There’s not a lot of great Mexican food in Melbourne but Hotel Jesus is an exception. The fare is relatively “authentic” and contemporary and really tasty, albeit a bit pricey. All burritos I’ve ever tried here are great (although I’d love if they included rice and/or beans for more substance). I recently also tried the sweet potato enchiladas for the first time and I have no complaints- they are perfect.
We dined in social distancing style and had a fantastic evening, ordering is done through your phone to avoid contact but that doesn’t take away from the delightful and personable service. Food was incredible, especially recommend the quesadillas with huitlacoche, lamb ribs and Mexican fried chicken. Can’t wait til we can return, thanks for a great night.
The Domestic Traveller
+5
There are 2 free parking spots around here. Make sure to secure your spot there before embarking on the deliciousness that is about to await you at Hotel Jesus. We chose the $49 menu which included:. Guacamole – something I didn’t find too special. Definitely fresh but nothing flash. Esquites – and make it yourself? Hell YES!
Great service, amazing tasty food!
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We came to Hotel Jesus - completely baited by the name of the restaurant haha.
Ordered:
🍗 Chicken Wings: agave, chilli, peanut salsa, pickled cucumber, coriander ($14.00)
🌽 Esquites (2 servings) (vgo): corn off the cob, black mayo, queso and spice mix ($12.00)
🍤 Prawn Taco (2pcs): beer battered prawns, chintextle slaw, avocado, lime ($15.00)
🐟 Fish Taco (2 pcs): fried fish, crema, chipotle and pico de gallo ($15.00)
🐷 Carnitas Taco (2 pcs): Confit pork, salsa verde, pickled onion, coriander ($14.00)
🌮 Chicken Gringa (vgo): cheese, pineapple, avocado ($16.00)
🌮 Veg Gringa (gfo): poblano chilis, mushroom, corn, cheese ($14.00)
Review:
We ordered enough between 3 and were given an hour and a half to consume it all. During the ordering, we were asked whether we wanted for it to come all out at once. Of course - but somehow this got lost so the service we received at hotel jesus was to give you one dish at a time 😖. That was a close call!
The food was pretty good. Stand outs for me were the: chicken wings, esquites, and the veg gringa. The peanut salsa added an addictive crunchy texture, you can NEVER go wrong with corn, and there were just enough mushrooms in the veg gringa.
Interior wise, Hotel Jesus has a fun vibe with motifs all around. Not a bad place if you have time to dine.
I love Mexican food and this place does it justice. The person at the door (short cropped hair) was quiet rude and put us off but the food won us over. Very tasty, fresh ingredients and good portions. The chicken skin tacos were a bit oily though. The mocktails ( *damn* dry July) were nothing special but I suspect the margaritas would be good. Will defo visit again!
Great atmosphere, food and drinks. Love this place for a quick lunch/dinner or a boozy get together with friends. The tacos are unreal, would definitely recommend.
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A bit on the expensive side $150 for 3 adults and 2 kids - admittedly with 2 margaritas and 2 beers! Can’t fault their service, they found us a table, said we had an hour and a bit (it was Saturday night so fair enough).
Drinks came quickly and orders were taken just as swiftly. They also have a secret kids menu (quesadillas - cheese or chicken and cheese) sure to be a hit with any children! And in the event that they don’t want to eat it it instantly became and adult choice after addiction of Mexican hot sauce!
The adults had seafood mole, blackened chicken quesadillas and guacamole. Guacamole means dip with nacho triangles (as they call them in So Cal and Mexico)... the guacamole was tasty but a bit small - they will bring extra chips. The mole was a hit. Had some pickles - which included pickled jalapeños. That being the food equivalent of Russian roulette... you just don’t know which one is hot!
Mexican food is very cheap in the US and coming back I had high expectations. Hotel Jesus does a great job of reproducing this and I would be keen to come back to try other items on the menu. I guess it’s what you’re used to; it’s good
value for food in Australia, but expensive in a sense especially with a few tequilas. Nonetheless I was impressed; make a booking for a weekend!
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Checked into Hotel Jesus earlier today for late Breakfast/Lunch. Finding the location was very easy, its literally steps off the 86 Route Tram so there's no way you can get lost using public transport. The restaurant is very airy and clean with plentiful seating inside and a few tables out the front on the street.
We Ordered Two Iced Coffees (One was their Horchata version) The only difference i could really taste between the both was the cinnamon that was topped off on their own version but regardless it was very delicious. Our first dishes were the Colima Ceviche Tostadas which were very spot on in taste. My dad is from colima and i grew up with this style of ceviche and right off the bat i could taste the similarities. It was very fresh, limon-y and overall amazing. We also ordered the CDMX Hamburgesa, the overall taste was not my favorite but my boyfriend enjoyed it and said it was something new and gave it a 10/10. I ordered the Chilaquiles Divorciados with the egg on top....wow, All the flavors put together made this dish satisfy all my cravings today. Thanks for the amazing meal Hotel Jesus!
