this jawn was fye (aka this place is awesome) pardoning my gen z lingo: the barbacoa quesadilla, barbacoa taco and the lamb taco were absolutely delicious, but my soft shell crab taco stole the show!! ('twas munched down before a photo could be taken rip) good service and kind waitress who was obviously happy to be here! ambiance is medium volume and comfy benches with large tables, community feeling and very upbeat and authentic overall this restaurant gets cinco stars!! :) definitely come here if you have a chance! we needed some Mexican food while in Christchurch and Mexicanos did NOT disappoint!!! read more

Stopped in here for dinner and the food was delicious. Being from SoCal I was surprised that none of the entrees include rice and beans, and it's not even an option to add and make a combo. I enjoyed my meal but it did feel like something was missing as a result. Mentioned it to the server and he'd never heard of rice and beans being standard fare in a Mexican restaurant. read more

We had just arrived in Christchurch and were starving after a long day of travel. Mexicano's seemed like a good option, and boy, did they deliver on delicious food. We started out with chips and salsa. The salsa was fresh, like it had just been made, and the chips were just the right texture to complement the salsa. My husband and I ordered some tacos. I had a grilled shrimp as well as a a portobello mushroom one. Both were perfect, and packed full of flavor. To top off the meal, we had a Sticky Pudding Cake that was served with a scoop of ice cream. It was wonderful- overall, our experience here was all around spectacular! I feel so fortunate to have had such a great meal straight off the plane after a long travel. I would highly recommend this place and if I lived locally, I would definitely eat here often. Great job Mexicano's!!! read more

Mexicano's - The atmosphere here is awesome, just like the food! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Christchurch, CAN

This place rocks. Definitely recommend making a booking, especially on a weekend. There are two seating areas: the bar (first come first serve) and the dining area. The dining area is mostly tall top tables with some lower tables around the edges. I recommend the dining room as the service is much more attentive and efficient. Be sure to ask for sombreros to wear with dinner (no charge) or mustaches to take home ($2). The dining menu is more of a shared plate style atmosphere. For 5 people we ordered double tortillas (2/pp), chicken, beef cheek, side coleslaw and seasonal veggies and were satisfied (granted we all had had snacks before we came). We also ordered 2 margaritas (the ginger: FANTASTIC and the Locos y Explosivo: delicious but VERY caliente!). Definitely an interesting dining experience as the theme seems to focus on Dios de las Muertas (Day of the Dead) and their food is very traditional Mexican. They also serve tacos, guacamole and salsas and other options if you're not comfortable with the shared plates concept. Definitely recommend checking this place out if you're craving Mexican! read more

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Wow! We had no idea what to expect with Mexican food in NZ. Saw there were good reviews, and checked it out. Authentic for sure. We both got drinks at the bar while waiting for our table. The grapefruit margarita and I forget the one my husband got, but it has basil, pineapple, and jalapenos. Spicy and delicious. We ordered the corn fritters, nachos, tacos (fish, steak, and shrimp), and sticky date pudding. Everything was tasty. Tacos seemed a bit overpriced for the portion (comparing it to really good places back home), but had interesting flavors. Our favorite was the steak taco as the meat was perfectly tender and came with this tomato olive tapenade? Delish! read more

Can't to this place because another place I went to wasn't serving full menu so they suggested I come here. However this place wasn't serving full menu when I got here either! But I was so hungry I ate here anyways. The decorations were awesome. Very cozy and fun looking restaurant.,love the nail light fixtures. Very cool ambiance! So limited menu since it was before 5. I ordered pulled pork and beef tacos. Both were very tasty on flour tortilla. I also got guacamole ...home made and very good with salsa that was basically just fresh tomatoes with spices but still very good. My favorite part of the meal was the dessert! The caramel popcorn sundae! So freakin finger lickin good! Also had cotton candy on top! I highly recommend getting this. Also the cocktail list was very good. I got two different drinks and they were both very good. Only downside: there are no rice and beans. Being from Texas I'm like what kind of Mexican place has no rice!? Also hard to get any queso solo. Have to get it with other food. Overall great experience. Service was also good. read more

