Southside Tequila Joint is the new vibrant tequila and taco bar spearheaded by the brains behind Crazy Pedro’s and the venue’s previous owners to bring some zing to Withington.
You can see the pedigree in the taco toppings which are not your traditional ones and include cheese burger and hot dogs, giving Southside extra spice as well as real energy in the space.
On the main Withington drag (Wilmslow Road), in what was formally Solomons, it’s been given a redo with a newly refurbished basement bar that can be used for private events, a covered terrace whilst the main bar has also been sprinkled with Mexican fairy dust with in-your-face décor and graffiti.
It has a good vibe, lovely staff and offers socially distanced fun, doing what it says on the tin with a vast array of tequilas (tequila tastings are coming soon) and tequila-based cocktails lovingly served.
VIVA loved the Paloma, a refreshing and deadly cocktail of tequila, grapefruit, lime, and salt. There’s margaritas too, obviously, ranging from the traditional to the Southside specials, made wonderfully and with the bittersweet sting you want.
There’s also a fully stocked bar for beer, fizz and gin drinkers if tequila’s not your bag, but with these smooth tipples, you may well rethink that. And it’s great value with any three tacos £4, all cocktails £7.50, tequila from £3 and pints from £4.
The food is great, and a lot of thought has gone into the offering. Taco shells are soft but also slightly crispy and wonderfully filling.
Speaking of which the fillings are creative but work, forget Texmex, this is MancMex, well sort of and they’re named after rappers too.
There’s vegan and veggie options with dips too, including a wonderfully velvet guac. Taco-wise VIVA loved the SNOOPDOGG with a hot dog and pickles and the NOTORIOUS BIG with a cheeseburger and sauce.
To book and for more information visit them on https://www.tequilajoint.com/