Arriba! Arriba! Cartel Taqueria in Queanbeyan is mad about tacos filled with curated, house-made fillings, writes dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON.
ON the banks of the river, Ray Morton Park, Cartel Taqueria is owned by the Petridis family who invented the “freak shake” which they sold in the former Café Patissez, Manuka. No freak shakes are found at this new Mexican venue, but delish frozen margaritas and sangria are.
A taqueria specialises in tacos and the Cartel, in Queanbeyan, does it well. Each taco is $14 (one per serve) and accompanied by zesty lime and sweet coriander.
The Baja fish crispy tacos are stuffed with lightly battered flathead and come with a lime and garlic crema. For an extra kick, the Baja features zingy pico de gallo (tomato salsa) and pickled red onion.
Chilli and garlic butter king prawns are the main ingredient in La Gamba tacos, perked up with caramelised pineapple and chilli salsa, guacamole and spring onion.
My Mas Vaca centred around tender, spicy, slow-cooked and shredded beef, smothered with southern slaw (nice texture) and Mexican cheese which added another layer of flavour.
Kids will be happy with more simple tacos ($6 to $9) and a bowl of plain fries for $3.
Backtracking a bit… we shared the Queso starter (small $14, large $18). This smooth, creamy Texan three-cheese dip is served with guac, coriander and sriracha.
We appreciated being able to order a small option since the large ($18) would have been overwhelming for our small party. We had fun dipping crunchy blue and yellow totopos (triangle-shaped tortilla chips) into the dip while sipping our drinks before ordering mains.
We road-tested the waffle fries and fritter bites (both $8 small and $12 large). The fries were light and crunchy. The mini corn and zucchini fritter bites were perfect morsels packed with flavour. They just weren’t as hot (temperature-wise) as I expected them to be.
Refreshing margaritas are made fresh daily with no premix ($19 each). Our designated driver enjoyed a deep ruby red coloured virgin margarita. Those who like it dirty can add a shot of tequila for $5. My classic, authentic-tasting lime version reminded me of my trips to Mexico.
Sangria (rojo and blanco) is $16 by the glass and $80 for a jug, which equals up to six glasses. One of our party gave the thumbs up to his blanco, created with prosecco, tequila, triple sec, pineapple juice, cinnamon, lemon lime and bitters, apple and blood orange. Mexican beers are available.
Cartel Taqueria was busy and we lined up for a table. It didn’t take long, however, to land a seat under a magnificent mature tree in the outdoor dining area.
The music at Cartel Taqueria is Mexican-inspired, and the place explodes with colour – food, drink, picnic blankets and artwork.
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