MAMASITA

Mamasita offers a vibrant and inviting ambience that sets the mood for a great dining experience. The food is delicious and packed with authentic Mexican flavours.They also offer a good range of vegetarian options, making it a great choice for everyone. While the portion sizes are slightly smaller than expected for the price, the quality and taste make it worth a try. A great spot if you're looking to enjoy a modern take on Mexican cuisine.

Fancy tex-Méx but good drinks. The place looks amazing and has a great atmosphere but the food left us feeling a little unsatisfied. The presentation is amazing but the flavours weren’t very authentic. We ordered a range of dishes from the menu but the flavours were lacking like they made it less spicy and used weaker seasoning. Still a very nice bar and restaurant if you’re wanting to go out for a celebration! This place is very busy so you will need to book a reservation in advance.

Absolute vibe for date night - we revisited last weekend and after 13 years from our first date - it’s still an amazing place to sit, stay and feel like a part of the family. Book ahead to avoid disappointment, they do have walk ins however you might have to wait and be called back. The sad thing is no one wants to leave so you might be waiting a while. For good reason - Service was top notch friendly and attentive. Cocktails were refreshing. Food was tasty delicious and by far THE CORN was the best thing since sliced bread. Cannot be beat!!! Highly, highly recommend. Oh and we went with the special cheesecake for dessert 🍮 the (2nd) MOST amazing thing to eat that night!

Came here for my wife birthday and we were amazed with the food, service and the vibe. This place is must visit. The staff were polite and knowledgeable but stretched as the place was packed! We loved mushroom tostadas, sweet potatoes and pork belly tacos, however highlight was slow roasted cauliflower! That’s was wow!

Great variety of food. delicious flavours and well presented. All gluten free so easy for coeliacs and excellent range of drinks and cocktails. Buzzing vibe with a retro feel

Booking for 2 we were seated at the table by the window. Our waiter was funny and guided us through the menu. I love margheritas so I was in heaven! Will see definitely be back when I visit Melbourne again.

100% gluten free menu, didn’t get sick after as a sensitive coeliac. Came here on a double date and got the $69 per person feed me. There was SO much food, we have an appetite and came hungry and we could not finish it all, which was a shame as it was incredible. We have been coming here for years but truly every time we come back it somehow gets better. The staff are awesome & accomodating and really helpful, they made me a super zingy spicy margarita which was great too.

We had a really pleasant evening celebrating our anniversary at Mamasita. We chose to have the set menu for two and we found it to be a very satisfying amount of food (I was full, my husband enjoyed some dessert afterwards). The quality of the food was wonderful. I really liked that they have a small kind of cool room 'kitchen' setup that has a window to the main kitchen, where all the raw fish was being prepared and handled in the cold room rather than the hot kitchen. Both the tuna and king fish we had both tasted fresh and delightful. We also found it to be a very pleasant level of spice. We also had their cola mocktail option which was a fun drink. I am dairy free, which they accommodated with vegan cheese and dressing options which were all delicious (honestly, I don't usually eat the 'vegan' dairy because most taste pretty gross, but this was all absolutely delicious!) If you are mobility restricted it isn't a great choice as it's up a pretty large, steep flight of stairs to the restaurant. I have bad hips and I did find the walk down the stairs after sitting for the meal to be quite painful.

Really good food, amazing margaritas and very attentive staff. My partner and I went here on date night and loved it! The only complaint we had was wanting more of the delicious tacos!

One of the Travelmints team brought her parents here 12 years ago, and subsequently returned here with her husband 1 week after she got married in 2021. Things are still the same, Mamasita serves extremely good quality fresh Mexican food and they also offer a fun tequila tasting board! The staff here are very friendly and attentive too. There's no doubt that this place is the place to go if you ever want to enjoy Mexican food and vibes!

Love this place! Always left happy, never had a bad experience here. Fantastic cocktails, delicious food and excellent service with a relaxed welcoming vibe. Recommend for dates or a catch up with a friend. Great vegetarian options as well!

I only tried two things at Mamasita for lunch and they were both really amazing. The first was the "Blackened chicken tostadas" which consisted of blacked chicken cubed and placed on top of three round tortilla chips with with achiote, avocado, pomegranate and lime, $14. It was delicious. I also had three "Fried prawn" tacos. It's a battered prawn stuffed in a palm sized tortilla with slaw & paprika buttermilk dressing, $6/each. Great food and wonderful service. I'd come back again.

