Lucha Loco

Great food, amazing service which for Singapore is a plus! Baja Fish tacos were really nice and had a spicy kick to it, also margaritas had the perfect amount of alcohol. Will definitely recommend

Elotes (Mexican street style grilled corn with mayo, chilli and cotija cheese)
–I thought this was pretty good, but one serving is enough for me. You must like corn and cheese to like this dish
Tostaditas de pollo asado (grilled chicken, guacamole, chicharron and chipotle)
–amazing. I love this! ⁵⁄₅!
Toastaditas de res (New Zealand rib eye with green tomatillo)
–not bad, but the chicken one was better!

Someone would have to pay me to drag me there for a 2^nd visit.
1. I get better service at the Post Office.
2. Waitress asked to move us to a spot and promptly removed the cushion of the seats. Mind boggling yes?
3. She then gave me the bill even before the drinks arrived. Mind boggling again?
4. When asked to bring the cushion back for the seats; she refused. Strike 3!!!
Even our next door neighbors were baffled and commented «she ain’t getting our cushions!»
They were nice enough to offer their cushions to us.
5. If you sit outdoors, there’s some prickly cactus right behind you. Smartest design ever… serious injury lawsuit just waiting to happen.
Overall…visit at your own risk.

The crab appetizer (sorry forgot the name) is sooooo yummy! A must order as it’s complex flavor burst in your mouth on every bite! The drinks are very good as well… strong and sweet (if that’s your thing and if not, non sweet options are abundant as well) just the way I like me!!! Tried pretty much everything and it’s all delish!

I am still in shock — $ 11 for ONE taco? If it was the best taco I ever had, then it would be a different story, but it wasn’t. The décor is nice, but I just can’t get over the fact of a super overpriced taco. I was really looking forward to these «strong margaritas» that I have read about, but I couldn’t taste it. Maybe it was a bad batch or something. Anyways, I think it is over-​hyped and I would not go back again.
The servers are nice though =)

Came here last night on a double date and though there’s always a long wait, I have yet to be disappointed with the food. I’m a big fan of the elotes and if wasn’t totally absurd, I swear I would order like 5 elotes. Alas, my husband won’t let me so I had a beef taco and that was delish as well! Give this place a go!

I was there with a colleague and found it okay. The food is pretty average-​but normally that is a very subjective judgement. The drinks were okay although I found the whole restaurant pretty pricy given the average experience. The staff is friendly. I would probably tag along if friends went there but not initiate it.

Not bad, nice ambiance and it is the location of the establishment with its garden that makes it a fun kind of spot to visit in Duxton Hill.
The management could do more with the setting but overall I enjoyed myself and the joint is well run, the staff are pretty friendly and the food is okay.
This just hits value for money on the cocktails but on the food, I am not so sure and it is a little pricey for what you are being served.
They should expand on their beverage selection!
Overall; would I pop in for another visit? … For sure and the place is at least worth a try, it will appeal to a lot of people.

They make a very very tasty Margarita, with fresh ingredients.
I also ordered the Taco de Pescado (Snapper taco with achiote, red onion salsa, chipotle mayo) and Baja Fish Taco (Crispy beer battered red snapper, mango salsa, mint & cabbage). Its insane for me to pay so much for small street sized tacos. Althought it is pricy, I will gladly pay to go here every once in a while to get a little tatse of home!

Was on a hunt for good Mexican good and suggestion for Lucha Loco popped up. So hub and I decided to give it a try.
The deco of the place is really nice, very hip and trendy. Now to the food…
Elote — many reviews have said that there is no regret in ordering the corn cob so we ordered it in good faith. While I would not say it’s awful, I didn’t think it’s worth the $ 8 for it.
Crab Tostaditos — it’s really nice, also very small a plate of it. It’s a starter so I guess I shouldn’t be expecting it to be filling.
Pork Belly Taco — this is definitely a gourmet version. Think 2 pieces of braised pork belly with some Vege garnish held together by soft taco. Nice but again, small.
Chicken Quesadilla — tasty, just wish there’s more of it.
Pastel de Elote Azul — a crumbly dessert made of corn. Not really sweet and I’m not sure if it’s meant to be dry but ours was. So I’m not impressed.
I would say that as a hangout place, it’s awesome. But I’m a foodie so this place doesn’t fulfill me enough. Oh well…

How does a place like this survive in Singapore? Lucha Loco is an offence to all that is great in the Singapore culinary scene. The food is comically overpriced, bland, and extremely small portions. It’s obvious that the owners have no concern or love for food, but only money. Never have I been to a place in Singapore that shows such blatant disregard for flavor. If they spent half the time on cooking as they do on ambiance, the place might be acceptable.
Being from New Mexico, I have high standards for Mexican food. Few places in Singapore have a knack for the genre, but Lucha Loco is so far from the mark that it would be better off marketing itself as a relaxing bar that also happens to sell finger foods to their inebriated, dimwitted patrons.

