Really lovely and quaint restaurant. My partner and I are big fans of Mexican food so we decided to try Village Cantina because of all the good reviews...... I'm so glad we did!! The staff were friendly and very attentative! I had the Fish Tacos which were the BOMB! Plus to top it all off they didn't skimp on the portion size.
Highly recommend if you like great Mexican food! ��
Village Cantina, delicious food and margaritas and the staff couldn't have been nicer, the bonus birthday surprise, was very much appreciated by all. Can happily recommend this Mexican Restaurant in Yarraville TOPS
Amazing food. Everything was fresh, tasty & delicious. The Jalapeno Poppers & Cauliflower Tacos were huge hits. Staff were friendly & efficient. Cocktails went down a treat too.
It was a little drafty & the toilet & its location were the only downside. Service & food make those easy to forget!
#nomnomnom the yummiest Mexican street food I've had in ages! It's fresh, fast and delicious. What more could you ask for?! The owner is friendly and knows his stuff. Try the bbq corn, jalapeño poppers, chicken strips, corn balls, and tacos to name a few... Get there now! :)
The real deal! Closest mexican eatery that you will get to Mexico. Decór was brilliant....amazing art pieces. Highly recommended. Oh...and the Margarita was amazing...best in Oz by far
'This place is el terriblay' - said no Juan ever.
Chu should not go past the nachos to start, followed by the pollo quesadillas, which I truly believe cannot be Trumped.
Ample street parking available, and just 200 metres from Yarraville station if that's your loco motive.
This Cantina leaves other imitations Danny Trejailing in it's wake. But I'm sure they'd be gracias in defeat.
Awesome food, great service and friendly staff ... ����
Awesome Mexican food 🌵Highly recommend this restaurant
My favourite mexican in melbourne, beer garden is the best thing ever. Love you guys
Am happy I found this place. Loved the atmosphere, everything from the music to the courtyard out the back, to the cowboy doors and the little skeletons hanging from the ceiling. The food was amazing! I ate way too much! The service was great, the staff made us feel right at home... just the right amount of attention. See you soon Village Cantina �
Village Cantina is my fave Mexican in the area. I’ve tried a few things on the menu but always go back to my OG order of fish tacos, pork belly tacos, jalapeño poppers and corn. I recommend the nachos and margaritas too 👌🏽
Fantastic takeaway meal last night. Food was still hot when we got it home. All items ordered were fresh and flavoursome. The bonus churros were greatly appreciated. But above all the service was friendly. No photos because the food was consumed too quickly.
Not a Mexican expert but the food was fresh, reasonably priced and complimented by helpful staff. Looking forward to trying more items from the menu.
Absolutely love this place! We live nearly an hour away and travel there every week.
Our favourites are the nachos and the chicken salad or chicken burrito bowl.
Staff are lovely and service is always fantastic.
We got take-away last night from here and we loved it!!
I had the tofu burrito, loaded fries and jalapeno poppers. The poppers were delicious and creamy, not what I was expecting but really tasty and spicy nevertheless. The burrito was fresh, tasty and huge, I added some spicy sauce and sour cream on top. The cheesy fries had great flavour. We loved it and will definitely be back for all our mexican food cravings!
Really good food. Jalapeño poppers are cheesy, hot and delicious! The quesadillas are enormous and I appreciate how generous they are with the guacamole.
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I came here for the first time last night for a light dinner to catch up with a former work colleague.
The Day of the Dead celebrations were on last night so staff had their faces painted which was great to see. The feel of a little "village" comes to mind when you walk in with old wooden and brick walls, old wooden tables and those huge candles that have lots of wax dripping over the bottle it was in.
The staff are very attentive and super friendly. We were originally seated in the courtyard outside but were moved inside as a table freed up as I have extreme hayfever allergies that induce my asthma and I was having trouble breathing. They were quickly accommodating to this.
We ordered pumpkin & pulled pork tacos which were fresh and delicious! As well as the chic kjen salad which looked and tasted better than we thought- a simple dish wi the simple ingredients. Some may find it "bland" as there's no dressing but the chicken and the jalapenos do that so no dressing is really needed in my opinion. The meat was also cooked very well and not dry which is always a plus. We left feeling more full than we expected!
