Bigger, bolder, birria – La Bodega to transform historic Fortitude Valley site into a buzzy taqueria
The team behind a cherished East Brisbane taqueria is expanding over the river, with the La Bodega crew announcing plans to open a brand-new location this October. Straddling the boundary between Fortitude Valley and Newstead, La Bodega will offer the same kind of flavour-packed Mexican-inspired cuisine as its original location, with more elbow room for clinking margaritas. Here’s what we know …
It’s been a whirlwind couple of years for the La Bodega team. Since opening in November 2023, the taqueria has not only evolved into a weekly staple for East Brisbane locals, but also a destination dining spot for foodies across Southeast Queensland.
“It’s just crazy – we have people coming from Manly, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast,” recalls Anna Brobjer, who runs La Bodega alongside her partner Tim Glasson. “We had someone come in recently who took public transport two and a half hours each way to eat at La Bodega. It’s really become so much more than we had planned or had a vision for.”
Success on this scale wasn’t on the cards for La Bodega’s owners – at least not this quickly. But the team has rolled with its good fortune, expanding its interests on Lytton Road with neighbouring pizza and pasta bar, OLLI Italiano. This October, the team will expand again with a second La Bodega site situated across the Story Bridge in Fortitude Valley.
Taking over the former Alfred E. Griffiths Service Station on Wickham Terrace (a tortilla toss from Homemaker Fortitude Valley), the La Bodega team will be transforming the site into a spacious eatery and bar. While the group wasn’t outwardly looking for opportunities to expand, the new site – much larger than the East Brisbane venue – opens the doors for Anna, Tim and the crew to capitalise on a recent influx of event requests.
“One big issue is that we have a lot of inquiries for bigger functions,” says Anna. “[East Brisbane] can seat about 48 people, but if I have a booking for 35 to 40 people, that’s the whole venue booked out and it shuts off the community access.”
“There’s so much that we want to do if we just have that extra space. This building is like a match made in heaven for our brand. We know exactly where everything is going to go. It’s made for it.”
With keys now in hand, the La Bodega crew is gearing up to enact a cosmetic refresh of the site’s internals and some back-of-house improvements (only the building’s Spanish Mission style facade is heritage listed). The team will be rebuilding the bar and installing a new kitchen pass.
Inside will be dedicated to walk-in customers, with a group-style table dominating the floor-plan. Out back sits an alfresco space, which will be furnished with booths and a scattering of four-seater tables. A lick of terracotta-hued paint will also help bring the new location in line, aesthetically.
Subscribe for updates
A new menu in the works Anna hopes will be ready to launch in tandem with La Bodega Fortitude Valley’s opening. While details are being kept under wraps for now, fans of La Bodega’s tacos (including its famed slow-cooked beef birria tacos) will no doubt find lots to enjoy.
The bar offering will also get an upgrade, with some fun new cocktail ideas currently undergoing R&D. Whether you’re dining at the Fortitude Valley location or at the OG, Anna assures us the offering will be uniform across both sites.
“I really want to try to offer the same experience,” says Anna. “The idea behind what we do – with both Ollie and La Bodega – is to provide people with a place to to celebrate, but also somewhere to just go and relax. You don’t need to dress up. You don’t need to feel like you have to fit in. We just really focus on good food, good drinks, good times. Nothing else really matters.”
La Bodega will open in Fortitude Valley this October – stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.