My friend and I visited Mamasita at around 6pm on a Sunday evening. We had not made a reservation and were shocked at how busy the establishment was. We were seated at the "bar" style area near to the front of the restaurant which had an extended narrow bench and convenient hooks underneath to hang jackets and bags. For groups more that two, I would highly suggest booking in advance as there is proper seating available but your unlikely to get a seat otherwise. The food ordered was incredibly tasty and flavoursome. We ordered chicken Tostitos (I believe they were called) and beef quesadillas to share. However, we were quite underwhelmed with the serving size. We were told that the meals would be ideal for sharing, which was true due to their nature, however we were glad to have gotten two meals as they were not substantial. This was unfortunate as the meals were clearly made from fresh, quality ingredients. The price for these meals (about $18 for each meal) was slightly over priced too for the volume of food received. Overall, the restaurant was lovely and had a nice ambience, and the staff were helpful and friendly.

Me encanta Mamasita! I had dinner here with four friends the other night and from the moment we arrived to the second we left we had a wonderful dining experience with thanks to the lovely waitresses and incredible food. We ordered a few things to share which were: - BBQ octopus - Pork tamale - Crab, prawn, avocado & walnut tostadas - Lamb quesadillas - Crispy fried snapper - Greened rice - Friedman potatoes - Street-style corn on the cob Not one single thing was below par..everything was absolutely delectable. My standouts were the BBQ octopus, crispy fried snapper and the corn on the cob which was perfection! I love love love the concept of the tequila flights! Whilst my group opted for margaritas I will definitely try the flights out when I am back here again! Speaking of margaritas: the tamarind flavoured one was such a refreshing and nice surprise for all of us! Gracias Mamasita for the excellent food and drinks!

I was angry with my colleague for not telling me earlier about this place. The food at this place is great! I love Mexican food but as some others I am a bit snobby and I believe good Mexican food is hard to find outside the US (and obviously Mexico haha). I was almost seated immediately when I arrived on a Wednesday evening but the place was bustling and at I noticed a short line at the entrance a few times during the night but it was never too spectacular. I was happy to note that the host and the waitstaff was all super friendly and helpful at all times, despite the fact that it was crowded. I started off with the Ceviche which was amazing, it was my favorite dish of the night. Also, I always think you can recognize a good Mexican restaurant based on their tortilla chips and the ones which came with the ceviche were of good quality. Both Taco's I tried were very very good, the lamb taco was a real flavor bomb and extremely well balanced: every bite tasted just perfect. I hate standing in line for food, but this was plain awesome so I might consider making an exception, going back soon!!

Waiting for an hour didn't seem to matter once I had the first bite of my food at mamacita. A group of four of us got there at 5.45 and were told that we had an hour long wait. We went for drinks at 35 collins st and received a call around 6.45 that our table was ready. We sat on four bar stools right next to the tiny kitchen with all the action. If you don't want to be called, then you wait along this narrow stairwell hunched up against a wall which a lot of people didn't mind doing. We had to squeeze our way past them to get a seat. The place is dimly lit. Its noisy. Expect to shout at your friend while trying to have a conversation. They have a coat room (you get a playing card as your coat room hire number) and hooks to hang your bags (yay for the ladies). Service is so quick that I felt suffocated the entire time I was there. Water arrived almost instantaneously and food arrived within 5 minutes of ordering. It iss great but it feels like you have to eat in a rush. Especially when you're in a group because people jump into the food as soon as it gets there. It is not an atmosphere that you can relax in. So umm may be not for first dates unless you have no intention of listening/engaging with your date. We got the esquitos with corn in a cup. It is 7 dollars each and not for sharing. Lovely flavoured corn covered in mozzarella cheese. Yum. Then we had the chorizo quesadilla. Only four pieces but my oh my the best quesadilla I ever had. So juicy and creamy and all things nice. The chicken tostadas paled in comparison to the quesadilla. They have pomegranate seeds on top which gives them a nice crunchinesss. Love the little square pieces of chicken and cabbage combo. Then our main was the green charcoal chicken. Smoky. Quite smoky. And nice green taste. The addition of black beans and red onions as well as crunchy gluten free croutons made it an a-plus dish. My friends enjoyed their margarita. We weren't full though as portions are small and this establishment is quite pricey But the food is worth it. Can't wait to go back and try some more.

A nice place for some good tacos. But be aware that it's a bit noisy and it can get full rather quick (even on a Tuesday night). But we did get a table almost immediately out of sheer luck. Each taco isn't very big, so to hit the spot I recommend at least two tacos, and maybe an entree to help out. I left quite stuffed with just those 3 items, but anything less and I'd be complaining. I'm not a big connoisseur of Mexican food, but it seems like a modern take on the most famous dishes. Might be worth stopping by if you like the food but want to try something new for an acceptable price.

