Mad Mex comes to town

Melbourne’s love affair with Mexican continues to steam roll ahead with the addition of another a new kid on the block (or Chapel Street, or Melbourne Central). Mad Mex is the brain child of American Clovis Young, who grew up in sunny California munching on fresh clean Mexican food after a hard day in the surf.

When Clovis and his wife Angela moved to Australia, they saw a big gap in the cheesy, sour cream-y market and decided to open Mad Mex in Sydney in 2007. Luckily, they are opening up stores across Melbourne and the fare will satisfy your cravings when you can’t be bothered queuing for a table.

Mad Mex serve up made to order gourmet burritos, tacos, quesilldas and the like. You choose your base style – burritos, tacos, nachos, then select your fillings: chipotle beef, chicken in adobo marinade, garlic steak.

Pretty standard fare but unlike other chain restaurants the ingredients are top notch in the taste department. Anyone who serves up slow roasted pork is alright by me so I went for the taco carnitas ($8.90) soft tacos filled with black beans, generous amount of slow roasted pork cooked with lime and cumin.

I had ‘medium heat’ salsa – this isn’t your typical supermarket salsa, it’s spicy and smooth and smoky. And hot. I also ordered the tortilla chips with salsa – the same that was on the tacos (I pondered hot, but stuck with medium because it’s truly spicy enough.) The tortilla chips ($4.00) were fresh and warm. Made a nice change, I could have eaten more servings of these even though portion size is generous.

My favourite thing of all?  You got it, Mandarin Jarritos, the Mexican soda that I need to get a case of. Hola!

MAD MEX
Southern Cross Station, Spencer St Docklands
9269 7540
Mon – Fri 10am – 8pm
Sat – Sun 11am – 8pm
facebook.com/madmex.au