Mexico Christchurch — Restaurant in Christchurch

This is one of the Mexican restaurants in Christchurch. It is situated on the corner of Manchester and Hereford Streets. I made the booking via their website (and I was told by the host that the online booking system was made live this week – beginning of Sept 2018) and it was an easy thing to do. However, I have to warn you; each location has its own booking schedule and do not go to the wrong location (which I nearly booked at Wellington location using my mobile device).

Anyway, the place is dimly lit and very cosy. It has a great Mexican themed interior with reasonably comfortable seating. We walked in and were greeted by the staff. I told them my online booking (just need to mention your name) and they found it and took us to our table which is next to the window facing Manchester St (nice!). The place was warm, and you don’t need to wear the jacket inside. The staff were friendly and the guy that served us was very helpful and made a couple of suggestions on what to order (this is my first time to this restaurant). There are two different menus; one for the grown-ups, and one for the kids. However, the kids can also order and eat from the normal menu. The kid’s menu has limited options and the dishes are not spicy while the normal menu has plenty of spicy dishes.

We ordered Salsa Roja, Agave roasted kumara, Mexico Fried Chicken, Spiced squid, Spanish chorizo & papa, Crispy pork belly, Green beans in turmeric batter, Pomegranate lamb piccadillo, and Quince braised pork shoulder. The dishes were fantastic, tasty and flavoursome. The dishes are [generally] meant for sharing, apart from the soft-shell tacos, which are not for sharing. The food comes fast but the servings are small. I recommend ordering at least two different tacos per person.

However, they have an unusual table sharing practice – a long table that can seats four adults easily but more if you don’t mind a bit of squeezing. But if only two people, then be prepared to share with another two people (or one) sitting next to you (it’s not that bad, you might even make new friends).

Child-friendly restaurant.

This is a licensed eatery and you can order the drinks 🍻🍸🍷🍾🍹🍺. There is no outdoor dining area.

Street parking 🅿 only.

They accept cash, EFTPOS and credit card payments, for those who want to know.

Would I go back? Yes. 😏 Would I recommend? Yes. 😊

Food: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5. My family and I enjoyed all the dishes. Ambience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5. Great atmosphere with a great Mexican theme. Price: ⭐⭐⭐⭐out of 5. The dishes and drinks are reasonably priced. It won’t...

Good food but poor experience overall. Reserved a table and server was quick to come to us and ask for drinks, told her we were waiting for 2 others who were running 10 mins late. Within 5 minutes, the server came back and asked if we were ready to order food and drink. Again, we said no and we were waiting. This felt much like we were being pushed to order to have us leave quicker as town was busy this night due to an event.

When we were ready to order food, we ordered two share platters and some other bits. One share platter came first and we waited 30 mins for the rest of the tables food to come which meant that our meal was cold as we wanted to eat together. My partner also found a hair in his pork belly taco which he didn't make a fuss about. We had to ask 3 times for a corona which finally came after 30 mins of asking and we kept getting food delivered to our table that wasn't ours, as well as the table next to us receiving ours. The churros that were part of our platter also took a long time to come so much so that we were convinced that they would not come at all and were ready to get up and pay.

When paying, we were unaware that the share platter was $42 per person as it said up to 2 amigoes and pp small print beside which was fine, however, when we double checked with the man at the counter, he laughed in my friend's face and was very passive aggressive. The whole party found the service at the counter as well as the service throughout the meal extremely subpar and this ruined our meal despite the food actually tasting good.

Some of us went back in to ask for some compensation of the meal due to the poor service and the man asked my friend who was paying with a gift card to keep the gift card and then transfer the two other couples money as compensation which obviously would just mean my friend would be out of pocket. We declined and had one last try at asking, the man finally gave us 2/6 of the meals as compensation once we told him about how poor the service and wait for our food was.

The experience with the staff and service totally ruined my friends birthday and she left feeling disappointed and embarrassed that she had organised to have dinner there. Again, the food was actually quite nice but the overall experience totally...

We just want to congratulate the team at Mexico for an astounding first impression. We made a booking via First Table and upon arrival we were promptly attended to by the charmingly professional Holly. We were given a comprehensive intro to the establishment and we were excellently advised on the popular plates which were must tries.

I have to agree that esquites, gorditas and croquetas were wonderful entradas/entrees and they were perfectly partnered with our refreshing blanco and rosado sangrias. The pork skewers were so deliciously tender and the crumbed avocado soft shell taco was a revelational find. The menus were very comprehensive and easy to navigate. We were very impressed by their extensive potable and comestible selections. This place caters well for vegetarians and those seeking tasty gluten free offerings.

Our table was beautifully presented and we had superb access to cutlery, salsas and serviettes. We also had a pitcher of water and cups within convenient reach. Perhaps my only minor grievance was that the water was tepid. Admittedly, this could have been resolved if only we had asked for some ice. The staff were very obliging and went well out of there way to make our experience an enjoyable one.

The restaurant has a fun and quirky vibe and the staff seem to embrace the funky feel good theme and nature of their workplace. I loved The staff uniforms! The music was jaunty and uplifting and positively contributed to the lively atmosphere of Mexico.

Speaking to some patrons after the meal, we were informed that they are regulars and that the fried chicken is a big hit. They also highly praised the crisp frito cauliflower florets along with other crowd pleasers including tequilas and margaritas. A lot of people we gather come into this establishment for their wonderful selection of beverages. We look forward to trying these options the next time we are in.

It is a place which caters well for all people including families. We noticed a lovely selection of patrons from all levels of the age spectrum. Everyone seemed to be having a fabulous time. We did not use the rest rooms but the overall hygiene of the restaurant and bar was impeccable. The manager should be very proud of the feats delivered by their front and back team....