Review Mad Mex - Auckland Central

Geoff Wilson

Man, I must say, for quesadillas at least, the portion size was fairly generous and my mouth started watering as they made it as I crave long-missed tex-mex. This location was clean in the restaurant with a cool beer chandelier, but the bathroom could be less trashed. Lady behind the counter was nice. I guess I'll have to come more often haha

Zenish Shrestha

Good customer service. Great food. Friendly staff

tina fosita

The Mad Mex on Fort Street is where I went last night for some burritos. The place was tidy and staff were really friendly. Dylan Burke was super nice - he not only knew the menu, but had great suggestions about what to have, and really sold the options to me especially since I was so indecisive. He went above and beyond, and I was gutted I had no cash on me to tip him 😕 - I think I'll go back for more, because the food was great, the place was great and Dylan was AMAZING. I can at least tip him, this time. Thanks heaps, Dylan 😊

Veronica Gabriela Guerra

I have been living in New Zealand for 1 year and through this period this is the first time that I had proper Mexican food. The staff were friendly, I loved to select the fillings by myself and everything looked fresh! The taste was perfect, in particular the beans and the chorizo. The size of my meal was ideal as well. There was just me and two couples in the restaurant, while eating I couldn't believe it was kind of empty. Common everybody, this place is amazing!

Nayan Kumath

Good food, stays open late compared to many places in Auckland.

S.O

I hope this guy still works here. Came here once with my ex, dude at the counter was black w a silk durag. My ex said "Could I get 2 small burritos" and the dude was just like "no". Funny ashl, we had some banter while ordering before eating. Food was great, fulfilling and decent. I tossed the dude a hi-chew before I left. I hope that guy is doing well he made our day

Mile Stepper

Good food at reasonable prices. If you enjoy chips and salsa Mad Mex is your best Mexican food value in New Zealand, with a generous portion of tortilla chips and a small beverage for $5. This location, like most, is good at keeping two kinds of hot sauce on the table.

Julian Vi

friendly and in a good mood staff. the food is tasty and the prices are okay. but i think they have to keep up with to l clean more the whole restaurant. i hope they read this because i want to come back.

Sahijdeep Kaur

Very nice Customer service by Gina, food is delicious , she explained each and everything as it’s my first visit Thanks to her and whole team .. would like to visit again

Bernice Kathryn Fonte

Ordered the naked burrito with guacamole and jarritos guava. Great meal although can be a bit expensive depending on your add-ons. Have tp clarify this with staff as they might automatically give you the higher priced option

Isabela Januario

good food, good service.

Ryan

Prepared fast for takeaway. Generally tasty food, but portions could be larger for the price. Not the best Mexican ever, just a pass. So overall it's 3 stars

Amindha Fernando

Mad mex is always on the rotation of lunch spots. It's your go to option if you can't decide what you want. Usually always go for the chicken or pork option which is always tasty. The guacamole is a hit or miss (sometimes looking super fresh and other times, very brown) but doesn't stop me from getting it every time.

Saajan

Had a Chicken burrito. It was good. Not bad. Costs $13.5. Stomach fill rating 7/10. Value for money rating 4/10.

Rosanne Choy

Came in for lunch today. Tried out the spicy chicken and beef burritos. Beef was real tender and black beans were surprisingly quite nice. Loved the free hot sauce they provided at the table.

Sam Diprose

Came here for a quick bite after work. Food was edible but ordered grilled and the cheese hadn’t even melted (insides still completely cold) something had dropped all through the burrito which made it soggy and difficult to eat. Story was relatively clean but spilled food all over table tops. Staff very friendly

Anika Rahm

Really nice spot. Came in because we had a voucher for their May big burrito. The manager was really lovely and engaging. Service was very fast despite us walking in as soon as they opened the doors. Encouragement was given for us to finish our kg burritos which was very needed. Will be happy to return without a voucher

Vivek

Nice restra in the middle of town with a heaps of variety in salads. The cheesy flavor of Quesaddila is always tempting . We asked for mix of zucchini and chicken wrap which was absolutely fantastic.( its not on menu) Good interiors which are visible from road outside. :)

Ellynn

Had lunch here a few months back and it didnt really satisfy me. I got used to having Mexicali Fresh that I couldnt help but compare. The burrito was nice but the meat wasnt as tasty as what I am used to.