For both of us dinner was $34 (we didn't order drinks) but left feeling more than satisfied. I'd definitely come back for some lovely fresh Mexican in my local area
Great food. Always busy, but the service is quick and the food always comes out quickly. Definitely recommend the jalapeño poppers and the tofu burrito - although the burrito is huge, so come with an appetite!
Tofu burrito is 👌🏼🔥💕 juicy marinated tofu, generous serving of avocado, yummy salsa - just simply delicious!! Great size too! Really happy and satisfied☺️😍
Absolutely amazing authentic Mexican food - great staff and great atmosphere. WELL worth the visit! You wont be disappointed. This is not like the 'new franchise' Mexican bland food you find there - this is authentic!
Quaint, intimate and homely vibes within this sweet little cantina. Staff extremely accommodating of our (picky) dietary requirements. Food was delish, thank you!
Always our go to for mexican, the only downside is that they do not change the menu very often although they will have the odd special which is good. These guys do the best margaritas yum..
Absolutely amazing food.. Fresh and full of flavour! Staff are friendly and very helpful.. Drinks are amazing too! Worth lining up for.. Highly recommended!
Amazing food. Everything was fresh, tasty & delicious. The Jalapeno Poppers & Fish Tacos were huge hits. Staff were friendly & efficient. Cocktails went down a treat too.
Awesome Mexican on the Westside serving super tasty bites and first class margaritas. Stoked to have found this little gem and can't wait to go back!
Walked in late on a Friday night after a movie (around 9.10pm) and they were happy to have us sit down and order a meal. The service was good, the staff were really attentive and we were asked by two separate waiters if the food was good. After reading previous comments I hope this is in response to those and an attempt to redeem the poor reputation they've earned on here.
The food was alright. My partner got the beef quesadilla which was large and enjoyable to eat, not exploding with flavour. I had the pork burrito bowl. The pork itself was lovely and tender, flavoursome but not super plentiful. A lot of the other condiments included were perhaps lacking a little in taste as there was no lovely burst of lime, chilli, herbs, tang or freshness.
The food was decent and the staff very good on our visit, maybe we got lucky but hopefully this is a turning point. With a bit of time the food could be even better as well.
Village Cantina seems to be the busiest restaurant in Yarraville! But here’s a secret, dine in the courtyard instead of waiting 20 minutes for a table and you will get your own private area (since no one else seems to eat out there).
We shared a plate of nachos. Serving size was generous, larger than what you get at Taco Bill nowadays. I only wish there had been salsa used instead of pico de gallo.
The highlight were the Jalapeño Poppers! I really liked these, I would definitely order them again.
The tacos are HUGE (at least the ones we tried) and impossible to pick up with our hands because of the filling. We ordered the pork belly tacos and the cauliflower tacos. It was really cool to try Baja style battered cauliflower! I want to return some time to try the tofu tacos and the pumpkin tacos/ I love that this place has so many vegetarian options!
This was definitely one of the better Mexican restaurants I’ve tried and I really liked the atmosphere!
1000x yes to their pork belly tacos here that never disappoint! Great atmosphere, friendly staff and heaps of delicious and authentic food to choose from.
food was excellent. stand out will have to be Jalapeno Poppers, pulled pork nachos, lamb ribs on the special menu was on another level. thanks guys see you soon.
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I am sorely sorry for the reviewers who have had negative experiences at this Yarravillian Gem!!
I've crossed the bridge from Bayside to experience this Mexican Magic half a dozen times and each time I'm served by the same two waitresses who manage the hoards of taco-crazed maniacs who frequent this spot. Each time they have been friendly, accommodating, and more than competent!
The pomegranate margarita is a must, and while $17 can seem steep, there really is no substitute for good ingredients when it comes to cocktails. Dot informs me that the mojito is "top notch" and "best in show". Burritos = excellent with beautifully prepared ingredients such as slow cooked beef and chicken.
The chilli cheese fries are NOT to be missed.