Mamasita's was the first place we had dinner upon arrival at Melbourne. We're big lovers of Mexican food, but this was our first experience with the traditional/not commercialized style. Despite it being a Monday night, it was still quite busy and by the time we left, there was a line up on the staircase. We chose to be seated at the bar as I like to see the bar staff work they're magic on the cocktails. The stools are quite tall, just an FYI if you're a shorty. Our bar man asked if we would like some tequila to start and ask what flavors we prefer. He was quite knowledgeable about the many varieties of tequila they serve, but please check prices before you taste. Ours were $17 a shot (served in a wine glass), with prices going upwards of $75. But as we were celebrating my birthday, we were happy to pay the price for quality. For food, you have to have the corn on the cob. It is devine and will set your tastebuds for the rest of the meal. We then followed with the pork and fried prawn tacos - amazing. Then finished with the chicken wings. I warn you they are quite spicy! Overall, we loved our dinner and raved about it for days afterwards. It will definitely be on our agenda the next time we visit Melbourne.

I came on a Saturday night without a reservation and I was seated rather quickly. There was a line up the stairs that lead to the restaurant, but it seems they get you in quickly. Disclaimer: I am a native Californian, so I have a snobby attitude towards good Mexican food. I can just say that this place is better than most restaurants closer to Mexico. I started with the Plantains, which were crispy and served with some frijoles (refried beans) and creamy guacamole. All the flavors mixed together nicely and the beans were not the ones you could get from a can. I then got the Pineapple Duck Flautas and they were served with some greens and some hot sauce. The Flautas were crispy and fresh and the hot sauce complimented the Flautas perfectly. Then came the tacos. YUM. I got the Pork and the Fried Prawn tacos. The pork comes with a few pieces of grilled pineapple and that made it sweet and the sauce gave it some spice. The prawns were battered and fried and tasted fresh from the frier. I certainly got my hankering for Mexican food satisfied. If only I had room for more

We were the second table to be seated after waiting outside in a queue for them to open and it took about 40-45 minutes for our entire meal to be served. The place filled up quickly and their POS system crashed which was not a recipe for success. Thankfully, the food was worth the wait. I won't call it the best Mexican I have had in Melbourne but it was one of the better spots. First out was the ceviche which was prepared with crema fresca in a coconut milk bath with cucumbers and green onions. I think it needed a bit more lime and tortilla chips but it was cool and refreshing. It's definitely a smaller size than anticipated, so best to have as a side dish or starter plate. Next up came the taco of the day, a deal at $5 for a hearty size portion. The flank steak and onions were marinating in a yummy dark sauce which had a nice touch of seasoning without the heat. The special lunch meal was also flank steak along side flavourful beans and rice. The rice was a nice surprise, in chile verde salsa with tiny shrimp throughout. I would gladly order this dish again. Finally, what we thought would be first dish came out last, fried plantains topped with beans, guacamole, and an onion salsa. The plantains were sliced thin and crispy, presented well. It could have used a bit more spice without adding the table hot sauce. Overall, it was a great meal, coming in at just under $50 for two people with no drinks. I would not recommend coming if you don't have over an hour to dine, to be the on the safe side. Getting our bill sorted took awhile too. Again, perhaps if their POS system was working it would be quicker. Either way, prepare yourself for a good meal in a comfortable atmosphere and sit along the window if you want to people watch with some sunlight.

Super modern and up to date with the current clients needs. Service was amazing. Was really impressed they provided an allergy chart so my friend was able to order item off the menu that were suitable to her dietary needs without the back and forth. Food was Amazing. I do feel $8 for one taco a bit high, they were really tasty. Super easy to split the bill with them leaving the EFTPOS machine at the table to process separate payments. Would highly recommend and looking forward to returning

I have been to this establishment many times, however it is been a while since I have been. There used to be a queue down the stairs and onto the street (it's on the 1st floor) food was always modern Mexican and top notch, hence the queue. I decided to try my luck at 7.15, walked up the stairs with no queue, thinking ok what's wrong? Ask for a seat for one, ushered to a seat facing a wall (the naughty corner) there was not a worse seat to in the house, wtf seats available at the bar and window! As a frequent traveler you do get used to eating alone but this experience makes it so much more uneasy. I should have got up there and then but stayed waiter Max copped my cool reception and did his best. Unfortunately Max knocked over my beer 2 birds Taco, not sure on price but guessing $10plus only lost about 20% of the beer, offer was sorry I will clean it up! All things equal it would be no big deal but this unfortunately topped it off. Max did try but this was poor training, any decent establishment would have trained staff to respond much better. Ok food, trying to be objective, ordered carnitas tacos and salad. Carnitas was quite dry in parts but flavour was still great, salad was also flavoursome. Still has great tequila and mezcal menu. Would I recommend this place like I so often did? Hmm no I felt like they have changed hands? Foot note I asked the the Maître de why he sat me where he did and said that he had bookings? Maybe he did but the place still had many seats available when I left. He asked when I would be back and offered a free drink, hmmm I said I won't be back. In this day and age competition is fierce and you cannot afford to treat clientele like this. I Cannot recommend this place after everything that I experienced, sooo many better options in Melbourne.