Mexicano's - The bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Christchurch, CAN

Had a craving for Mexican food while traveling on our honeymoon and Mexicano's hit the spot! Loved the shaken pomegranate margarita that had a chili salt rim. The chicken nachos were delicious - would definitely recommend. Steak taco with olive salsa was a little odd but still tasty. Overall good food, drinks and atmosphere! Also, they take reservations. read more

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Had dinner here for our first night in Christchurch. Friendly service, nice atmosphere, and the food was tasty. Luckily my friend and I were a bit earlier and was able to be sat before the dinner crowd. I had the beans as a side, along with the mushroom taco, the titty twister draft, and split the popcorn sundae. Only suggestion is to add a stout draft to the menu :) read more

Mexicanos , The place is very cool.love the decorations.now the food,it is not an authentic Mexican food it's all a little bland for my taste, but the quality of the produce is very good.what I really enjoyed are the Margaritas .I have been a fan of Mexican food since I remember,at home we eat Mexican food twice a week.I have also lived there for a while.so my advice is ...........Go there have a few drinks at the bar and get a feel your self. read more

Mexicano's - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Christchurch, CAN

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Great choice if you're in the mood for Mexican food. We took our kids here since we're traveling from out of town. We were the only ones with children at 7pm for dinner. They did have a kid's menu that included a drink and popcorn sundae. Kids loved it. Tacos were yummy. The pork and prawns had good flavors. The flank steak and chicken needed a little more spices. Maybe a cilantro jalapeño mayo for the beef tacos? All in all a delicious place to eat! read more

Once we found this hidden gem, everything was fine. Anna greeted us and although they had bookings, wedged us in. Started with frozen margaritas which were perfect. Very tart and with a flavorful tequila, of which they offer many. Smallish menu with starters and small plates, taco's and a few entries. Was sampled several taco's and each was unique and flavorful. Will return when we get back to Christchurch. read more

From what I can tell, Victoria St is where it's at these days. There's a ton of restaurants like Mexicanos and the street is buzzing with people. We went to Mexicanos at about 9:30pm on a Saturday and struggled to get a table. Initially we sat outside but were soon told that they stopped serving alcohol outside at 10pm. Inside we went. The food reminds me a bit of the Mexico chain but perhaps a bit more 'traditional.' We had the usual guac followed by an array of soft shell tacos ($8). Unlike Mexico , the filling were generous and the meat well-cooked. They could of done with more fresh herbs but that was only a slight niggle. If your looking for a causal cheap and cheerful restaurant with a ton of atmos Mexicanos is worth a looksie. read more

Great little Mexican place we stumbled upon during our time in Christchurch. We were there early (6ish) but it was already pumping. Started off with the guac, salsa & chips which was really good, and then the fire roasted corn with chipotle mayo & queso which was amazing! I then had 2 mushroom & black bean soft tacos which were great... But then came dessert. OMG popcorn sundae! Just amazing! read more

Mexicano's - Mushroom & black bean soft tacos - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Christchurch, CAN

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Went here while hanging out in the NZ waiting for the weather to be good enough to get to Antarctica. The Margs were small, but super yummy. We were choosing from the lunch menu and I had the fish tacos. There were really good. I forgot to ask for corn tortillas, but the flour ones were yummy. I also got the guac and salsa app. Fresh and tasty for sure. The service was great and the place isn't really the Mexican that I am used to in the states... but I wanted Margaritas and the ones they had were spot on... If you get them frozen... I tried the on the rocks one of a friends and it was odd. That's all I am saying about that. read more

went yesterday and had the original fried chicken and chicken quesadilla. The ambience and decor is great. Food was tasty too. Unfortunately, the menu food options are limited and the price for the amount of food given is sort of steep. I guess this is more of your casual drink spot for bringing a date with some delicious bites to eat on the side. read more

