Loco leans into its Town Basin address with bright umbrellas, tropical planting and an outdoor outlook across the boats and water. The mood is intentionally summery even when the weather is not, placing the venue somewhere between a casual restaurant and a lively neighbourhood bar. Midweek service begins in the late afternoon, while the longer Friday-to-Sunday schedule makes the waterfront setting available for lunch as well as an evening out.

The menu takes its cues from South America and the wider Latino world, but sharing is more important than following a rigid country-by-country route. Tapas and ceviche can start the table lightly, while tacos, quesadillas and larger plates build the meal in stages. The design encourages a table to order collectively and add another round when it is ready. That structure rewards ordering across several sections, letting different flavours and textures arrive gradually instead of committing every diner to an isolated main course.

Tacos and quesadillas can be ordered as one, two or three pieces, a small detail that makes the shared format unusually flexible. A single piece can sit beside tapas, while a larger order becomes the centre of a more substantial meal. Separate dessert and vegan sections widen the choices for a mixed group, so the menu can move from snacks to dinner without losing the relaxed, choose-your-own-pace character of the venue.

Cocktails extend the Latin influence into the drinks list, supported by beer, wine and non-alcoholic choices. In practice, that makes Loco work for several kinds of visit: an afternoon drink by the water, a table assembled around shared plates, or a later night that shifts more toward the bar. Weekend lunch hours give the outdoor setting a different tempo from the midweek evening service. The food remains important throughout, giving the colourful Town Basin atmosphere a stronger foundation than drinks alone.

Address: 14 Quayside, Town Basin, Whangārei 0110, New Zealand

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Loco Menu Menu updated on 17 Sep 2026

Tacos

Beef Cheek Fried Tacos

$25

Beef cheek, mozzarella, jalapeño, pickled onion, feta | GF

Pork Carnitas

$24

Pork, pineapple, onion, coriander, salsa roja, feta

Baja Fish

$25

Tempura snapper, slaw, chipotle, mango, pickled onion, avocado | DF

Sides

Mexi Fries

$11

Chipotle mayo

Chips & Dips

$14

Corn chips, pico de gallo, guacamole | GF, DF, VG

Salsas

each $4

Salsa Roja – Pico De Gallo – Salsa Verde – Guacamole – Black Bean Salsa | GF, DF, VG

Sauces

each $2

Chipotle Aioli – Loco Aioli – Feta Crema | GF, V

Tortillas

each $7

Corn or Flour | DF, VG | GF

Tapas Classics

Aji Verde Prawn Toast

$27

Salsa verde, avocado, chilli, lime | DF

Mojo Pork

$24 / $40

Pork belly, mojo salsa, citrus, pickled chilli | GF, DF

Ceviche Clasico

$24

Market fish, aji amarillo, lime, red onion, avocado, tostadas | GF, DF

Calamari Frito

$22 / $38

Crispy squid, jalapeño, coriander, loco aioli | GF, DF

Loco Fried Chicken

$26

Spicy pickles, chipotle mayo, slaw

Nachos Grande

$22

Corn chips, mozzarella, guacamole, black beans, feta crema, pico de gallo, jalapeño, salsa roja | GF, V

Beef Cheek Loaded Fries

$26

Aji panca beef, cheese, salsa roja, jalapeño | GF

Burrito

$25

Pork Carnitas, Beef Cheek or Fried Fish* with mexi rice, beans, slaw, jalapeño, pico de gallo, avocado, mozzarella | DFA

Fajitas

$34

Steak or Chicken* with capsicum, red onion, tortillas, sour cream, lettuce, guacamole, mozzarella | GF, DFA

Steak Quesadilla

$27

Steak, potato, mozzarella, chipotle crema, pico de gallo

Mexi Bowls

$22

Mexi rice, guacamole, slaw, black bean & corn salsa | GFA, V

Vegetarian

Banana Blossom Tacos

$23

Tempura banana blossom, chipotle, slaw, pico de gallo, feta crema, corn tortilla | DFA

Mexi Bowl

$22

Mexi rice, black bean salsa, guacamole, salsa verde | GF, DF

Loaded Burrito

$25

Flour tortilla, black bean salsa, mexican rice, grilled pepper & onion, mozzarella, jalapeño, chipotle aioli, avocado | DFA

Loaded Nachos

$22

Corn chips, mozzarella, guacamole, black beans, feta crema, pico de gallo, jalapeño, salsa roja | GF, DFA

Desserts

Dulce De Leche Cheesecake

$15

Dulce de leche, burnt butter & caramel ice cream

Churros

$14

Chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream

Tapas

Served from 4:00pm to late. Our Dishes, like No.8, are designed to be shared and enjoyed together.