We got in here early enough (just before 6pm) to get seated immediately. Just in the nick of time as the line was out the door not long after we arrived. Food was absolutely delicious. We had duck and pineapple tacos (daily menu addition) which is the best flavour explosion ever in my opinion. We also had the tortillas & guac, the cheese & mushy quesadilla and the Al Pastor flautas. Totally yummy. All of it. Cocktails & mocktails are lovingly prepared and full of flavour and punch. Try the tequila tasting flight. The only negative is that it was blindingly obvious that they want to turn tables over, and fast. Almost feeling pressured to hurry up and finish... with the bill being brought to our table while we were still eating. It's a bit of a turn off. The table next to us turned over three times during our one hour dinner. Our server was very experienced, attentive and friendly. They're now accepting reservations which is a great plus! x

Since opening, Mamasita has consistently offered exotic and striking cuisine, while still fitting into the modern Melbourne culinary scene: its hard to get into, won't take reservations (unless you have more than 8), and has a strong emphasis on sharing. To get a booth and avoid waiting hit the bar early (say 5.30) and get a serve of tacos and some tequila and take your time. When the rest of the party arrive order quickly and you'll get your food in no time. If your okay with waiting but there isn't any space at the bar, leave your name and go for a walk or hit another venue. The staff will give you a call when the table is ready. I recommend focussing on the smaller serves and getting a wide selection of tacos, tostaditas, quesadillas and some tortilla chips with guacamole and salsa. You can't leave without trying some tequila, and the ice-cold cocktails are the perfect solution to the hot and spicy sauces that make the food pop. The food is great, the service is fast and the setting is exciting. Just be prepared to wait, or get in fast. I have been there numerous times and it always hits the spot.

Best Mexican food in Melbourne (big call there). No bookings so The crowds will easily mean a hour wait for a table unless you show up BEFORE they even open the doors and join a waiting que down the street. The hot tip is to push your way (nicely) upstairs past the line and give your name and phone number to the person with a check board who can call you when your table is ready while you have a drink in a bar nearby so you don't need to wait around on the stairs. The corn cobs make my mouth water just thinking about them and I think there would be public riots on the streets if they were ever removed from the menu. The vegetarian options are always excellent (always choose a main meal though). It's great going with a group of people and trying a bit of everything. Desserts are also interesting and good. Choose something the waiters suggest as they really know the menu well and will help you out a lot. The tequila back bar is impressive and worth trying, the tap beers and ciders are also solid. Try a tequila flight and learn a little about each one from your waiter or bartender. Well worth the wait for a seat.

First, this place offered the best service of any restaurant we visited during our two-week trip to Australia. Our water glasses were never empty despite the busy lunch rush. The food was excellent and inventive (this is not Taco Bell!).

The Mexican food here is AMAZING. I tried the chips with guacamole and salsa and the steak and vegetarian taco's. All which were great!!! This was flushed down with really good sangria and modello beer. We sat in really cool bar type seating looking back over the restaurant. The cue can be really long here so book before you go. I cant speak highly enough about Mamasita after my first visit. And i really am looking forward to visit again!!!!!!!

Ugh!! I'm so bummed I didn't stay an extra two days in Melbourne, because the food here was AMAZING! First of all I'm Cuban and have had my fair share of Mexican food across the world and in Mexico, of course. This place is legit! Not authentic Mexican but a fusion that'll make your tastebuds very very happy. We came here after twelve hours of touring Mornington peninsula and we didn't eat as much as I would've liked. Place was jumping for a Tuesday, lots of groups eating and having those delicious margaritas. Really close to our hotel too, The Windsor. Super pleased we chose this place for dinner rather than some crappy and overpriced room service; right on!

