Lovely lunch both of us enjoyed our food.Steak sandwich and tostie…read more Service was good and beer cold.

For a Sunday lunch this is the best place ever Plenty of…read morepram parking and Motorbike parking too, service was awesome ..warm lamb salad was perfect and service quick and friendly

An impulsive night out turned out to be a fantastic experience with amazing food and top notch…read morecustomer service. We started off with the guacamole served with warm chips. This was awesome and you can for sure tell the difference between store bought guac and the real deal. My husband ordered a Pacifico cerveza (beer) which according to him was awesome. To our surprise there was some house chips served with a salsa prior to our starter. I wasn't sure about what to order for the main. When I asked our waitress about the chicken chocolate mole on the menu because it was unusual for chocolate to be present in a main dish. The friendly waitress said you'll either love it or hate it. And boy am I glad to have gone with an open mind because I tried and LOVED it. My hubby tried the veg Burito which was yummy while my friends tried the enchilada and fajita. And as for dessert the waiter said that he recommended either the apple chimichanga or the Churros. We'd have been nuts not to have tried the Churros con chocolate. The churros were warm and soft as a cloud dusted with sugar and served with dipping chocolate. We were in a Mexican heaven and it was so good we ended up ordering another plate. Highlight of the evening was definitely trying on the Sombreros which makes your experience more fun and close to authentic. Will I go back again? Absolutely!

I came here on a Saturday with a friend for her birthday. We are both from California and really…read moremiss good Mexican food, and we'd heard that this place was pretty good. Walking in to this restaurant reminded me of walking in to a Chevy's - it's a similar atmosphere. They have a menu that is filled with half drinks and half food. I ordered a classic margarita and a veggie burrito without cheese and without sour cream (I'm vegan). They were really accommodating on my order and it all came out correctly. My friend ordered the veggie fajitas and hers looked so good. My boyfriend, who was with us, ordered a chicken quesadilla, and he liked it. We had asked for chips and salsa when we ordered, but the waiter forgot to bring them out until after our food. The food came out super quick, so it wasn't a problem. When I ate one of the chips, I realized we were not in California any more. They tasted like packaged chips and the salsa tasted like Pace salsa. Not quite what I'm used to, but after some travel abroad I've come to realize that we are spoiled for Mexican food in California. The drinks were mediocre. I could barely taste alcohol in mine, which was surprising as I rarely drink hard alcohol so I thought I would be able to taste it right away. Maybe I'm just used to strong drinks ;) I wasn't particularly impressed with anything about this place but I was very happy to be in a Mexican restaurant that offered burritos and real Mexican food. The food came out as we ordered it and the burrito was good. I ate the whole thing! All in all, it wasn't a particularly memorable experience, but the food was good and came out quick.

Okay so why would Ohio transplanted Arizonans visiting Takapuna Beach go to a restaurant called…read moreMexico? Well, because we can! I have to say I was suspect, but they had Me at hello! The decor and the whole cozy little beach bar vibe is Spot on! Just loved the rustic tables and the family style place settings. Really kitschy in a great way. I had to get Sangria. It was a hot day and well what else can I say? I got the carafe for me, but ended up sharing with friends. Its a tall bit of really tasty goodness. We started off with homemade crisps and salsa. The salsa was nice and spicy with a smokey backtone I really liked. I got skirt steak taco and it was superb. The pico was a mango citrus cilantro taste that really worked well with the steak and the quite lite and deelish tortilla. Very nice combo. Got the Mexican fried chicken and man was It good. Deeply seasoned tenders lightly fried and served with two sauces that both worked magic with the chicken. I added some of the smokey salsa to the mix and oh that was great! Spicy too. I like my meat hot and spicy. No disappointments here! The only minor thing is portions are small and a tad pricey. But if you are here to eat, do yourself a tasty favor and sample. You can and you'll love it aaaaaannnnddd you won't feel guilty doin' it. ; ) The service start to finish was excellent. I don't think any of us weren't taken care of expertly! Great food, and service. Try Mexico. Que Bueno!

