Review Mexican Republic - Lorne

Food looked amazing! We were thinking to book for another night, but after tasting it, we changed our mind. Considering its price, the restaurant seemed to use the cheapest ingredients. Quantity wise, its portions are big. Staffs were friendly and food came out pretty quick.

Read previous reviews that had some negative comments. Don't always believe what you read! Great vibe when you walk in. A delightful greeting from the front of house staff who were attentive, friendly and really helpful. Food well priced compared to other places in Lorne and just what you should expect. Not busy but a reasonable crowd for a Wintry Thursday night. Food came out in a timely way and was fresh. A comfortable evening. Thank you

Fabulous Italian restaurant, authentic quisine great atmosphere very good service. We had the bacon and chilli gnocci which was superb.

Great food , great serving size,tasty Best thing lovely hot plates no cold food. Thanks for the nice dinner.

Lovely Italian restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. Food was very good, especially the bruschetta which was one of the BEST I’ve ever eaten, including when in Italy. Husband LOVED his salmon pasta too and still raves about it 😜

As we walked into the restaurant, we found the staff to be very polite. The restaurant itself was very clean, modern and well presented. The restaurant looked busy with a lot of diners. Once the waiters took our orders, we seemed to have received no attention and they weren't attentive to us at all. We waited over an hour for our meals. The dishes looked appetizing, but they weren't that great. The pizza's base is paper thin, and the crust is hollow. They had very little topping, and isn't enough to feed one person. The Traditional Margarita pizza was completely tasteless. It would have been nice if the staff had made us aware of the long wait. We would have gone elsewhere. We had only received water when we arrived. During our meal, the waiters didn't replace our empty water bottles as they walked past our table numerous times. We received no more water and had to ask for more, and they only replaced with one bottle, between two tables/nine of us. Prices for everything on the menu was definitely overpriced, especially for what your getting. I have done many reviews, and found this restaurant to have been the worst I have ever experienced. I won't be going back, and definitely do not recommend. For that I give it one star.

I came here with family and we had such a lovely moment ! The waitresses were smiling away all evening, and the atmosphere of the restaurant so cosy! We all had different dishes and were all extremely happy with the food… so delicious !! Thank you and see you again, that’s for sure 🤗

Beautiful authentic Italian food! We had the spaghetti prawns + the pollo pizza and it was just delicious. Lovely wine too. Nice family run restaurant in Lorne :)

Who would've thought one of my favourite Mexican restaurants in Victoria would be hidden away in Lorne?! We started with tequilas (wow for the Don Julio 1941...so smooth) then a tasty corn. For mains, we shared the beef, pork, fish and chicken tacos and they were all delicious! Simple, but full of tasty juices and flavour. The chorizo quesadillas were also some of the best I've had. We finished with a yummy tres leches cake. Overall, an amazing meal that wowed our tastebuds. Thanks to the fun, friendly team who served us that night.

Love the mushroom tacos and the quesadillas <br/>Great service <br/>Although they are sometimes busy and you have to wait a while for your food to come but is is WORTH THE WAIT. <br/>#delicious

Delicious dinner on a wintry night. The pineapple quesadilla oozing with cheese was my highlight, we also had the pulled pork quesadilla and some mexican bean/veg soup. Cosy and relaxed space and great service.

A great stop for lunch in a beautiful beach town. <br/>Fresh Mexican with lots of colourful veggies. Loved their burrito bowl - the cheese, pickles, veggies and quinoa were wonderful together. <br/>Smiley staff, cosy atmosphere and yummy eats!

Food came out super quick and service was great. Lots of vegan options. I got the vegan burrito bowl & the thyme mushrooms taco - both delicious. Hubby got a beef burrito as well as a Mobutu & sangria - likes everything. Cool 80s tunes, great food and service - recommend.

This place delivered. The service was quick, the food was delicious and enjoyed the beverages on offer. Definitely try the quesadillas! Amazing!

Great location just back from the main street. Cool 80’s music, friendly and quick service, yummy burritos and tacos washed down with a refreshing glass of sangria all made for a delightful, relaxing early dinner after a lazy afternoon at the beach. Highly recommended!

The burritos were amazing. Guacamole is one of 'the best Ive ever had' - Drake. Downsize is plates are a bit small to fit everything, made for a messy dinner. But loved the food.

