A Mexican restaurant which started as a pop-up during the pandemic has become one of Southport’s biggest success stories.
Established chef Anthony Greenland has been inspired by his travels around the world to create Tik Taco Mexican Cantina, which offers diners authentic Mexican food.
The venue, on Coronation Walk in Southport town centre, is very inclusive, with lots of gluten free and vegan choices on the menu.
People who love to let their hair down meanwhile will love the extensive selection of tequilas which they’ll find behind the bar, while Tik Taco is the only independent restaurant in the area to sell Corona Mexican lager on draught.
If you’ve not visited the venue yet, you may well have seen Anthony out on the road with Tik Taco a regular sight at big events such as Southport Flower Show, Southport Food and Drink Festival and others.
It is a real family-run local business.
Anthony often works alongside his wife, Emma, while their son, Max, loves making brownies and churros.
His Dad, Joe, helps with some of the food prep, while the business currently employs seven local people and is looking to grow.
Birria beef tacos at Tik Taco Mexican Cantina on Coronation Walk in Southport
Tik Taco was shortlisted in the Hidden Gems category in the Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards this year.
Anthony, 42, said: “We are well known for our freshly cooked, authentic Mexican cuisine and drinks.
“Everything is freshly prepared using the best ingredients.
“Some restaurants buy in some of their sauces and other foods in bulk, but we spend time making it fresh every day.
“I buy 200 fresh avocados a week! I must keep Aldi in Southport in business!
“We make our own tortillas here, perfecting our own recipe using a blend of corn and wheat, following feedback from our customers.
“We have created a special birria burger, people tell us it’s the best burger they’ve ever had.
Tacos at Tik Taco Mexican Cantina on Coronation Walk in Southport
“We use seven different chillies which we import from Mexico.
“Our salsa is made fresh every day and we bring in bags of fresh coriander every week.
“The aim is to do our best to do everything fresh, using the best suppliers that we can.
“Our meat comes from Barton’s Butchers in Southport, our fish comes from Fleetwood. It is all top quality.
“We have a five star food hygiene rating here, and have a special kids’ menu too.
“I love doing my research. I have been to Mexico a few times. I love Riviera Maya.
“I have travelled to the US a lot, to places such as California, and always love trying Mexican food everywhere I go to see what new ideas I can learn.
“We went to New York in January and went straight to the two best Mexican restaurants I could find there. My wife is very understanding!
“At Tik Taco we appeal to families, couples, girls’ nights out, we have baby showers, work parties, lots of people coming to enjoy their food in here.
“We are launching our new menu in October. We are really excited to see what people think.”
Tik Taco Mexican Cantina on Coronation Walk in Southport
Anthony created Tik Taco three years ago as he wanted to bring something new, fresh and exciting to Southport. He was previously the head chef at a hotel in Lincoln for 10 years.
He started out as a chef at the age of 17 working alongside Marc Verite, now the owner of Bistrot Verite in Birkdale, at the acclaimed The Warehouse restaurant in Southport.
Southport previously had the Chiquito Mexican restaurant at Ocean Plaza, which closed at the start of the pandemic in 2020, part of a big chain that offered bland dishes with pre-prepared ingredients.
Anthony said: “I spotted a real gap in the market and thought I would give Tik Taco a try to see what people thought.
“I said to my wife ‘why has no-one done this before here’?
“My whole business was set up with just £500 of savings. I had nothing to lose! I had real faith in what I wanted to create and it has grown step by step.
“As it has become more and more successful, I have reinvested more back into the business.
“I initially launched it as a six-week takeaway service during lockdown, and the interest was huge with fantastic feedback.
“My friend owns a cafe in Southport and he kindly allowed me to use his kitchen to get going.
“I then opened a pop-up restaurant on Coronation Walk, and it just got busier and busier.
Mexican Naked Bowls, packed full of Mexican rice, drunked beans, corn tortilla chips and your own choice of toppings at the Tik Taco Mexican Cantina on Coronation Walk in Southport
“I sat down with my wife and said ‘shall we do this’?
“We have gone from a takeaway, to a pop-up to a restaurant.
“Now we are here as a permanent fixture and word is growing about what we offer.
“We want more people to know that we are here.
“I want this to be a real destination restaurant for people who love freshly cooked, authentic Mexican cuisine.
“I will travel for my food! I will drive to Manchester to a place that does the best burgers around. Great food is worth travelling for and I want people from around the region who love Mexican food to come here.”
Tik Taco restaurant is at 5 Coronation Walk, Southport town centre PR8 1RD. It is open 5pm-9pm Wednesday to Sunday while the Tik Taco takeaway is available 5pm-9pm Tuesday to Sunday. You can order through the Tik Taco app, or call them on: 01704 547548.
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Do you need advertising, PR or media support? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrownn@gmail.com