Charred Sweetcorn

$12

Chilli, Lime Feta, Pickled Onion, Ancho Powder

Crispy Fried Pork Ribs

$17

BBQ Sauce, Bacon Slaw

Hush Puppies

$13

Queso Sauce, Salsa

Charred Octopus Salad

$19

Prawns, Chorizo, Tomato, Corn, Capsicum Vinaigrette, Fry Bread

Loco Caesar

$17

Crisp Lettuce, Avocado, Caesar Dressing, Cornbread Croutons, Chorizo Crumb, Crispy Poached Egg, Parmesan Frico

Nachos

$10

Red & Green Capsicum Salsa, Smoked Cheddar, Guacamole. Add smoked beef cheek – (GF) – 15 Add pulled Jackfruit – (GF, VG) – 14

Shoestring Fries

Chipotle Mayonnaise

Chips and dips

Toasted Jalapeno Corn Chips, Taro, Kumara Chips, Tomato Salsa, Guacamole

Ceviche

Local Line Caught Fish

$17

Lime, Chilli, Corn Nuts, Pickled Onion, Coriander, Kumara Chips

Coconut Prawn

$15

Passionfruit, Chipotle, Coconut Cream, Mango, Taro Chips

Seafood

$19

Local Line Caught Fish, Prawn, Octopus, Salsa Verde, Corn Chips

Taco and Quesadilla

1 – $10 | 2 – $18 | 3 – $26. No Mix & Match

Smoked Beef Cheek Taco

1 $10 / 2 $18 / 3 $26

Spiced Beetroot, Queso Fresco, Crispy Shallots, Chipotle Mayonnaise

Grilled Prawn Taco

1 $10 / 2 $18 / 3 $26

Lettuce, Radish, Tomatillo Sauce, Corn Salsa

Pulled Jackfruit Quesdilla

1 $10 / 2 $18 / 3 $26

BBQ Sauce, Guacamole, Pickled Onions, Vegan Cheese

Jerk Chicken Quesdilla

1 $10 / 2 $18 / 3 $26

Mango, Sour Cream, Avocado

Extras

Guacamole

Herbed Sour Cream

$2.50

Chipotle Mayonnaise

Peruvian Rice

Jalapeno Cornbread

Toasted Tortillas (3)

$4.50

Tomato Salsa

Dessert

Churros

$10

Cinnamon Sugar, Dulce De Leche, Chocolate Sauce

Pineapple & Coconut Cheesecake

$13

Mango Sorbet

Vegan

Chips and dips

Toasted Jalapeno Corn Chips, Taro, Kumara Chips, Tomato Salsa, Guacamole

Charred Sweetcorn

$12

Salsa Verde, Pickled Onion, Ancho Powder

Pulled Jackfruit Quesadilla

1 $10 / 2 $18 / 3 $26

BBQ Sauce, Guacamole, Pickled Onions, Vegan Cheese

Nachos with Jackfruit

$14

Red & Green Capsicum Salsa, Vegan Cheese, Guacamole

Peruvian Rice

$15

Corn Salsa, Peanut Mole, Avocado

Shoestring Fries

BBQ Sauce

Happy Hour

WED, THURS & SUN | 4PM – 6PM; FRI & SAT | 9PM – 11PM. $16 cocktails. House spirits: Coruba Dark Rum; Bacardi White Rum; Beefeater Gin – Pink Gin; Wyborow Vodka; El Jimador Tequila; Canadian Club Whiskey.

Mellow Yellow

$16

Vodka, peach liqueur, apple, lychee liqueur, mango

Margarita

$16

Tequila, Cointreau, agave, lime (add any flavour)

Hummingbird

$16

Peach vodka, lime, passionfruit, cranberry

Toffee Apple

$16

Apple schnapps, butterscotch liqueur, apple, lemon, vanilla

Loco Cocktails

Bloom & Tonic

$20

Gin, elderflower liqueur, violet liqueur, butterfly pea, lemon, tonic

Hummingbird

$20

Peach vodka, lime, passionfruit, cranberry

Mellow Yellow

$20

Vodka, peach liqueur, apple, lychee liqueur, mango

Black Forest

$20

Vanilla vodka, raspberry, creme de cacao, Baileys

Classic & Dessert Cocktails

Margarita

$21

Tequila, Cointreau, agave, lime. Flavours: Raspberry, Coconut, Passionfruit, Chilli, Mezcalita

Daiquiri

$19

White rum, lime, sugar. Flavours: Strawberry, Passionfruit, Coconut

Mojito

$19

White rum, lime, sugar, mint. Flavours: Strawberry, Passionfruit

Caipirinha

$20

Cachaca, lime, sugar. Flavours: Mango, Passionfruit

Beers

Corona Bucket

5 for $55

8 Wired Luppolo

$13

330ml 5%

Corona

$12

355ml, 4.5%

Peroni

$12

330ml, 5%

Mocktails

Frambuesa

$14

House-made Raspberry Syrup, Lime, Ginger Ale

Passionada

$14

Passionfruit, Pineapple, Coconut, Soda

Bebida Fresca

$14

Cucumber, Apple, Lemon, Soda

Amarett-No Sour

$14

Almond syrup, apple, lemon, egg whites

Non-Alcoholic

Coke

Coke No Sugar

Lemonade

Tonic

House Pours

Red

$16

Rose

$15

Pinot Gris

$15

Spirits

El Jimador

$12

Sangre de Vida Blanco

$12

1800 – Silver/Coconut

$13

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Nachos Typical in Whangārei: $16.90 $10.00

Loco Menu

Loco Menu Menu updated on 17 Sep 2026

Tacos

Sides

Tapas Classics

To Share

Vegetarian

Desserts

Tapas

Ceviche

Taco and Quesadilla

Sharing

Extras

Dessert

Vegan

Happy Hour

Loco Cocktails

Classic & Dessert Cocktails

Beers

Mocktails

Non-Alcoholic

House Pours

Spirits

From Happy Menu members

How prices compare

Around the corner

Sam