You know, there are some places that stand out for various reasons .. don't get me wrong, I have…read moresome nuggets of badness about La Cantina (their drinks barely wet your mouth before they are gone) but overall I have to say it's a lovely place that serves some really good, really authentic food. The decor is cute, almost like a pub in the plain simple seating and tables, but every picture on the wall tells a story and the license plates make it plain that the focus is not a New Zealand one, this is dedicated to the US TexMex flavouring and the surrounds show it. Service was fast and friendly, they were very concerned that we enjoyed the meal and were super quick with food.. now the food .. We started with simple fries and corn chips, the salsa was something that NZ haven't seen much of, it was smooth, no major chunks and chopped fine .. the corn chips were fresh from the fry machine and hot and delicious, crispy and dusted with a seasoning that made it taste even better. The mains were authentic TexMex fajita and "Mama's chicken" .. let's say if my Mama cooked that well I might not have left home at 13 .. (actually I was kicked out .. but that's a story for another review) So a 5 stars for La Cantina, if you like Authentic food .. come here, if you like mass produced soggy stuff, I have a KFC review that might interest you. Ps. Dr Pepper, Cream Sosa and Root beer ...

This restaurant is amazing! It's fast service with quality burritos. The fillings might not be 100%…read moreauthentic Mexican, but they do serve delicious burritos. The price is well deserve! Best part is they donate to charity! Not to mention the staff is always smiley. Recommended 100% percent!

Zambrero had fast become a favourite lunch break destination for myself and my workmates due to the…read moregenerous portions, (once) vibrant atmosphere and ethical endeavours. Zambrero is a fresh spin on the old Cali burrito craze, but manages to improve on those familiar themes. I often opt for the quesadillas with tangy verde sauce, but the burritos and salad bowls are also great. In addition to being tasty, many of the menu items are part of a 'Plate 4 Plate' initiative where each purchase also donates a plate of food to a child in need. Update: since coming under new management, the service here has become absolutely dreadful. One day I went in to order and could hear staff laughing and watching videos out back while people were waiting in line for service. I had to call out for assistance to get their attention so that one staff member came out to start making orders. She was followed by another staff member who leant on the counter and continued watching her video while laughing obnoxiously and ignoring customers. The food is still alright but I never stay longer than is strictly necessary because the whole atmosphere of the place is dreadful.

If you, like me, have noticed that there's suddenly been a huge explosion of "build your own" style…read moreMexican chains in the city this summer, you'll have noticed that one name in particular keeps popping up over Auckland everywhere: Zambrero. Whilst the concept is hardly original (think Mexicali) and the menu not exactly wild (think quesadillas, burritos and tacos) the actual flavours and portion sizes of the dishes on offer are commendable, and relatively healthy compared to alternatives! Featured below is their Black Rice Power Bowl with Lamb and Guacamole. Definitely not bad for a somewhat guilt free lunch when you're out and about. I rate it.

My friends and I were in town visiting and had seen The White Lady on YouTube and social media with…read morepeople regarding it as an institution. The White Lady is a food truck serving a variety of burgers and sandwiches, as well as chips. There is no seating, so they offer take away only. I was a little uncomfortable, as there was a group of homeless people sitting and laying down right next to the food truck. Because of this, I just wanted to grab my food and go. The food took about 15 mins to finish and we were out of there. They did have tomato sauce, as well as garlic aoli sauce, free to take as much as you want. I ordered the White Lady, which is one of their signature burgers. It had a beef patties, Scotch steak, Colby cheese, bacon, fried egg, grilled pineapple, fried onions, lettuce, and tomato. It sounded like a ton of ingredients, but I figured I had to try their namesake burger. I had taken my food back to my hotel, which was only about a 10-15 minute walk back. Understandably, the burger was a bit soggy. That wasn't the worst part though. My main gripe with this burger though, was the Scotch steak. It was probably my fault for not entirely knowing what a Scotch steak was. The steak was chewy and I was NOT able to bite it off each time I took a bite of the burger. After a couple bites struggling to separate the steak from the rest of the burger, I ended up just taking the steak out and eating it with a fork and knife. I cannot understand why you would put something on a burger if it cannot be bitten off solely with your teeth. It goes against the point of having something handheld. On top of that, the steak was very bland. The burger patties itself was okay, nothing amazing. I come from the United States, the home of fatty foods and the best burgers, so maybe I just have high standards. For me, this place was a one and done just to see what the hype was about.

Great simple burger stand. Old history behind the place and tasty burgers and fries (chips).read more

Excellent veggie burger. Easy to sub gluten free and vegan. My youngest son loved his pepperoni…read morepizza. My oldest made the mistake of getting 2 feet of the hot honey pizza, so he'll be enjoying it for days! I had the ipa which was solid, and the view and vibe are spectacular! Quick, friendly service!

We stopped here for a late lunch. With time zones all messed up on our first day here, we wanted to…read moresplit something and keep it light. We chose the Caesar salad with chicken. It came with a hard boiled egg, bacon, grilled chicken, Romain lettuce, garlic bread and a yummy dressing. It was so good and really hit the spot for healthy and hearty. When we arrived, we were handed 2 menus and instructed to sit anywhere we chose. Lots of seating, both in and outdoor. The outdoor patio had a cover which helped those patrons as it was drizzling on and off most of the day. I had a nice sauv Blanc. We got a pitcher of water. Everything was well done and absolutely delicious. Plus, we got to watch some Sunday night American football as we had lunch.