I've been living in California for the past 10 years and as a result I've had great access to plenty of Mexican food. I was excited to try Mamasita to see how Mexican food is in Melbourne, particularly given all the good things I'd heard about it. Melbourne's Mexican has improved considerably in the past 10 years, but there's still room for improvement. Despite the negative tone of my review, I think that Mamasita's is worth trying. It provides a good taste of Mexican cuisine, and I thought the execution of most dishes was good. The venue itself is also quite nice; it's very open with lots of natural light from the front windows. A brief review of the individual dishes that I tried follows: Michelada - To me, Mamasita's Michelada was a little too heavy on the chilli and tomato, and a little too light on the lime. This made it taste a little like a Bloody Mary and it masked the underlying flavour of the beer. (For people unfamiliar with a Michelada, it's a beer with various things added such as lime and chilli, usually served in a beer glass with a salted rim. They can be great on a hot day.) Sangria - I was quite happy with the red sangria I tried. There was a decent amount of fruit in the drink, giving it a pleasant fruity taste. Elote callejero ("street style" grilled corn) - I quite liked this dish. It's grilled corn with cheese, a spicy mayo, and seasoning. The mayo and seasoning added a nice accent to the corn. Tostaditas de Jaiba (small round tortilla chips with crab and other toppings) - my impression was "yeah... that was okay" rather than "ooh, that was delicious". It wasn't bad, it just wasn't as exciting as I was hoping for from crab. Tacos - de Puerco (pig cheek) and de Lengua y Cachete (braised ox tongue and cheek) - I quite liked the pig cheek and would recommend it. The meat in the ox tongue/cheek one was really good, but I felt that the ghost chilli mayo overpowered the taste of the meat too much. I really like spicy food, but in this instance I feel that the chilli was too strong for the meat. Mole negro con pollo (chicken in black mole sauce) - This dish was let down by a lack of flavour in the chicken; it hadn't absorbed much of the flavour of the sauce. The mole sauce itself was good but there's room for more richness of flavour. Pastel de Chocolate (flourless chocolate cake) - The cake was well executed; it was rich, flavourful, and moist. The "PX Jelly" is a little sweet by itself but it balances the flavours of the cake quite nicely.

Over hyped, over priced and with a long line to get on the door. If you want authentic Mexican Street food style tacos, this is not the place. Some would call it fusion but it is just wrong. A TJ taco would never sport pineapple chunks or pine nuts. I can get five of the real thing for the price of one of these back home and not have to sit in a crowded, hot stuffy corner counter.

Another little hole in the wall with a huge atmosphere. Don't be turned off by the wait line rolling down the stairs and out the door past the 7eleven. The wait time wasn't too long for our party of 2 and it was well worth the wait :) We sat the bar which was great as the bar staff were a great help and had good recommendations. We ordered the corn, I'm not much of a spicy fan but they were GOOD :) We then had a round of tostaditas. Soooo delicious, could have probably had two servings easily :) I tried the beef and fish tacos as well, and figured out i am much more of a fan of the beef. Would definitely go back to have a light late night meal there again the next time I'm in Melbourne.

This place has arguably the best Mexican food in Melbourne. Service is decent although it does get really busy, which means that you have to wait in line (up a flight of stairs) and get squeezed into a pretty small space where you're elbow to elbow with your neighbors eating Mexican street corn and delicious tacos. They don't take reservations so plan ahead if you're coming at a peak time. Sangria is tasty and decent here too, and if you want something harder there's a pretty good tequila selection. Parking on the street is virtually nonexistent but you can get paid parking in a carpark.

Went there after been on instagram checking for photos and inspiration of Mexican food, somehow I got in touch to Chef Andrew Logan, he encouraged me to come to Mamasita and try the "AHOGADA",.... What is an.AHOGADA, AHOGADA is typical dish from Guadalajara México, where I'm actually from. "torta Ahogada" is the best way to treat a hangover and the best lunch or breakfast for those lovers of the spicy food. Mamasita is the first Mexican inspired restaurant that has an AHOGADA on their menu... And boy o boy they did it right, I.would never imagine been brought back home in that moment when I used my spoon to cut through the beautifuly selected bread roll, stuffed with pork and soaked in a beautiful spicy tomato and Chilli sauce. I love I love AHOGADA and I cannot thank more mamasita after bringing this typical Street Mexican dish to Mexico. For more info about torta ahogada just google images: tortas toño Guadalajara Jalisco

Going to Mamasita is like opting to buy an expensive Melbourne-made Sombrero and a lonely planet book instead of a ticket to Mexico: it might give you a good idea of what it is like to go to Mexico, will make you feel and think that you might have really been there, but does not necessarily match the real experience. Mamasita's food is very delicious, a nice variety to the menu, and with a freshingly interesting and unique take on regular mexican food. It might not be typical Mexican food - according to the only Mexican I know - but is very delicious and unique regardless. Service is very friendly and consistently fast. The portions might not be as large as you'd expect, but the 25$ menu has several courses that by the time they are done serving you will be full. The place is regularly busy, even mid week, but things move much quicker than you'd expect, so dont feel discouraged if there is a queue at the door - you will be seated shortly, and food will follow very quickly. They dont do bookings for less that 8 people, but their booking system is well done, and the lady that follows up and makes sure things are in order is extremely friendly, professional, and punctual. Really worth a try for small or large groups, and not expensive if you go for the set menus, or just want to pop in for a quick and delicious dinner.

