This place doesn't look glamorous from outside but its a different story inside. Ample seating space available and the staff was awesome. A really nice ambience and I'd recommend this place for any kind of situation.
Got an initial chips and salsa whilst we were ordering and i asked the waiter for a recommendation while he was on his way to another table. Then he kindly stopped and elaborated on all the available options very well.
We got the enchilada supreme and a chicken chipotle burrito. These were enormous portions of goodness. Cheesy, and a burst of the mexican flavor going on.
A brilliant experience & got a 15% off on my next visit too. Will definitely make it again!
We have been to Carlos 3 times now and hvve not been disappointed. Food tastes great, especially the classic nachos. Loved it. I had been craving for good mexican resturant close to home and found one when I moved to the neighbourhood. Our first night at carlos went like this-“ordered two main dish, went to pay the bill thinking it will be around $45-50. Bill comes for $22 🤔. They advise it half price night 😍. Awesome night it was.” Do thr reservation if you don’t wanna be disappointrd for not getting a table as they are quite busy on Mon, Tues and Wed(Half price nights).
Will be going there soon.
Table spacing was a tad cramped but the place has a good environment and the food was delicious, didn’t get any drinks but they also looked good would recommend
If you want Mexican in this area go to Carlos Cantina & not Taco bill. Decent food, have had better in Melbourne but for the area they are consistent & have been here with a big group & a small & no issues with service.
I went there with my Dad tonight and I had Beef Fajitas with Cheese and Sour Cream followed by a Mexican Punch to drink and my Dad had the Rancher's Fajitas with a glass of Cab Sav. I had a $25 Gift Certificate so that saved him some money also for Dessert I had the Churros with Ice cream, which was delicious.
Juhi- Culture And Cuisine
+4
Can’t believe this was my first time at Carlos Cantina. I am sure to be a new regular tho.
The food options were plenty and there was something for all food lovers. I ordered the quesadilla casa and was extremely full at the end of it. Really enjoyed my meal.
If you love and can handle your spice, I would highly recommend trying their house hot sauce. It’s extremely hot but amazing nonetheless!
Great food, great price and great staff! We've been a million times and have always had a great experience. We love the Croydon store too!!!
Good place for a big feed! I came here in a group of 6, so we ordered a lot. My highlights of the night were the potachos (so much cheesy goodness!) and the Nutella filled dessert (pictured below) that came with the most amazing mocha sauce. Coming here on half price nights makes everything even better.
However, I have two cons:
1. The wait time. We waited so long in between meals, and even if we were a big group, it was a Tuesday night, with a booking, and the night wasn’t incredibly busy.
2. I loved all the meats except the chicken. The chicken had a lot of cartilage and made the chicken chipotle burrito less enjoyable.
5 Stars 🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟.
As I definitely know, great Mexican food !!
I lived in Mesa & Scottsdale in Arizona and I know with a 100% certainly on how authentic Mexican food should taste !
I know his because I’ve had it cooked by real Mexican people and I know the beautiful, wonderful culture and food most excellently.
This brings me back to those truly unique real Mexican flavours I use to enjoy back when I lived in Arizona.
I love the true to form decor and the buzzing ambiance of the room as it’s so full of life too.
Service is very friendly and extremely excellent with a great big smile too.
Thank you for a great night.
Carlos Cantina, you are the best. Both of your venues, I've been going to both on a regular basis. Particularly on half price nights & it's always amazing! The food is fresh, the wait staff are amazing at their jobs - if you have allergies or are vegetarian/vegan, they're the best for this! I always order vegetarian & they've never messed anything up once. Highly recommend them, best Mexican in the East.
I use to come to this place every Friday! Great friendly staff, awesome food! Margaritas half price on Fridays 👌 only let down was when I asked for just one more servings of corn chips (free) they said we had to pay for it... we were only given two bowls between 9 of us. They eventually gave it to us after we spoke to the manager.
Great food at great prices, especially with their happy hours during the week.
If you are looking for modern up market Mexican fusion aka Mamasita then look elsewhere. If you want good flavoursome food cooked with love from the kitchen then you won't regret coming here
Perhaps not the best place for a first date but for a hearty family meal, there is nowhere better! Excellent food and excellent service. Authentic Mexican food and very filling, couldnt eat it all. Everything was amazingly full of flavour. Only downside was the drinks were pretty expensive and meal presentation is not the greatest but for money, cannot beat this place for flavour. Highly recommend the Colorado Supremo, the slow cooked meat was exquisite
Always a great meal from the team at Carlos Cantina. Quick and friendly service. Best to book ahead and it's always well patronized. Great variety of Tequila too 😊
The Domestic Traveller
+4
I came here to enjoy Mexican and this place is hands down awesome. I had so much fun! The food was great and the value was even better.
