Cha-Chi’s Mexican Cantina

Decent Mexican food and atmosphere… Nothing was super spicy and our food took about an hour to come. The drinks were delicious and prices were reasonable. The atmosphere is pretty tacky but fun all the same. Overall, a decent neighbourhood spot with friends but wouldn’t recommend going out of your way.

The man & I ended up here following a recommendation from a respected foodie friend.
We were supposed to be dining with said friend and her man, but we’re stood up at the last minute.
Perhaps if they’d been there to guide our menu choices we would have had a more pleasant dining experience…
As it was a Tuesday night, we ordered the all you can eat tacos, nachos and burritos.
I don’t want to waste my words on the specifics, so I’ll just say… don’t do it!
Bland, boring, lacking authenticity, and really just lazily done to be honest.
Could easily have been made better with meat that was actually hot, tacos that were actually cooked (not «raw», straight out of the box), and a teency bit of flavor injected. Like say a squeeze of lime, a dash of pepper & salt?
The absolute best part of the meal was the bird in hand cab merlot I ordered ;)
The staff were actually all very friendly & accommodating though, & the waitress did give us a small discount because we mentioned that the chicken was cold.
I’ve been told the fajitas are amazing, but all in honesty I’m in no hurry to go back & give them a go.

We found this place through Menulog and were always delighted by the idea of having a burrito bought to our door but alas, it was never open. Finally, today, when in a fit of panic over deciding how to fill our bellies with happiness and warmth, we discovered it was finally open.
Not knowing where to start, we went for a burrito and chimichanga (a.k.a DEEP FRIED BURRITO), both vegetarian, and a serve of guacamole with warm corn chips. Noticing the veto stuff didn’t have a surcharge is always nice and this menu is very vego friendly. Then the waiting time began. Roughly 40 mins later, our food arrived hot and fresh. It was awesome. So much better than I had anticipated. The serving sizes were generous, the filling was amazingly fresh and altogether it was tasty and light. Each also came with its own personal serve of (again, massively generous) sour cream and Guach to add to our taste! All we had to do was lavish a ton of cheese on top and then the ascent to nirvana began. We devoured it all, like lions dining on an antelope carcass.
I feel full and warm with a happy Mexican belly. It wasn’t greasy, fatty or carby. It was light, tasty and epically fresh. I love making my own mexican food but i knowing there’s a place out there that will bring me a burrito We will definitely be back for MORE. Especially in the deep cold of winter, when I’m chained to the study books.
Thanks for making our Sunday night!

Further supporting the fact that Cha-Chi’s Mexican Cantina is AWESOME — I would have to continue in saying that I love Cha-Chi’s! Even the name is great.
Yes it’s tacky, but it’s tacky Mexican and therefore brilliant.
I love the layout, the relaxed atmosphere, the way it caters perfectly for casual large groups (I speak from experience), and I especially love it’s all you can eat Tuesdays! Even though I don’t ever get my moneys worth when it comes to such things.
How can you go past all the memories within this cheasy Mexican Cantina? With sombreros and donkeys (as in piñatas) hanging around the place, It’s the novelty that sparks half my interest. Cha-​Chis, I love you!

When I saw the name of this place, it reminded me of the Happy Days character, Chachi. This in turn reminded me of the spinoff televsion show, Joni Loves Chachi. One of the more amusing things that I’ve heard over the years is that the pilot episode of Joni Loves Chachi was the highest rating show on South Korean television ever, largely thanks to ‘chachi’ being a word for penis in Korean.
Anyway, I had to come and try this place out, because I’d heard such good things. Fajitas. I don’t think I need to say anything else. Order them, eat them, order some more, eat some more, and be happy.
It’s freakin awesome.

I’m pretty surprised to read positive reviews for Cha-chi’s, my one experience here was pretty horrible. I was drawn in by the tacky, kitschy oh-​so-​novelty Mexican décor, hoping the food would be a little more authentic. The first strike was the slow, distracted service. I could hardly get anyone’s attention and once they were taking our orders, it seemed they were barely paying attention.
The big bummer was the food — I can put up with tacky décor (actually, I love it) and I can deal with bad service… but bad food? What’s the point?! The big group of friends I was with ordered a huge array of different dishes, and no-​one came away satisfied. Without fail, every dish was disappointing. Lacking in the zingy, striking flavours Mexican food is known for. Never enough lime, always too much cheese (often burnt), sloppy, soggy dishes without crunch and with too much salt. The rice seemed to be just coloured yellow — not actually flavoured with spices.
I still haven’t found an amazing authentic Mexican place in Adelaide!

Cha Chi’s is one of the few and the best Mexican restaurant in Adelaide. It recently moved into a smaller venue, but it still seats over a hundred people. The interior of the restaurant is definitely Mexican themed. There are Mexican wall hangings, sombreros and an exciting pinball machine, just incase the kids get bored.
You must try the fajitas. They are most definitely the best meal on the menu. The ingredients are all laid out on the plate allowing you to make your own, so they taste exactly how you want them too. Another dish you shouldn’t pass up are their nachos. Many people say they are the best nachos in South Australia, I agree. I could go back for them weekly. The price of the food isn’t bad for such a niche cuisine, you will pay anywhere from $ 15 – 25 for mains.
There is not a massive range of wines, but there is a great selection of beers and ciders. They also have alcoholic slushy machines. Slightly tacky, but you can have your own Mexican margarita.
The service is great. Very friendly, they attend to your every need. However, when it is busy you may find it difficult to get the waitresses attention. It is generally easy to get a table during the week, but book if you are going on the weekend.

My friend introduced me to this place as she had some discount vouchers and thought it would be a good place to catch up with a bunch of our friends who we hadn’t seen in awhile. I am so happy that she did, for one main reason and that is their hot rock steak, which is a raw steak served on a hot rock and you can cook it as much or as little as you like.
Their other dishes from what I observed were also pretty good and my friends said they enjoyed their meals, but for me the winner was the steak, and I would go back there again and again and again just to eat that one item on their menu.
I like my steak rare, and I’ve never had a better steak in Adelaide than at this restaurant, and I have been to some restaurants around town that claim to have good steaks, charge the sky $ moon for it for, but dont deliver.
The restaurant is pretty spacious with plenty of places to sit and the décor is reminiscent of the 80’s with pictures lining the wall from what I remember. I don’t recommend their all you can eat mexican food which I think is on Tuesdays. Basically for under $ 20, you can each as much nachos, burritos and tacos you like, however after 1 round of nachos and a bite of a burrito, I was over it.
If you’re going to go to Cha Chi’s, get their steak and try out their other dishes on the menu. It’s a nice restaurant to go to with a group and I’ll probably be back to get my steak fix. Did I mention I love their steak? Ok I’ll stop now.