I love an ever-changing menu that adapts to the ingredients in season, so we came back to Mexico…read morerecently for dinner to try their new spring menu. We were both enamoured by the hot, crispy and uber cheesy cinnamon braised lamb quesadilla ($15). The cinnamon flavour isn't too predominant or strong, but it balances well with the slight spice and tangy tomato salsa. I didn't get to try the beef taco ($6) but my dining companion was happy with it. The most memorable and creative dish was the Mexico carrot cake ($10) which was unlike any carrot cake I'd seen or had (I thought they served us the wrong dish!). It's like a deconstructed version of the traditional cake - a handful of raisins and blobs of carrot puree served on top of a fried cinnamon sugar crisp. Mixed opinions over the taste... it was interesting, to say the least. Props for the delicious lemon peel ice cream and pretty plating, though! Despite the menu makeover, two things seem to have stayed the same: the fried chicken remains as good as ever, and the eatery is as packed as ever. I found the servers to be nice and ever-smiling. My only gripes are that the carrot cake took a long time to arrive (though they did apologise for this) and we had to ask several times for water. However, being Sunday night and all, it was VERY busy and they were pretty much rushed off their feet so no biggie. Looking forward to their next menu!

Having just got back from Florida, we've ventured out a few times and the guilt is pressing on me…read moreto review. So easing into it with Mexicali fresh, the chain that is popping up all over Auckland. Being North shorties we visited constellation drive. Without further ado it's the cutest mixture of California with Mexican food, the decor is practically Hawaiian but the menu is all Mexico baby. Taco salad is huge, surrounded by a deep crater of corn chip, quality is good even if the store is lacking in central ingredients (water was frozen solid and low on drinks in the fridge)

Back today & they are back to their super awesome deliciousness!…read more I would have given five stars for today's visit, as the food was fresh, hot, and very very tasty. The customer service was A+++ and the restaurant was quite clean...However, the medium salsa was empty on the salsa bar & I had to go back up to ask for some. By the time I finished my meal and left, it still hadn't been refilled.

Miss Clawdy has been on my foodie wishlist for so long! Having been to New Orleans for their take…read moreon South American food, I was more than keen to get some glorious Miss Clawdy in my belly. Much like the Creole influenced state of Louisana, this North Wharf eatery got my attention with the dark wood and warm red and yellow hues from the overhanging lanterns. We were lucky to be seated straight away at 6:30pm on a Saturday night, there was a constant row of diners coming in soon after us. The open kitchen took centre stage in front of us. I love watching the chefs at work. I don't know how they do it, constantly keeping the beat and moving so purposefully in such a confined space. There was great camaraderie in the kitchen too, genuine smiles while keeping each other entertained. So it was with great reluctance that I had trade seats to have my back to the kitchen, the cushiony sofa just swallowed up my petite frame too much! Almost as if we were watching the open kitchen show, we were given complimentary popcorn to start with. Sweet and punchy with a bit of paprika and cinnamon, it was addictive like my favourite Sweet and Salty popcorn. Priding themselves on soul food and bright colourful flavours, we chose tacos to start with. Whilst the taco was soft and meat was well cooked, it lacked the promised punch and attitude. That problem was taken care of with a generous dousing of hot sauce from the table. We chose the special of the night as a main to share and I'm so glad we did! The lamb was succulent and flavoursome with just enough gravy to soak up. Combined with the comfort of the roasted vegetables, it filled us up well and proper. A special mention goes out to the generous cocktail list. It was hard to nail down one to order because each sounded as enticing as the other. The two we tried were delicious and quickly went down before the ice had even melted and diluted the drink. What I looked forward to most in the evening was the dessert. Even more than usual because I spotted a chocolate and chilli pressed souffle running as their special. With my recent love for the dark chocolate and chilli combo, it could only be a match in heaven as a souffle. The night ended beautifully with this number. My high hopes were met and even surprised me a little with the strength of the chilli. It was chocolatey and dense, and should be shared between two people. Good thing the burn from the chilli stopped me from otherwise scoffing it down unnecessarily. Such decadence was the dish that meant the previous cookies and milk combo was quickly put to the side.. I loved dining at Miss Clawdy. The atmosphere was buzzing but comfortable. The name is inspired by Lloyd Price's 1952 New Orlearns hit single Lawdy Miss Clawdy. I'd recommend it for a girls night out, and being at Wynyard Quarter, extra points for easy parking.

