We ordered nachos, salads, burritos, and quesadillas. All were well prepared and tasted excellent…read more We are visiting from the USA and were very happy with the place and service

Having grown up Florida and had authentic Mexican food throughout Florida; Texas; Atlanta, GA; New…read moreYork City and California I'm slightly trustworthy. ;) The Food: ========== The jalapeño poppers are the right spice-heat, right amount of cheese and breading and will certainly make you ask for another Dos Equity or mojito. Carnitas taco is amazing. Properly-seasoned pulled pork is balanced and awakened by the crisp, refreshing and juicy tomato, pineapple and tiny bit of red onion (pineapple salsa). What a Fiesta in my mouth! Seriously delicious. Carne taco is OK. The steak is good but missing some flavor. Maybe the entire taco is just... bland isn't the proper word, but it did come to mind. You can skip it. The fish taco is nice but ask for them to go easy on the chipotle mayo. It comes with a bit more than it should. Still, it is a nice amount of rockling with just the right amount of frying; crisp exterior with a warm, flaky, moist filet inside. The mojito needs a stirring when it arrives but is a nice bit of mint, lime and sweetness to complement the food and/or cool if you off on a hot Melbourne late Arco, early evening. The Décor: ========== I love it. The bright colors, the day-of-the-dead art, the music, the weathered-patina stools and the lights are spot on. I especially like the split system air con's cover.Made me think of the movie The Three Amigos.

South Melbourne needs way more decent non-pub restaurants. I'm always surprised at how few…read morenon-chain Mexican spots there are on this side of town. So I was very keen to check out this modern little spot on Clarendon Street. I came for lunch, and if you work in the area, this is a good spot to check out. Tacos are priced at 3 for $12 and they have sandwiches ready for take away. Easy and fast for workday lunches on your own or with co-workers. We ordered the pork sandwich and 3 tacos. Definitely fresh, but unfortunately pretty much all of it tasted exactly the same as the fillings were really bland. The sandwich had awesome bread though - perfect crunch without being hard or chewy. If you can handle heat, get the 'blow your head off' habenero sauce to add flavour and spice. It was definitely hot and quite tasty, which saved the dishes (but then again, everything except the fish taco which had some chipotle mayo to differentiate tasted identical). Service was fast and friendly. The decor is nice and modern to create a cafe type feel, with a big red archway peering into the kitchen. I'd come here again if I was passing by, but unfortunately not the new South Melbourne local tacqueria we were hoping for.

I keep trying to like Mexican food and this time I thought I was heading to a Restaurant where I…read morewould not be disappointed. I thought the reviews sounded promising, it was on the wonderful Clarendon Street and the overall vibe and menu of El Habanero is promising! Alas! The food and wait times were a massive let down. We ordered the white fish ceviche to share as an entrée which came out promptly enough, the taco shell it was on was flimsy and added nothing to the dish. It would have been much preferred not to have it on there. The ceviche was overcooked in the citrus and the herbs had deteriorated, the tomato pieces has become graining and tasteless and there was nothing to taste but lemon and no texture but rubber. A real let down, considering how wonderful ceviche actually is. Between the entrée and the mains we waited 43 minutes, does this seem excessive to you? It seemed excessive to us. We were really hungry and planned on going out afterwards, so it was a little frustrating, but we enjoyed the night air and ignored it. The waiter came over and asked if we "need anything else?" about half an hour in when we informed him we were waiting on mains, he looked puzzled and dashed off to the kitchen and returned saying ours was the next order. Urgh. It's worth mentioning there was a group of maybe 20 teenagers there for a birthday party, we were sure to put in our orders just as they sat down to avoid this exact problem from occurring. It is hard to stay annoyed about the service staff at El Habanero, as they are truly friendly people and genuinely seem to be working as hard as they can to make the experience a pleasant one for their patrons. They even had what looked like the Manager walking around asking tables how they were going and if they needed anything. My two friends and I all ordered differed combinations of the tacos, three each. The combinations of flavours were great and were so close to being awesome. The portions are way too small and as you expect from the ceviche; it was all over cooked, not fresh and/or package tasting. Nothing to write home about unless to say "over cooked fish gives me nightmares." We ordered a Mexican beer and two virgin Mojitos which really were the high light of the evening, all in all cost us in excess of $80.00. We were feeling pretty let down by the food so we didn't order the Flan for desert like we had been planning. I am not sure what is going on in terms of the food, they seem to have the makings of a genuine, tasty, Mexican restaurant- it just does not seem to be getting executed properly.

