El Planta

Adrienne Jory and her partner Rick Gibson always struggled to find good plant-based tacos in and around Brisbane. So they decided to open a pop-up at now-closed Fish Lane food hub Wandering Cooks, calling it El Planta.

Almost immediately it was a roaring success – Gibson and Jory worked out that in its first 12 months at Wandering Cooks, El Planta shifted more than 25,000 tacos. So the pair decided to step things up as soon as possible, opening a bricks and mortar restaurant in June 2020.

El Planta proper is an unfussy, homely space. The walls are covered in photos and framed prints, while the venue’s floor-to-ceiling glass window has been lined with a neat cactus garden. Inside, the space is dominated by a single large communal table. Outside, there’s a scattering of tables and a church pew.

Tacos are the big drawcard, with past variations such as roasted and flame-grilled cauliflower with toasted cashews and cascabel salsa; blistered eggplant with cashew crema, salsa macha and toasted peanuts; and jackfruit with adobo sauce, grilled pineapple and salsa verde.

There are also larger plates to share; think rich chillies and stews. Snacks include house-made guac and corn chips, grilled corn with a chipotle vegan mayonnaise, and house-pickled jalapenos and vegetables.

On the drinks list you’ll find Mexican beers, a slick selection of wines put together by Happy Boy’s Nick Turner, and Latin American-inspired cocktails such as Margaritas, Diablo Verdes and Palomas prepared with house-made mixers.