YOU MUST GET THE CORN! I know, you wouldn't think to get corn on the cob when you go to a restaurant, but their corn is amazing. Delicious queso, chipotle mayo, and spicy lime flavors on the corn. This was definitely my favorite meal when I was in Melbourne visiting. I got the braised beef and shrimp tacos. Both were super delicious and had great combinations of flavors! The chicken tostada menu item was also really good! We got the tres leches cake for dessert and it was decent. I'm not a huge sweets person, but the tres leches sauce was pretty good and the passion fruit sorbet on it was a good balance of flavors. It was a pretty small portion for a hefty price though.

This is a 3 and 3 quarter star review, but I'll round up rather than down :) Wait time - none because the lovely G got their early and put up with the staff asking where the rest of us were when we hadn't arrived within the 10 mins he said we'd be Ease of ordering - simple, again said lovely G sorted this part for us too. It was a nice change for Type A "foodie" me that normally does the ordering for groups! Service - tick. Share food all came out in perfectly timed order, drinks & water refilled immediately Food - Nice. Nothing to really go "wow" about (ok maybe the prawns from inside the tacos), but it was nice. Price - this is where I struggled to give a full 4 stars. I have no problem paying good money for really good food, but Mamasita seems like it's charging to be a little better than it actually is. Fun Fact - the ceviche, whilst not what you'd traditionally call spicy, had a weird tang to it. And by weird I mean good, but just different. They were pretty good at keeping extra hot sauce to the side of some dishes, and whilst I was "sweating like a gypsy with a mortgage" it wasn't unbearable like some Asian chilli dishes are for me, and didn't kill my tastebuds

Mamasita is hands down the best Mexican restaurant I've found in Melbourne. It is upscale with an extensive and exciting menu, an impressive list of quality tequilas, and a buzzing atmosphere of happy guests. Most Mexican restaurants around Melbourne do not tend to have a diversity of meats and seafood that Mamasita does. Typically the options you have are beef (shredded or otherwise), chicken or pork or something else very original. Mamasita on the other hand have crab meat, yellow fin tuna, prawns, veal tongue, braised pork, clams, king fish, chickpea fritters and goat. They even have a cactus ensalada on the menu and plenty of other options for vegetarians. The menu appears to have changed since I was last there. My old favourite was the duck tacos. But glad they still have the incredible crab meat tostaditas!

Came to this restaurant for the first time with my heavly preganant wife for a Mexican meal - the restuarant was not too full, infact there were many empty seats/tables. The usher who made us wait said he could on seat as at the edge/cornor of the bar on these little uncomfatable bar stools. The fact that there was no sympathy or good hospitality to my wife who needed a normal seat or bench seat at a table, to only be put at the corner next to cash register and waiters to put their receipts on a pike. Very disappointing! The food was meh, not very tastey and I would be arriving again. Ended up going to get Gelati at a small shop down the road which was a tiny tiny fraction to what we spent at Mamasita and the ice cream was the highlight of the dinner pretty much.

Pros: Mexican food. Delicious, authentic, fresh Mexican food. Tequila. Lots of it. Served in different ways. Sangria. Big, juicy jugs of it. Fish tacos. Tequila. Cons: It is so awesome you will probably have to wait. But it is so worth it for the tequila, sangria and fish tacos. Just... trust me on this one.

This is a pretty good little Mexican restaurant in the city, tucked away upstairs. Everyone goes crazy for the corn, and the corn soup was amazing. Alert: What I took to be little croutons turned out to be pieces of lightly fried cheese. Gooey, melty, amazing cheese. The best kind of surprise. The grilled fish taco was also quite good. The blackened chicken slider was good, but they were quite small for the price. I was too full for dessert, but next time I'm definitely going for the corn ice cream or dulce de leche cake. Oh, and they also have decent Micheladas, which I haven't seen on a Melbourne menu in the 3 months I've been here!

