Trippy Taco - The Beanery of Fitzroy

Situated on the Gertrude Street dining strip near Smith Street in Fitzroy, Trippy Taco had piqued my interest for some time. I can never say nada to Mexican food but since this eatery serves only vegetarian and vegan options, I have been curious to see how a seemingly important constraint can be converted into a success with the sort of regional flare that depends on lard, oil, meat and fish usually to be determined a success. I was certainly intrigued.

I had to resist ordering their signature tofu burrito because I am allergic to high volumes of soy. In the past I have made exceptions at Izakaya Den as their tofu is made in house where it is not at Trippy Taco so I did not want to sacrifice my personal comfort to experiment with it. I did however order their version of taquitos, the bean and cheese burrito and along with a serve of nachos which I intended to share with one other.

This seems to be the dining mecca for the hipsters. An innocent and unassuming bunch normally however the popularity of this restaurant with this subculture makes it hard to secure a table either inside or outside. Inside caters for about twenty-five people in a clean space with ample natural light.

After ordering the food and retrieving some Pacifico beer from the cabinet, the food was brought to the table as it was prepared so the server had occasion to say "g'day" to us three times. The taquitos confused my dining companion. He didn't know that this was a vegetarian restaurant and did not notice that the meat had been substituted with beans until I pointed it out to him. The guacamole was fresh and light and it was refreshing in a way eating taquitos that did not ooze oil all over your hand (does this remind anyone of Taco Bill's?) and drip on you with impunity. It is all very clean and healthy however bland. There is a hutch on one wall of the eatery that houses many bottles of sauce, all in varied degrees of spice and heat. A splash of "extra hot" gave the taquitos, and later the bean and cheese burrito the necessary kick. The nachos, like the taquitos, were light chips with the same guacamole experienced before and a mild salsa and sour cream. I liked that it wasn't sloppy and you did not have to resort to using a knife and fork to eat it however once again, I found myself reaching for my trusty bottle of extra hot sauce to give the nachos some additional flavour.

The lovely lady behind the kiosk where you order was friendly and efficient. The only table service that you get is when the food is brought out to you however as they have a PayPass terminal it made it convenient to return and get a second round of beer and tap my credit card. Some noise was coming through their speaker system that was a combination of static and some beats. I believe it was a fault with their system, at least I hope it was but strangely it merged well with the soft murmur of the elusive wild hipsters in this place. Although it was a different experience which I was a bit indifferent about, I will be so bold to write that when I want Mexican I need lard, oil and most importantly char-grilled meat or fish of some sort to be thoroughly content. I would return though if I am in the area and in the mood for some healthy fare before taking on the taps at the Gertrude Hotel and do like the novel concept.

Trippy Taco

Link to review

234 Gertrude St  Fitzroy VIC 3065
(03) 9415 7711

http://www.trippytaco.com.au

My Rating: n/a

Service: n/a

Ambiance: n/a

Quality: n/a

Value For Money: n/a

Twitter: @epicurean3006

e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of this post, 87% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon like Trippy Taco. I was indifferent.