If this place serves the best tacos in Singapore, I’m booking a flight back to Baja.
Started with the Ceviche de camarones y pulpo (shrimp and octopus ceviche), then ordered the costillas (ribs) and 2 tacos (carnitas and pescado/​fish). Each taco was awfully tiny and the tortilla was rather dry. The batter on the fish wasn’t crunchy, and they skimped on the cabbage. There was an interesting-​tasting mango topping on the fish, but it definitely wasn’t authentic. I’ve visited countless taquerias in the state of California and I know what I’m talking about. People, a taco is cheap street food. It’s normally US$ 1.99 per fish taco, and at S$ 11 + tax + tip per taco, I expected killer taste for that killer price.
The ceviche was decent, not overly sour and the seafood was fresh. However they also skimped on the tortilla chips. The Costillas (ribs) were generally forgettable, although tender, the sauce was rather odd, tomatoish and tasted like it came out of a can. The only redeeming thing was the Pastel de Elote Azul, a blue corn cake with agave nectar & mezcal cream. The corn cake was warm and crumbly with the contrasting smooth texture of the cream beside it. However, I wasn’t sure if this was something authentic. I also saw a huitlacoche (corn fungus) quesadilla in one of the pictures here on Unilocal,however I didn’t see that on the menu.
Don’t get me wrong, the drinks are good, food ingredients are higher quality, and the atmosphere is hip (if you’re into that kind of thing). For some reason, this place is the current «in» spot, filled with expats holding their margaritas. Lucha libre décor aside, the sky-​high prices really turned me off. Food is okay if you haven’t tried authentic mexican food, but not *that* mind-​blowing to warrant this kind of pricing. My wallet felt gutted.

I really can’t figure out why most of the reviews are so mediocre. I’ve been twice now. The first time I sat outside just for drinks and it was really nice.
The second time was last Friday. They don’t take reservations but the girl on the phone said at 1930 it shouldn’t be too bad. Anyway, we got there at 1930 and for 4 of us, the wait was close to an hour. No matter though as there are many cool bars in the area (and we went to the Tippling club to wait which was awesome).
When we were finally seated, it was right at the back of the restaurant. While part of the appeal of Lucha Loco is the uptempo vibe, the balance is off in the back corner in that it’s almost uncomfortably dark and loud (so you have to strain to read the menus and shout to be heard). In the future I’d probably specify that I want to sit outdoors or near the front and just wait however long it takes.
Food wise we got the beef tostadas, chicken quesadillas, pork belly tacos, chips and guac and something else. Yes the portions are somewhat small for the price but really it does feel comparable to other similar restaurants in Singapore. I somehow expected this place to be all show with no substance but was pleasantly surprised. All the food was actually fantastic and the pork belly taco in particular was the standout.
Great margaritas and good food — it’s definitely worth checking out.
random comment — it was weirdly expat dominated to the point where I think we were the only table of locals. Not really a good or bad thing though.

A rather disappointing experience even though the location is great and the interior/​ambience was wonderful.
Nothing can be more of a turn off than feeling like you’ve been ripped off. The fish tacos were good, but extremely expensive at over S$ 10 per taco. Drinks ranged from $ 15−20+ per drink. Quality was so-​so, not great but not terrible. What gives this place a low rating is the «feeling you’ve been ripped off», ie. the waitresses did not inform us that unless the majority of Mexican restaurants, guacamole and salsa are charged at approx $ 5 – 7 each time you ask for more guacamole and salsa. You will only get that nice surprise when the bill comes.
I believe that if you are charging such premium prices for tacos and food, giving your customers some guac and salsa free of charge sounds normal, even expected.
Speaking of guac and salsa, they were both very disappointing. If the owners claim that they are bringing ingredients in from Mexico directly (and hence the higher prices), I would wish that they emulated the more vibrant flavours of the guac and salsa that are served in authentic Mexican establishments.
The service– not very attentive, sluggish. Nothing to complain about but certainly not prompt or on the ball when it comes to asking if we wanted anything more.
Overall, this is not a recommended place for dining. Just a nice locale for a drink after working hours on your way elsewhere in the Duxton Hill area.