Place was full so we were put outside to wait with a heater. We were told they’d come out to take drink orders but never came. Luckily, we didn’t wait that long and we’re able to order quickly once seated inside. Vibe was cool, food came quickly, food wasn’t amazing but pretty good. Wine came in a normal latte glass which I wasn’t a fan of. Overall, pleasant experience. <br/>

Very delicious Mexican! Loved the margaritas! Tacos and quesadillas were yummy! Friendly and quick service. Good menu variety. Casual good vibes. Yum!

5 🌟 are not enough! The food here is amazing. We had the marinated chicken burrito, potato and chorizo quesadilla and corn chips with guacamole and jalapenos. Fast and friendly service. Sit inside at a booth or outside. Either way, we love this place.

Best decision we made while we were away traveling up and down the great ocean road.<br/>Haven't had a good burrito in ages, so I'm glad Mexican republic didn't let us down.<br/><br/>The corn was also so good. Gonna get two of these next time. Want to also try more of their menu.<br/>Staff were also lovely. Will be back for sure.

Best Mexican we've ever had! Such great flavours. We had a couple of tacos (one beef, one pork) and had some chagrilled corn. I have never enjoyed corn so much! You have to try it!

Food was great & quick to arrive - quesadillas were crisp & fresh. Tacos delicious - sadly our cocktails didn’t arrive until after we finished eating - great food but service a let down <br/>

Amazing!!!! Perfect staff and flavour. Would return any chance I'm in the area! Thank you. Great vibes, anyone should make the trip here.

Yum! I had the lamb quesadilla with chilli and shared the corn chips with guacamole and sour cream. My quesadilla was delicious! Be aware the margaritas are a bit potent! The white wine is served in a normal drinking glass which I found a bit odd. Staff who originally seated us forgot he had and we waited for a good 15min before receiving menus. Food was delicious and I would return here.

Wonderful service and atmosphere. The food was nice we would order the burritos again. The menu is however very different and even more limited than the one posted on this site and a seafood / prawn option would be great. All up one of the best places to eat in Lorne and certainly at the top for value for money.

Wow, this place will blow your socks off. Easily some of the best Mexican food I have ever eaten. Too bad it's in Lorne! Good for your wallet though....<br/><br/>Awesome tacos that just burst with flavour and freshness. No rice or beans here! Mushroom tostadas are delicious and full of flavour.<br/><br/>On our second visit we had the corn and the nachos with beef brisket in addition to more tacos. That beef is to die for and their guacamole is incredible.<br/><br/>Can't wait to return.

<br/>$6 for cardboard corn chips, with nothing ($3 if you want some not fresh salsa to dip)<br/>Tacos were floury. Meats were clearly reheated. Pork bone-dry however the accompanying fillings were good. Quesadilla bland with some kind of weird lime salt.<br/>Quick friendly service. 20% public holiday surcharge.<br/>Wouldn't come back. No way.

The service was great and food was ok, but definitely nothing special. They were very busy when we went and had run out of chicken. Food was good and nothing to complain about but not worth the 5atarta it's getting on here. This place is overrated and over priced for what is was.

We had the corn, chicken burrito bowl and a few tacos (beef, fish and pork). Did not disappoint - dishes were all really tasty. Venue was smaller than I expected but we got a table easily. Would def come back

You might have to wait a little while for your food as they only have a small kitchen but when it comes it's so great. I reckon they do much better Mexican than Fonda or La Tortilleria so it's well worth the wait. I put this down to the fact that the food tastes like it is lovingly made. I'm down the coast a lot so I'll be heading here on the reg from now on.

The best Mexican food is so fresh and tasty my first time here was back in 2014 and I feel in love with it never disappoints burrito s and tacos are so good I always leave way too full but it's not every day your in Lorne

Great Mexican in Lorne. <br/><br/>This place is highly rated so it was a must try for our weekend in Lorne. <br/><br/>The place is quite cute and has all the hot sauces you need. The corn chips and guacamole was delicious. <br/>The tacos were full of flavour and so so fresh. The staff were very easy going. Overall a great experience. <br/>

Great food, good atmosphere. For the record they do in fact serve corn chips with guac, which were excellent. Quesadillas were amazing. Service was quick and food arrived very promptly.

