Mama Loco

So this was a bit different to what we planned … Was to be Lone Star but it was closed on Anzac Day! We drove around and decided to go to Bolero But walking past the music drew us in and we decided to stay here for lunch. And then MAma Loco… seen the reviews and we decided y not… was a lovely day sun out but not a lot of crowd surprisingly… enquires at d bar and no extra charges for a public holiday as well which is a plus… only 2 bar staff but they
Managed the crowd well… food was well just simply yum… friendly service… and the margarita was spot on considering the guy had only been working there for 2 weeks… hats off to them and thank u :)

If you’re a fan of authentic Mexican food then stay clear. Margaritas were weak, the «guacamole» lacked any flavour outside of avocados and there was a general confusion of ingredients which were passed off as «Mexican».
There’s a bit if a lack of genuine Mexican dishes as well, not even the Mexican staple burritos or a fan favourite Chimichangas.
Overall the food was a 4/​10, fairly tasty but Mexican flavours and tastes were definitely missing — pretty sure the chef has never even met a Mexican before, let alone studied Mexican cuisine.
The service staff were good and got a ⁷⁄₁₀.
The décor was cool and that’s kind of wat drew us in, ⁸⁄₁₀.

I am not a fan of Mexican food. However Mama Loco has changed my mind. Every time I go I order the beer batter white fish taco and the zucchini fries — I highly recommend this :).
Their white wine sangria is delicious! And so are the churros — please note they charge per dipping sauce.

Okay food and spice.

One of the most chilled out bars you’ll ever go to. This place gets all day sun and they have cape cod chairs! (I’m in heaven). I’ve been going to this place since they first opened and I take friends here when they come from overseas. You never leave disappointed. Plus their staff really know how to keep you entertained and love to chat with you which is cool. Their service is second to none. Great atmosphere and funky décor that you won’t stop looking at (so much to take in). Their food offering is quite fun and more picky rather than a full on meal. However in saying that the last time I ate here I left as full as gun. The only down fall is the cost of some of their drinks. I think last time I paid $ 11 for a beer (tap too). That’s more expensive than drinking in town. So now I tend to stick to wine rather than beer or splash out and get a Sangria jug! Yummo. This place is a must do on the shore!

Evening started with an awesome, friendly waitress but thats where the pleasure stopped. Turned out she wasn’t to be our server. Had a terrible a waiter who took a drink order for one person even though everyone’s drink was empty, then couldn’t even deliver that one drink within 15 minutes. This despite being a quiet night with less than half the tables full. The Quesadillas were OK, the nachos were… pretty much bar nachos, the MFC chicken was great, but way too small, The tequila glazed pork was inedible. Really wanted to try the churros, we were pretty hungry at this stage… Didn’t see our waiter for 15 minutes so decided to leave… One pleasant thing the bill was really small… Probably because we couldn’t get drinks or dessert. Won’t be going back again. If you are contemplating going to Mama Loco, change your mind and go to Mexico in takapuna or next door to the merchant…

Good vibes and friendly staff, great place to go for a drink but the food is not really up to standard. It is all very well to have outgoing staff members and a restaurant with a fun style, but it cannot substitute good food. The food is not terrible, it just doesn’t hit the spot like Mexican food should. I don’t know if this is fair criticism, my pallete is not particularly sophisticated, but it kind of tastes like they have just used ready made supermarket ingredients. It seems like it is a bar first and a restaurant second. An $ 18 burrito should all but blow your mind, but I was left wanting more.

Sunshine, cocktails and lots of chatter. This is what comes to mind when I think of Mama Loco. This is were we come for girls nights! The setting is awesome, we always try and get a seat outside because the afternoon sun hits nicely onto the large deck. From there we order our sangria! Huge jugs of sangria, which only cost $ 22! These jugs go round and we usually get a couple glasses each out of them. Or sometimes, if we’re feeling extra chummy, we share the jug and use the giant straws to all slurp out of it together. Beware backwash!
The staff here are very, very friendly and tend to every one of your needs. Waiters would often shoot over to our table when they saw our drinks getting low and they’d decant the giant jug into our glasses to keep the party going.
The food here is great too! Perfect things to order for groups to nibble at together and the prices aren’t too excessive.
Definitely stop by and experience this place for yourself!

I love love love this bar. It’s one of those perfect where you can come in after work, chill out on the deck and have a drink in their huge, comfy seats. I had originally thought that Albany had no bars like this, so I was most surprised when some new workmates took me here last week.
The food is amazing. I ordered nachos and they were piled high with guacamole, sour cream and bean chilli; absolutely gorgeous. The burritos are also pretty special, they’re massive and come with loads of tortilla chips. I would have liked it to be a little spicier but the waitress brought over a bottle of Tabasco-​like sauce along with it so that made up for the lack of zing in the burrito itself.
We shared a jug of white Sangria to share and it was delicious, the perfect thing to drink after work on a Friday evening with the sun going down behind you. If you’re ever shopping in Westfield Albany, this is the place to come and unwind afterwards.

There is nothing better than to close off a day with late afternoon cocktails, joining friends or colleagues for a cold mojito or spicy margarita. Whether you like yours filled with alcohol or virgin style, it’s all in your hands. All I know is that the destination of choice is Mama Loco at the Albany Westfield.
Situated at the back of the mall, near the movies, Mama Loco is trendy and cool, and the menu is very enticing. To date I haven’t tried the food, but I can tell you that the cocktails are oh so yummy.
Those big wooden seats don’t look all that comfortable, but once you’ve settled in, you will find it hard to leave. This is truly my favourite reason to visit the Albany mall, and there is never a problem with parking.

Dare I say it but Mama Loco has the best Sangria I have ever tasted! A friend of mine had raved about the sangria for the longest time so I decided it was time I tried out for myself to see if it was worth the buzz. It so was!
I went there with my boyfriend and we sat down to order our dinner, the waitress was so friendly and we engaged in some interesting conversation. We decided to order the a jug of sangria for $ 22, I was a bit skeptical about the size of the jug and assumed it was going to be one of those little jugs. I was so wrong the jug was huge but again I thought it’s probably just filled up with ice. Once again I was wrong and we managed to fill 6 glasses with the sangria and not just any glass but those large tall thick glasses. If my maths is still sharp, I would say we spent $ 3.50 per glass. So worth it!
Now enough about the delicious sangria, the food was even better! It took a bit of time to come out but it was absolutely worth the wait. The food tasted so fresh, I had a chicken burrito and savored every single bite. The deco at Mama Loco also adds to the experience, it is totally lax. Crazy colourful pintas hanging from the ceiling, interesting art and pumping music!