Whenever I come to Melbourne, I ALWAYS make sure I visit Mamasita. For me, it's literally one of my favorite restaurants in the world. Eclectic menu selection. Amazing food and food quality. Excellent customer service. Great drinks. It's a former record store!!! LOVE THIS PLACE :)

I love Mexican food. I grew up 30 minutes north of Mexico. So Im always on the hunt for good Mexican food. And few places have satisfied me with a true reflection of the taste and spirit of Mexico. Mamasitas is an exception. The walk through Fitzroy Gardens on a beautiful 25 degree spring day may have put me in a euphoric mood. For beverages, I had a negra modelo, and a Mamasitas margarhita. Both delicious. For food, I started with their civeche. Fresh, citrus hit, and a coconut (?) sorbet (think melon ball size) on top to balance it out. I then had three tacos, amd they were packed full of balanced flavours. A side of fried papas finished me off (I gave more than half of them to the two ladies next to me at the bar, another favourite, sitting at a bar when dining alone.

I have been here so many times and I am always impressed. It is very busy though, but don't let the queue put you off as things do move reasonably quickly. They have a great wine and cocktail list and plenty of wines Y the glass. On this visit we had the fish tacos, duck tostadas and street corn. All were great and so fresh tasting! They have hot sauce and other bits and pieces to add to spice things up. No room for dessert this time around, but there are a few to choose from.

I really hate the new trend in town of not being able to book a table in advance. It can make going on a date descend into awkward small talk as you queue for a table without the benefit of alcohol. That said, forget about your date and get here for the food. I used to lament the availability of good, authentic Mexican food in Melbourne. On a recent trip to San Fran I went on a Mexican food tour of the mission district by Chris Milano of Top Chef fame. Such amazing but simple food. We joked that if something brought some half decent Mexican to Melbourne, they'd be rich. Well.... Ca ching! No minced meat in taco shells at this place. Date and I had pork for entree and main. Each dish had its its own special pork personality. Both very likeable, but for different reasons. Shame about the date's persoanlity. I seriously dont think you could go wrong ordering anything potluck off the menu here. The food is sublime.

Oh man, how I desperately wanted to love this place! The atmosphere is really fun, the staff clearly have a passion for Mexican food, the tequila list is impressive, and the flavours are spot on... BUT the portion sizes and price tags just do not meet up. Turned up to Mamasita mid-week, around 5pm. This was apparently good timing, as we only had a short wait - not nearly as bad as other reviewers have mentioned. I was absolutely ravenous and ordered what I thought would be a lot of food. I was particularly looking forward to the Taco de Camarones (marinated prawn taco) and was disappointed when it turned out to be one, tiny prawn on a small tortilla. They weren't even generous with the salsa and chili to make up for it. Yes, it was delicious, but I still can't believe I paid $7 for one small mouthful. And $9 for tortilla chips? Insane. After quickly finishing the meal, and paying three figures for a few glorified tapas and beer, I left and returned home where leftovers soothed my empty belly. Now about my empty wallet...? If I ever bother to return, it will be to sample some tequila at the bar... and maybe some chargrilled corn.

We were disappointed. I am far from an elitist, but I am not buying what everybody's been selling about Mamasita. Everybody has been crappin' on about Mamasita. "You have to try Mamasita", "you have to line up for a while, but its sooooo good". These are the comments from my friends and colleagues. So after a number of failed attempts to get there, my girlfriend and I finally made the venture last night. The decor was boring and dull, and the kitchen exposed and noisy. I thought, "so what. I'm here for the food". While waiting at the bar to be seated I was given the most confusing drinks menu of my life. 1000 different tequila's (cool right) took up the first few pages. How the hell do I choose? And do I shot it? I didn't particularly want to pay between $10-$100 for tequila. Eventually I found a sangria buried in the menu towards the back, and jumped on it like a mongoose to a snake. Then we started on the scrappily presented menu. What to order? At first we thought that it all looked pretty good, and reasonably priced. After asking the bar-man what he recommended for two people to order, it was easier to remember the items that didn't make up the order. We thought he was joking and so we only ordered 6 items. By that stage the price was adding up, which I wouldn't have minded if half way through the meal we both weren't dreaming of getting a popcorn chicken snackbox from KFC to fill the hole! Meal size aside, I appreciate what the chef was trying to accomplish with the menu. Unfortunately, he didn't quite hit the mark. The food was alright, but I couldn't help but feel that a good old tex-mex taco would smash the goat soft shell taco out of the park any day of the week. Overall, for the same price, there are so many restaurants in Melbourne that offer better presentation, better staff, better menu, a less confusing menu, a better atmosphere and much better food. Even if you like that scrappy, grungy kinda Melbourne scene (which when done right makes for an awesome atmosphere), Mamasita didn't hit that mark either. I gave it 2 stars, because technically it does nothing wrong. I just can't imagine a reason I'd ever go back, and that's a two for me.