😱Lizzie’s first impression: one of my new found favourite Mexican restaurant in Melbourne. The fit outs is very unique and the staff are very friendly.
🍩Lizzie enjoyed: I especially loved the selection of ceviches on the hard tacos. I also loved the fish tacos -it was full of flavour and had a great punch of like to balance out the charcoal flavour. I also loved the chicken quesadillas- they were super juicy and tender yet had a great smokiness to it. The frozen margaritas were delicious!!
🍅Lizzie did not enjoy: I didn’t really enjoy the lamb tacos as much. Not saying I didn’t like them but were definitely not comparable to the fish ones.
🥇Lizzie rates overall: a great place for date night or just an easy catch up. Would love to come back!
Great taqueria, and probably the most authentic Mexican I’ve had in Melbourne. I love the eclectic interior, and the food is all quite good value.
Would return.
this place was fantastic! such a great atmosphere, a friend asked me to join her for a bite to eat and really, really enjoyed the ceviches they had on the menu, would definately recommend, especially to those looking for some authentic mexican. damn, so tasty. will definately be back
Great food, great service, the pastor tacos was great and the pork belly was amazing, made me remember Mexico that all. Also, the Jamaica water is fresh and amazing for this summer weather.
Amazing food and the best margaritas ever!! Service was great and the staff can recommend some of the most tasty items. Can’t wait to go back
It was like a culinary trip to Mexico with their street tacos ! I loved every moment of my visit here.
I can consider myself a taco expert and this restaurant passes the test 100%
If you’re looking for authentic Mexican tacos and micheladas you’re on the right path visiting Hotel Jesus ! Heaven!
I really loved this place!
We went here for a friend's birthday on a Friday evening. We had a few things from themenu including tacos and quesilldas!
Menu options are great and really well explained! The staff were fantastic and made it such a nice experience.
Went to Hotel Jesus with a girlfriend to celebrate Friyay. Started off with a lovely pina colada, girlfriend K was Hangry so we ordered a heap load of food for two.
Order the snapper ceviche which was ok, it tasted like mince cooked fish rather than raw. Probably my least fav dish of the night.
I got a vegetarian volcano and that was delicious. What’s a volcano? You ask. It’s like a huge piece of crispy cheese w meat or veggies on top of it and it’s soooo yumgasmic. I wanted to go back and eat that again!
The Brussels sprout with crispy mint dish was delicious... who knew mint and brussel sprout goes so well together?
We were going to have the quesadilla but the waitress forgot to put the order in. Fine with us though we are happy to go straight to dessert cos we are pretty full.
The dessert was a chocolate mess. It was ok, probably a bit too sweet and the chocolate was a bit grainy.
Came here for date night. Had heard good reviews from friends and my partner likes Mexican. This is Mexican with a bit of twist which I liked. Service was fantastic from the start, the waitresses were very helpful in recommending what to order. We got the corn and guacamole with chips for entree which were both amazing. The chips were sweet potato and amazing. The prawn creviche was a highlight and the tuna tostada. I loved the fried potato taco and my partner loved the pork tacos as well the pumpkin side. We ate and drank way more than we should have and were surprised with how cheap our meal came to be! Highly recommend! Food and service was amazing! The restaurant has a fun vibe too!
Went out looking for a light fresh meal, ended up here and had a few of the ceviche dishes which were awesome and full of flavour. Staff were lovely and informative, definitely will revisit this one.
Very cool place. Sharing is the key and you have to order a tequila shot chased down with spicy gazpacho. You place your own order on your order pad which is very fun. Service was awsome. Great starter for a night out.
This Mexican Restaurant is located in a beautiful building have a amazing atmosphere, the food is very tasty , the staff is friendly but the price is a little expensive. My favourite this night was the buñuelos with dulce de leche ice cream. Love it!
Great casual Mexican venue in Collingwood. Casual vibe and huge menu. Between two we shared the grilled corn, the guacamole with sweet potato chips and the prawn ceviche. Then we tried the cheese and chicken tostadas and the pork tacos. Really enjoyed all the flavours. Stand outs were the corn and the chicken tostadas. Sangria was yum too.
Spending time in Mexico last year caused me to be very picky with Mexican restaurants here in Melbourne. This is the closest to authentic Mexican food that we have found here! Delicious al pastor tacos (the green chorizo was great too) on corn tortillas. Yum!! Will come here when we are craving a Mexican fix.
Very nice fit out, you feel like you’ve transported to Mexico. They have attention to detail everywhere, even on the plates.
Menu is just as fitting. Honest flavours for every single dish. Beef tartara and ceviche were a standout! Each dish had the right combination of elements, the photos speak for themselves for a splash of colour and flavour. Get the dessert!
This place is awesome! The interior makes you feel like your in the heart of Mexico, the food was delicious, the fish taco was my absolute favourite filled with flavour. The pork and vegetarian quesadillas were also full of flavour and fulfilled our need for authentic Mexican food.
Overall I would definitely recommend this place as a decently priced, relaxed dining experience!