The service was amazing and I enjoyed every moment of it. Can't wait to do a full write up about it soon! Thanks for an amazing night!
Fimone Sean Mario Riogi
+5
I remember eating at this restaurant about 6 months ago and the food was amazing!!! But what was just as important for me was the service! They really do deliver the goods!! Went there on Friday and it was still the same. Great consistency. Wish I lived closer. 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Really great food, happy to see vegan options. I just thought it was a little ridiculous to have to pay $9.80 for two serves of guacamole (because I wasn't getting sour cream or cheese)
As good as Mexican gets! More authentic than a Taco Bills but with all the old favourites. Nachos that have cheese all the way through them and that's what keeps us coming back for more. Friendly and prompt service. Give it a try!
Fantastic little Mexican restaurant.
The food is of excellent quality, fresh and tasty. Gave great special offers and seating outside is great on a warm night. Standard menu, but prepared really well.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
TAKE AWAY- Mexican edition
I used to eat at Carlos Cantina pretty regularly when I lived close by but it's been a while since I've been.
I always used to get the quesadilla supreme, with beef- which was an easy tasty meal. I would give that meal a 4/5 any day.
Now to Wednesday nights meal. I thought I would order a main that I hadn't tired before- so I went with the Polo Elote. Usually I don't order chicken but I wanted a different experience so I went with it.
I forgot to ask them to hold off on the coriander, that loathed weed, however- since I didn't, I don't blame them for the minor coriander taste I endured. As I chowed down on my burrito rice beans jumble I felt slightly disappointed... I don't think this will replace the quesadilla or potato skin dishes I have enjoyed so much- in fact I found it plain and uninspiring. I would have given this 2.5/5 on its own.
THE DESSERT HOWEVER!
explosion.gif
Wow
'Death by chocolate'
I know they have a near identical dish at Taco Bill's but I really don't care. The mousse, the fudge brownie, the cream... It may not be a sophisticated dessert or culturally relevant, I really wouldn't know- but the Carlos Cantina 'Death by Chocolate' is swell. 4.5/5
Nice work gang! On that subject, I should point out the polite manner of all Carlos staff- I've found them to be very pleasant and willing.
Good sized meals, fast service, friendly staff. Had the beef quaesidilla supreme - very good and the beef was tender as. Great variety and way better than taco bill Mexican food!
This is a good place to go to be in food coma heaven. Chipotle chicken burrito and jalapeno poppers are so so so good. Service is always friendly and prompt too.
Top notch, authentic and tasty Mexican food, good service and great half price nights for uni students! Would highly recommend to all! Love their quesadillas and also they have the best nachos!
Love this place! Service awesome and the food is bloody fantastic. I always get the fajitas and they never let me down, so fresh and tasty. I can't wait for the next visit!
Great Mexican restaurant. Great service from staff. The food tastes great every time, and you get 25% off of your bill when purchasing it as takeaway. The only thing I can fault is those plastic containers which aren't microwave friendly. Otherwise, I'd definitely recommend this place.
Yummy food! Me and my partner tend to go here when we feel like Mexican. It's always super busy during the week but worth it if you have to wait for a table. Would reccomend
Fresh food. Your typical Tex Mex menu. Not true to all traditional Mexican. This does not defer from the fact that all of the food we ordered was fresh. There was no stuff from jars, it was great to see real prepared food. I found all of the ingredients were well presented and freshly made. The service was prompt. The complimentary nacho's was a nice touch, small serve for 4 people, being only 2 or 3 chips each. But the dip was fresh. So if you are wanting fresh, then this was great. If you are deeply engrained in getting perfectly traditional, then think of this as a refreshing modern version.
Best value eat.. Half price Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday on main meals and entrees. My family love eating here, food is fast, hot, yum and very good serving sizes. Just remember when booking that there are two sittings, this suits us eating with children. If you want a longer dwell time, best to take the second session.