Come here for the hush puppies, steamed veggies, and jambalaya…read more Decided to check out this Southern/Central American restaurant as I had passed it so many times. My friend was in town so thought this would be a good opportunity. She ordered the Cuban sandwich and hush puppies while I ordered the jambalaya, kumara wedges, and steamed veggies. The Cuban had skimpy amount of meat, but the hush puppies were AMAZING! I wish there were more kumara wedges, there only give you six. The jambalaya was SUPER filling, and the steamed veggies were spot on. If you're looking for shareables, I'd say stick with the hush puppies, but let people know if you have anything else that's a must-have!

Tony's Takeaways is your classic Chinese takeaway store. I went there for the first time last week…read moreand, as always, decided to test them by purchasing a spring roll. Spring rolls are the ultimate way to determine if a takeaway store is worth returning to, so naturally I had to get one at Tony's. And I admit, I was a little disappointed. Much to my surprise, the spring roll tasted like cinnamon. I couldn't really figure it out. It wasn't terrible as such, just unexpected.... That being said, the fried rice was brilliant. It wasn't oily and didn't make you feel guilty for eating most of the container - which I did. The portions were good and prices were what you'd expect - about $10 for fried rice. Tony's chips were also pretty good - crisp and crunchy; just the way I like them, and with a good amount of salt too. There's nothing worse than not enough salt on your hot chips, so while their spring rolls were a bit strange, you can rely on Tony's to supply good fried rice, sausages and chips. Bonus: Tony himself is pretty cool. He was very smiley and chatty and made the wait for the food fly by

My favourite takeaway place yet, can't recommend it enough…read more The wontons are definitely my favourite thing on the menu.

For those Americans looking for Mexican food, this place is akin to Chipotle. You can choose all…read moreyour ingredients for burritos or bowls and it was pretty good. Great for a quick lunch, but there could be more flavor/spice in the ingredients. I'll come back for sure and add it to my list of regular lunch spots, but I'm not clambering to go everyday.

In the United States there is the most amazing fast food Mexican joint called Chipotle. Okay,…read moremaybe I am the only one that thinks it's like Disneyland but it is good! I come to Auckland regularly for work and was so excited that Mexicali Fresh finally opened up by my hotel. It has the same concept as Chipotle with it's all natural meats and ingredients so I was ready to get my Cali-style Mexican food fix. Mexicali has daily specials and it just so happened I came on a Tuesday and it's $3 tacos! You tell them what you want, pick your meat, fillings, and salsa. The food is definitely fresh and flavourful. Not bad for $3 a tacos and two filled me up quite nicely although I could've stuffed a third one down. I will be back since this is only a skip and a hop away from where I stay. Free WiFi and salsa bar.

Mexican food outside of North America is a tough nut to crack. The tacos are pretty good, but the…read moreguacamole felt overpriced for a small serving. There are some unique flavors that work well, and sidewalk cafe feel along with Dia de Los Muertos classy kitch (if that's possible).

Mexico is where you can have boisterous vibes, cocktails and cheap Mexican eats. With its…read morepopularity the stores have begun to spread to other areas of the country after starting a few in Auckland. I am a bit disappointed writing this review, because I had been to Mexico a few times before the change of the new menu, and tbh I was a fan of the cheap eats, even though they weren't authentic. There were definitely hits and misses with the new menu. I think the pork taco was a great choice, the pineapple salsa gives it a fresh flavour and brings a nice texture to it. Although the polenta chips were nice, they were just far too big and too filling, and with the blue cheese milk it was just too rich, and we agreed it would be nice if it was served with a chipotle aioli maybe. The biggest disappointment were the filled gorditas, although the filling was nice, the gordita itself was so oily I couldn't even finish it, it dripped in oil and was just unappetising. Also I think they were $15, which makes its quite poor value for money. The dish we enjoyed the most was the blackboard special, the prawn tostaditas, it was light and fresh and kept on par with the Mexican theme. Based on this experience, I would recommend they return to their original menu, why change whats already so good. Rating Food: 6.5/10 Service: 7/10 Value for Money: Good 164 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby Opening Hours: Mon-Sun 12pm-Late