Tinos.adventure

I was really in the mood for some tacos and this was the only place open! But I am so super glad we came here! The guy at the counter was super super nice and his customer service was impeccable The tacos were absolutely perfect! They were nice and fresh and hit all the right spots! 😊

Nakul Dalwala

Amazing food value for money, had ordered chillychicken burrito with the stuffing of rice beans, chicken, lettuce huge burrito enough for one just for $12 which is not bad.

Amber Vanessa

Best burrito I have ever had and staff where so friendly! They even didn’t mind me asking to remove big chunks of coriander! Everything was fresh and delicious and great portion size

Ravi

I had the best service here and the staff was really knowledgeable and helpful. I really liked their atmosphere since it provides the opportunity for indoor and outdoors. I think the only difference disadvantage is they don’t have the spicy flavour. I’m happy to give them ideas.

I'mhungry

I had a small chicken burrito with my partner here. Food was nice and spicy but not amazing. Great place to go to if you're the kind of person that likes to pick their own salads and condiments to go with your meal. Ambience was clean and tidy, corona bottles on the ceiling were a really cool idea.

Jason Zhang

Came here for a takeaway lunch while on lunch break. I got the naked burrito with pork as suggested by the girl serving me. It looked pretty good when she added all the ingredients in but it was a bit sour when eating it - think she put too much sauce in the end. Portion wise, it's not that much for $12.90 but she was very kind to give me extra lettuce so thank you. Taste - 7/10 Size - 7/10 Price - 7/10 Service - 7.5/10

S&G Take Auckland

Yummy Mexican ! I bought a grab one and ordered the chicken burrito 🌯 and steak nachos. Both were a good portion size and tasted delicious . $15 for both. Also the server there was so lovely he actually walked out to my car to deliver the meal because I was scared of all the pigeons walking in the restaurant . Much appreciated

Love B

Mexican food has always been my favourite as my best friend is Mexican and we end up eating Mexican food at least twice or thrice a week. We usually go to Mexicali but decided to ditch it for Mad Mex. The food at Mad Mex is very delicious and the flavours literally pop in the mouth. I must say that the food is way better at Mad Mex. The fact that it's at a walking distance from my office makes it even more special. Looking forward to my next visit. Well done guys!

Charmaine

The guacamole here is soooo goooooood. Friendly staff make you feel so welcome. You can pick different meat (or vego) choices on different Mexican dishes (eg quesadilla, tacos...). The quesadilla that we ordered came well toasted and crispy, cheese was slightly oozy, flavourful meat....a hot mess. Baja fries were a bit of a hit or miss, but the guacamole made it a hit. The chips were seasoned so well with spice so it all went down a treat Will be back!

Suchandra Saha

I love Mexican food. It is always delicious and healthy. I visited the place with a groupon deal. I tried naked burrito bowl with chicken. It was awesome. I couldnt say if it is exactly like mexican but i liked really liked ot. The quantity is also good. The place ambiance is also good. Will definately visit again.. better than other mexican fast food joints definately. Regarding my third visit..this time also with similar coupon. But I didn't like the naked burrito bowl. It was a little dry n lack in tastefulness. My hubby tried the burrito wrap which was okay.this time we also tried Churros . But I personally didn't like it. They were too big in portion and were too oily anx a little smelly. I wouldn't reccomend the churros to anyone.

Choco

Beware of the veggie burrito. The beans have resulted in my sickness and indigestion. Never ever coming here again. The beans are not fresh and thanks to them, i have a sore stomach. Crappy burrito

Heidi M

Ordered two burrito's online it was one of the better Burrito's that I have had bar the Mexican cafe. Was miles better than Zambrero and a tad better than Mexicali.Staff where also more helpful here.

Ridad

Even though the style of the place feels very fast food like...the food tastes amazing and authentic. We would definitely like to go back. Try the mexican sodas as well.

Sonia

ordered the small burrito with chicken. decent size & great flavours! she didn't charge me for guacamole because I waited 5 mins while she served previous person before she took my order. great friendly staff indeed !

A

I've been here a few times, am always alittle disappointed with the quality of the food, it does seem alittle too processed. However it is super super cheap and the staff are really friendly.

EssJay

Great food, awesome setting. I am not a fan of Mexican food but the food here tasted really nice. I had the chicken with chorizo burrito. You do have an option with meats and salad so you can customise the toppings.

Fiona M

I love their naked bowls. The food is always fresh, you are served quickly and get your meal quickly. It's a great quick and healthy option nearby!