In response to the negative reviews, many mention that they visited at lunchtime; I wonder if that plays in to their experience? I've only ever been there on Friday or Saturday nights and I've never missed out.
Do yourself a favour and cross the river for the best Mexican food I've had outside of...Mexico*
* Note: I've never been to Mexico.
Mid week dinner, decided to check out some places in Yarraville, found this great place, great meals, great service and competitive prices. Will be back
Service was excellent, the team working were attentive and full of energy.
Ordered two jugs;
Mango margarita & cranberry(could of been another berry) margarita
Both were excellent, but the mango would be my favourite choice by a mile.
Tried an array of dishes and we were not disappointed with any.
Tacos where good. Serving sizes are not huge.... It is a taco after all so not sure why you would expect anything bigger. Had the carnitas and carne, preferred the carne.
Jalapeno poppers are a must!
Polo burrito was also good, prob could have had a bit more kick, but fixable with the sauces on offer.
YUM! This little gem in Yarraville is easy to get to by train, and has welcoming waitstaff to make sure you feel welcome when you dine. Such great tacos..bit small..but just get more! Definitely a great place to eat!
I visited Village Cantina for an early lunch recently and I have a good experience.
I tried three of their tacos, two of them part of the specials of the day, and their chips. I liked everything, but nothing wowed me and, although one can add authentic Mexican sauces to the tacos to spice them up, it is not the same as something cooked with some punch in it. I really liked their vegetarian taco, with cauliflower and red cabbage, the yummiest of them all! The fish taco was also lovely but a bit bland, an the meat one was nice but just that. Their chips were very tasty and the aioli was great.
I think the place must be great at night and full of people, but it was a bit empty for lunch when I visited.
I really like all the decoration and style, the place really has character.
The staff are really lovely.
So much fun! Good value food and love the tacos. The Pescado (fish taco) was a bit different but really nice. Cheap eats doesn't get much better than this!
We've been here a few times before and really enjoyed it, so thought we'd give it another go. Last night was probably not as great as it has been previously - still a good feed, but the quality varied a bit across dishes.
Started with spicy chicken strips. Not very spicy, but they were still delicious. The spicy mayo they came with was tasty. We also got three sets of taco - the pescado, the pollo and the pork belly. The best of the three was the pescado - really succulent tasty fish. The pork belly taco was also very nice, although the cracking was a little dry. The chicken tacos had a lot of potential, however the chicken itself was nearly cold which was pretty disappointing. Pricing and service are both pretty decent here.
We will still come back as we've had great feeds here before, but might do so next time on a quieter night.
It's good Mexican but it has this casual feel (which is great) but when you look at the prices it's not cheap at all. If it was a few bucks cheaper I would come all the time.
A Chronicle Of Gastronomy
+3.5
Village Cantina placed its roots down in cosy Yarraville in late 2014, with a vision to reintroduce authentic and fresh Mexican food to us. Many of the decorative knick-knacks on the shelves are from Mexico itself, and a large portrait of Danny Trejo make it pretty clear you’re here for true Mexican food. Our idea of Mexican tends to veer towards the Tex-Mex side of things; steer away from the Coronas and nachos and check out the authentic stuff like Mexican beer from Day of the Dead, or the tacos so you can sample more varieties.
NellyBelly In Melbourne
+4
Yarraville's limelight came when, in January 2016, Director Quentin Tarantino, and Actors Kurt Russell and Samuel L. Jackson arrived in the humble suburb in Melbourne's west for the premier of their movie, The Hateful Eight. As you can imagine, for one evening, Yarraville ballooned to an unprecedented capacity. After all, it was not everyday that your locale was host to Hollywood starlets.
