The menu says Mexican-American restaurant; the decor and music say '80s nightclub. Whatever the case, when you ascend the stairs into a strobe of fluorescent lights above the streets of a bustling Circular Quay, you'll be transported to the funky disco groove of the 1986-inspired Cancun Boat Club.
The Margarita bar and Mexican restaurant is intimate and sets the mood for a fun night out. If it’s a good Margarita you’re after (and a cheap one), that’s what you’ll get here: there are specials throughout the whole week for the drink with a cult following. Snag two-for-one Margies on Tuesdays, get them half-price on Wednesdays and go bottomless on Saturdays with a Mexican feast for $89 per person.
The collaboration between Milpa Collective (Bar Lucia, Carbòn) and the WXT Group (Mrs Palmer Sandwich, La Farmacia) has resulted in a yum menu with all the Western Mexican hits. Think: guac and chips; jalapeno poppers stuffed with bacon and cream cheese; braised beef and pork belly tacos; chorizo nachos; and garlic butter prawn fajitas.
What may come as a bit of a twist to the food offering is Cancun Boat Club’s signature dish: ‘dorilocos’. It’s a type of Mexican street food that involves slicing open a packet of Doritos on its side and going to town on the toppings. You won’t find a street vendor at Cancun Boat Club, but you will have a front-row seat to the Dorilocos cart that has more than ten different toppings to choose from like pork crackling, jalapenos, lime juice, chamoy and Tajin (a sweet-savoury Mexican spice blend), plus some adventurous options like gummy bears and Taki chips.
Doriloco us up, please.
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