I was a bit suspicious because of the name. Federal? I eventually realized that is the name of the…read morestreet they are located on. It was open at the time I was in the area and it did look inviting. I perused the menu and decided to give it a try. Walking in I saw the old-fashioned furnishings, metal chairs, display cases, wall shelves, big bar in the middle all in a long and narrow room. Yessss, this looks lie something out of the 50s and I like it. After a long hard look at the menu I opted for the Salami platter... Strangely enough there wasn't salami, but more like a smoked ham, prosciutto like meat. It tasted great, so what's in a name. Delicious heirloom tomatoes, capers, salami impersonator, cream cheese, capers, pickles and your choice of bread. I had chosen crumpets and regretted that . Not because they weren't delicious, because they were so yummy, but they were also so buttery that I couldn't get the cream cheese to stick and everything I tried to put on the crumpet just slid right off them. I got the bottomless cup of coffee and I must say, this is really good coffee and the refills kept coming also. I love the atmosphere in here and there are so many great choices on the menu. If I ever come back tot Auckland, I will definitely stop by this place again.

Busy place with a lot of indoor seating and limited outdoor tables. Service was good, never had to…read morewait. It's a popular place and they were crowded but we didn't have to wait for a table. There was plenty of food for each order. My wife had a street dog and fries and I had a Ruben. They were pretty decent. I wasn't as happy with the fries. They were like the bottom of a pile and mostly little pieces with very few full length slices. Prices were extremely reasonable. I would definitely eat there again.

We arrived in Auckland on a late flight and found the staff to be super kind in letting us eat…read moreright before the kitchen closed. The fish & chips was great and the ambiance fitting for an Irish pub. Highly recommend!

I hadn't been here for a few years so when trying to find somewhere close for a quick-ish family…read moredinner we found a voucher in the Entertainment Book so thought we'd give it a go. As soon as walked in I remembered why I usually avoid it; The Blokes. I guess it's got the UK-style pub thing going on and clearly that has huge appeal for a certain kind of man. It was only a Wednesday so I was surprised to see so many (about 20) standing around, pints in hand. It's actually kind of intimidating and I'd be surprised if any women folk ever venture in here without a man of their own. Anyway we eventually were told to head into the dining room where we would be served. One thing of note about The Clare Inn: not a single vegetarian dish on the menu, chips and bread etc excluded. My usual staples of soup and salad even were absent - no salads on offer and no Soup of the Day as advertised on the menu. Even the Pasta of the Day was smoked chicken. Our lovely Irish waitress, though thin on smiles, efficiently took our drinks orders and answered our questions about the food saying we could get the pasta without meat. Sounded uninspiring so I went for the Fish'n'Chips with unbattered panfried fish and mostly salad with just a few chips. I can understand why wait staff don't love me for for changing every bloody item in the dish but sometimes there's no choice. (Other times I just want what I want.) I have to say, all the food was great and my daughter's vegetarian pasta turned out to be delicious so I was wrong about expecting flavourless tomato sauce with veges. Overall I'd say this is an ok place to come for a meal, especially if you prefer the traditional meat-based dishes on offer here i.e. Beef Wellington, Rump Steak and the like. And if you're a 50 to 60 year old guy who would rather be at the pub than at home then this is your place.

This is decent neighborhood spot. Full of your typical drinkers, smokers (on the front patio), and…read morevery light dining options. We were part of a group of about 12, that came and went, to help celebrate our friend's birthday. Food menu is very limited, and prices are a tad high for what you get. Tacos are $14 (2 tacos); Falafel, $12 (about 5 falafel). A small food platter (made to look large and impressive by coming out on a long board) was a mixture of a few meats, and lots of condiments, pickles, etc, was $50!!! Yet, what really galled me was the $6 charge for extra bread/crackers to accompany this food platter. It was served with three slices of french bread, and about 6 crackers. Here we are, spending over $300 for food & drinks and they nickel and dime us for a small amount of starch!! When I commented about this, the server took off $3 on the charge. Gee, thanks! The venue is altogether too tight, and the nearby smokers on the front patio was commented by all to be distasteful and obnoxious. But, that's what you get at pubs.

I went here with my partner on a Friday night for a drink. We each got a beer and we ordered a…read moreserve of skinny fries to share. They have a big variety of dips for the fries, and we went for the spicy ketchup and the aioli. I figured the spicy ketchup would be vegan, but when it came out it was super creamy looking and definitely not vegan friendly. So we asked the server for a side of regular ketchup and I was a happy girl again. They offer a good variety of beers, not a huge variety, but they'll have at least one of some type of beer that you'll like. I went for the APA by the craft brewery that they support. It was good, bright and zesty, and low in hops. The ambiance of the place was busy, it's a cute place but I wasn't thrilled that they let people smoke outside. I'm not sure if I'm a brat or just old, but second hand smoke is not my jam and it set a bit of a damper on what otherwise would have been a great experience. We still had a good time, service was attentive and prompt, and the food and drinks were all good.

Classy bar with classy drinks. When you walk into The Jefferson, you're immediately transported…read moreback to a different era. The bar is beautiful with some of the friendliest bartenders. We got two of their great drinks and they were both great. They've got a huge selection of whiskeys and gins. Great place for drinks!

Great whishys, good food(a bit spicy) nice music, very quiet…read more The attention is perfect. It has a really nice bar. The bbq ribs and coleslaw were delicious.