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I came here with a group of friends on a Thursday night. Personally I wasn’t a Mexican food fan but after dining at Village cantina, I can say I am one now =D. Rob the owner of the restaurant was lovely to take some time to tell us some stories about the food inspiration he got when he traveled to Mexico. He told us that Mexico had really good street food and knew we Australians were missing out but thankfully he opened Village cantina so we can enjoy authentic Mexican food without the cost of an airfare and accommodation hi 5* When you take a look around the restaurant, you can see how much thought he put behind everything. Every interior decoration had a backside story – from the furniture, through the decorations he sourced from Mexico and the handmade volcano clay bowls. Village Cantina uses fresh ingredients every day. Rob told us fresh ingredients and some hard to get Mexican products were the key to authentic Mexican food. My favorite dish was probably the Elote Corn. It was very yummy. I’m still sitting here reminiscing the moment when I took the bite of the creamy chipotle sauce, sprinkle of queso fresco cheese(queso fresco is a Mexican cheese, most restaurants wouldn’t be bothered to source this cheese and would use an alternative but Rob understands there’s no room for compromise ;) ) that was melting all over the corn. We later indulge ourselves with a variety of different ingredient tacos. Once again, the fresh ingredients were the key in bringing the richness of the flavor. There are dozens of different hot sauces on the table for you to adjust the spiciness of the food. If you want to go all out with the hotness, there is a special ultra hot sauce you can request from one of the friendly staff to bring out. Apparently it would take 2 hours for your mouth to cool down after trying it. I would definitely come back here again…maybe with a date next time ;) Thankyou to Rob and the staff at Village Cantina for giving me and my friends such a great experience.
Been here a number of times and service has previously been sketchy, orders forgotten, not given cutlery or water when asked, requests for bill forgotten etc but I keep coming back as the food is great so I tend to forgive the service. On last visit on a sunny Sunday service was much better - wasn't so busy, so staff were attentive and great. Food is fab for sharing with friends, outdoors was great too as a first. Nachos to share and corn to start great options, fresh and tasty. Quesadilla to share perfect for 3 people and a taco each resulted in full bellies! I'll be back again.
Surprisingly it's hard to find a place that does an authentic taco that isn't bite size. Plenty of different tacos to choose from and decided to do something a bit different to the beef taco and ordered the fish taco which was delicious.
Awesome service.
Awesome/fresh ingredients.
Owner is a legend & gave our dog Bess water & let her stroll through the restaurant when they locked up the alfresco area. 2 of us ate/drank well for $45! Mintttt (:
Great burritos and amazing margaritas, tacos great and quesadillas yummy
Love all the Mexican decorations
Friendly staff and fast service
Well worth a visit
Affordable and tasty Mexican food in Yarraville, who'd of thought you could get an entree, drink and main meal for $30 with change. Food is fresh. Recommend the burrito bowls, corn and chicken strips. Cute atmosphere.
Best mexican in the west! Fresh produce, not overly heavy/cheesy. Nachos is to die for! Generous servings. Delicious beef burrito. Try the starters - chicken strips and corn - both scrumptious! Friendly, professional staff. Highly recommended.
Love love love this place!
Favorite Mexican in Melbourne.
The Fish tacos are amazing!! I love that all of the food is super tasty and not greasy at all.
The margaritas are really tasty too. Have to order the coconut margarita.. It's to die for!
We finally decided to go and check out this local Mexican - and we were both surprised by the great atmosphere, presentation of food and taste was!
Great selection of beers to compliment the food/cuisine... not just Corona/ SOL (infact they don't even have Corona). Recommend "Taco Beer" by local brewery Two Birds.
I loved their Nachos simply based on the fact their tortilla chips are hard (but not too hard) and crunchy - meaning we weren't left with soggy bits at the end. We also tried a couple different Quesadillas (veg & chicken) as well as the Cornballs to start... can't pick a bad thing about the food! None of it was greasy or over cheese bearing.
Kudos to the staff - they were attentive yet not over-bearing, with more banter than most other places.
We'll definitely make this a regular go to.
Food is very tasty but service is a bit hit and miss! We had our order royally mixed up one night however the waitress was apologetic and agreed to give us a discount. Best of booking on a Friday or Saturday night, as they can be booked out!
What a welcome addition to the village! When it first opened I was excited and grateful. And the food was good. But now, 6 months after a few regular visits when it first opened, it is even better than when it started! The menu has evolved and is amazing! And make sure you save room for dessert!