Annie Ren

Being a massive fan of Mexican food, I’ve tried out a number of Mexican restaurants across Auckland and finally managed to try Mad Mex a few days ago. Their fort street location is very neat (in terms of both clean and well-furbished). It’s good that they have a daily special, which helps you to choose when you can’t decide whether it’s a quesadilla day or a burrito day! I had their burrito which was really nice. It was stuffed with salads and meat and it was prepared really quickly. However, it wasn’t warm enough and the staff was unwilling to heat it up for me. Another disappointment is that they don’t do Mexican taco salads here, instead they do something called a “naked burrito”. I wouldn’t mind trying but I’ve always liked the crispy taco shell as a salad base!

Josh Law

The way I see it is mexican is the new vegetarian...with mexicali fresh, mexico, mad mex, zambrero and Chilandos open relatively close to each other in the CBD. Mad mex is an easy choice as the store is so close to everything. The burritos are larger than say Chilandos but they are not as tasty. And they're more expensive. Personally I prefer Chilandos out of the two. Plus the burritos keep falling apart...its a minor thing but really messy/annoying.

KST

Decent fast food. I've been here a few times and I always have the naked burritos with guacamole. They always turn out to be consistently good, just the right amount of food for a work lunch and not bad value for money. Restaurant itself is neat and well kept.

Blair Kennedy

I am a fan of mad max but not this store. The last time I visited they were understaffed, had run out of some ingredients, the service was painfully slow, and to top it off- the meal was dry and not enjoyable. Mad Mex Ponsonby is fine though.

Liana Stockwell

Price doesn't match the quality of food unfortunately. I think it was something like $50 for nachos, quesadilla and a bucket of (4) coronas. We dined in and the food wasn't even served on a plate. The plate to nacho ratio was way off!! 1/10 don't recommend.

Kathleen A Gardam

I have seen the Mad Mex in Fort street and thought i must try out the place at some stage and recently got the opportunity and took my son along. We had the Nacho's with beef and all the trimmings and tried the Burrito's. I found the meal to be very satisfying such value for money. The Nacho's were so tasty and the Burrito's were generous full of flavour with a moderate heat which i found good as it was enjoyable to eat as i was a little worried about the very strong spices in Mexican food. The environment was very smart and appealing. The service was good, the staff were friendly and polite. I was served by a friendly gentleman whom made both myself and my son feel very welcome. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It is definitely a must do again!!

Danny

Now I enjoy burritos as much as the next guy. But there is something really off-putting about a roll of cold flour clumsily filled with beef, beans and rice. You can imagine my disappointment then, when that is exactly what I got at Mad Mex. Okay, so this place looks cool. I like the colourful style, complete with a stereotypical Mexican luchador. I also like the chandelier made of empty Corona bottles. That’s part of what brought me in there that ill-fated day. Feeling the need to introduce some hot Mexican into my body, I ordered a burrito to dine in. What I got was a cold burrito, with what little warmth remained emanating from the small portion of meat in the centre. “But what if you asked them to reheat the burrito, Danny?” I hear you ask. “Would you say the burrito was good then?” Well, first of all, the burrito started to fall apart straight after the first bite. Also, it satisfied all the minimum requirements to be called a burrito – spicy? Check. Beef? Beans? Rice? Check, check, check. But it lacked that magical punch of spice and flavour that Mexican food is known for. Adios Mad Mex.

Frank

I had high hopes for this small Mexican place tucked away on Fort St. Having walked past several times and seeing its carefully designed wooden character interior, I made a few mental notes to come back and try it out, since Mexican food is always great :-). Queue was a bit slow and the staff seemed a bit disorganised but I got my tacos in the end, although they ended up a bit of a mash which become hard to eat by hand. There is also a bit of a pigeon problem outside, but not sure what can be done about that. On the positive side, the menu is excellent, although a virtual copy of Mexicali, the other food I saw all looked delicious and it serves its purpose as a quick lunch spot for the locals....

President Evil

lunch here today. I love Mad mex and went for the naked chicken burrito. good as ever, but I think the quality and atmosphere of ponsonby store is better :)

Lesley Duskrider

I have been a frequent visitor of Mad Mex for a while now - enjoy the atmosphere and food. They offer a variety of food options from nachos to tacos to quesadillas. I enjoy the naked burrito option, without the tortilla served in a bowl. Portions are generous, and I like that they carry options other Mexican style places don't such as the corn salsa and brown rice. It's a healthy option for casual dining. Guacamole is made fresh daily, and it is awesome! Staff are friendly - knowledgeable about the product. One of the main employees, a girl who usually works days always remembers what I order - it's nice to revisit a place and have someone remember you with a smile. I have noticed staff changes over the past few weeks - a middle aged man. I was served by him once, and he doesn't make eye contact or smile (not as forwardly friendly as some of the other staff). Upon me asking to repeat what he had asked me, he kept his face down instead of making eye contact and speaking towards me. Took me a few times to understand what he was asking because of this. I also noticed he wasn't in matching uniform to the other staff, but dressed in street clothing. Seemed a bit weird to be served by someone wearing branded clothing and jeans. Regardless, it's a good, healthy food option located in the city center. Mexican food is one of my favorites, and Mad Mex definitely does a good job of supplying my cravings.