Love the interior, they have definitely captured an authentic Mexican feel, as opposed to some eateries who stick Mexican cinco de mayo dolls everywhere to justify their Mexican-ness. It's Mexican kitsch. I had the seafood, chorizo and the pork (al pastor) tacos during my lunch break.
The ingredients were fresh, great balance of flavours, meat cooked well.
There's a lot of really good mexican / taco restaurants in Melbourne and this one is just as good as the best of them. If you're in Collingwood and you are craving Mexican, then this is worth a visit.
I walked past this place one night and put it down as a must try - I just liked the look and its commitment to its theme! We finally went last week and the food was delicious! The waitress recommended the corn cob and the colima ceviche which were real highlights for us - I'm still thinking of that corn. Anyway, it's fun! Go with some friends.
The staff is good...and so is the service!! But it's not a very romantic setting to be ...I went in ,as it was featured in the romantic restaurants collection of zomato and I was disappointed at the setting...the food is average nothing to go back for being a vegetarian I had one option in each section of the menu n this I tired each ....tostada and beans and chips were like 2/5 while the mushroom quesdilla was 3/5 ...in drinks I opted for the Jesus margarita which was indeed the best thing I had there and cauliflower steak for my only option for mains which is a big NO NO....it was very raw and we left the entire thing uneaten (the staff was generous enough to observe that I Did not eat it and discounted it off my bill) we were so off the place that we decided to skip dessert there!
The venue is fun, looks American for some reason but the food seems pretty authentically Mexican. Would highly recommend the quesadillas, anything fried cheese, and the green chorizo taco in particular!
The fit-out is very cool . The whole 70s look. The service was great very friendly ... the tacos are so good especially the fish taco . The pawn ceviche was nice a spicy . A great place for a quick bite
The atmosphere is great and the service was even better as the staff had great personalities! The food was also pretty good but the sangria was a bit of the non alcoholic side however it was cheap so can't really complain all in all it's a great casual place to dine.
Love this casual, vibrant spot. Great place to go with a few friends for a no-pressure catch up. Fish taco is ok- a little dry,, to be honest. But! The volcane will change your life. Please do not leave this place without trying it. Like a cheesy tostada. The molé was not that great- might just be me but perhaps it requires an acquired taste. Quesadillas delicious and generous size. Will return upon my next craving for Comida mexicana!
yum yum yum!
Pretty funky decor, there were so many things I wanted to try on the menu but I didn't have enough space in my belly & it was a bit pricey.
Favorite dish was the tuna toastada & corn on cob.
My friend and I went to Hotel Jesus for Taco Tuesday and we were really disappointed. My general thinking for Taco Tuesday is to get same tacos on the menu but for a deal to attract more customers, which is good for the restaurant because they make more money and gain a good reputation for it. Unfortunately, Hotel Jesus did not do this, the tacos were tiny and bland, which was extremely disappointing. But just to test the quality of the food, we ordered a taco that wasn’t on the Tuesday special and it was delicious, bigger and much more flavourful. So the food is good but we were really let down by there taco Tuesday. Thinking about the restaurants reputation, that was my first time at Hotel Jesus and if I hadn’t tried a normal taco, I would not have gone back. But I will give this place the benefit of the doubt and try again soon.. but not on a Tuesday.
Belle Eats Melbourne
+3.5
We came to Hotel Jesus for Mr W's birthday dinner.
It's another one of those predictably pretentious places that refuse to take pre bookings.
We managed to get a table pretty quickly at the bar.
The margaritas went down a treat, as did the sangrias.
We came on $2 taco Tuesday which was good value. The tacos were tasty but miniature and it took 7 to make a dint in Mr W's appetite.
In general, the food and drinks were tasty but on the small side and fairly pricey.
Having said that, we enjoyed it and will most likely return.
Came here for lunch and really enjoyed everything. I recommend the pork taco- the meat was so flavoursome. Will definitely come back to try the other items on their menu.
Went here with a group of friends on a Friday night after work. I would recommend booking because it gets very popular!
Childishly, I found the ordering process quite fun. Perhaps this was due to the delicious alcoholic (and non-alcoholic) drinks' menu. I ordered the beef tostada, chorizo verde taco and huitlacoche quesadilla. I would highly recommend all of these and would order them again if there weren't more things I want to try!
As there were four of us, I found the timing of the food coming out a bit weird - they're obviously bringing it out as it's listed on the menu but it meant that those who ordered things from the first page were eating way before those who ordered from further down on the menu.
Fantastic atmosphere as it is very authentic and you don’t feel like you’re in Melbourne! The picture is a mix of chicken, beef and vegetarian guisado tacos, absolutely delicious! But my favourite items on the menu are definitely the ‘ceviches’ and after trying the Colima, Prawn and Porktapus I would say they are the stand out items. And the guacamole... oh the guacamole!
Tried out this lovely restaurant with a couple of friends and took advantage of their $2 taco Tuesday deal! Lovely place with good service... food was good too!
Food was amazing. Meat was juicy and flavours were incredible. Prices are good too, for such an authentic experience. I highly recommend, and I will certainly be back there very soon.