Foodie. For a local Mexican restaurant this ticks all the boxes good food, friendly staff have been there a few times now and will keep coming back, every time we have been it has been really busy. They have half price nights which is real great value for money give it a try you will not be disappointed
Friendly staff greeted us as we walked in. We did not make a reservation tonight, but they were happy to accommodate us for 1.5 hrs (until the table was needed again).
Dale Stewart (Noliwarts)
+4.5
A couple of weeks ago we went to Carlos Cantina, we urban spooned local Mexican Restaurants and this one came up at 91% so why not?. It was absolutely packed when we arrived. On arrival you also get corn chips with salsa. It had a big selection of different foods and drinks. Normally i would get beer but not on that night. I had a banana chocolate milkshake. I know its not mexican but i wanted something different. It was very sweet, but that is what happens when you get the syrups. For mains i had the Pollo Elote. Chicken and sweetcorn sauce with coriander. It was tasty but very filling, I really enjoyed having chicken for a change, i normally get beef. It was cooked well. Kim had the Colorado Supreme, Beef with onions, chili and topped with sour cream. Another massive meal. The meat fell apart in your mouth and it was not too spicy. She enjoyed it a lot. It is nice having mexican every now and again but not all the time as it is so filling. The thing we found out was Monday to Wednesday it is half price mains, so the two meals and drinks came to under $40. The thing i liked about this place is it is not a franchise so it is unique. We will be back. Kind E-gards Dale Stewart
Always a great meal!. I have been going here for over a year now. I love taking friends for a cheap meal out on their half price nights which includes entrees and mains! Generally it costs no more than $20 each for an entree, main and drink.
The food is always consistent and comes out promptly, and the staff always have smiles on their faces. It can sometimes be half good half bad service, they love to offer you a drink to begin with but after that you have to get their attention which proves to be a trouble .. BUT they are always fully booked so do a great job getting everything done.
We love Carlos Cantina!. We dine at Carlos Cantina about once week coz we really love the food, service & atmosphere there. Hence even though I have not written any reviews for quite a while, I feel compelled to express my total disgust at the offensive & ill informed review which I just came across & written by this so called James character. What a pompous idiot! Not only did he unjustifiably condemn a truly good restaurant, he had the gall to insult the people of Boronia when he himself is the complete moron - he knows nothing about good food or the difference between Mexican & Tex-Mex food. Only conclusion I can draw is that the review must be written by someone who is envious of the success of Carlos Cantina.
Had the mixed meat taquitos and the chicken chipotle burrito for dinner tonight. It was definitely one of the better mexican eats ive had. Ill go back :).
Delicious! Fabulous!. From the moment we walked into Carlos Cantina we were impressed! At the table waiting for us was some corn chips and salsa, which were refreshing, and you could tell the salsa was made with care because you could taste every flavour in the dish.
The rest of the service and food followed suit. We had a nachos to share for entree that was huge and could have easily fed us all for mains! It was delicious! And our mains were a good size too, couldn't finish it all! The margaritas were also amazing, with lots of different flavours that you could try!
Our night was a little expensive, but I guess that was because we ordered so much, not because it was over priced!
Would come here time and time again!
Great value. Good service. Food is "getting there".. 8 of us went on a half-price night, We had to book for the 2nd session (always a good sign.)
The value was excellent, and there was a lot of fun sharing the fish-bowl margherita.
While the food was nice, it lacked some authenticity. I.e. the name was Mexican, but the taste wasn't.
Probably they had "de-spiced" it for local taste. Next time I go, I will ask for more Mexican spiciness.
First time, yum!. Went there for the first time tonight. I'm not an authority on Mexican food, but I thought it was yummy! We ordered the Ranchero Fajitas (chicken and beef combo) and the waitress was nice enough to tell us that it would be enough to feed two - so we ordered a small side of nachos instead of another main. True enough, we each had 2 wraps and we even gave the serve of rice that came with the dish to our two year old son and still...we were stuffed! We will definitely go back as we had a peek at the dessert menu and saw "death by chocolate!" but we were too full to try it this time round.
Also worthy of mention was the service we received - very friendly and knowledgeable staff that went above and beyond to cater to our 2yo's needs and my husband's request for extra hot chilli!
Always good!. This is my boyfriends favourite restaurant currently. we always have a good night when we go, staff are friendly, its byo - however the sangria is delicious. there are half price nights and no issues with large group bookings :-) we have had great food every time we have visited, the chilli fries are definitely worth ordering :-)
Mexican places are hard to find... Especially good ones! Carlos Cantina is a pretty good mexican with a large menu, good service & a nice atmosphere. We went on a thursday & then discovered mon-weds everything is half price so would go back on those days.