One of my favourite places. Lovely and detailed interior. The warm atmosphere always makes me comfortable. Especially the talented chefs never disappointed me with the beautiful foods! I'm a big fan of Mexican Fried Chicken Stripes, which are tender and a bit spicy. Good combination with Margarita! I love this local Mexican cantina!
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Enjoyed eating here but could do with some tweaking here and there. Restaurant was nice but room temperature was too cool. Had to eat in my jacket which I hate doing. Nice selection of drinks including Mexican beers and soft drinks. I chose Sangria which was nice, but a bit pricey at $14. Kids tried the Mexican soft drink which was really nice. For Entree we ordered the Jalapeño Poppers (3 per serve) $6, really spicy, but really nice. Only prob was on the menu they are described as "stuffed with blended cheese, herbs, lemon zest, in breadcrumbs. I thought it was a pepper stuffed with the above. But it was all minced together, rolled in a pepper shape and crumbed. Bit disappointing but yummy. I had the Burrito Bowl with shredded beef $14. It was nice, but the beef wasn't hot enough and a bit blande. Son and hubby had the Burrito with guacamole and sour cream on the side. The sides were very disappointing, too small. I had the chocolate chilli tart which was delicious. Others had the churros which they said were nice. Only 2 per serve though which I thought was a bit small, with chocolate sauce. I would eat here again, but would be nice if they made a few changes.
Love My Food From Melbourne
+4.5
Mexican, the village needed this.. Yarraville always needed a Mexican restaurant, and glad the Village Cantina filled the spot.
We had Jalenpino poppers (too hot for me but not for the others who really liked them), corn balls and chicken strips for entree. I really enjoyed my beef burrito for main, and I shouldn't have ordered the churros for dessert (not because of the taste as they were yum, but because i was full). Nachos and quesadillas also got the thumbs up from other diners.
Good size meals, reasonably priced and good service.
The place was busy but you could hear the conversation on your table.
There are lots of options to eat in Yarraville, but this is worth a try.
Delicious! The food is fresh, fast and tasty. The owner is friendly and chatty, and knows his stuff. Try the bbq corn, chicken strips, jalapeño poppers, corn balls, carnitas tacos and churros. The rest is delicious too, but I'll let you try for yourself. Get there now!!!
Average. We went there tonight and waited a couple of minutes to be seated. We sat at the windows which was nice but that large couch and coffee table right behind us was unnecessary. It really doesn't add to the atmosphere and made it very cramped. I had the burrito wrap with tofu while my partner had vegetarian nachos. Food took awhile to come out. My wrap didn't have too much flavour. I could not taste or see the tofu at all and the dish came with very small amount of guacamole and salsa. I tried the sauces from the bottles on the table and they weren't that good. I missed the fresh jalapenos and zing. It was nice but bland. My partner's nachos were pretty nice though, very nice corn chips and decent serve. Again, no jalapenos.
It was a nice dinner, great prices but won't be back in a hurry.
Good food and great value. Excellent service and food came out quick. Simple menu but all the favorites are there. Love the huge range of hot sauces on the table. Soft tacos and nachos superb. Will definitely be back.
So happy to have this place in the village! It's tasty - loads of chilli and lime zing. Try the jalapeño poppers, they were amazing.
The food was slick. The people who worked there were friendly, the mojitos were rad and the vibes were contagious. Absolutely loved it.
I like it! Great for vegetarians and carnivores. Tasty food, nice vibe, friendly staff. They pay attention to customer feedback and act in it which is also refreshing! Fresh and good quality! Try it!
Delicious and cheap!. The style and price of this place is perfect to sit down and enjoy a drink and a few different dishes to make up a great meal. I had the poppers, chicken quesadilla and spicy churros for dessert. All of the food was excellent. I had a couple of Mexican beers and a delicious cocktail (a Paloma) and all in all had a great experience for far less than I would have paid anywhere else for 3 course and drinks! As a new restaurant this place has awesome potential to become a favourite.
Gracias!!. Just finished up a great meal with friends here. food was delicious, the tacos and corn are especially great. Service was fast and friendly and the owner recommended I try the Paloma cocktail and it did not disappoint- red grapefruit juice plus tequila equals deliciousness!! ill be back for sure
What a great addition to Yarraville! Such a great atmosphere and the food was yummy! The nachos were up there with the best I have ever had... And I consider myself a bit of a nacho connoisseur ;) The wait staff were excellent and made the experience a lot of fun. Service was fast.