Pamela Ramali Lindstrom
+4.5
I don’t understand the lackluster reviews about this place. My husband and I not only got married in Mexico, we have both also spent a lot of time in Mexico in the company of locals (a number of our very close friends are Mexicans) - and we absolutely loved Hotel Jesus.
We thought Hotel Jesus had some of the best tacos in Melbourne. Authentic flavors with a decidedly Melbourne feel. The drinks and beer list, in addition to the ambiance, transported us straight back to Mexico. Best thing was it was Mexican cuisine without fear for “Montezuma’s Revenge” (nasty stuff). The only tacos I could remember ever having that were better than this was at 3AM, in Puerto Vallarta, at a close friend’s wedding’s wild after party, so there you go.
Delicious guacamole and some of the best beef tacos I’ve ever had. Definitely recommend the stuffed pepper with cheese and corn for something different. Overall it was great with friendly and attentive service and cool decor.
We visited Hotel Jesus on the sabbath. A Mexican feast was had... All while a Mexican woman watched over us like a proud mother (turns out that she is actually the chef's aunty). Good Mexican food and a pretty cool set up.. what more could you want?
Tacos and a few bevvies! The wait time was long for a Thursday, but the tacos were delicious. A bit pricey for what you get though. But a solid drinks menu with loads of variety and speciality drinks. No space for large groups but good for couples/small groups.
Meh is really all to say about this place. Being the sister restaurant and having eaten at Mamacita I was really excited to try here, I was left disappointed. Pretty boring flavours, nothing complex. Their tag is no frills and this applies to the flavours also. Tapas style menu with a tick box paper menu system. There are tiny little lamimated menus with around 3 full sized meal options on one side. We weren't shown this even though we were asked if we had eaten there before and had the menu explained to us, we didn't notice until we had ordered several tapas items. They seem to have a few Japanese fusion items on the menu, why? Good quality ingredients, hispter atmosphere, the layout is bar/canteen and if you sit at the bar you can watch them cook your food as the kitchen is open. I went on a Thursday night and it was very busy. Good selection of natural homemade type sodas, try the tamarind and mandarin. The chicken tostadas were tasty.
Me and my boyfriend are both Mexican, and we recommend this place. The food is really good and the service is great. The place is really cool
Cool setting with lots of seating around tables and the bar. Attentive, helpful staff. Modest menu with more traditional style Mexican food on offer. The serving sizes are quite small (prices are acceptable) and I felt like there could have been more care and generosity in the amount of ingredients used e.g. one small slice of pineapple in pork taco. We tried starters - guacamole, corn; tacos - fish, pork, chicken; tostada and quesadilla - pork. The sparkling water was served in a blue, plastic jug, the same as used in hospitals (i'm a nurse) which I felt was a little cheap but I guess they're trying to fit with a casual 'street food' theme. The margarita was ok. Not sure I'd go back again in a hurry. Nothing bad, just not amazing.
- Green Chorizo Taco
- Suadero Taco
- Al Pastor taco
- Seafood Cocktail Ceviche
- Al Pastor Quesadillas
- Tuna Tostadas
I'm honestly not sure if that's correct but I know that I am missing the name of the first dish.
The service was not to fault at as they were very attentive and their food was quite delicious too.
I honestly haven't tried a lot of authentic Mexican food so I'm not 100% sure as to how true these dishes were. They were delicious none the less but their beef taco was a little dry.
George David Michaelides
+5
It's like mamasita 2017 edition! I loved everything about this place, from the corn to the fish tacos, to the Cesar salad and the mushroom quesadilla, loved the fact that I walked in and got a table
And kudos to the friendly bar staff as well.
My favourite Mexican alongside mamasita, go figure !
My husband and I finally dined here last weekend after months of meaning to get in. After spending over a month in Mexico a few years back, this felt much like being back in a little taqueria (only bigger and shinier). Produce is so, so fresh and the flavours were the closest I've had to authentic while being home but with a decidedly 'Melbourne' feel. Volcanes were spectacular as were the ceviche prawns and fish. Only draw back was the crazy wait times. The first half of our meal came out without a hitch and then we waited, and waited, and waited for the second half. Worth the wait but still a bit of a let down.
I love the vibe and decor of this restaurant and the food for the most part was good!
My favorite dishes were the beef tartare, smoked tuna tostada and corn with black mayo. Oh and the Sangria is delicious as well.
Unfortunately the beef in the taco and quesadilla was very dry. The bean and truffle quesadilla was also a little bland.
Overall I did enjoy my experience here :)
This place is one of my favs and with great reason too!
The food is super delicious and it's not fatty and heavy... everything on that menu is 👌🏻
Also, their cocktails are different and very well made.
Highly recommend
Food was tasty but a little small compared to other similar restaurants. Great decor and music and service was friendly even if meals came out slowly and at different times.
An amazing Mexican-Australian hub with real Mexican food and vibe. This is a culinary jewel in the heart of quirky Collingwood.