A new addition to the variety of restaurants in Boronia, Carlos Cantina is an indie Mexican…read morerestaurant that aims to take on the over franchised cuisine. I popped in for dinner on a Monday, and took advantage of the Monday to Wednesday Half Price Entrees and Mains deal. This was great as when I got what I ordered, it was enough for two, and only cost about $10. My meal was fantastic. After a shared entrée of the Carlos Potachos, which was basically nachos with potato wedges instead of corn chips, I ordered the Fajita Vegetales, and was given a piping hot pan of fresh vegetables cooked in a ranch sauce. Another plate held lettuce, guacamole and rice, and yet another had 4 fajita wraps, plus cheese sour cream and salsa. I proceeded to make my own wraps, and somehow managed to devour the entire thing. Like a Taco Bill, the prices are quite high for what you get. Although the meals are really large, I'm always surprised at how much it costs for a burrito at ANY Mexican restaurant. With the fare quite simple in its preparation and ingredients, I'm one who often make sit at home and avoids paying $20 for a meal that cost under $5 to cook. That said, take advantage of the half price nights, and you're sure to enjoy having someone else cook for you.

This is the yummiest Mexican I've ever had... the vegan baked potato with rice was to die for, I…read morecouldn't stop eating and arguably the best baked potato I've had... so soft on the inside and incredibly crunchy on the outside. Kudos, I couldn't even take a picture of it it smelt too good not to get into!

Bay City Burrito is GONE. Struggled through covid shutdowns and closed up. There's a very popular…read morewine bar there now but you won't get a burrito.

I simply love Mexican food. I just can't get enough!…read more When I was reading reviews from fellow yelpers, I did find Bay City Burrito near my home in Kew. I was delighted with the menu and what I could try from it's various offerings. They advertise a spicy nuclear chili and also,delicious street tacos with pork, beef steak or yard bird (chicky). I ordered for my partner a veggie burrito and I ordered the street tacos along with chips and guacamole. Wow! After living in mexico for some time on assignment, I wondered if I would experience pork taco bliss - yup, I sure did. Not only were the tacos delicious; but, they were stuffed with pork in two awesome corn tortillas. The burrito veg was very spicy, but delicious and the guacamole was fresh and tasty accompanied with their fresh tortilla chips. Give it a try. You will not be disappointed! Adios!!

Mmmm Gringo Vibes makes me wish everyday was a Taco Tuesday day. We stumbled upon Gringo Vibes…read moreaccidently, and how could you not? It's nestled in Northcote, next to the best pizza you'll ever have and a stone's throw away from some mysterious cocktails. It's small inside, not super tiny like Lil Hop (in Fitzroy) but small enough that tables do get filled up pretty quick. It's a casual, minimal effort that you'd get from your standard taco shop. And I love that. They aren't trying to hard to impress you in décor. They've got a cool collection of tequila, the bottles are really fun to have a look at. And a table topped up with all of the hot sauce you can handle. To their food. My oh my, I'm impressed. The fish taco has fat chunks of fish steak marinated and grilled. It complimemnts the slaw and coriander sauce. Yum. The chicken comes with beans- choose the refired ones. Everything melts together is synchronicity. Come on Taco Tuesdays. Pints are $3, and select tacos are individually $3. It's a dinner night that anyone can afford!

From what I had the other night I am a new fan. I had hear about this from another Californian…read morefriend and I was pleased to have fresh house made chips and real salsa that actually tastes fresh & good. For nights when I don't want to cook myself, this is where I would go to get my Mexi on - and ability for margaritas and beer with salsa and chips.. made my move to Melbourne a little more bearable. The guys had the enchiladas which were great because they were of appropriate size - as in plato style with rice and beans. Dudes were happy. Friend enjoyed her quesadilla plato & I had the fish tacos which were ok. A bit overcooked, could have been chicken, not the light & fluffy kind that you envision. Place is small, don't expect to have a table free and don't expect to have a dinner party with a group. If this was in walking distance I might go there 1 x week. very good value for $$ compared with the rest of Australian Mexican menus...finally!

$10 margaritas on Wednesday and Thursday is an absolute steal, especially when you realise the…read moreTequila used isn't cheap and nasty. Throw in a couple of decent tacos at $5 each and you've got yourself a fun night out without needing to sell your first born. I love the vibe of this small and happening Tequila and Taco bar. There's barely enough seats for 20 people and the staff are welcoming, fun and make you feel like you're part of the party. The house-mad salsas are tasty, though I'd love a little salt on the table to adjust the seasoning of the tacos which were a little under-done to my taste. For a quick and friendly neighbourhood bite in a part of town that is sorely lacking for good nightlife options, Hello Jose is terrific.