I had just finished yoga before dinner so I wasn’t about to undo all the hard work just yet. I can’t believe I am saying this but thankfully the dishes weren’t too tasty for me to break my resolve. I started with a humble fish taco. I’ve read other reviews that marked it as a «yummy but overpriced» item. Overall, it was ok. A bit too small for it to be considered a meal. Definitely an appetizer and a stingy one at that. If you enjoy fish tacos, I would recommend Tanuki raw’s. They serve 2 tacos at $ 15 and they taste better than the ones here :) Lucha Loco’s tacos were too wet. Too much hot sauce made the tortilla soggy :(and very messy to eat. The rest of the dishes I nibbled on a bit but nothing really impressed me very much. Yet this place was full house on a Wed night mind you! Amazing. I attribute its success to the beautiful ambiance and location. Duxton Hill is earning a reputation for drawing in the yuppie crowd. A place to be seen and to see. A feast for the eyes but sadly not the taste buds! haha…
1. Fish taco (fried) — Ok. I had better.
2. Pork ribs — Ok. A bit too saucy? Tasted like a ribs with too much BBQ sauce.
3. Truffle quesadilla — Ok
4. Guacamole — I didn’t mind it but my dinner companions said it didn’t have much of a flavor which was true. It basically tasted like an avocado dip. Very little taste of lime, salt or anything else. That being said, I do like my avocados. The dip was moist and fresh.
5. Salsa — HORRIBLE!!! I can’t really describe it. It tasted like cheap tomato ketchup. Everyone on the table barely touched it.
6. Blue Corn Cake with agave nectar and mescal cream — PASS! The cake was so dry even the mescal cream could not make it go down any easier. The mescal cream with berries however were a lovely combination. Then again, who doesn’t love berries and cream???
7. Sangria — Good. Very light and mild. Not much alcohol but I didn’t mind it.
I wished I tried their Elotes — Mexican street style grilled corn. It looks peppered with interesting seasonings. Maybe one day when I am around the neighborhood and craving corn I’ll pop by for a taste. Otherwise, there isn’t much else (food wise) that will compel me to go back.

UPDATED May 9^th due to Lucha Loco’s comments.
I’m really torn about this place. Is the food good? Yes, the tacos aren’t bad but at $ 11 for one when I’m used to $ 1 (excuse me, with the exchange rate S$ 1.25) my heart hurts. Nonetheless, if I’m looking for tacos, this is definitely the place I’m going to be. Drinks were good, creative, and relatively cheap as well at $ 15 – 20.
I came here with a group of girlfriends for dinner and some drinks. We all enjoyed our meal, but were surprised to see a $ 400+ bill. Damn, with only 5 people eating and 1 person ordering 1 drink, what the hell did we order??? With closer inspection, we realized that each time the waitress came and asked us if we wanted more chips and salsa there was an additional $ 5 – 7 charge. Thank you for NOT telling us. I’m sorry, if you’re going to be asking, please do make sure we understand that there will be an additional charge. Most Italian places do not charge extra for their breads so we definitely didn’t expect this to be the case at Lucha Loco. I personally paid over $ 60 for two tacos and two drinks.
Oh yea, do not order the guacamole here. It was nasty and there was no salt.