A small really well decorated restaurant ! If your in the mood for Mexican you can pass this one by, but be warned this place does not take reservations, so you may need to wait for a table but it's worth it !!! We started with a couple of different Tacos and they were all delicious, for mains we all had Burritos, again amazing flavors and very filling. Great selection of Mexican beers and Tequila !!! This place does deserve its 4.0 rating ...... will definitely return to this little Gem

Great food I ordered a beef taco and a chicken taco both were outstandingly good. They have quite a variety of Mexican style drinks which I loved. I would definitely recommend everyone to go.

I had very average expectations as the facade didn't turn me on in any way. But I had the two kids in tow and I just needed to feed them and get them to bed.<br/><br/>I was surprised at the quality of the food. Excellent. Mojito was the perfect strength (I am an expert in the world of mojitos). <br/><br/>I slapped my wrist for judging this book by its cover. Excellent food. (The fish taco was awesome).

Came her for lunch a few weeks back. Ordered a chicken burrito that was cut in half, few bites in saw a hair. I left that half and moved on to the other half which also had hair mixed into it. Disgusting. Was offered a free burrito but the hygiene here is really bad. Walked into the restaurant to see the girl with long black hair not tied up making the food, same type of hair I found in my burrito.

Very average Mexican food, and they added an extra 20% to the prices on a public holiday!<br/><br/>The place is a hole in the wall. There is seating inside and outside. A range of tacos, burritos, and other Mexican fast food are on the menu. Burritos are around $16 each, tacos around $8 (and you'll need 2-3 tacos to be full).<br/><br/>Fish taco was OK, and so was the beef taco. Nothing to write home about.<br/><br/>They do take card payments, and there is free street parking.

Great food, great vibes. The waitress was also very helpful with explaining food items on the menu. Would definitely come and eat here again.

The Mojitos and pork taco were nice. Also had corn on the cob and corn chips with salsa/guacamole/beef/sour cream. So certainly not starved for gluten free options but agree with others that seasoning was somewhat lacking. Took a while for the food to come out, drinks were served promptly though.

Menu is quite different. I had a chorizo and potato quesadilla. Not sure how authentic that is, but overall find that the food is well prepared and well seasoned. Also had a citrus margarita which I found to be a little too acidic. Cozy eatery.

A cold rainy June weekday night in Lorne.<br/>This Mexican establishment was out of the box and very tasty.<br/>As a group we ordered a selection of soft shelled tacos - both beef and cheese and chicken and cheese as well as grilled corn on the cob - totally delicious <br/>Service was informative and extremely quick, s bonus when you have a hungry group of kids.<br/>It was very reasonably priced and of a high standard.<br/>A stand out location!!

So so yummy, food is absolutely delicious... although i was hanging for nacho's there weren't any on the menu. Cocktails & service were amazing

Decent mexican food at typical lorne prices. Had the burrito and guac/salsa/chips. Burrito was $16 for takeaway which probably makes it australia's most expensive burrito. Food was prepared in about 90 seconds so nothing cooked fresh. Lacked any sign of seasoning, particularly the guacamole. Overall was decent but wouldn't be excited to return.

We stopped here for a last lunch before we left Lorne. It was a nice little place, run only by one staff which was a little surprising. However, she was quick with her service as well as cooking so consider me impressed. <br/><br/>We ordered two burritos and a quesadilla and all were large and filling. Not necessarily super authentic Mexican but it was tasty all the same. Nice little pit stop I reckon if you're hankering for something other than fish and chips.

Been here a few times now. Normally after Amy Gillett ride. Not your traditional Mexican. However, good flavours and looking forward to going back again this year;)

Good quick service. Nice flavours and seemed pretty healthy . Had a chicken burrito & some drinks. Nice spot sat outside and could see the sea.

This is the perfect place in Lorne for a simple, cheap eat. The restaurant/cafe is nothing fancy and the food is ok. Ideal for backpackers.

Menu here has not changed since we first starting coming here - it is expensive for what it is but it comes out quick, service friendly and the margaritas are good.

