Taco Loco Westmere is a Mexican cantina on Garnet Road bringing traditional, homemade Mexican food and serious taqueria vibes to Auckland's west. It's one of two Taco Loco cantinas in the city — the sister site sits on Mount Albert Road — and both share the same spirit: plenty of tacos and a whole lot of fiesta.
The menu covers the classics — tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos and jalapeño poppers, plus guacamole and chips — with chicken enmoladas smothered in rich, scratch-made mole as the standout signature. Drinks run from cold cerveza and mezcal to house margaritas, and churros finish things off. A kids menu of fun-sized tacos keeps little foodies happy, and takeaway makes it easy to skip the cooking entirely.
Tuesdays mean Taco Tuesday from 5pm to 9pm, pairing an order of tacos with a house drink; Sundays run 3pm to 8pm in Westmere. The catering arm — sharing trays, a food truck and a burrito cart — takes the fiesta to events across Auckland, with the kitchen happily working around vegan, vegetarian, celiac and halal guests.
Taco Loco Westmere sits on Garnet Road and doesn't try to be anything other than what it is: a proper Mexican cantina pouring margaritas, firing up the hotplate and bringing a whole lot of fiesta to the neighbourhood. It's one of two Taco Loco cantinas in Auckland — the sister site is on Mount Albert Road — and both are built on the same idea: traditional Mexican food, made homestyle with plenty of heart, belongs at the centre of a good night out. As the team put it themselves: two cantinas, plenty of tacos, and a whole lot of fiesta.
When the Westmere doors opened, locals were told to expect 'your new favorite neighborhood hangout' — somewhere to wrap up the workday, escape cooking duties, or satisfy a craving for a margarita you won't find just anywhere. That's what landed: serious taqueria energy on a suburban shopping strip, with a menu running through the classics you'd hope for. Tacos lead the way, with burritos, quesadillas, nachos and jalapeño poppers alongside, and guacamole and chips always within reach. The drinks keep things Mexican too — cold cerveza, mezcal for sipping, and house margaritas. As one post put it: cutlery is optional, hands are mandatory.
If one plate captures this kitchen, it's the Chicken Enmoladas. Taco Loco makes its mole from scratch, and the enmoladas — smothered in that rich sauce — are the dish the team say broke their sales records. They've become something of a Sunday ritual: the Westmere cantina opens at 3pm on Sundays and runs until 8pm, and the invitation is to bring the familia and come hungry. Dad, for the record, would apparently rather have enmoladas than another tie.
Tuesdays belong to tacos at both cantinas. From 5pm to 9pm, Taco Tuesday pairs an order of tacos with a house drink — a midweek ritual that's become a fixture on the Auckland calendar, with bookings encouraged. Around it, the kitchen keeps things playful. There have been Mushroom Weeks, when mushroom tacos and quesadillas take over and everyone from vegans to committed carnivores is welcome at the table. And when spring arrives, the cervezas start flowing and the chips start calling your name.
Taco Loco is genuinely set up for families. A kids menu of fun-sized tacos promises big smiles for small diners — just ask your server when you sit down. And for everyone with a little room left, churros close the meal the traditional way, ideally eaten with your hands.
The catering side is where Taco Loco gets properly creative. Sharing trays of Mexican favourites are designed to be mixed, matched and stacked into a custom spread that fits the vibe — and the budget — of your event, and the kitchen happily works around vegans, vegetarians, celiac and halal guests, along with the meat lovers. For bigger occasions, the food truck brings what the team call the full Taco Loco experience wherever your fiesta is, while the burrito cart keeps it simple and delicious.
The Westmere cantina is at 85 Garnet Road, and takeaway is a big part of the draw — call 09 971 2551, skip the cooking, and collect tacos, nachos and burritos on the way home. Tables can be booked online, gift cards are available for the taco lover in your life, and specials and events are announced on Taco Loco's busy Instagram feed. Sunday service runs 3pm to 8pm, Taco Tuesday runs 5pm to 9pm, and every invitation from the team ends the same way: nos vemos.