MINDBLOWING!!! Stumbled here for dinner - the tacos are to die for! Should the restaurant be full, you can simply go to the resto/bar next door (sorry forgot the name) where you can enjoy all tacos next to a fire pit. Probably the best meal I had in New Zealand. Enjoy!!! read more

Wow - tacos (chicken and pulled pork) were delicious! Would definitely recommend. Braised beef quesadilla as full of flavor, and also highly recommended. Ambiance was very pleasant; filled up fast for dinner and constant on a Monday night. Service was positive! read more

Not too bad, chips need a little work, salsa needs some jalapeño added! When your from Texas you like it hot, hot, hot!!! I had veggie quesadillas excellent... Asked for sour cream... They do not have!!! My husband had the lamb chops special he said it was edible just needed some spice!!! It was a good place to get a chip salsa fix when your missing the real thing!!! $77 for two includes two drinks!!! read more

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Short answer-it's okay. Long answer. Potato skins with queso fundito were bland. Fried chicken and braised pork quesadillas were good but not great. Had a bit of an odd experience I think. First wait staff we encountered asked if we had a booking and when we said no (in an empty restaurant at 5pm) she looked concerned and said she'd have to direct is to the manager. He seemed as if it was no problem and told her we could use table 14 until 645. She then relayed that to us and asked if we would like her to go over the menu. We said sure and she basically read the whole thing. I think she was just a bit awkward, other staff seemed to interact with customers in a typical way. Not a big deal, just tainted our meal. My dad tried to mention it to the manager while paying but he was distracted and didn't hear. read more

Very busy, great atmosphere. Staff were great. The nacho dish was excellent but the tacos which i had, whilst had great flavours, was very sparing in actual substance. Basically poor value. read more

I was looking for some comfort food and tacos is always my go to. So when looking up places to eat this one caught my eye. My friend and I waked in and the place has a great atmosphere about it. The Art Deco and music were wonderful. We sat at one of the high tops and the waitress brought us waters. Gave us a few great recommendations. Then gave us time to decide. We both went with a taco and appetizer. She then came back and asked if we were thinking about any cocktails. I asked what was on draft and they only had 2. Normally Mexican restaurants don't have very many so it was cool. She told us about both and I asked to taste one and she brought both drafts for tasting. It was very thoughtful cause I actually went with the one I didn't ask for. Once we got our food we started eating. And I'm telling you, the grilled chicken taco with mashed Avocado and pickled mango is one of the best tacos I've ever had. And I've had a lot of tacos. I fully recommend this place to anyone who loves Mexican food. I'm hoping to get there again before I leave New Zealand. It's only been 2 days. But maybe I'll get there today for lunch. Try them! You won't regret it at all!! read more

Had a fish taco, pulled pork taco, and house margarita. The fish taco was amazing! So good I ordered another one. Ambiance is cool and fun-they have moustaches and sombreros for sale at the bar:) read more

Fantastic food. Great service. Really cool decorations. Nice to have a solid Mexican meal on the other side of the planet.

Delicious food, with each dish having its own distinct flavour. Busy, and we had to wait 30min past our reservation of 9:15.. Maitre De friendly but inefficient. Had to remind him that we were still waiting, and then got immediately seated. But the food is so good, its worth the wait. read more

Easily some of the best food in Christchurch. From what I can tell, it's authentic Mexican with a few twists. The tacos have soft shells, but have fruit in them (chicken & mango, pork & pineapple) which adds a really nice touch. The meat is juicy and delicious. I also tried the corn chips with salsa. The chips were plain with some salt on them, which lets you taste the nice corn flavour without any distraction like you would get with Doritos (not that I don't like Doritos). The salsa seemed like authentic pico de gallo, a fresh chunky salsa with citrus and coriander. I don't normally like fresh tomato or coriander, but I could eat this stuff for days. I also got a beef quesadilla, which was nice and cheesy. Not sure how else to describe it, but it was good. As for prices, you get pretty good value for money. The tacos are small, but I think they were around $7, which is not bad considering you would pay at least $5 at a food truck for something nowhere near as good. I can't remember how much everything else was, but if you get a couple of tacos and couple of other things to share, then you get a good meal for just over $20. read more

Fab tacos and margarita's! fun atmosphere!