The menu is full of fun things. The Mexican sauces are superb.
The only thing I would miss is a good traditional Mexican chocolate (no chile) and coffee as anywhere else in Melbourne.
Mexican Head Chef Yasser García and their staff are doing a fantastic job!
I'm there literally every week.
:)
Love the place; the food is delicious very authentic. MUST try the corn and ceviches!!!
It's a lovely place with friendly staff. Highly recommended
Walked in and memories of Mexico came flooding back. Cheap but delicious fare. Chilli fries with black mayo was really interesting and worth trying. We also had the chorizo Volcanoe and refried beans with chilli oil. It's worth a visit just for the decor. Will definitely be back.
DO: The corn, the cocktails and one of each of the burritos, quesadillas and tacos.
DON'T: Want to sit down, head to the right hand side for take away options.
TIP: The more the merrier. Go with a bunch of people so you can share the tostadas and cerviches.
Second time for me at hotel Jesus. The first time our food was pretty bad but the micheladas were great so we came back just for drinks and we gave it a second chance. Nice food this time and we will be back .
We might have found our favourite Mexican place! We went at peak dining time and had to wait for a table, but it was absolutely worth it! Service was prompt, friendly and the food came out relatively quickly. We tried to sample as many options as possible from the menu. The green chorizo taco and the Al Pastor quesadilla was one of our favourites. The Sangria was absolutely delicious and a must try! Dessert was nice but slightly too sweet for our liking, the pastry could easily do without the syrup. Overall, the food is good value for money. The decor is quirky but warm. Yes, it's loud but what do you expect when the food is so good? It's bound to attract crowds of people. We will definitely be back and we highly recommend Hotel Jesus :3
Booked a table here on Friday night with 10 friends. Had the banquet menu which was both delicious and generous. Staff were great, cocktails were top notch. Couldn't fault it.
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Mexican has long been one of my favourite cuisines and I have travelled and lived there quite a bit. As the self-proclaimed culinary capital of Australia, Melbourne often prides itself on its Mexican dining scene but to be honest, almost all of restaurants I've been to here have been a disappointment.
This is particularly the case when it comes to tacos. For some reason, there is this bizarre tendency to overcomplicate tacos with all kinds of "exotic" and very un-Mexican taco fillings (pickled carrot, zucchini and cabbage anyone?) and they generally tend to lack flavor and kick when it comes to the chilli factor. All you really need is simple - well-seasoned meat and a nice fresh spicy salsa
I'd been looking for a Mexican place that ticks those two boxes for a long time and it appears my search is finally over. Well, hello, Hotel Jesus on Smith Street, Collingwood. A place I've been meaning to try for a long time.
First thing that smacks you in the face is the over the top, deliberately daggy décor. They must have spent millions converting a normal Melbourne shopfront into a ironically tacky Mexican cantina because the attention to authentic detail (from the colourful tiled bar and walls, large "Tostaderia" and "Mariscos" signs and fake Latin music posters) is superb. Also check out the shrine to beers down in the basement bathroom. You almost feel like you're in a restaurant in beachside Veracruz or Ensanada.
But the most important thing, the food. I wasn't particularly hungry at 3pm and didn't have high expectations so I went with 2 tacos and a margarita. The pollo guisado (chicken stew) taco ($4) was delicious. Tender fall-off-the bone shredded chicken and peppers with onions and tomatoes, slow-cooked in cumin and paprika - it was bursting with flavor. The chorizo verde (green sausage) ($4) was also a winner - it was both smoky and salty, the meat seems to have been mixed in with a tangy green salsa verde, and a couple of fried chips on it. Both were sprinkled with coriander and onions and nothing more - good! The tacos were small but piled high with ingredients - you'd need about 4 or 5 for a full meal. It was a little wet and messy with sauce dribbling down my hand and I would've liked 2 tortillas for each taco like they do in Mexico (logic: the other to scoop up the droppings) but hey, it's Melbourne, Australia. They had a couple of salsas in a squeeze bottle; go for the chilli oil one for extra spicy
At $20, the "Classic" margarita was also pretty good though a bit expensive and on the sour side. On the other hand, they did use good quality Herradurra tequila and triple sec. I noticed they had an extensive range of Mexican booze from Negra Modelo and Tecate beers to all kinds of tequilas and micheladas - BIG tick.
Service is also affable and friendly and the food came out within 10 minutes, though I've been told it's hectic during peak hours and one expect a longer wait.
Overall, I found the prices to be on the high side (expect to pay around $30 to be well-fed, $40-50 with booze) but worth it for the great and authentic Mexican food and atmosphere. A winner. 4 stars
FoodingAroundMelbourne
+4.5
Food here was the best Mexican I have eaten. Lots of choices which are all well priced. Everything was delicious but my fave was the Al Pastor Volcanes. Decor was interesting and I assume it is similar to the canteens km Mexico. Loved the frozen cocktails and the service was very friendly and helpful.
