Cartel Del Taco is bringing a piece of Mexico to New Farm with a brand-new outpost
In big news for taco-loving residents of the inner north, the crew behind beloved taqueria and bar Cartel Del Taco is opening a brand-new location a short tortilla toss from Merthyr Village in New Farm. Set to open in February, the new location will see the Cartel Del Taco team expand its scope far beyond tacos, enhancing its nighttime menu with a new suite of woodfired dishes while also debuting a brand-new breakfast offering. Here’s what we know …
If the popularity of a venue is judged by how difficult it is to snag a seat on a whim, then Cartel Del Taco is undoubtedly one of the most beloved eateries in Brisbane. It’s been more than two years since the neon-lit taqueria’s debut on Hawthorne Road and showing up without a booking is, still, a very risky prospect.
“We still get a line of people – two or three sittings through the night,” says co-owner Marco Ramirez. “I think we’re getting around 1000 to 1200 guests every week.”
If you’ve gambled on snagging a walk-in table and been disappointed, then this bit of news is sure to excite – Cartel Del Taco is expanding.
Marco and fellow co-owner, head chef Erick Martinez, are currently overseeing the final stages of the fit-out of their second eatery, which is taking shape on the corner of Merthyr Road and Brunswick Street in New Farm. The venue is tentatively on track to open in mid-February.
The duo tells us that they’ve had their eye on a cross-river move for a while, after noticing increasing numbers of diners making the trek to devour Cartel Del Taco’s fare, which is regarded by many as the most authentic Mexican cuisine one is likely to find in Brisbane.
But even with loads of goodwill propelling them, the duo is taking the opportunity to do more with their New Farm outpost, expanding the offering beyond the plates that made Hawthorne an instant, and enduring, success.
“We know that there are a lot of high-quality restaurants here,” says Erick, who points to nearby pockets such as James Street and Newstead as epicentres of Brisbane’s dining scene. “So we have decided to push it a little more.”
“I think something that makes us quite special is that we know Mexican food,” adds Marco. “Mexican food is not only tacos – there’s such a huge variety of Mexican food that Erick has experience with and can cook.”
In addition to its trusty Trompo spit, Cartel Del Taco’s New Farm kitchen will be equipped with a charcoal grill, heralding a greater focus on woodfired meats, seafood and vegetables. An oyster bar will also be amply stocked with moreish molluscs on ice.
“We are planning to change 50 percent of the menu,” says Erick, who hints at the likes of gorditas and calabacitas (a dish of sauteed zucchini) as potential additions. “We’re keeping the traditional tacos but we will have more mains, we will have more sides and more seafood.
“We want to mix things and keep the Australian sense as well. The Australian palate is important to us – we’re not just trying to educate, but join together. We want to make sure that Australians are happy to try our food and say, ‘Wow, that’s good’.”
“I think the new and exciting items on the menu will make diners feel like they’re on the streets of Mexico, in the markets of Mexico or on the coast of Mexico,” Marco adds.
Perhaps the biggest addition to the Cartel Del Taco offering will be the incorporation of a brand-new breakfast menu, which we hear will be a hybrid of Australian and Mexican dishes.
“Our vision is doing some traditional Australian breakfast dishes here with the Mexican touch, but also showcasing some dishes from Mexico – the kind we used to have as a breakfast,” says Erick, who tells us to expect the likes of chilaquiles rojos and heirloom tomato salsa with chiltepin chilli alongside atole and silky cups of ONA Coffee.
On the bar front, the Cartel Del Taco team will keep guests well watered with its famous margaritas and micheladas, though the crew is eager to expand its offering to include more artisanal mezcals, while also giving the cocktail list a shake-up (including the addition of some refreshing new frozen varieties).
Much like their Hawthorne taqueria, the duo is going to great lengths when it comes to kitting out the 100-seat newbie. The duo has once again scoured Mexico for everything – from furniture to servingware – and freighting it back to Australia at no small expense. In collaboration with Enixr Built and Arch Interiors, the team is instilling the same vivid 1980s Mexican taqueria-style aesthetic, with 5000 locally sourced tiles (red, yellow, green and white) coating the walls and counters alongside artwork from Mauricio Groenewold.
Just about everything else is imported, from the hand-crafted molcajetes (stone mortars used to make guacamole) from Puebla, handmade jarra de barro (brown clay vessels traditionally used to make coffee and cafe de olla), volcanic stone plates, and a metate – a ground stone tool used for grinding nixtamalized maize.
“I think people need to know these things,” says Marco, “that the chair that they sit on was made by a Mexican in Mexico or the table that they’re eating at was from Mexico.”
Cartel Del Taco is arriving at a great time – New Farm is currently undergoing a bit of a renaissance period, with the likes of Grape & Grazing, The Junk Bar and The Officers Mess opening in the suburb in recent months.
“Everyone wants to be here, you know?” says Erick. “For us, we started to believe in ourselves and say, why not? We’re really excited to give New Farm a little bit of Mexico.”
Cartel Del Taco New Farm is set to open in February – stay tuned for a close-up look.