Jamie

Went for a quick dinner today. Very flashy packaging, ordering process isn't clear - limited menu - just rice and beans and shredded beef cooked in pressure cooker, tomato salsa with some herbs all in a tortilla for $12. Had a naked borruitto + regular borruitto + 2 soda drinks = $36. You can get better food in the food court for $36. The cashier didn't even offer a receipt for the cash. I should have got my usual katsubi will never do it again, napkins smelt like petrol. The decoration was ok ! Money spent on branding and packaging and printing not on food. I don't care about flashy packaging, would rather have more vegetables variety instead.

Miss Kiki

Tried the nachos here last week. I had the Nachos with the beef and all the toppings plus the $2 extra for guacamole. This is definitely more tasty and saucy than mexicali fresh. I enjoyed it but I wish the Mexican food here has more oomph. It just falls a bit flat in flavour. A guy served us and was friendly helpful and efficient then a girl took payment and she looked completely unhappy as if she has the worst job in the world. Overall for price its not bad, but would probably go to Dominion road instead for a cheap meal.

Sergey Vladimirovich

Today we visited the beautiful place named MAD MEX. MAD MEX is an authentic Mexican restaurant located on 16 Fort Street in Auckland City. The restaurant was pretty busy at lunch time but it impressed us with really chill and relaxed atmosphere. You can order food easily just from the counter, you don't have to wait for a waiter for a long time just choose your food and they made it in front of your eyes. The food there is very optional, that's mean you can choose not only one kind of food but also the ingredients it's made from. Do you wanna spicy one? Just ask them to put some chili sauce in your tacos! While you're eating the food, the fabulous Mexican music helps you relax and get a good mood. We gonna recommend this restaurant to all people who wanna have a really good and fast lunch in the middle of the working day.

Marian Barreaux

Today we went to "Mad Mex" with our friends. It's a Mexican restaurant they found yesterday and recommended us to go. It's just on the Fort st., near from Queen st. When we arrived at the restaurant, there were so many people, so that we couldn't find enough seats. Fortunately, we found a nice table to have lunch. The decoration was very original and beautiful. When you get in it you feel near to the Mexican culture. But you should go only you want to serve by yourself, because there weren't waiters. The most important thing is the food was really nice. We only wait around 3 minutes to get delicious crispy tacos and "quesadillas". It was really cool because we could add different seasonings, so we chose between spicy and mold food. We also could chose beef or chicken. In resume we had good portions of authentic and fresh Mexican food. In conclusion, it's a really awesome Mexican restaurant which is open everyday, so go there and enjoy it!

Johny P

Typical nasty wannbe mexican. Its even worse than mexicali fresh, and suffers the same issues. Bland ingredients that are outragously over priced. e.g. a teaspoon of guacamole will cost you $2 extra on top of your expensive main. I had a burrito it was smaller than a mexicali burrito with hardly any meat, maybe a tablespoon. the tortilla thing was not good, it was similar to something you would buy in a supermarket. Chicked was totally overcooked and dry. I cant stand it when you pay a decent price for a meal and they just cut corners by giving you tiny amounts of meat and other basic ingredients to save a few cents. First and last time i will eat here.

Nazah Ali

Went here for dinner with my cousin, was an great meal especially if you are in a hurry, lots of flavour and good value for money, not a lot of variety though what they had was pretty good!

Shannon

Went here with a grab one voucher. The food itself was nice. But the service wasn't fantastic. As we got the post mix drink and the machine had ran out of carbonation so the drinks were all flat. We alerted the staff and they put a out of order sign up. But didn't offer us a replacement drink. And were slightly rude when we asked for a can to replace the flat undrinkable drinks.

J.T547

Love this place, it's is always my go to option for a quick lunch in the CBD. Ingredients are fresh and tasty and the portions are a very decent size. The burrito and the quesadilla are my favourite. The nachos are good too, but I am weary of the very 'American like' cheese sauce. The place is always busy at lunch so get in quick. The only thing for me is charging an extra $2.00 for a spoon of guacamole seems a bit excessive.