Love the decor but not so crazy about having my drinks served in plastic. Service was great at the beginning but the last dish took waaay too long to come out. No Mexican would every wait 40minutes for a tiny taco no matter how delicious. And the food was very good, we loved the raw prawn and the green chorizo. The octopus was a bit overwhelmed by the green sauce which was a shame so we separated them so they wouldn't fight. Ceviche was good but the fish could have been cut a little bigger for me. I'd go back here again.
The decor of this place is so pretty, very Mexican themed!
Dishes are good, you'll need to order about 5 dishes for a good serving for dinner. I loved the black corn, beef taco and ceviche tostadas. Be warned if you order the porkopus it is spicy
For a drink I had the piña but it was spicy piña, but of a weird combo for me.
Service was a bit slow but would go back because of the nice vibe.
I found Jesus! As it turns out, he lives in Collingwood and makes a killer fish taco!
For a good hour today, my wife and I forgot that it was raining Gatos y Perros in Melbourne. Instead, we got to warm our soula with the white fish ceviche (fantastic, although I would prefer bigger pieces of fish to really test its quality), tacos (the fish is great, as it is at the related Mamasita) and Quesadilla. We washed it down with some Horchata (delicious, but a little exxy at $8 a glass). The service was fantastic!
Will we be back? Si, Señor!
Tonight I tried a mezcal for the first time. It was a game changer. The ceviche, also a game changer. Taco's were outstanding and the corn was one of the best things I've put in my mouth- yes better than Mamasita's- sorry guys. Outstanding value, food and drinks in a fit out that is truly something else.
I love this place! Completely transported me to Mexico, both in decor and food. The Tostadas were simply amazing, best I've had outside Mexico. And the tacos were actually exactly like what you get in Mexico. Sizing and flavours spot on. After speaking with the manager it's no surprise given that both are made in house. We spent $40 each and had 2 x micheladas beer cocktails - yes, beer cocktails!! guacamole and chips, 2 x corn, 2 x ceviche tostadas, 4 x tacos and a quesadilla to share. We left completely full, satisfied and full of nostalgia! Great value. Muchas Gracias!
It's probably the best Collingwood restaurant to good with friends. Amazing decoration it really feels like you are in Mexico.
The food it's pretty good and the cocktails are almost perfect. They also have a take away service.
Very cool Tostaderia in Collingwood. Nice fit out and diverse food and drinks menu. Food was really good but I felt a bit overpriced for the size. If a bit cheaper or a bit more substantial in servings would have scored a 5.
I want to hate you but you're such attractive, albeit noisy, good fun. Can you tell from the shaky photos just how easily that sangria goes down?
After reading other reviews I went there expecting terrible service, but we still wanted to give this place a go. Glad we did! The service was great! Food tasted delicious, give the black corn a go and green chorizo tostada. I just wish I ordered more as I left a bit hungry!
There was no queue, we got a nice spot outside.
Cool setting, delicious and easy to order street food.
You order on a bit of paper which the waitstaff read but leave on your table.
Would recommend the chicken tostados and pork quesadilla for sure. The fish tacos were also delicious.
I did not appreciate my beers being completely smothered in salt, buy some may.
The biggest let down was the service. For a night when there were a bunch of empty tables, I didn't expect to have to go find a waitress to order or to pay.
Hotel Jesus says ‘Hola’, opening a bright Mexican tostaderia, on Smith St. This is the second venue from Mamasita’s Matt Lane and Nick Peters, joining forces with Mexican born Yasser Garcia in the kitchen. The tile -laden venue is deliberately retro kitsch, but ends up looking effortlessly cool anyhow. Inspired by the tostaderia’s and taqueria’s of Mexico, you can expect tostadas, ceviche, tacos and Mexican street food. Unlike the a la carte style of Mamasita, Hotel Jesus presents diners with a tick-box and a laminated picture menu. Trying hard to be daggy and casual, the food is anything but. These are not the 25c tacos you find in Tijuana or East LA (incidentally delicious). The toppings and flavor combinations steer towards fusion or experimental. So how is the food?
So glad to find somewhere outside of Mexico that serves pastor - so delicious. The corn is to die for. Overall the food is really good, and the michelada is the best I have had in Australia. If you enjoy Mexican food it is certainly worth a visit, and there is plenty of seating space so you don't feel crammed in like a sardine.
The service is a bit hit and miss, could be better, on the first visit there were some mistakes with the orders - but I'll forgive them.
Decor is fun and something a bit different. Tacos are top notch.
It would be nice to have some pickled jalapenos and carrots served alongside the food, and the sauces should have a bit more kick - they are all quite bland and don't really add much. The sauce they say is "really hot" is in fact not really hot at all. Also, the chips serving sizes are really stingy - so there always that little bit of bean / guac etc left on the plate and nothing to scoop it up with, which is a tragedy.
If you ask me however, the Green Chorizo Taco ($5) was the undisputed winner for the night. Green chorizo is traditionally not put into a casing, so this rich, spicy sausage was served crumbled over the tortilla, along with shreds of caramelised onion, and potato chips (yes you read right!) for a bit more substance. This was street food pure and simple, and I loved every bite of it.