Went here on a night off cooking and was OK but nothing spectacular. Corn was pretty solid but very cheesy, chicken burrito did not nearly have enough chicken in it. If you are after something easy and simple, but portions a little small

We didn't have such a good time at all. The servings were tiny but also expensive. Imagine this, my mum bought a MARGARITA AND IT ONLY HAD 100ml glass BUT IT WAS MOSTLY FILLED WITH ICE SO ONLY AROUND 50mls AND IT WAS $10 can you believe it 10$. Staff were nice but that was about it<br/>-Matthews son

Disappointing, had tacos, all different varieties, all cold and so much juice ran from them, which made them soggy. Margarita served in what looked like a vegemite jar, for $12!! Actually all beverages served in these glasses.

Night didn't start the best when the sign on the door says cash only and the ATM across the road is broken so you are forced to walk a few kms down the road to get money out.<br/>Luckily though it was near a bottle shop as we weren't keen on Sav Blanc or...the one Sav Blanc on the menu.<br/>Wine glasses were water glasses I guess that's meant to be the "Mexico" feel?!<br/>Kids corn chips were cold and chef was inflexible with my wife's dairy intolerance but the food we did get was decent, that was the one positive.

Pretty ordinary service. 5 of us were made to wait for food for about 45 mins at about 9pm after ordering tacos only. Had to regularly get up and ask when the food was coming, no updates/apologies from staff. 2 of the orders were incorrect when brought out. Do not recommend it.

Had an amazing dinner here. The food was quick, fresh and tasty! The best Mexican we have ever eaten! The flavours were incredible and so simple. Highly recommend.

Ah-mazing! I had the chicken burrito and it was honestly one of my favourite (if not my favourite) burritos of all time! My friend had the vegetarian burrito and was just as positive about her food as I was about mine! It's a small venue so I see how it would be busy over summer but the food is worth the wait!

Such a great addition to Lorne! Delcious Mexican food - especially the cheese quesadilla and any burrito (they're all good!) Wish they had one in Melbourne!

Loved it!!!. Just got home from dinner. We loved it was the best Mexican I have had in ages. I highly recommend the sweet corn and the beef taco. The beef was cooked to perfection. Check this place out next time your in lorne. The service was also wonderful!!!

AN OVERPRICED DISAPPOINTMENT. Food lacked seasoning, tasteless, overpriced, unfriendly staff.

Great food, friendly service. We loved everything we ordered and the staff were very helpful. The Bean Quesadilla was the stand-out of the night. Reasonably priced and great paced service. Would definitely recommend this "cantina".

Loved it. We had a lovely meal every course was delicious and the staff were fantastic. Yum Yum

Amazing Food but Terrible staff. I must admit the food here was amazing, we had a group of 8 and pretty much had everything on the menu and there was not one complaint about the food. On the other hand one of the waiters was an absolute disgrace and his customer service was beyond lacking. Not once during the whole hour and a half where we there did he smile. It seemed like we where burdening him with us being there, he was very rude, short with us and came across like he didn't want to be there at all. The rest of the staff where lovely and we had no problems with. Would not go there again due to the one waiter which is saying allot about his attitude.

Great food and friendly, helpful service. The menu had no salad but they happily created one for us. Genuinely recommended.

Authentic and Fresh. We absolutely loved the food, service and vibe of this restaurant! Subtle flavours of pork marinated and cooked for hours and shredded onto burritos with fresh pink onion, secret herbs and spices...mmmm mmmm<br/>You MUST visit!

Over priced, disappointong meal. Menu reads excellently but the reality is poor. All cheese and cheaper fillings e.g. beans, with little attention to flavour and substance. Heard good things about the place prior. Okay vibe but expect a wait (and people to cut in as the wait staff lack an organized approach). Liqueur licence doesn't cover all the outside seating but the beverage list is merger and expensive to say the least.

Don't waste your money. Tasteless, poorly seasoned food. Nachos were a pack of plain Doritos and some tinned salsa. Guacamole didn't have any coriander salt or lime. Worst Mexican ever . Must have had their mates write some reviews for them

I would almost travel from Melbourne just to have their bean quesadilla. Great service, casual atmosphere and decent house wine. You can't book but it's worth being patient.