Burrito Bowl. Delicious ! Healthy and Sooo filling! Great value for money .would definitely buy again and again !
Great food, great people, great atmosphere.. Just got back from our first time eating here. We've been waiting to eat here since it opened, and we weren't disappointed.
On arrival we were greeted by friendly staff and seated right away (offered inside and outside seating). The atmosphere is great. Nice and laid back. It's not too loud and holding a conversation was easy...there is no echo.
The staff were knowledgeable about all of the meals and drinks available and gave great recommendations (the jalapeno poppers are great). The meals are reasonably priced and great quality. We both had vegetarian and were really happy.
They also have good beer and even better hot sauce.
This place will become a local haunt for us.
Great Mexican in the West!. So glad we finally got a chance to check this place out. Was a bit hesistant because of the reviews but they seem to have upped their game by far since then!
Food was solid and delicious and service quick. Amazing hot sauce and friendly hosts. Will be coming again...and again...again!
Ps. Corn is a must!
Been here 3 times and food is always on point.
Anything from small entree size meals to big portion sizes, with lots of variety - depending on how much you feel like eating.
Personal favorites are Pescado and Pork Belly Tacos, and also the chicken and squid. They also brew their own beer and make their own sauces. Everything is made with love.
Also, everything is set at an affordable price.
Nice courtyard out the back too.
The chilli margarita was actually spicy. The shared platter was a great option if you can’t decide on what to start. Food was great and it was probably one of the best fish tacos I’ve had. Great selection of hot sauces too, it was hot but still enjoyable. Can’t wait to come back and try the rest of the menu.
Village cantina is quickly becoming one of our favourite places to eat! The staff are so welcoming and attentive, and we love sitting outside in the sunny courtyard when it's a nice day. The food is delicious - the best Mexican we've had around here. They also have various housemate hot sauces that are unreal, we ended up buying a bottle to take home!
Excellent vegan options for two plant based eaters!! We both recommend the baked tofu as an added on protein source in the nachos. The best Mexican food in Yarraville, make sure you check out the awesome vibes, friendly staff and quality food for a great price.
Great Mexican in the Western Suburbs! Beef nachos as a small was a good starter for two people. Beef was delicious and tender. The chicken quesadilla was a great serving and very flavourful. My absolute favourite were the fish tacos! Highly recommended! Inside is small but enough tables for a good atmosphere. Visually inside is appealing with Mexican pop and folk art. The outside courtyard is small and gets great sunlight. Beer selection was decent and the house beer was actually refreshing. I will definitely be back to Village Cantina in the future for more fish tacos!
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Don't normally post reviews, and this is the one of the exceptions.
Walked in with my partner and we were amazed by the food quality and beverage. Easily the most amazing and authentic Mexican restaurants we have been to. We started the session with a coconut and pineapple mojitos, which were exceptional in quality, as followed by the tasty prawn and pork belly tacos.
The marinated shredded beef buritto is simply a must try and the pulled pork nachos was a great way to finish the meal. Everything we ordered tasted amazing and was exceptional in quality.
Now onto Ash, one of the staff members at the restaurant. Extremely polite, friendly and was a welcoming presence. Made the experience that much better.
Ash was extremely friendly and attentive to our dine in, telling us the current specials in regards to food and drink.
He gave us plenty of time to go through the menus and didnt rush us when we were initially making our decision.
He took time and gave us a rundown on the different home-made sauces that were all fantastic when we tried them with our food.
We over ordered initially, and Ash was honest enough to advise us to scale back our order.
Support Ash and the team, they try their very best, and the quality food and beverage is enough to make anyone happy.
We will be back!
Hands down the best tacos in Melbourne... Freshest produce and masterfully balanced flavour combinations... Wow!
Food is fantastic. The quantities are great. Friendly staff and the taste of the food is a must try.
Tried takeout many times, never disappointed once.
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