Taco Zulu: Nipped and Tucked.

Taco Zulu has new owners and great new décor. The walls are painted funky colours and adorned with geometric print wall paper and Frieda Kahlo prints. The good ol' elements we all know and love are still there: outside tables downstairs, bar upstairs and a decidedly Afro-Mexican vibe. 

We arrived with more guests than we'd booked for and the staff were very accommodating, rearranging tables and chairs for us. We proved to be a fussy bunch, wanting bigger than normal mojitos and watered down tropical cocktails but the waitress and barmen just smiled and obliged.

The menu still features the Taco Zulu regulars' favourites: chimichangas and tacos, nachos and burritos with a bite and African twist. A surprise discovery was the addition of a page of what I call "normal" food: burgers, steak and seafood.
My husband employed our mantra (coined after a bad dining experience in Mauritius) "Never order ribs in a Chinese restaurant" and went with a Maverick burrito, as did two other members of our party. Someone else tried the tortilla and I had the calamari.
After a 45 minute wait for our food, it arrived a bit on the chilled side (which is good for the general ambience but not so good for the food) but again, the staff were obliging and returned it to the kitchen for a quick whiz around the micro. They did say that the burrito is supposed to be a bit cool because of all the fresh ingredients, but all agreed that the stuff that should be warm, should be well, piping, and the toppings can be added cold. 
Something innovative was the option to choose whatever side order takes your fancy with a main meal; it's not just "chips or rice" here, either. You can have spicy onion rings (which were really good), tortilla chips, beans, guacamole amongst others so even if you are not adventurous enough for an enchilada you can still have a taste of Mexico. 

All in all, Taco Zulu under its new management should stay the Durban institution it deserves to be.

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What Others Said

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shanna said
on 18 February 2010

I have to agree with Justin..I absolutely hate the vibe at the new Taco. Gone is the chilled, 'come as you are vibe', now replaced with a sanitary white wash and frequented by jock styled, popped collar clones! I mean seriously, is the mainstream in Durban not catered for enough as it is? Makes me sad :(

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Justin Case said
on 10 February 2010

I really do not like the New Taco Zulu. The exciting mix of dirty Mexico City meets Florida Road chic has been lost to plastic Cancunianism (ala Cubana). A fair indicator would be the decline in the quality of the Mojitos. They are aweful no?. Mind you. I have only frequented the new vibe Taco once and I am afraid to say that the plastic tackiness will keep it that way.