The real deal Mexican food, friendly staff and good service .Will be going back again
Aliyshah. Have been here twice with my partner and would definitely return. After ordering 2 x frozen sangria's, 1 x fishbowl to share, an entree an 2 x mains - the bill only came to $89.00
Best Mexican in the East!. We have been to Carlos many, many times now. Each time the service and food have been amazing!!
It pays to book on the half price nights (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) for either the early or late session.
We have tried most things on the menu. All are a generous size and super tasty.
Don't forget to try a margarita or two! Half price margaritas on Friday nights! Yummo
The food was good and plenty of it. It pays to always look at the other meals being served so you don't over order. The service was great up until we finished.
Hidden Gem right here!. Probably one of the best Mexican restaurants in this area, if you live in the Boronia, Bayswater, Knox vicinity, definitely gotta try this place.
We ordered their tacos, come with lettuce, meat, onion cheeses salsas, classic fajitas, comes with meat sauteed in capsicum and onion and their Mexican potato skins, comes with meat, sweet corn, topped with cheese. All these dishes were delicious. Service was good, one tip, it does get quite busy during usual busy times like dinner on Thursday, Fridays and weekends so make a booking to be safe. They've got some Monday to Wednesday: Half Price Entrees and Mains thing at the moment. Just didn't know this place existed, so glad i know about this place now...
My partner and I enjoyed the Carlos banquet it was very filling we loved all three entrees we were plesently surprised by how good the food was The fajitas were very yummy. We were so full by desert so didn't finish it. The service was good but there is room for improvement. I also enjoyed a lemon margaritta which was delicious and half price on Fridays. Will deffinitley be back
My Favourite Mexican. Carlos Cantina is and will be one of my favourite Mexican restaurants. The food is fantastic and plentiful, even my partner who eats quite a bit gets very full after his meal. The service has been lovely and the restaurant always look very neat and clean. Definitely recommend this to anyone local or not local.
Went there tonight, half price night !!!!!. Everything was great.
Food was fantastic,
Floor staff were very friendly and helpful with decoding the menu for us as we are new to Mexican,
and atmosphere was good.
highly recommended , we will be back.
East Suburbs Best Mexican. Carlos Cantina served up an awesome meal! Fresh, tasty ingredients in the Chicken Burrito and 1/2 price Entrees & Mains Mon to Wed! It was packed out when I went due to Half Price, but the food still came out within a reasonable time. Sangria was refreshing too. Absolutely going to go back there.
Finally, some affordable Mexican in Victoria. We had to try Carlos Cantina, because after moving here from the US, it took some searching to find some authentic Mexican that didn't cost an arm and a leg (I'm looking at you, Taco Bill). We only had make sure to go on Mon-Wed, which is when Carlos runs the half-price entree promotion. It wasn't packed during dinner on these days, we were able to get a table upon arrival.
The fajitas and enchiladas were a generous size, and certainly stuffed even the most ravenous of adults. The children had quesadillas and tacos with plenty of guacamole, they were happy with the food, so I can assume they're good.
All in all, delicious standard Mexican fare. But the biggest draw for me is their pricing, which matches Taco Bill's on regular days and halved on Mon-Wed. We can finally go out for yummy nachos more often now!
Our first visit there. Very Good food, generous helpings, quick service, polite staff and clean restaurant. Will definitely return.
Taylor Erin Chadband
+4.5
Been there a few times every time has been amazing the food is just so fresh, and the service has always been 100%
This place is amazing. The food is really fresh and full of fantastic flavour. Service was a little slack but their friendliness made up for it. I would consider this place great value for money.
Good value mon tue wed nights are half price.way way better mexican food than taco bills nice and hot v good flavours.great to have OJ served that us not Berri!! Coffee ok.i like the combination for my main v v big and cant have entree if u get this!! Service v good too just make sure u dont get seated near the toilets!!!
Excellent value for money. This is one out of the box. Great atmosphere, excellent service and exceptional Mexican food. BYO wine as well with small corkage charge. Best to book ahead. Half price Monday through to Wednesday just to make things even better. Have been back twice now and have not been disappointed.
Excellent!!!!! is one word to describe this place. Food absolutely delicious. Service is fantastic. Only been here twice, but I'll have to say the best Mexican food I have had in Melbourne. Highly recommend this place to Mexican food lovers! VJ love's it!
