Prepare to feast on endless tacos and margaritas, because a Gold Coast institution has come to Brisbane, bringing seaside Mexican vibes with it. MexiCali has been slinging Mexican fare to Nobby Beach locals for almost a decade, and thought it was about time Brisbane got a little taste of the action, with an open air rooftop space in Bulimba the chosen locale for Mexicali 2.0.
The venue has been a longtime coming—eagle-eyed locals would have spotted the ‘coming soon’ sign months ago—but was undoubtedly worth the wait. Rather than just creating a carbon copy of the original location, co-founder Luke Johnson and his team opted to create a venue designed to draw in a crowd from all over Brisbane—and we think they’ve succeeded. Bespoke furnishings range from high bar tables overlooking bustling Oxford Street below to massive group booths, all of it adorned in a range of patterns and textures. Even the mural on the tiles lining the bar is hand painted, while a neon sign alludes to Mexicali’s signature green verdita tequila shot chaser.
Anyone who’s made the trek down to the Nobby’s venue will recognise the familiar favourites on the menu, with their dedication to using only high quality ingredients and making all sauces in house also migrating north. If you’re a first timer, we’ll fill you in—starting with their margaritas, of course. Using nothing but 100% Blue Agave tequila and mezcal (not the half-moonshine stuff you’ll find at the bottle-o), Mexicali’s margs are legendary, with the likes of watermelon, coconut, passionfruit and a spicy cucumber and jalapeno numbers on the list).
Once you’ve got a drink in hand (they’ve got a hefty selection of wines, beers, sangrias and other cocktails to choose from as well), you can start on the food. Corn chips with guac, grilled corn smothered in queso and chipotle mayo and Mexican chilli salt squid will get your appetite piqued before you move onto your choice of tacos, whether it’s the classic Baja style fish, beer battered Moreton Bay bug, al pastor or beef birria served with consomme.
Other share plates include nachos loaded with beef brisket, chicken or vegetarian jackfruit, quesadillas and a juicy rib fillet served with salsa and corn tortillas, or you can opt for one of the banquet options if you simply can’t decide (these come with the added bonus of being able to add on bottomless margaritas, if that tickles your fancy). And for the sweet tooths, we hear the baked xocolate brownie skillet with Cointreau sauce is an absolute must-order.
A retractable roof overhead and live DJ on Sundays makes this one of the best new weekend haunts in Brisbane, and we recommended booking yourself a table real soon.
Image credit: Ranyhyn Laine | Urban List