Tacos in Australia
Tacos in Australia evolved from Tex-Mex and burrito-focused eateries into a more regional, Mexican-run restaurant scene in Sydney and Melbourne, marked by house-made tortillas, birria trucks and mezcal bars. Melbourne's La Tortilleria, which supplies tortillas to other venues, and Sydney's birria specialists are emblematic of the shift.
Development
Mexican food was once hard to find in Australia's big cities. Time Out Melbourne writes that when it did become common it was mostly Tex-Mex of uneven quality, and Time Out Sydney similarly describes an earlier generation of Tex-Mex and burrito-heavy eateries. Both cities now have a broad spread of Mexican cooking, from cantinas and late-night mezcal bars to regional restaurants.
Tortillas have been central to the change. La Tortilleria in Kensington, Melbourne, launched in 2013, makes tortillas that other restaurants use and is widely regarded as one of the city's best Mexican venues. Cesar Duran, from Mexico City, opened the El Cielo tortilleria in Airport West in 2012 before starting El Sabor in North Melbourne. Several Sydney restaurants, such as Mexicano in Narrabeen, press their own.
Styles and venues
Birria tacos are prominent in both cities. In Sydney, Papi's Birria Tacos grew from taco trucks into a Darlinghurst shop serving tacos with consomé, and Radio Taco in Chippendale draws lines at opening time. In Melbourne the Dingo Ate My Taco food truck sells birria quesatacos alongside unusual fillings such as huitlacoche and beer-battered avocado.
Other venues lean on regional Mexican cooking: Nu'u by Nativo in Glebe has an Oaxacan-inspired menu, Maíz in Newtown builds its menu around corn, and Superchido in Seddon cooks dishes from Mexico City, Jalisco, Veracruz and Yucatán. Melbourne's Mamasita is known for cochinita pibil tacos, and its founders Matt Lane and Nick Peters opened Hotel Jesus in Collingwood in 2016. Mesa Verde in Melbourne's CBD pairs Mexican food with native Australian ingredients and holds one of the country's largest tequila and mezcal ranges. Taco Tuesday deals are common in both cities. Beach suburbs have their own spots, such as St. Alma in Freshwater, with coastal tacos built on local seafood, and Carbòn in Bondi, which cooks over a wood fire. Checho's in Penrith, opened in 2020, holds a late-night licence, and in Melbourne Little Hop in Fitzroy is known for fish and mushroom tacos.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg pork shoulder, cut in large chunks
- 100 g achiote paste
- 1/2 cup orange juice and juice of 2 limes
- 3 garlic cloves, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1 1/2 tsp salt
- Banana leaves or baking paper
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced, pickled in lime juice with salt
- 12 corn tortillas
- Habanero salsa and coriander
Steps
- Blend the achiote, citrus juices, garlic, oregano, cumin and salt into a smooth marinade.
- Coat the pork and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
- Line a baking dish with banana leaves, add the pork and marinade, fold the leaves over and cover tightly with foil.
- Bake at 160 C for about 2 1/2 hours, until the pork shreds easily.
- Shred the meat in its juices.
- Serve on warm tortillas with pickled onion, habanero salsa and coriander.
A home version of the achiote pork and cochinita pibil tacos common on Australian Mexican menus.
Where to try it
- La Tortilleria, Melbourne (Kensington): Opened 2013; supplies tortillas to other venues.
- Papi's Birria Tacos, Sydney (Darlinghurst): Birria shop that grew out of taco trucks.
- Mamasita, Melbourne: Mexican restaurant known for cochinita pibil tacos.
- Nu'u by Nativo, Sydney (Glebe): Taquería and mezcal bar with an Oaxacan-inspired menu.
Reviews
Reviews and tips open at launch. Readers will be able to share where they found the best version of this and how they make it at home.
See also
References
- "The best Mexican restaurants in Melbourne". Time Out Melbourne. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "The best Mexican restaurants in Sydney right now". Time Out Sydney. Retrieved 2026-10-10.