Brilliant!. Went for the first time this evening with some friends and it was amazing, I had the ranchero fajhitas which were super nice with sour cream, cheese and jalapenos. Everyone elses food looked amazing too
It is quite loud when its busy but that kind of goes without saying......its not a church its a restaurant! most places are loud when its busy !
Its got great atmosphere and the food is excellent!
GO NOW!!!!!!!!! :)
The service was friendly and quick... The main meals were delicious and the desserts were divine!!!
Fantastic!. Have eaten here a few times now. Always served quickly. A decent sized gluten free menu available and they are happy to cater for other food allergies/dislikes as well.
Can be a little noisy, but still quieter then the local pubs!
Half priced meals earlier in the week are handy (when many other local food establishments are closed)
BEST Sticky Date Pudding i've ever had!!!!!
Definately 10 out of 10.
My wife and myself have been there a few times and have enjoyed it every time.
the staff are friendly and helpful.
been a couple of times with friends of ours one of which has a gluten alergy and the gluten free menu is as big as the standard one.
I wish we hadn't waited 7 months after they opened before our first visit.
Friday night. Been to plenty of similar restaurants including taco bill. noisy interior but we got there just in time to beat the evening rush. took a little while to take our orders but then the food came out fast. was concerned the sauces were very dark and spicy but they turned out to be perfectly balanced. if you've eaten at taco bill you wont be surprised by the food. Half price nights early in the week and half price margaritas (by the glass) on fridays. two thumbs up!
My girlfriend and I went there about a week ago. We ordered the nachos, fajitas and Mexican punch. Nachos- really hot, no soggy corn chips. Absolutely great, but should have asked for extra salsa and sour cream. Fajitas- got normal as well as ranchero fajitas and in retrospect should have got x2 ranchero fajitas as the normal ones were a bit tasteless, atleast compared to the ranchero ones. Mexican punch- not too bad but have yet to find any as good as boronia taco bill do it. Staff were friendly but the atmosphere was ruined a little by a 50 yr old woman and her mother who in a really whingey and loud voice kept calling out things like 'excuse me' this seafood taco has only 2 prawns, 'excuse me' can I get a free margarita, and it went on and on!!! We will go again but if they're there we'll come back later.
Carlos Cantina. Went there again last night.Fantastic food, good sized serves, maybe a bit big if anything (which is great).Yes it is a bit noisy but to me thats a sign everyone is enjoying their meal and having a good time.Id suggest trying the Colorado Supreme for a main and the chicken quesadillas for an entree.
Great food, genorous serves and the staff are very friendly. Only complaint is with alot of people it's very noisy.
First time ever coming here
Gotta admit it's pretty good
Nice and tasty not dry at all
And the margaritas are a must order !
Will definitely be back for more
Also awesome staff on the floor
Keep up the work!
Randomly pick a Mexican place by following the reviews and this a great pick ! Food will take awhile to get to you but it’s very filling and worth to share. A main can feed 2 people ; )
Absolutely fantastic Mexican food. I've ordered probably 15-20 times both takeaway and sit in here and usually get the beef enchilada Enorme Mexico and every time it is consistently very tasty and massive portions. Price is very much the same as every other Mexican restaurant around. Great service when I've sat in so not much to fault. If you are around the Boronia area and like Mexican food, you must try it.
What a joy to pop in to a place you’ve eying off for months and discover it was worth the wait.
Lovely quick meal on a Monday public holiday. My best boy selected an entree and a main, both beef (super proud) and that was perfect for the two of us.
Super friendly staff, delicious (and ample) food.
Will be returning!
Went on a Tuesday night. The restaurant was full, so make sure that you book.
Quick and friendly service. Even better was the food. Everything we ate tasted great and filing. So don't over order!
What lovely food! Filling and tasty 😊. Thanks for the great customer service and helpful, friendly staff! Will definitely be back again soon. Would you be great to see you open another Carlos Cantina in the inner east!
Cheers, Christine 🍹
Carlos Cantina is our go-to Mexican restaurant.
Since finding them about 6 months back we’ve pretty much been back once or twice a month.
Their nachos are the best tasting nachos I’ve ever had I swear.
Give them a crack you won’t regret it.
Its always a good feed. Half price nights just make it cheaper.
I've eaten here hundreds of times and never had a bad meal.
Service its spot on with no waiting around
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