Great food with quick and efficient service! The Tostaditas in particular are amazing, the perfect one bite entree, as i said YUM

Horrible tasteless food. Meat was soggy. when I picked up my tacos water in the beef was dripping out everywhere. Really tasteless meat. <br/>The tomato salsa tasted like it was from a can of tomatoes. It's the worst I've tasted. There was no salt or coriander nothing with flavor in the salsa. The nacho chips were cheap and flavorless. <br/>Had a margarita omg came in a little glass used for drinking water. It's had orange juice in it, 2 cubes of ice with a few specks of salt. They charged $12 for the smallest most unauthentic margarita. Don't go food is awful. Don't believe the other reviews they must be from their friends.

So Good. Awesome Mexican and the place is relaxed and unpretentious all about the food best Mexican in Victoria

Lacks the feel of the Mexican vibe. The food was good.. but could have been soo much more.. and its a bit on the pricey side for what you get.

Simple and relaxed, yet delicious!<br/>Compares closely to high quality Mexican food at well renowned Mexican restaurants! Highly recommend this place!! Try the pork or braised beef taco, and the corn!

Best burrito I have ever had. Good service relaxed vibe.

Delicious fresh Mexican food served with a smile, what more could you want?

Good but not great. Enjoyed the food. Menu was slightly limited but had enough to choose from. Not everything was as good as expected, but was okay 7/10

This place is fantastic! Outstanding service and fresh, authentic Mexican food. We hadn't eaten here before and our waiter gave us great advice on what to order to suit both our taste and appetite. We will be back.

Tasty & good value. After a big lunch we didn't want a big dinner or anything too formal and stumbled upon Mexican Republic, it was pretty busy but managed to get a table next to a heater. We didn't have to wait long from ordering until the food arrived; the burrito and the corn were really tasty. The whole meal was good and it was good value too

Can't comment on the food because we didn't get a table. This place has a 'no booking' policy, which is fine, but we were turned away impatiently after arriving at only 6.50pm enquiring after a table. No suggestion as to when a table might become available and no waiting list, and given a hostile response when making both enquiries. Appalling service.

Great Mexican Food.. Wasn't really sure about how to order Mexican as I don't eat it. The staff were really friendly and helped me choose something that wasn't too hot. I had the Pineapple, Red Cabbage and pork Taco and the Chorizo sausage and mushroom for entrée. Loved it so tasty. We had entrée, main meal, beer and wine for 2 people all under $50. Will be back.

Good cheap food. Come back no problem.

Ordered takeaway twice from here whilst in Lorne so had a chance to sample a majority of the menu. Tried all three burritos (ground beef and pork/chicken/vegetarian) on the whole lacked seasoning and punch but did enjoy the addition of quinoa and red cabbage, the burrito skin was great. The quesadillas (chorizo and potato/three cheese) were absolutely delicious. Corn chips, guac and salsa were average.

Loved it!!!!. This is simply the best, love the food up there with mamasita, simple food done well, love the pork and chicken tacos, make sure you get the corn !<br/><br/>Keep up the good work !

Different, tasty and fun!. Mexican offers a tasty alternative to the food scene in Lorne. The food is flavorful and served in interesting combinations. Try the CORN. Really special. Small place but outdoor seating helps handle a crowd. Friendly folks. Fun atmosphere.

Great mex food. Flavours spot on. <br/>Also does takeaway which was super! Highly recommend a meal here!!!

Food was great and price was more reasonable than other places we've been to along GOR. If a place is charging me normal foods at premium prices, then at least make the food better. Paying $26 for a plate of chicken parma that at best can only be described as average in taste just <br/>makes me angry.<br/><br/>The pork shoulder on corn chip (entree) was great and corn on cob was nicely caramelised with great flavors. Very happy with this place.

TERRIBLE!! STAY CLEAR! The burrito had no Mexican spices present. I ordered chicken burrito, it came out with a tablespoon of chicken. All you could taste was mayonnaise, cabbage and quinoa. Not mexican at all! Even as a wrap the flavors were terrible. I think they need to remain there place.

Hola!. The Tostaditas are DIVINE!! We ordered the pork and chorizo ones and would have happily just eaten those all night. The Quesadilla was pretty average, and the tacos were good but not amazing. Lots of good gluten free options (with menu clearly marked hooray!) and service was good.

Rude greeting. We were completely ignored as we stood by the door and the waitress chatted to a couple of people who walked in just before us, who were clearly locals. She told us she didn't know how long a table would be and sat her friends down. A table freed up but was taken by another group of locals who were offered drinks. I even witnessed a girl sniggering at us because we looked annoyed. Complacent. Rude. Clicky. Food was nice, came out quickly. Lovely male staff member was the saving grace as we paid. Overall a cocky, hipster try hard establishment that needs to show some hospitality to their patrons.

