The concept might sound like a novelty, but the execution is anything but. This North Parramatta spot has built a loyal following around its Indian-Mexican menu, and the nachos exemplify that incredible fusion across a range of toppings piled high onto crispy chips – chicken tikka, pulled butter chicken, or peri-peri or achari chicken; lamb mince masala or classic beef mince; and paneer, for both vegetarians and fans of cheese in all of its forms. Rest assured that the bold spicing that makes tikka masala so great in the first place translates surprisingly well to the nacho format. Halal certified and creative at a surprisingly affordable price point, this place is a genuine one of a kind. 44A Pennant St, North Parramatta; tikkatacoday.com

This tiny 12-seat corner spot has been selling out of birria pretty much every day since it opened last year, and if you haven’t heard about it from a friend yet, you definitely will soon. Three Mexican-born mates run the whole operation, and the slow-braised beef that gets heaped onto the nachos here is the main event: piled high and served with a cup of rich, spiced consommé on the side. That’s the dipping broth, and yes, you dip the nachos into it. Get there early and be prepared to change the way you eat (and think about) nachos forever. 67 Abercrombie St, Chippendale; radiotaco.com.au

The origin story here is almost too good. Lawrence Diaz started this out of a Haberfield servo, where people were queuing for up to two hours in a car park to get their hands on his birria. That kind of word-of-mouth doesn’t happen by accident. Now with a permanent home in Darlinghurst (plus Marrickville and Carlton), the nachos – like the tacos – come loaded with your choice of protein, including Michoacán-style carnitas braised for hours with Coca-Cola, or pork al pastor marinated for a full two days before it goes anywhere near the grill. Everything is made from scratch, and you can sense the love involved in the whole operation all the way from the end of the queue. @papis.birria

Mami’s is very easy to love: the food is cooked by Mexicans, the vibe is warm and unpretentious, and nothing on the menu costs more than $20. The only exception? The ‘grande’ nachos, which are $38, staggeringly oversized and designed for sharing among three or four people at least (but who are we to judge if you decide to take on a plate by yourself?). It’s also BYO, so swing past a bottle shop first and you have yourself a proper decent night out for genuinely not very much money at all. It’s Bondi’s best-kept not-very-secret secret. mamis-bondi.square.site

Most nachos are about what goes on top. The Maiz Ensalada here flips that logic completely. Impossibly crisp corn chips arrive topped with sheets of corn, chickpeas, pepitas, pickled radish and a cascabel mayo that brings just enough warmth without laying siege to everything else. Though not strictly a plate of nachos – this ‘salad’ is lighter than a traditional loaded plate and better for it – it’s the kind of dish that makes you reconsider what you like about nachos. The venue itself is tucked into a Manly back alley with a margarita list that rewards exploration, making the whole thing a left turn worth taking. In every sense. 9 The Corso, Manly; goodgoodcompany.com/venue/chica-bonita-manly

Baja Cantina opened on Glebe Point Road with one goal: bring the kind of fresh, relaxed, Californian-Mexican food he loved to Sydney. Well over a decade later the place is still packing them in, which is a pretty clear sign that Comings knew what he was doing. The nachos are a properly loaded plate topped with guacamole, beans, cheese and your choice of prawns, steak or a clutch of other proteins. Beware, though, that the beer garden out back is the kind of place you end up staying three hours longer than you planned. Now with locations in Central and Surry Hills as well as the OG Glebe digs, it’s one of the most convenient ways in Sydney to score a top-notch plate of nachos. luckyvenues.au/venues/baja-cantina-glebe

The menu at this small North Sydney spot roams well beyond Mexico, pulling in dishes from across Latin America: ceviche, empanadas, Peruvian roast chicken, causa à la limeña, churros with dulce de leche. Nachos are on the lunch menu as a natural part of that wider flavour party, loaded with the classics and a solid choice of proteins including beef brisket, chipotle chicken and crispy fish. The whole place only seats around 20 people, run by chef Kris and his partner Natalie on the floor, and it’s BYO wine, which makes the bill considerably friendlier and the vibe exactly what you want from a neighbourhood favourite. 5 Ridge St, North Sydney; eljeferestaurant.com.au

Once upon a time, pub nachos were everywhere. Every second beer garden in Sydney had a plate of chips buried under a layer of melted cheese and a blurt of sour cream, and nobody thought too much about it. These days, for whatever reason, a genuinely good pub nacho is surprisingly hard to track down. Keg & Brew on Foveaux Street is one of the rare exceptions: a loaded plate with fresh salsa, a rotating tap list of Australian craft pours and a rooftop beer garden to get cheesy in. Unpretentious, generous and made for sharing between rounds; sometimes that’s exactly what you need. 26 Foveaux St, Surry Hills; kegandbrew.com.au

The thing to order at this beachside cantina that appears to be running on permanent holiday mode is the chilaquiles: corn chips simmered in salsa until they’re sitting somewhere between crispy and soggy, then finished with cheese and crema. It’s what Mexicans actually eat at home, and finding it done properly this far from Central America feels like a bit of a miracle. Order them straight up, or add achiote chicken, pulled beef or black beans The tortillas are made in-house on an old wooden press, and weekly happy hours and $12 margaritas on Thursdays seal the already excellent deal. Unit 2/209-211 Ocean St, Narrabeen; mexicano.com.au

The menu here is tight by design, with mother and daughter Blanca Mejia and Blanca Perera running the whole operation themselves, cooking every dish from scratch out of a small kitchen in Newtown, with a short list of things they know inside out rather than a sprawling menu trying to please everyone. The pulled chicken chilaquiles, with tomato salsa, cheese and sour cream, are steeped in tradition, chilaquiles being the Mexican kitchen’s answer to what you do with day-old tortillas. Cooked in salsa until the chips are somewhere between crispy and tender, then finished with plenty of cheese, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with regular nachos. Keep an eye on socials for when they next pop up on the menu. 12 King St, Newtown; olotl.com.au