremely rude and arrogant. They seemed more interested in gossiping about their hair then doing their job of welcoming and seating customers. I had earlier spoken on the phone to a lovely woman who assured us she would at least try and accommodate our table of 7 (as you cannot book) when I explained this to the front of house girls they couldn’t have cared less, were not helpful and actually decided to stop talking to us and continued gossiping. I would NEVER recommend coming here until they reassess their staffing situation. Total disappointment
16 days ago
Not moderate price range at all, $34 mains, and expensive underwhelming starter platters. Food was nice, but not at that price.
23 days ago
Myself and a few co-workers went to Mexico for what we expected to be a trendy and authentic Mexican restaurant/bar… lets just say we won’t be rushing back there ! From the outside this place looks like it has potential to be an entertaining place to eat and enjoy the music, colourful decor and traditional cuisine, inside we found it was cramped, very hot, minimum seating, dirty and way too loud! the staff were veerryy slow and unorganised, the food was cheap in price and taste! The thing that shocked me was the bathrooms, if your in a restaurant you’d expect there to be toilet paper and things to be clean…you might wanna go before you get there! And last of all the glasses, whether you ordered a wine ( if you can call cask wine wine) or a Margarita everything came in a medium size water glass, which i thought was cheap and dull. The only positive thing i can say is i liked the deep fried banana pastry with maple syrup, but i could make that at home! I rate this restaurant 2/5 stars
23 days ago
Utterly disappointed in the food and service here. The staff although friendly were somewhat oblivious to our basic needs such as empty glasses on table and no offer forthcoming for more drinks. When we did catch a waitresses attention we had a half hour wait for our drinks to arrive. The restaurant was under half full so it wasn’t like there was a rush on. We sat in darkness and had to request they light the table gas candle. We had a long wait for the food and were not rewarded with a good meal. The lamb shanks were rubbery and the gravy had an odd soap-like taste. The eye filet wrapped in “panchetta” (looked and tasted just like bacon to me) had a very game-y taste and was chewy. Certainly not value for money for the poor food quality, taste and for the service.
25 days ago
Maybe they were just having a bad day (Thursday lunch time, they were very busy). But flat out gross is the best way to describe the burrito I had from this place. Stone cold slop is also a pretty good description. Are they supposed to be cold? Why wrap it in foil if nothing on the inside is heated up? The only passable thing about it was the guacamole, and even that wasn’t enjoyable to eat as it was ALL at one end (the end I started at) so my first 10 bites (this thing is huge) were of straight mashed avocado. Then as the rest of the fillings emerged – cold brown meat of some description, yellow grainy mush I expect was cheese, uncooked green peas, cold grey rice.. It was not pretty. Not pretty at all.
27 days ago
I am quite new to Auckland, only have been here for 3 months and from Texas. I had to find a place that served comparable Mexican food in NZ, and glad I somehow found Jalapeno’s. Their homemade corn tortillas and the spiciness of their salsa truly reminded me of the great Mexican food I would have in Texas. The owners are from Mexico..and have some people from South America helping work there (which doesn’t matter). I like the alambre a lot, great portions and their beans and rice are delicious. Also, the horchata is yum. And they are the only place in Auckland so far that has authentic Mexican tequila sold in the States, that are nearly impossible to find in NZ. Respect! Will be coming back here when I crave Mexican comfort food
28 days ago
We went to Besos Latinos last night to celebrate my birthday, I had seen photos of it online the place matches every pic we saw, it is beautiful made me feel as if I was in Mexico! How ever, the service was shocking!! We were seated imedietly but waited 20 minutes before we were even asked what we would line to drink! And this was only beacuse we had asked for a waiter ! Drinks took another 20min and the food took an extra hour ! Beacuse according to are waitress they were busy ! Still not good enough ! Startes were over over priced and extremely small ! Salsa was tasteless I would get a better one from a store! We ordered the pandeja paisa a Colombian dish a d coming from a Colombian backround letme just say, did no justicie ! Their platter are small and you have to order a minimum of 2 people , but really is only for one person , bit Hey How Will they make money if they dont convince you it’s for 2 people big dissapointment!!! We were offered water at the end of our meal but no water glasses ! Service was horrible!!!! Manager didn’t seem worried about it, we would get better service in McDonalds ! Food was average and experience was extremely dissapointing ! The only thing in their favor is the decor and atmosphere ! I will never go back there and will make sure know one I know will spend their money there !
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Useful (1)
29 days ago
Love it! Fabulous. Have been 5 times now and enjoyed every experience. The staff are great and the twiggy blonde maitre dee is always a charm and we walk out laughing. Decor is awe inspiring and the place is always a hive of activity. I do come back more for the experience rather than the food itself, although the food is fair for the price it’s very inconsistent. One day the ‘not to miss’ fried chicken is black the next it’s orange? Totally worth checking out, a nice addition to to the city and a cheap night out!
North Island