Vivien @ KJAS Blog

For a taco place, not bad at all. I like how they're all snugly wrapped in foil, so you can take away and keep it hot, and also just slowly peel the wrapper down to minimise saucy mess. The service was okay, and the lady was accommodating of questions due to it being my first time ordering, and also makes sure you want each ingredient in the taco before putting it in. I dislike spicy, so I appreciated the chance to avoid the sauces. Notable part of decor: the Corona beer bottle chandeliers. You get the choice of beans or rice first, and I opted for rice. After trying the beans version, I think I made the right choice. The beans have a strange gritty texture due to a tough skin and very fluffy interior. The fresh lettuce and fried rice made for a really nice combo. I like how a lot of the ingredients are finely diced or sliced so you have some texture and everything also combines nicely inside. I wish there was less of the sauces though, as it dripped everywhere through the foil as I neared the end of the taco. Otherwise, it is seriously big and a medium is more than adequate for a filling lunch. I was expecting it to be more snack size and was pleasantly surprised. Not bad Mexican food (I prefer it to the strong flavours of other Mexican restaurants actually) but not the cheapest in terms of price, and also nothing too special based on the taco. Hm.

Amy Webb

I have frequented Mad Mex a few times, and it's good to know it remains quite consistent across the board. The food is fairly standard Mexican fare, and te staff are friendly. Today I ordered the vegetarian nachos. They came with a huge amount of black beans, vege mix and roasted onions. They also had salsa and lettuce on top. I was really happy to see avocado was free for the vegetarian options, plus they were extremely generous as you can see in the photo! This meal was extremely satisfying and so quick to order. I think Mad Mex is a great takeaway Mexican option when you only have a little time.

Jess

Came here with some friends on a friday night with a $9 voucher which included a burrito and a drink. I chose the pollo flavour for my burrito, and the chicken tasted very nice. However, some of the rice was undercooked in all of our burritos and the wrap was cold as the person serving us only put the wrap in the toaster for only a second or two. The service was average, the workers looked like they were having a bad time there, and were mumbling. The person at the counter didnt mention that the water was sparkling, which some of my friends don't like, so they ended up getting it without knowing. The atmosphere and decor was nice with upbeat and fun music. I probably won't come here again though unfortunately.

Camryn Peter Brown

Best and most authentic *Norcal* style burritos in Auckland. If you like more *Socal* style, you may prefer Mexicali Fresh. Anyway, this is my go to place and it'd get 5 stars if they were a little less harsh on surcharges (really, chips and salsa should be free with a main meal, not several extra dollars).

Greer

I had a steak burrito here the other day, was happy to see it had opened as I used to go to California Burrito often. The Burrito was really tasty and I liked that it had corn, tomato and spicy salsa. The girl behind the counter was really friendly. However, I think they could improve in several ways: The burrito was really cold, I think this would be easily fixed by putting it in the sandwich press behind the counter. Guacamole cost $2 extra which I don't mind paying when avocados are out of season but seems a bit ridiculous as they are very cheap right now! the ingredients in the cabinet weren't really presented in appetising way. The menu describes the steak as 'fresh grilled' but really, it is just served cold out of the display cabinet. I didn't eat in so can't really comment on the atmosphere. I think this restaurant has plenty of potential and would definitely eat here again if they solved some of these issues.

MS LKDG

I love Mexican food and for me this is the best mexican fast food place I've been by far. It just opened late last year and I was so eager to try it right away. Not too many food choices to offer but I can really say that the quality and taste of their menu are awesome and really captured my love for mexican food. I often go here for lunch break and usually order quesadillas serve with sour cream, medium spicy sauce and salsa. One unique concept of their interiors that I noticed is the chandelier made up of corona bottles, eye captivating and for me, really an art and it shows creativeness for the place.

NYNB

First time coming here tonight, the food is average - not bad nor good. Price is a bit steep for the amount you get considering other Mexican places serve the same things for roughly the same price but with bigger portion sizes. Each to their own, but aside from the kick in their spiciest option, i won't be returning here anytime soon. The service, I'm not a fan of. I'm not sure what was going on between the 2 males serving me/my friends but I find it inappropriate and rude to snigger and mumble under your breath in front of customers - even in hospitality, i don't think you should be joking around with co workers whilst making a customers order. Hopefully they treat future patrons better. Good Luck!