Great addition to Smith street, with an amazing tiled fit-out. The dishes were all extremely tasty, and the service was solid. Great atmosphere inside, or you can sit on the street and people-watch (which is always an interesting sociological experiment on Smith street). Will be back.
Went for lunch, loved the fit-out, food was excellent - like a bit more casual Mamasita. Had the cerviche tostada which was super tasty and a cpl tacos (fish was great, chicken tasty too) plus some guacomole. Would love to go back and get through the menu.
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If Ensada in Mexico's West and a diner from the 50s had a baby, it'd look like Hotel Jesus. Sitting conveniently at 'the Coles' end of Smith Street, the decor with it's baby blues and red chairs is only given away as a Mexican restaurant by the frequent signage and scents coming from the kitchen. Thankfully, it also looks and smells a buttload cleaner than some of the restaurants I've been to in Mexico, not a rat or discarded chewed tobacco in sight. A simple picture based menu with a 'tick a box' order system holds true to how things work south of the border too.
Special mention to the Porktopus, tasty but I wish there had been more of an explanation on it.The food lives up to the fun, fresh decor. Simple and reasonably priced, a few tostadas and tacos won't break your bank but will leave you satisfied. I've obviously already hyped up the ceviche tostada (if you're a fan of traditional ceviche tacos, order two and use the hot sauce - you're welcome). Personal highlights included the green chorizo tostada - delicious - and the gigantic phallic looking chilli filled with CORN AND CHEESE. Holy double stuffed brilliance Batman, when did this combination of things ever let anyone down? Despite my mouth expecting the cabbage with it to be refreshing, it was salty brilliance that combined with the corn and cheese tasted like Seaworld and some Mayans had an unexpected but awesome party inside my face.
Full (and probably funnier) review on the blog, link in bio... :)
This place is like walking into a new age taco shop. The menu has pictures of the food which is very old school but was a nice touch. Regardless of the menu design or the decor of the restaurant everyone is there for the food... and the food was good! The tacos were delicious. The aguachile was a standout dish that was full of amazing flavours and the prawns were really fresh. Great Mexican place. Will definitely be on my list of places to go when I'm craving Mexican
Gloomy Sunday afternoon and we are in need of good cheer so we seek the spicy heat of Mexico and gather as a dining group of 4 at Hotel Jesus. It's a quiet afternoon for this place that gets pumping on a Saturday night but we like the chilled out downtime. The laminated menu card with photographs of some of the dishes is a little twee but then so is the shrine of beer bottles en route to the bathrooms. It's all a bit kitschy tongue in cheeky. I'm less fussed about dodgy decor as long as the tacos are terrific.
This place has the following A+ elements :
A+ for the interior and decor. Love love love it all! ..from top to bottom. From the diner style theme to the laminated menus complete with photos, to the Elvis cutout and the high ceilings ...the list goes on
A+ for the quality of the food. The best Mexican food I have eaten in recent memory
A+ for the service which was efficient and more than adequate. Sometimes you just need the wait staff to do their job and not expect them to smile at you unnecessarily/fake smile/not genuine. As long as they know their stuff , thats all that matters.
But...not everything deserves an A+
I give Hotel Jesus a..... D- for their dish serving sizes
Seriously the tostados were so small I need to eat 10 to fill up. We were still very hungry after we had our dinner that we ended up going to another place for a 2nd dinner!!!...I would have given Hotel Jesus a rating of 5 if not for their very meagre meal portions.
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I love Mamasita so when I heard that the team behind this fine dining Mexican joint would be opening a new venue I was overjoyed. Hotel Jesus is in the old post office building on Smith street. They have transformed the venue into a over the top American diner-esq restaurant with neon signs and lots of attention to detail. It looks really interesting.
The menu is laminated and has pictures of everything which is super daggy but fits the theme. Corn on the cob, tacos and other small bites are all available and taste amazing.
One thing to be aware of, while they have branded the venue as "casual dining" you will still be paying restaurant dining prices. For two people having a casual snack with some cocktails (2 cocktails, 1 taco each and one guacamole & dessert to share) came to around $80. This was a snack and in no way filled us up. It was all delicious and a good time but if you are looking for lunch or dinner you might want to look else where unless your after a pricey night out. I suggest coming for cocktails and a bar snack.
You could say I’d be a little bit cross if I didn’t check out the latest new addition to my barrio: Hotel Jesus, brought to you by the people who own Mamasita, one of my top selections. Some work needs to be done making the service less awkward and the menu more understandable, but I enjoyed the quality of the fare here and would be keen to return. Prices are on the steep end, as you need a fair few things to finish an appetite.
The owners of Mamasita take on Smith St with great results. I went with an expert in Mexican cuisine who picked the right dishes from the menu. This will be another Messina on Smith St. It's well worth the wait to get in. The closest to authentic Mexican in Melbourne. 4/5
Pretty cool retro looking place inside. Found it a little difficult to understand parts of the menu. Food was good and tasty service was good as well. We felt it was a little bit expensive for what we had order
The best Mexican food I have had in Melbourne! It is authentic, spicy and delicious just like in MEXICO! The service was good and people really friendly. For the macho michelada with prawns I would have probably peel the skin off to make it even better.
