The North Shields fish quay has been transforming itself over the last year or so with the addition of new restaurants and apartment blocks, and one of the newest here is the Californian inspired Mexican restaurant Lobo Rojo, specialising in tacos!

I first saw it on one of my mates instagrams, and once I saw one person post about it, it seemed like everyone I went to school with did too. For Whitley Bay, Tynemouth and North Shields locals it’s right on our doorstep, and I’ve also seen a number of people make the journey coastal from nearer to Newcastle.

I tried to go the week before I went to Italy, but on Sunday’s they stop serving at 6ish if I remember rightly, and they also don’t take bookings for anything less than 6 people.

We put it off until after our holiday, and I decided I wanted to go there on my birthday night, midweek. Right on the fish quay, in the old Irvins building, you can’t miss it, and there’s plenty of parking nearby. We went for about 6:30, and at this time it was still pretty quiet. 

The staff are great, and we had our pick of a few tables. There’s a mix of smaller tables, and big booths which would be great for groups or families that need plenty space. 

I’d heard very good things about the cocktails, and the margaritas, so that’s what I ordered being my birthday and all. You can visit the bar area for just drinks if you don’t want food.

The menu is a couple of pages long, with a big selection of all sorts of tacos. Fish, pork, chicken, prawn, as well as vegetarian and vegan options, all with different flavourings, toppings and spice level.

There’s other Mexican favourites like burritos and burrito bowls on the menu, and a good selection of sides to go with whatever you order.

We went for the sharer chips and salsa to start, so moreish and just like the ones we had in Tulum a couple of years ago. The margaritas were just as strong as the ones we had there too.

For our main we went with a mix of the tacos, having been told three or four would be enough for two of us, with each one coming with two of the same flavour on the plate.

Pork shoulder, chorizo, prawn, and spicy chicken were the four varieties we got, but this description doesn’t really do them justice. I can’t find a menu online to check the exact ingredients for each one, and I’m so annoyed at myself that I didn’t take a photo of the full menu. 

We also ordered the salt and chilli chips to go alongside it, and in honesty it was too much food. I think we could have just got three different flavour tacos, or skipped the chips as the portion was huge, but after a breather and picking a bit more we got through most of it.

Tacos may be small but they’re deceivingly filling, and these ones are packed full. 

By the time we had finished the place was full, with people waiting for tables, so it does pay to go early to avoid a wait. The atmosphere was a lot of fun, and the staff are so nice too. For the two of us, a starter, 4 plates of tacos (2 on each), a big portion of chips, and me on the margaritas our bill came to about £40, which is more than reasonable.

I think it makes a really good change along the fish quay, particularly from fish and chips, and it’s something a bit different at the coast in general. There are so many fish and chip places obviously, and the arrival of Lobo Rojo gives a much ‘spicier’ selection instead of the usual tapas at Allards or pasta at Sambucas. 

I’d be keen to go for lunch as it’s definitely doable within an hour if you aren’t lucky enough to be on the cocktails, or have to return to work, or a Saturday lunchtime when you could pass hours on the cocktails after some food.

There’s definitely more to it than chain style Mexican’s you might find in town, and the service is a lot more personal. So all in all a big thumbs up and I’ll be going back. 

Other posts you might like:

Indian tapas at Ahar, Whitley Bay

Geordie comfort food at Hinnies, Whitley Bay