Friendly staff, reasonably tasty food but expected much more flavor. Corn was DELICIOUS!!!

Just dinned in Mexican Republic well from the time we walked in to when we left we felt in welcomed and awkward My family walked up to the front door. No one greeted us we had to ask if we could sit waitress was clueless well we still sat inside and gave it a go we ordered food came for our boys but my food was not forthcoming we waited and waited they had forgotten our food big no no my husband and I waited a little more still no food we should have gone with our gut instinct the place it self was dirty and the wait staff were to relaxed bored even terrible experience at a cost of 118.00 Finanlly the waitress didn't even realise we didn't get our food what a disgrace<br/>Regards <br/>Fooled by potential

Bloody Awesome. Lived in San Diego for 3 years, got spoilt eating the real deal over the border and thru San Diego. This place is the real deal, right in down town Lorne! The burritos are as good as any I've ever eaten, the service is great and the staff ultra friendly, even when under the pump!!! As Arnie say "I'll be back!"

Delicious! Something for the whole family. Beef buritto kept me going for the whole day. Delicious and worth the money. That is saying something in lorne!

Fairly average food. Tacos needed flavouring - even some salt would have helped. The corn chips served with sides of black beans, guacamole and tomato was bland - beans are surely not meant to be just plain black beans with zero flavouring I'm sure. Friends ordered two margaritas and they were served in small glasses (cost $12 each) and not that good.

Best Mexican I've had in a while! Corn is spot on delicious!

Venue nice, staff friendly but food so disappointing - very bland. Usually love mexican but will not be visiting or recommending this restaurant unfortunately.

Highly recommend the corn for entree and marinated chicken burrito!! Best burrito I've ever had. It's small, cosy and simple. Yes there's not much to choose from like your typical taco bill but who cares the food that you can choose from is delicious and definitely value for money!! I would go back for sure :)

My husband and I had dinner at Mexican Republic last night. The menu, albeit somewhat limited in variety, didn't affect the paradise in our palate which we experienced. The venue was mex-eclectic and was a cozy size with suitable music in the background. Its off the main road so may accidently be overlooked by visitors like ourselves but we would definitely recommend this place for its atmosphere and the quality of their meals. So glad we stumbled onto this restaurant.

Cute place. Great tunes. Light fittings are incredible but I smelt the salt in the air but did not taste it in the food. Shame. It was yum, but needed some love in the salt department. Oh, and the plates for the burritos were tiny! No room for splatterage!

Surprise by the beach. Great addition to Lorne. Top tasting mexican in a funky cafe by the sea. Love the food and the team are always very friendly. Fast, friendly and fresh.

Great service. Excellent food. With the addition of the chile habanero sauce food was as spicy as you wanted it to be. Great share plates and mains. Prices affordable. Great night out.

Good flavours but.... Can somebody please tell me if tacos are supposed to be cold? I've been here 4-5 times and every time they've been cold. I'm guessing they do this on purpose. I prefer a bit of warmth to my taco... <br/>I give it a 6.5 out of 10.

Did't really enjoy the food. They created a new mexican style food which I didn't enjoy.

Pathetic service, ignorant of the basic principals of hospitality, including being hospitable. If this is the future of Lorne's culinary experience, I'll stick to fish and chips on the beach.

Best food in Lorne. Speedy service, good manner and the food was great. Kids menu was perfectly appropriate for my 4 year old. Very happy.

Tiny, funky place- needs a bit more zest. Food was good but in an 80's kinda way when Mexican restaurants were the place to go with the family...not compared to some of the new Mexican places around Australia that are blowing minds with mexican flavours delivered in new, exciting, innovative ways. I like this place because it is cute.

Great new place! Staff wer.... Great new place! <br/>Staff were kind and helpful, even though I arrived before service time<br/>Had the nachos with beef and jalepenos, amazing! And nice big serve for 1 person!

Casual service, authentic food.

Great spot for some tasty authentic mexican. A real asset to lorne. Staff were friendly -the head waiter even played the harmonica to some of the kids who had finished eatinf