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Hotel Jesus have spent a bucket load of money to come across as a cheap taqueria, but which is a lot more self aware than your average mom and pop proprietors. There were a couple of minor annoying issues in what was overall, a very happy experience. We had lined up outside the very narrow door for about 15 minutes and it wasn't until the line got shorter and we were inside that we really found out whether there was a wait list or what the heck was going on. Wait staff could have been a bit more helpful on that front. People were a bit confused, standing in the doorway, the exit getting impeded by people coming and going. We were seated within good time, with apologies, good humour and served promptly. We were pretty familiar with the menu items and very excited as each plate arrived. I just loved the "black mayo" on the corn. I could lick the plate. I think i did. We also had a couple of excellent cocktails. The first was a smoky delicious mezcal hibicus and huitlacoche salt thing called Smoked Diablo. Oh my! So damn good. Had to have the tequila anejo beetroot coffee liquor one as well; could have had a bucket of that. Cocktails with a mezcal or tequila base are, in my opinion, the best. The second thing that annoyed me was the way some waiters carried the plates out. Were they trained to look gawky, and as if they are about to drop the lot? One girl consistently had the top plate touching the food on the bottom plate. Her hands/ like claws barely able to carry two in one hand. I was mesmerised but not enjoying the anxiety. Couldn't they use some old Corona trays? However, the food continued to be very good. Devoured the flan-mezcal bloated corn sponge-and licked the paper it was served on. Loved the tuna on saltine. Nice crunchy little fish taco but I still pine for the San Diego style. Good little aguachiles with prawn, and quite sour lime. Lots of nice home-made hot sauce and a good shake of salt brought it all together. Felt like I was back in steamy little Huatulco had it not been for the cold wind and the fancy-pants Melbournites. Thank you Hotel Jesus, for there were also no tarantulas.
This place was packed. I ordered the beef tartare and crumbled chicken sandwich. I reckon I was a dare devil to eat rare beef and raw egg. The whole thing was a little bland. As for the chicken sandwich, you need to prepare to open your mouth real wide to eat it. It's such a big serve. I think the pickled veggies overpowered the chicken. It's a good dinning experience overall.
I'm Mexican and I can fully recommend this place! No doubts this is tha Best Mexican restaurant in Melbourne! The food it's epic! Really authentic! It really made me felt at home! And the place!! Just exactly the same we have at home! I'm sure you'll love it! Ask for the porktupus tostada, suadero taco, Colima ceviche and mezcal cocktails!
And so it begins. A sort of love story that takes place inside a Mexican taqueria called Hotel Jesus. It reveals the purpose of the moon, explains the difference between criminals and outlaws, examines the conflict between social activism and romantic individualism, and paints a portrait of contemporary society that includes deluded young men, and their fragile, random and infinitely oppressive time on earth. It also deals with the problem of 'Beach Burrito'
Some of the best Mexican in the country. Good selection of Mezcal and Tequila and related cocktails..Small list of wines and local craft.
What started out good, turned bad and then good again! Coming out on a Friday at 9:30pm for dinner is a challenge in the burbs. I tried a few locals and no kitchen open, then on the horizon my gf spotted Hotel Jesus. (Pronounced with the H not the J…). Thank god!
After sitting down and ordering via the ever present Mr Yum. Drinks flowed but no food! No one check on us and after asking it appeared they lost the order. Always a worry with apps. I was a bit hangry but once they realised their error they jumped into action.
Food came quickly, some free drinks and a few apologies and we are back to a 5 star review. Def recommend and will be going back. The power of service!
(on behalf of my girlfriend): when I was here yesterday I had a delicious beer and the food was fantastic. The server noticed I did not eat one of my tostadas, she replaced it with one more suited to my taste. But I am especially moved to leave this review because while I was eating, a lady with impaired mobility in a scooter had a breakdown: the staff looked after her going above and beyond to make sure she was OK. Everyone there was a chiller. It's a great restaurant to have in the community.
Pastor tacos were delicious, tacos in general here are really good, but small. I also recommend pibil volcan and pastor volcan.
We dined at Hotel Jesus for a date night. The food was great and felt authentic, only improvement would be the variety of cocktails on offer. Would recommend this place if decor is a big part of your dining experience as it's a very cool place to eat at!
Please do not complain about the taco portion size at Hotel Jesus. This is exactly the taco size you’ll get in Mexico! Because I just spent 3.5 weeks travelling around in Mexico and let me tell you the whole time I was doing taco tours, eating out at taco street stands, taco restaurants, all I could think about was how I wish I could eat hotel Jesus instead… this is the most authentic taco you’ll get in Australia and it tastes amazing and suited to your Fitzroy tastebuds with authentic Mexican salsa! Because tacos in Mexico, while they look similar could be too exotic and heavy for someone non-Mexican.
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