Located on Darlinghurst road, right in the middle of the infamous Kings Cross strip, is a Mexican grill house that will surprise you with its authentic tastes and flavours, traditional dishes…and one mean frozen fresh lime margarita

Restaurant: Tomatillo Mexican Grill
Cuisine: Mexican
Prices: No dish over $10
Location: 40b Darlinghurst Rd, Kings Cross
Website: www.tomatillo.com.au
To make a booking: (02) 9326 0900

Tomatillo offers patrons what it calls a "fast casual" dining experience and that's exactly what we experienced when we paid a visit on a damp Thursday evening.

The restaurant itself is nestled among the strip clubs, pubs and sex shop inviting you in with its brightly coloured counter and red signage.

We were offered a table in the corner and it was immediately suggested by our host, US-born entrepreneur Bill Komoroski that we sample Tomatillo's frozen fresh lime margarita before beginning the night with a plate of chicken quesadillas.

For those who don't know, Quesadillas are flour tortillas stuffed with cheese, chicken (on this occasion), grilled capsicum, onion, sour cream and salsa.

The dish itself was served on a communal plate divided up into slices, encouraging communal style eating, which like the affable Komoroski, is all part of Tomatillo's ethos of making diners feeling like they are eating in their own home.

The quesadilla was crisp, tangy and tasty and despite Komoroski warning me that its 'Must Have Mango' and 'Serratillo' hot sauces carried quite a kick, I spread far too liberal amounts over my dish. Be warned, they're pretty hot, but add great flavour.

Having devoured the quesadilla, we next tried one of Tomatillo's signature dishes, the ribs, which are rubbed with herbs and spices and braised before being grilled with a chipotle barbeque sauce.

While Komoroski gave us some cutlery, there was no need as the ribs came apart with ease…and disappeared with equal haste.

We rounded out the evening with some soft chicken tacos and accompanying side salad washed down with another round of lime margaritas as Komoroski regaled us with tales of his 25 years in the events, beverage and food industry.

We stumbled back into the light drizzle of Darlinghurst Street, our bellies full, our spirits high.

For brokers looking for a great place to eat before heading out for a night on the Cross, or even somewhere to grab a tortilla, some nachos or a burrito with mates, Tomatillo is hard to beat.

Most of the meals are under $10 and it's open until 4am on Friday and Saturday nights, and that includes getting your hands on their addictive margaritas.

Although we did not sample them, Tomatillo also offers a range of Mexican beers from light ales to amber lagers, and they also provide catering for meetings and parties.