So when young hospitality entrepreneurs Big Easy Group set up Bowden Brewing in the thriving inner-west community, it wouldn’t have taken too much deliberation to partner it with a Mexican cantina. Executive chef Harry Bourne’s menu looks like it is filled with the simple snacks you might think of when chugging a pint. Dig deeper and you will find the kind of labour-intensive kitchen commitment normally associated with fine dining.

Take the $13 pork taco. Not only is Masa making their own tortillas, they are sourcing whole Australian corn kernels to cook, soak, process and press by hand. And the pork is stripped from pigs’ heads that are boiled overnight in a huge pot, then finished with roasted apple salsa and puffed pieces of crackling. Boom.

The stand out, however, is the crisp tostada (a fried tortilla) loaded up with whipped avocado, chunks of gently poached king prawn meat, habanero hot sauce and a sprinkle of fermented chilli powder. The fried head stuck on top is there for more than its good looks. Larger plates include a slab of brisket smoked for six hours, then cooked overnight. Even the most irascible of barbecue men from the Deep South would be impressed. 

To read our full list of reviews for South Australia, head here.