The location is great and the Mexican food here are totally delicious and highly recommended! You…read moremust visit this warming and relaxing place.

Authentic Mexian homestyle cooking! El Torito is a West End…read moreinstitution. Thanks to the recommendations from Gabriela we had a wonderful Friday night dinner here - flautas and tamales to start, followed by chicken enchiladas in salsa verde and cochinita pibil (slow cooked pork in a spicy tomato based sauce). The food is very good, the prices are reasonable and the service was genuine and friendly. BYO at $2.00 per head was a plus.

The glasses weren't washed. The rice was undercooked, and they brought in the wrong order. The…read morefood did not look like the pictures at all - no tarnishing or presentation. Completely unappetizing. Wish we had read the reviews before we came. The only saving grace was the kid liked the chicken nuggets.

First time coming and first time in South Brisbane. The place looks really modern and fun, there's…read moreoutside seating and large tables for bigger crowds. Food was really amazing, lots of flavor and actually spicy. I come from the US so when they say spicy, it's not even mild. Here, it said spicy and I started to sweat, so 10/10 for that. Service was really slow but they were busy and it was taco Tuesday so can't blame them. Honestly, it just means they have good food and service to be attracting a lot of customers. Definitely would go back if I'm ever in Brisbane!

Looking for authentic Mexican food? You need to track these guys down…read more Serving up soft tacos - four different types. Do opt for the queso (cheese, handmade!) Tacos are $6 each, or grab two for $10. Trust me, you can't just have one... they might have other 'especials' so look at what the board says. My husband and I shared two tacos between us (I know, I said you can't have just one... I still mean it), and an agua fresca. He had the Beef Juan/Beef Barbacoa, and I had the Tacos de Calabacitas/Veggie taco. Oh my goodness, the veggie taco was NOM-nom! It takes a lot to impress me with vegetarian Mexican stuff, but these guys were genius having those roasted peptides in the mix -- it gave it the whooop! Out front of the ordering/pick up window is a shelf of bottled hot sauces. Yes they have Tabasco, but please, please, don't pick that up. Try the Cholula, ok? Seriously, give them a go...

Love it, love it, love it! If you're hesitating, DONT. I'm from California and I am used to the…read moretaco truck-style of tacos (which is amazing by the way). Since moving here I've been searching for a place that makes legit tacos. I am so happy that I found this place, and they have amazing prices (for Australia that is, I'm still getting used to the difference). AND they have Horchata, which is a delicious cinnamon rice water, and Jacaima, which is super refreshing. I ordered the Beef Juan, which originally came with pico de gallo and salsa verde, but substituted that for white onion, cilantro, and salsa roja (my favorite). The best part is that they even include a lime! You really can't have too much lime. After eating one taco I went for another. Can't wait to eat here again! I really really recommend this place. Best tacos around.

As a biiiiiiig fan of Mexican food followed by a beer or six I was greatly disappointed at this…read moreMexican hot spot here in south bank. The soft shell tacos for $15 were more expensive than ones you can make at home with a taco kit and very very small. You can say its safe to assume in the south bank food district that you pay for quality over quantity but unfortunately this was not the case. The fish tacho meat portion was smaller than a fish finger and bone dry which just made it uneatable and the supposed salsa salad in the taco was bland I mean no body or flavour or colour I felt like someone put a filet o fish from McDonald's into a taco. In saying this my friends burrito was OK but the service was bad they didn't even look at serving us and when they did it was like we had asked them to get actual food from mexico. Its a good spot I'll give it a chance again but seriously pick up your game amigos.

Good new Mexican restaurant and bar in Southbank. Can recommend the Moreton bay buy and the Pork…read morebelly soft tacos. They have a kids meal and a great selection of drinks for the adults. Great outdoor seating as well as an upstairs bar

2011 was Mexican year. With the influx of mexican…read morerestaurants that have propped up over the year I was at first skeptical of Cactus republic (Yawn. another place where I have to spend $15 on rice and beans?) BUT wandering over one boozy friday night I was won over by this little casa. It's simple mexican fair but done pretty well, My burrito came promptly and was warm , delicioso and very filling. The veggie burrito and corn chips also received two happy thumbs up. The highlight of the night was discovering the $5 sangrias. After a happy hour here me (and the sangrias) were ready to hit the town. If you're hangry (hungry and angry about it.) at southbank I recommend you try out Cactus Republic, It will have you saying MUCHAS GRACIAS in no time!

My mantra is "I live to eat", not the other way round, so I am a general fan of food full stop…read more However, I was bitterly disappointed after visiting Cactus Republic post-beachside siesta. After a tough day soaking up the rays, it's easy to burn up a fierce appetite, and knowing that burritos are a sure-fire stomach-filler, this was where we headed. Myself and my two amigos opted for lamb, chicken and chilli chicken burritos, washed down with a typical margarita and Corona. There's a large selection of fillings - including refried bean paste, black beans, meat choice and spice level. Initially a tad put-off with the somewhat impatient staff whilst we were deciding (there were only two other customers in the restaurant at this time), we were pleased to see our meals appear quickly. Chowing into the burritos, we all caught one another's eyes and silently acknowledged what each of us were thinking - the burritos were luke-warm, bordering on cool. Maybe these three amigos are a tad fussy, but generally we expect freshly cooked food to be warm, at least. Even the substantial amount of chilli didn't mask the chill of the burrito. With it's prime location near South Bank beach, it is sure to entice a lot of customers. It could have been a one-off for us, so don't be afraid to check it out. But you have been forewarned.