Who doesn't love a dose of Mexican food and tequila? Well, maybe tequila isn't for everyone but you…read moreprobably secretly enjoy it or haven't realised it yet. Hello José brings classic Mexican street food with market-fresh ingredients and quality tequila to the North Melbourne area in the form a quaint hole-in-the-wall-style taqueria bar. Combining a crazy playlist that jumps around various genres of the music of the 90s and early 2000s and creative, comical Mexican and beach themed wall artwork, the whole place just screams fun and reminiscent of beach bars in Mexico itself. Built around the bar and kitchen area, seating is a handful of small tables, benches and bar seating inside, a small courtyard out the back and some more tables out on the front footpath. The small size of the venue adds a touch of intimacy to the experience. The food menu is simple but well executed. Tacos, tostaditas, chargrilled corn, quinoa and black bean salad and churros are the options. The tacos are star of the show with the choice of pork belly, chicken, beef, fish and black bean. Tortillas are hand-pressed fresh each day and ingredients are sourced from the Queen Victoria markets across the road. The pork belly tacos with its crushed crackling is an easy favourite. And at $5 each it's hard to say no to more. The churros come with the choice of chocolate or chilli chocolate for some added heat. No Mexican food adventure would be complete without some tequila, good thing you have the choice of twelve different tequilas with a selection of blanco, reposado and añejos on offer. There is also a range of Mexican beers, wine, sangria, horchata and margaritas. A standout is the spicy margarita which has an added spice hit of jalapeño juice. Also of note is the house-made horchata (rice water, cinnamon and vanilla) with some added tequila. Service is great with the staff providing friendly banter to everyone. Hello José brings some quality, honest Mexican street food in a fun and laid back environment to the North Melbourne area and is sure to please all who venture in.

Chilangos is a pretty tasty alternative to the usual chain burrito places like Salsa's or Mad Mex…read moreor GYG. (Still doesn't beat Zambrero though.) It's located conveniently in Goldsbrough Lane, so it's popular during the work weekday lunchtime rush. It's a lot more quiet and pleasant in the evenings and on weekends. Their burritos and tacos are pretty easy to veganise. I pack mine with beans and brown rice. The sauces are pretty tasty, but I'm still partial to Zambrero's. For sides, they have the usual chips and salsa and corn, and churros for dessert. (I'm not sure if the churros are vegan.) The atmosphere is cheerful, with brightly-colored Mexican fabrics and art on the walls, and fun swings you can sit in to eat and face the world through the open-air window looking onto the laneway. This Texan is still not fully convinced about Mexican food in Australia in general (lol), but I'd recommend Chilangos if you're in the area and craving a quick burrito or bowl.

Chilangos was an expected delicious find after scoring a free burrito here via eat club…read more I had always stuck to Guzman y Gomez or mad max but didnt know about chilangos being a chain They have got burritos and tacos and a range of interesting drinks including the Mexican horchata. I had the spiced fish burrito. Large burrito with salsa onion corn black beans sour cream guacamole spicy sauce and delicious fish fingers. I ate the burrito in two servings due to its massive size and loved every morsel. The rice is well flavoured. The burrito wrap is fresh. And the spicy sauce is not too overpowering. Definitely a great find

That was the worst Mexican food I have ever eaten. We visited on Cinco de Mayo (which was a…read moreSaturday night) and I could not believe they were out of two menu items we wanted to order. Everything was served room temperature and bland tasting. Some items were even too terrible tasting I wouldn't finish them. (Do not order the enfrijoladas.) Aside from that, the staff could really improve their service. Lastly, our bill was completely illegible with strange amounts of numbers and decimal points in weird places. Would have also been nice to have their beers listed on the menu. I do not recommend eating here. The corn is better at Mamasita and the tacos are better around the corner at Hello Jose.

If you don't want to read the rest of the review then just know this. 2 people, 2 drinks, 8…read morevery small so so tacos and 2 starters = $100. We were so so disappointed AND STILL HUNGRY even before getting the bill that we decided to drive 5 minutes down the road to a real authentic Mexican food restaurant and got 2 drinks, 8 REAL tacos, 2 starters and 2 desserts for $87. 13 bucks less for more. If you have never eaten authentic Mexican food before then you may and I do say "may" think this place is just ok. Walked in expecting good things because this place is owned by El Cielo where I get my own raw ingredients and tortillas when I cook mexican at home. WRONG! Not owned by El Cielo anymore. Sold off and you can always throw away reviews on a place good or bad when it's under new ownership. On to the food. Portion were tiny and lacking in true authentic flavors. Honesty this is something anybody can cook at home. If I can cook better than a place then I don't see the point. The other person in my party ordered a margarita that came in a tumbler. I ordered A Pacifico beer for $12. $9 everywhere else. Asked for tamales as it's on the menu saying only available Fridays and Saturdays and we happend to be there on a Friday and one of the first people in the door. "We are all out of tamales ". Hold on, how? Then we want some fish tacos. Nope, all out of fish. Don't get me wrong the food was ok. That's the problem though it was just ok. For the money, average food and still left hungry left me extremely disappointed.