Taquito

It’s places like Taquito in Carlton that remind me why I missed dining out in a Melbourne so much. With its great food, amazing service and fun vibe, it was definitely a great choice for a Friday night. 

What sets Taquito apart from the usual Mexican haunts in Melbourne is Taquito’s house-made tortillas and totopos. There’s no doubt that you can taste the difference it makes - especially when we were lucky enough to be served a warm crispy batch of totopos straight from the oven. So with that in mind, the Guacamole de la abuelita with totopos ($14) and a serving of the tacos (a flight of four setting you back $26) are definitely a must when ordering - with the baja syle crispy fish taco being so good, we both ordered another. 

While the churros ($12) came out like any good churro should be - warm and crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside - the sauce was definitely an interesting choice, reminding me more a brandy custard to go with Christmas pudding, rather than a dipping sauce.  The churros themselves, however, were delicious. 



If you’re looking for a venue that’s elegant but trendy, service that’s friendly and efficient and food that is utterly delicious - then look no further than Taquito - which is what makes it the new fave.

Food: 4.5/5
Service: 5/5
Value for money: 5/5
Venue: 5/5
Total: 19.5/20

Verdict: The New Fave - put it as number one on the to do list. 

Chilangos Mexican Cantina

Before you think I’ve gone completely mad by blogging about Chilangos Mexican Cantina let me just point out 3 things:

1. It serves beer AND some of the best margaritas I’ve had in Melbourne;
2. The food is actually quite tasty; and
3. It’s in the Docklands, so let’s face it, there’s still not a great deal of competition.
   

Chilangos serves up all the usual Mexican culprits - think burritos, tacos, nachos etc. If you get in early enough, you might even be able to grab one of their enchiladas with the special filling of the day - pictured below was the beef enchilada and I am pleased to say I was not disappointed.

The venue itself has plenty of seating, and the staff are incredibly friendly and accommodating. So while your meals will be served up in cardboard boxes, it’s hard to go past ordering tasty Mexican accompanied by delicious margaritas if you find yourself in the Docklands looking for somewhere for lunch.

Food: 3/5
Value for money: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Venue: 3/5
Total: 13/15
Verdict: like - get around to trying it at some point 

 

Village Cantina

Village Cantina in Yarraville is a casual Mexican Cantina that serves up some of the more common Aus-Mexican culprits including a range of burritos, tacos and quesadillas. 

On Sundays, Village Cantina offers $10 nachos - so of course we had to give them a try. With a generous smothering of toppings, they were both tasty and generous in size. 

However, the mushroom quesadilla with cheese and spinach ($16) unfortunately had far too much garlic which drowned out the flavour of the mushrooms. 

 

The pulled pork burrito ($17) was definitely the highlight though - the pork was juicy and tender, and the burrito was rich with flavours. Although the side salad served with it was flavourless and definitely a miss.

Whilst the venue itself was quite chilly - the staff were warm and incredibly welcoming, and were quick to bring out our meals. If you find yourself in Yarraville craving some Mexican, then I’d recommend giving Village Cantina a go. 

Service: 4/5

Value for money: 4/5

Venue: 3/5

Food: 3/5

Total: 14/20

Verdict: like - get around to trying it at some point 

 

Bodega Underground

After all my years of hunting, I’ve finally found Melbourne’s best fish tacos. Crispy, juicy and packed with flavour, Bodega Underground’s fish tacos put all other fish tacos to shame.

Serving up Mexican inspired cuisine, with its postered covered walls, Mexican trinkets and funky Cantina vibe, Bodega Underground is a little slice of Mexico right in the CBD.

Unfortunately the lighting wasn’t the best for photos, so you’ll have to take my word for it when I say the food was delicious. To start with, the fried chicken was served up with half a bowl of dipping sauce - that’s right - half a bowl. No scrounging around at the bottom of the dish for the last skerrick of sauce here.



Coming out smothered in cheese, the elote were also an excellent choice.



But as mentioned above, the creme of the crop for me had to be the fish tacos.



Great food, great service, and great vibe - Bodega is the perfect place if you’re find yourself in the mood for some Mexican food.

Food: 4/5
Venue: 4/5
Value for money: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 16/20

Verdict - love, get around to trying at some point

 

La Tortilleria

The secret to La Tortilleria's amazing tacos and Chilaquiles (a more authentic take on nachos) is their home-made tortillas. Made with only 2 ingredients - corn and sea salt - their corn tortillas are made the same way the Aztec and Mayan people have made them for a millenia with locally grown corn.

At only around $5-6 a taco, it's easy to give more than one a try. The Pescado taco with corn battered fish, japapeno may and coleslaw should definitely make the list, so too should the Pollo taco with free range chicken, caramalized onion, black beans and chipotle salsa.

Pescado Tacos

Pollo Taco

However, the pièce de résistance for me had to be the Chilaquiles with frijoles - warm but fresh, gooey but crisp - each bite was punching with flavour.

The venue itself (situated in the backstreets of Kensignton) is everything you would want from a local Mexican joint - bright, colourful and invitingly festive.  Definitely a place worth checking out if you're craving a good taco.

Food: 4/5
Venue: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Value for money: 4/5
Total: 16/20
Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon 

Radio Mexico

After eating at Radio Mexico, I was rather shocked by its high Zomato rating. Whilst Radio Mexico wasn't terrible, it was below average and just did not hit the mark. 

To start off, the service whilst friendly was slow - it took approximately 15 minutes of me trying to catch the waiter's eye (who was happily chatting away to various individuals) to get our bill to leave. 

And the food? Disappointing. The flavour in the Picoso Chilaquiles (spicy red chilli based red sauce with guacamole and crema on corn chips) was completely one dimensional (with the guac running out too soon), and got boring after about the second bite.  And whilst I personally love my spice (being known to eat jalapenos out of the jar like candy) this dish should have come with a warning for people with normal tastebuds, with my fellow diner struggling to handle the spice (which was extremely spicy).

The baja tacos (with pico de gallo and slaw) were just as disappointing - whilst the fish was cooked well, it was overall incredibly dry. 

Despite serving up top notch margaritas, I will not be back. 

Food: 2.5/5

Venue: 3/5

Service: 3/5

Verdict: Don't bother - there are better Mexican restaurants in town.

 

Paco Y Lola

Situated at the South Melbourne Market, Paco Y Lola is unsurprisingly packed to the brim on market days - however, even on non-market days Paco Y Lola is still bustling with patrons. Serving up Mexican inspired cuisine at an incredibly reasonable price tag, the venue itself that has a relaxed but colourful vibe.

Paco Y Lola's chicken burrito with corn, red peppers, beans, sour cream and cheese was a highlight of our evening. Whilst it may be a diet's worst nightmare - oozing with meat and cheese, this fat juicy beast was definitely worth the calories.

The Sopes (i.e. those strange purple looking things below which you'd be forgiven for mistaking as hamburger patties) with slow cooked Chilli Colorado beef was also a highlight - served with lettuce, feta, corn and salsa, the dish had an incredible array of flavours and textures, and the juicy slow cooked beef just melted in the mouth.

The pulled pork quesadillas, however, were unfortunately a miss - whilst presented beautifully, they came out cold and claggy.

With its friendly service and great price tag, Paco Y Lola is definitely worth a visit - especially for their burritos.

Food: 3/5
Venue: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 11/15
Verdict: Like - get around to trying it at some point.