Spice Route Cantina's Papatoetoe food truck brings what the team calls New Zealand's first Indian taqueria to Puhinui Road. Founded by two passionate chefs with a shared love of global cuisine, the concept marries the bold, aromatic spices of India with the vibrant, zesty flavours of Mexico — a celebration, in their words, of flavour, tradition and innovation.
The menu is short, focused and handcrafted, built around the dishes that made the name: birria tacos. The Butter Chicken Birria Tacos are the flagship, while the Beef Birria Tacos are the other headline act, and nachos round out the fusion lineup. Every plate is designed to pay homage to the rich culinary traditions of both India and Mexico — diners in the site's testimonials rave about the pairing, with one writing that Indian and Mexican 'were made to be lovers.'
Come by the truck for a quick bite, or order ahead through Uber Eats for pickup. Prefer to sit down? The brand's cozy restaurant on New North Road in Kingsland carries the same story a few suburbs away. For questions or catering, the Papatoetoe team is reachable on 0220740455 or at [email protected].
Pull up at 5 Puhinui Road in Papatoetoe and you'll find one of Auckland's more interesting food trucks. Spice Route Cantina calls itself New Zealand's first Indian taqueria, and the Papatoetoe truck is where that idea hits the street: bold, aromatic Indian spices meeting the vibrant, zesty flavours of Mexico, wrapped — quite literally — in a taco.
The concept was founded by two passionate chefs with a shared love of global cuisine. Their stated vision was simple and ambitious: to create a menu that transcends borders and offers a one-of-a-kind dining experience. Rather than treating the two cuisines as neighbours on a plate, they fold them into each other, so every dish borrows from both sides of the map. They call it a celebration of flavour, tradition and innovation. Customers, judging by the testimonials, simply call it delicious — one regular wrote that Indian and Mexican 'were made to be lovers.'
If you've heard of Spice Route Cantina, it's most likely because of the birria tacos. Two versions headline the board. The Butter Chicken Birria Tacos are the flagship and the house signature — everything the pairing promises, with butter chicken taking the place usually reserved for classic birria. The Beef Birria Tacos are the other signature, and between the two they account for most of what the kitchen is famous for.
Nachos hold down the rest of the menu, named by the team themselves alongside the birria tacos as the plates that define the house. The about page is emphatic that every plate is handcrafted and 'pays homage to the rich culinary traditions of both India and Mexico.' That's the quiet charm of the place: a small menu done with conviction rather than a long one done by halves.
The Papatoetoe operation is the food truck side of the business, which makes it a natural quick-stop lunch or dinner run: order at the window, eat within arm's reach of the kitchen, or take it away. If you'd rather plan ahead, the Papatoetoe menu is also on Uber Eats for pickup, so the tacos can be waiting when you arrive.
Prefer a table? Spice Route Cantina runs a second site at 509 New North Road in Kingsland — a cozy sit-down restaurant carrying the same Indian-Mexican story indoors. Same brand, same fusion, different pace, and worth knowing if you're feeding a group or chasing a relaxed evening rather than a street-side bite.
First-timers should start where the kitchen's reputation lives: the Butter Chicken Birria Tacos. If you're with company, the smarter play is one of each — butter chicken and beef — plus a plate of nachos to share. That's the whole thesis of the place in three dishes.
The team describes the food as 'food for the soul,' and there's a storytelling ambition behind the menu — each plate meant to speak to exploration, creativity and the connections food creates. Whether or not you pick up on all of that between bites, you'll be eating something you genuinely can't order elsewhere; as the site notes, there's no other Indian taqueria in New Zealand quite like it.
Practicalities are straightforward. The truck answers on 0220740455, and [email protected] reaches the team for anything from general inquiries to catering — the website's contact form even has a dedicated catering subject for event requests. Papatoetoe and Kingsland keep separate menus, so if you're chasing a specific dish, it's worth confirming with the site you're headed to.
For a food truck, follow the socials: Spice Route Cantina keeps an Instagram, Facebook and TikTok presence, the easiest way to keep up with where the menu heads next. Come hungry, order the tacos, and see why Papatoetoe lays claim to New Zealand's first Indian taqueria.