For Brisbaneites familiar with The Barracks, you'll notice that Cabiria has had a little facelift…read moreand transformed into a homage to the Mexican passions of tacos and tequila. It's bringing a seductive bar to the area with a menu to match. When I recently took myself on a date to the movies, I detoured to Los Villanos for lunch pre-movie. Outdoor seating has a fiesta vibe to it all with brightly coloured bunting and cactus decorations, but sitting at the bar is the real treat. Dark and brooding like their namesake, the red bulbs light up Day of the Dead knick knacks, tequila and I sat waiting half expecting Nachos Libre to storm into the bar. From the bar you get a direct view into the kitchen and appreciate what they're serving given the small prep area they're working with. The menu while large (taking up an A3 page) is a bar menu. It's not destined to leave you feeling like you've consumed a 10-course degustation. There's snacks, tostadas, tacos, quesadillas, burritos and tortas. For good measure there's dessert and a few sides as well. So sure, you could make a feast of ordering multiples of a few menu items, but at heart it's a few easy bites to pair with a drink. I ordered the mushroom burrito which in retrospect is the perfect size to have you walking away feeling just satisfied and not sick with regret. There's just enough kick to it to leave your mouth a little buzzed. I'm sure there's a bottle of hot sauce not too far away for those who prefer a real spice zing. I do regret not being a middle-of-the-day drinker and trying one of their cocktails or range of tequilas. Another time. This is as traditional Mexican as I've had in Brisbane (compared to similar Californian Mexican feasts) and a fresh offering for the area.

I'm going to use the "O" word... Ordinary! There I said it. While the fit out is super cool and…read morefun, the food didn't live up to expectations which was pretty disappointing. We shared the Tostada platter and the ancient grain salad with pomegranate. The tostadas were fried and crispy which was great but the toppings unfortunately were bland. Surprisingly the mushroom tostada was the only topping out of the three ordered that had any flavour, both the chicken and the pork were so bland and uninspiring that I cried in the inside. Serving sizes were generous though, but ain't nobody wants a huge pile of bland meat. The salad was ok but nothing the write home about. The big plus of this place was the selection for vegetarians. I'd probably come here for drinks as the bar fitout was really well done, but alas I wouldn't recommend for food.

I was feeling like some mexican but was a bit over Guzman y Gomez. I knew this place was in the…read morefood court close to Red Rooster, so decided to wander over and take a look. I decided to have a "Mucho Protein" bowl, not because of the fact I'm a body builder (which I'm most certainly not) but it had steak and a heap of other stuff in it. It was the most expensive bowl on the menu, sitting around $11.50. Overall, I have to say it was pretty tasty. It comes in a "Japanese Curry" bowl, with about five corn chips on the top. I must admit when the menu says "Served with house made corn chips" I thought I'd receive a generous side of them (I was expecting about 20) so I could dip them in more of the yummy bowl's contents. Service was swift, and the meal took about 30 seconds to be prepared for me, which was impressive in the lunch time rush. It was full of fresh ingredients, and I really did feel satisfied after eating it (even with the sparse corn chips). If I was feeling rich, I'd go back there again. Generally I shoot for lunch around $5-7 in the Myer Center (because there are plenty of options in this eatery for this price) but I can't argue with the quality vs price equation for this meal.

Tacos. Universally known and loved by all. While they are…read moreeasy to do "OK", they are really hard to do well and Chingon are nailing it. I went in on their second night of trade, just before midnight. We were greeted by friendly staff, good music and were sat quickly. Only there for a quick bite, we ordered our tacos quickly (3 meat, one veg) and we weren't disappointed. The tortillas were beyond perfect. Soft, chewy and warm and they encased just the right amount of filling (order the prawn - it was outstanding) I will be back to explore the rest of the menu and the drinks on offer too, and honestly, I can't wait!

Just not good enough, good staff poor food and half cocktails at full prices. Seriously missing the…read moremark here and another name change won't disguise the poor food.

After hearing rather good things about this place, and being fans of Mexican food, we were quite…read moreexcited to visit this new restaurant (even doubling back on the train line when we accidentally caught an express train that didn't stop at the Auchenflower station!). Unfortunately while we were not disappointed, we weren't blown away either. The decor is very low key, and the staff are friendly. The menu has good variety, and the food is quite authentic (certainly for Brisbane standards).

Looking forward to some fabulous Mexican at this new place…read more So disappointed with the meal. We arrived for Happy Hour (ended up charged full price for those beers and only a couple of beers on the Happy Hours list nothing else). I had a lot of Mexican in Mexico and other countries over time and my minute meal was nothing like I had experienced before. Looking for the promised re-fried beans on the plate, discovered a black sauce instead. My Inquiry about the super sweetness of the overpriced Margarita, was told they had added extra sugar to the premixed drink.. I discovered the burnt taste of the meal was from the tortilla being black on the bottom. Hoping this place would be a regular eatery for us, but never again. Sorry.

Long lines, slow service, dirty eating area. I once got food poising off a cheeseburger here. Was…read moresick for a week, couldn't get out of bed, thought I was going to die. Not my favourite McDonald's.