Decidedly average food, nothing Mexican about it.... Tacos with gross Eta mayonaise and skinless bbq sauce tasting "adobo" chicken? But quite pleasant service and a tasty ceviche, although it was actually not ceviche but poisson cru - hence two stars apart from the defensive and annoying duty manager. Try somewhere else. read more

Mexicano's is always busy so it pays to make a reservation well in advance. Just be careful as they do have dining windows and you may be evicted from your seat before you are ready as they will have the table booked for someone else. I don't mind this, as long as you are warned when you make your reservation. In my most recent experience (staff xmas party) we were made to give up our seats before dessert, while people were still contemplating ordering more main dishes, which left a sour taste in everyones mouth. The food is pretty good but does come in small sizes. You will often need at least two dishes to actually start to feel full. The guac is ok, and I really like the crispy potato skins. The larger dishes are all pretty good with strong flavours. I always try and get a taco (favourite so far is the pulled pork), and a larger dish such as the ceviche or the chicken/chorizo sticks. The braised beef and pork hock are pretty good as well. And of course, some fried chicken for the table. No dish really stands out as a absolute must have, and none are particularly bad either. Mexicanos is noisy, and dark. The atmosphere is very cool but its not a place for quiet conversations. The drinks list is pretty limited if you are after wine but has a good selection of margarita's and sangria. read more

To be really honest I was pretty underwhelmed by the food and the way it was delivered. The potatoe skins were terrible and my main was ordinary. The place is really busy and I'm really surprised. While I would go back and try something else I'd much prefer to try other restaurants or go somewhere where I know I'll get the food I'm paying for. I don't like being so negative but I'm really annoyed by the potatoe skins that they include on the menu but have no idea how to prepare or that they took absolutely no care. read more

We have been in New Zealand for a week (having a wonderful time thanks to all the great people here) but being from Texas we need a Mexican food fix on a regular basis. On a whim we searched Yelp and we're pleasantly surprised to find this place listed. After seeing the rating it was a no brainer. We started with the standard Margarita and although it was different from our normal it was very tasty (shaken not frozen). We wanted to taste a variety but we were late and their menu was limited for the evening crowd which made the difference between five stars and the four we gave them. Some of the photos posted made up our minds as to what we wanted but couldn't get it when we arrived around 7 pm. We ended up ordering the potatoes skins, fish taco, pulled pork and a chicken taco and if you like corn on the cob you gotta try theirs. Roasted corn on the cob covered in white cheese, may be parmessan, and some yummy spices. All the food was five stars and the service was great. They even have a great salsa that we see in Houston. Not our first choice but the fact that they had an authentic salsa sauce made in Mexico was a real sign of their authentic intentions and we salute them for that and their very tasty cuisine. Got our Mexican fix in Christchurch, New Zealand...who'd have guessed read more

A short walk from my hotel, this place was just what everyone said it would be - hip, delicious, friendly, and affordable. An interesting menu, with Mexican staples and unique offerings makes this a place that tempts even a short-term visitor to CHC to come back. read more

We visited once only, service was average and food was poor. We aren't great cooks but we can make better Mexican at home with a kit from countdown. They also ran out of beer . I wouldn't go back read more

Best Mexican in town. Have recently travelled to Mexico and had authentic tacos. This place brings Mexico to Christchurch. Authentic flavour and fab paradise slushy. Love it! read more