Lucha Loco, a place that sells gourmet mexican street food, has been receiving rave reviews since it opened last year and we were glad that our experience with the food there turned out to be an amazing and memorable one.
I did not regret ordering the Elotes ($ 8) despite knowing that it was just a corn. No, I should correct myself and say that it was an extraordinary grilled corn smeared with chilli, mayonaise and cotija cheese that burst out sweet juices in each bite. I never knew a corn could have such a great allure.
Since tacos are the first thing that comes to mind for Mexican cuisine, we instinctively picked the Tacos de pesdacos ($ 11), which is the fish version instead of pork belly, beef or shrimp. Ceviche (raw fish «cooked» in lime and lemon juice) was another popular item on many tables but we did not feel like having it that day.
The tender chunks of grilled snapper dressed in chipotle mayo was smoky and slightly fiery. Admittedly, the tortilla skin was rather stretchy, but that extra red pepper salsa added a desirable crunch and zest to it
I imagined the Crab Tostaditas with habanero, avocado and cucumber ($ 16) to be crunchy and creamy but somehow the dish did not deliver the taste. They were on the light, bland side.
Our favourite was this vegan dish, Chiles Relanos ($ 24), an ugly-​looking roasted poblano pepper stuffed with rice, herbs and wild mushrooms. Every spoonful of filling with the heavenly pumpkin sauce simply lifts up your mood. So delicious that I did not mind skipping other meaty mains.
As a dessert lover, I was sad to see only two items but ended up extremely pleased with the Pastel de Elote Azul ($ 14), a crumbly cake made with blue cornmeal topped with mezcal alcohol-​spiked whipped cream. (Though it was served after 20min and not 5min as informed by the waiter) Moistened with agave nectar, the cake had a unique coarse texture and a subtle sweetness. Who says good cakes must be light and fluffy? This one is divine – a MUST TRY…
To conclude, this is definitely the place to go for some authentic Mexican street food. If you are coming here for a full meal, I recommend that you order the main meal that are larger in portions as prices adds up when you order those small-​sized appetizers.
Plus, the cocktails here are not to be missed for those who loves drinking. Do go early before the crowd streams in as there is no reservations! Go late for their DJ music and u might meet the man in the mask.

Elotes (Mexican street style corn on the cob) is one of my favorite foods, so when I heard that Lucha Loco had a version, I dragged my friends out for a sampling…
Sadly, although the corn was decent, it was not nearly a match for the legendary corn at Café Habana in NY, and… at $ 8 for half a cob, my wallet was extremely cross. My point of reference for elotes is ~$ 2 for a full cob in NY and about half or less of that for the real deal in Mexico.
Moving along, my $ 11 fish taco completed the ravishment of my innocent little wallet. Again, although it was tasty with a nice chunk of snapper, it was hardly worth 5x the price of the average taco in NY.
PARTING THOUGHT: Perhaps the prices will be worth it once I am here in Singapore a bit longer and the craving for Mexican really sets in… that or I am going to start learning how to cook mole and elotes!

As many Unilocalers have mentioned, $ 10+ for a taco is kind of steep. In fact, our server asked us about how the food was, and what we thought about the taco (quality, price, etc). We agreed that it was somewhat expensive, but was pretty good nonetheless!
My fish taco ($ 11) was pretty yummy, somewhat charred (and hence salty), but good fish, and nice topping of chipotle mayo (slightly spicy!) and cucumbers (i think?) etc. Got a little messy with fish juices flowing, but not too disastrous: p
My friend got the beef taco ($ 10) and found it somewhat spicy still (low spice tolerance, oops!)
We filled up on corn chips + guacamole/​roasted tomato salsa ($ 12). Yum, since I think it’s hard to find guacamole in Singapore. I found the taste of the salsa somewhat curious. couldn’t identify what was in it that gave a certain taste. Anyhow, slightly spicy too, not bad!
Would like to be back to try the stuffed pepper sometime. The place definitely started filling up around 7:30pm! Thankfully we got there around 6:30pm so it wasn’t too crowded yet.
On a side note, luckily our server told us to check the bill — because we got the wrong bill and it was TWICE the amount we spent. I’m like, we did NOT order any of these things! Even though another server tried to foist two corn orders and a pork taco on me. I’m like. we’re done eating (and have been, for a while), why are you giving me more food. O. o Thankfully they got us the right bill in the end.

What I realllly like here is the crab toastcadillas which packs a punch on the spicy side. One bite is not enough, really. The chili spiciness hidden within, ready to explode in your mouth is one exciting taste for me! Two bites after, I don’t think it is that spicy anymore! However, bring ‘em on and I could chow ‘em down in dozens. Alas, it is a bit pricey as four balls of crab toastcadillas comes at S$ 16.
The tacos are good, yet pricey in Singapore. Maybe anyone can suggest a better place for tacos?
Margaritas are good here. I would definitely be back as this is a great place for a chill Friday’s after work hang out place.