Okay, I say I know something about hamburgers, coffee and/or fish and chips. Forget that. I lived in the Southwest of the US, I know Mexican food. This place is extremely, absolutely average as far Mexican fare go. The ceviche was slightly fishy. The salsa, decent but average and the guacamole was too limey. The steak taco was delicious. Seriously. Prawn taco...Not so much. The margaritas were decent but remind you that you pay way too much for stuff in Oz. $70 for pitcher would get you a lifetime supply of margaritas in North OR South America. They do have Negro Modella and decent tequila. So get that. All in all, after waiting 50 minutes to sit at the bar, this place is full of itself.

Went here a couple of months ago. Got there around 530pm so missed the terrible wait that people speak of. The food is fresh and tasty, but doesn't blow your mind as it should for the prices. I admire the chefs for trying to be as authentic as possible. However the portions are tiny. We got one prawn on a taco, it was so spicy that the prawn just got washed out. I left feeling there was something not quite right with the place, but I haven't been able to put my finger on it until recently. I think Mamasita suffers from a personality crisis. It's trying to be a restaurant when it should be a tequila bar with appropriately priced bar snacks.

The pitfalls of popularity? This place is always, ALWAYS busy. Even at 11pm at night you could struggle to get decent service in this place, that's how insane it is. But the food. Oooh the food. If you're lucky enough to snag a seat, you will not be disappointed.

Exotic? Delicious? Diverse foods? Maybe I'm missing something... Or maybe I know real Mexican food from having eaten it a bit closer to Mexico (i.e. IN Mexico)... I'm just not that easily won over by overpriced, basic Mexican dishes. I don't find the spices to be that great. It's more 'quick' than 'slow-cooked, con saborrrrr'. And $7 for a shrimp taco? Just one?! Meh. I think I am just too picky, but I've had better in Fitzroy and St Kilda spots, with much shorter lines to get a table. And they have unique selling points, like all-vego menus, or Mexican with an interesting, and flavorful, Australian flair. Then again, my idea of Mexican food involved meat that started cooking this morning, and might be ready by 8pm. And it comes from a menu that is order by number, and each dish is a combination of a bunch of tacos, enchiladas and tostadas. Maybe I was just spoiled too young on the cheap, flavorful varieties elsewhere...

I'm an unashamedly huge fan of Mamsita. The food is outstanding, the atmosphere is pumping, the queue is regularly down the stairs and out the door (get there very early or get yourself an entourage of eight and book), the drinks are by the jug and the service is swift. But that's not why I love it. I love it because the ENTIRE menu is gluten free. And if you can't eat gluten you'll know how big a deal that is. Yumbo.

Tiny, tiny portions. While the food is tasty, every item is so small you have to order a half dozen items to satisfy your appetite. The decor is hipster doofus trendy. Not a place for affciendos of Mexican food but for the tragically hip. Mamasita - hasta la vista!

Went in with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised. Amazing service. Loved their grilled fish tacos, braised beef tostada, and chicken wings. Nice selection of drinks too. Really impressed!! Will definitely be back to try more dishes :)

Yep, well I went back again, and was highly impressed. Yep, yet again I was a late arrival, with no ques. Though, it was still busy late week night. Taco's x3, Dark beer, quesadila and one of the best tequila's I've had; gran centurio! Really tasty fresh food, brimming with flavour and fresh spices/herbs. well worth the venture.

Recently off the plane from Playa del Carmen, Mexico told by many many friends to hit up Mamasita. After a lengthy Queue, I was told to expect fantastic authentic Mexican food with a twist of awesome. What I got was tiny portions (although delicious) and great service however no Mexican magic. When I asked for guacamole, I got something the size of a petri dish. This wasn't authentic Mexican. It was HipsterMexican, and although delicious my hopes for a Mexican feast were shattered. I will go again as the service was great, but it was not worth the 45mins wait.

A fantastic mexican restaurant. Loved every dish. We ordered a mix of courses to share and they were all delicious. I'd love to come back here. The Pork Tamale was filling and yummy, the tacos was great and those quesadillas was fabulous. Ooh, and you gotta try the Spiced Hot Chocolate!!

Coming in with the 5pm opening rush we were nevertheless promptly seated and served. The staff were helpful explaining serving style and translating, friendly and prompt. Once again I forgot to time it but I'd say 10 minutes for the food. To share we ordered Bunelos de garbanzos. For ourselves: I ordered the Quesadilla de pollo, my friends the Quesadilla de queso and Quesadilla de frijoles. Not used to Mexican I have to admit that upon first seeing the plate I was slightly skeptical about the servings, the filling between the tortillas appears thin but once I bit into one piece I was changed totally. It was hot, tasty, spicy, and combined with a garbanzos and slice of sweet potato more than filling. My friends asserted their food was all also very good, and I can attest the blackbeans in the Quesadilla de frijoles were powerful. Will be back.