Lunch Review
Mexican Street Food
Adelaide has really come to life in February with the festival season in full swing, but I am more fascinated with the extent of pop-up Restaurants that are providing a vibrant solution to street food from various international destinations. The concept is short term opportunity - long term growth. With this in mind, I’d heard about a funky new Mexican pop-up in the heart of Adelaide called Little Miss Mexico which had links to the food truck phenomenon by way of La Cantina.
I planned a lunch with Jaki J, Paul K, Tom and Janica. On arrival we entered through a beer garden which instantly flipped our senses into a different realm. The decor resembled an abandoned market; orderly crates were laid out to create partitions as well as bench seats. With the weather seasonally hot and the sun providing blistering rays we were thankful that umbrellas were provided for those not choosing to sit inside.
Pulling up our wooden boxes, classroom tables and chairs we wondered where the menus and waiting staff were. It soon became apparent that the service also resembled that of a street stall with the menu only available at the food service counter. The quick thinking Tom, took a photo of it and shared his mobile menu around the group. Personally I would have liked a bit more time to work through my selections; perhaps an online menu, mobile application or even a painted or easel mounted option would have helped.
The menu offered a range of 6 different fillings including chicken, beef, fish and vegetarian. Depending on your mood and hunger level the options came in either: 6” soft tacos, 12” burritos or 12” quesadillas. For accompaniments there were also tapas available. Light options included a trio of marinated olives, BBQ Mexican corn or Atlantic salmon ceviche or you could choose from grilled Yucatan chicken, BBQ beef skewers or even deconstructed nachos.
After placing my order of guajillo spiced pork and potato burrito and Atlantic salmon ceviche, I was advised that my name would be called when ready. In the meantime, it was off to the bar for a refreshing beverage. Little Miss Mexico create their own blend of tantalising sangria which they serve in a handled jar; for me though a thirst quenching Pacifico cerveza was the perfect mouth drencher for such a hot day.
After returning to our crates it was obvious that lunch hour was in full flight with steady streams of people clambering in for a piece of the action. This did create one small problem - noise. It made it a little difficult to hear our names being called for our food without the use of a megaphone. We did manage, but I certainly think there could be a better method for the service of food to improve the dining experience.
After chowing down on the succulent pork burrito and chilled salmon ceviche with fresh guacamole I was so content and relaxed that I just wanted to put up my feet, click my fingers and enjoy more cerveza’s in the warmth of the cactus garden. The venue truly produced a street like aura with a feeling of homely comfort you could ‘chillax’ in for hours!
Posting photos of our dining experience on my Facebook food blog, it became obvious that people were somewhat unaware, yet overwhelmingly excited, at what they saw. I knew that this wouldn’t be a one-off visit, but instead the start of many. With daily ‘taco and sangria’ nights, in-house DJ’s and a close proximity to the hugely popular Fringe Festival and Clipsal 500, Little Miss Mexico will be a hub of festivities for after work revellers and weekend socialisers wanting a delightful addition to their unearthly garden fix. Be quick and be early, as bookings are not accepted and this joint will fill up quicker than a U.S. bound 4 wheel drive from Mexico.
Average Menu Pricing
6” Tacos $4.00 - $6.50
12” Burritos $8.00 - $13.00
12” Quesadillas $8.00 - $13.00
Tapas $4.50 - $12.50
Where: 188 Grenfell St, Adelaide, 5000
Trading: Monday to Sunday 11:00am – 2:00am (walk-ins only)
Website: facebook.com/LittleMissMexico
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
