$4 tacos to rarely seen street food: 10 places to eat Mexican on Cinco de Mayo in Melbourne

Once limited to Tex Mex and tacos for $2 a pop, Mexican food in Melbourne has reached new heights in the past two years with a wave of operators keen to reflect the breadth and regional specificity of cooking in Mexico. Right in time for Cinco de Mayo – a date (May 5) commemorating Mexico’s victory over French forces, now more widely observed outside Mexico than within it – here’s where to eat well across the city, and where to find a good deal.

Two-for-$18 tacos at Santito, Collingwood

The former Hotel Jesus site has recently flipped to Santito, a fresh project from the team behind Mission District in Ripponlea. While that venue leans Cali-Mex, Santito draws more from Mexico City, and is one of the few places in Melbourne going to the trouble of making tortillas in-house. The campechano taco offers the best bang for your buck, pairing suadero (confit brisket) and the spiced sausage longaniza.

174 Smith Street, Collingwood, santito.com.au

$5 taco deal at Mesa Verde, CBD

This upstairs hangout in the heart of the city takes a vegetable-forward approach to Mexican food, with some herbs and vegetables grown on the building’s rooftop and others sourced locally. Alongside heirloom tomato tostadas, find tacos filled with fried cauliflower and pickled zucchini, or perhaps pork carnitas. Select tacos drop to $5 on Tuesday nights.

Level 6/252 Swanston Street, Melbourne, mesaverde.net.au

$29 all-you-can-eat taco deal at El Columpio, St Kilda

El Columpio opened in Fitzroy in 2024 to rave reviews, then expanded south last year. By the beach, the team offers all-you-can-eat tacos for $29 on Thursday and Friday nights. Choose from the likes of chorizo, milanesa (pounded, crumbed chicken) and calamari. Go for grilled cheese-laced queso tacos for $10 more.

20 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda, elcolumpio.com

$5 taco deal at Taquito, Carlton

This spot feels laidback, but the tortillas are made in-house and fillings extend to eight options, half of which are meat-free. Try them solo or mix and match into a four-taco flight for $32. For an even better deal, all tacos drop to $5 all day on Mondays and from 4-6pm Tuesday through Friday.

350 Drummond Street, Carlton, taquito.bar

$34 taco platters at Mercadito, Brunswick

A deep menu and a fun cocktail list that heroes tequila and mezcal make it easy to spend all night here. With a gang? Go for a taco platter. It arrives deconstructed – six tortillas, your choice of filling (from lamb to smoky mushroom) and a range of condiments – leaving each diner to assemble their perfect bite.

1/625 Sydney Road, Brunswick, mercadito.com.au

$4 taco deal at Lady T Bar, Cremorne

Behind the vending machine at this Swan Street taqueria, you’ll find a hidden speakeasy hosting regular DJ sessions. But that’s not the only reason to visit. On Tuesdays, tacos drop to $4 each. And on Cinco de Mayo, a ticketed event includes live music, tacos and a margarita for $30.

104 Swan Street, Cremorne, ladytbar.com

Two-for-$12 tacos at Aftermath Diner, Prahran

It’s not rare to see Mexican influence sprinkled on American diner menus. At Aftermath, which partly draws from US breakfast menus, hotcakes sit alongside huevos rancheros and tacos. The latter come with braised mushrooms ($12 for two) or slow-cooked beef and stringy Oaxaca cheese ($14 for two). Chase them with churros drenched in habanero-spiked caramel.

154B Greville Street, Prahran, instagram.com/aftermath_diner

$35.90 all-you-can-eat deal at Bodriggy, Abbotsford

Beyond beer, Bodriggy’s Abbotsford brewhouse is best known for its Latin-leaning fare. On Monday nights, get 90 minutes of all-you-can-eat tacos, with five rotating fillings on offer. Keep the good times rolling with $10 margaritas and micheladas, the spicy beer-based drink.

245 Johnston Street, Abbotsford, bodriggy.beer

$5 taco deal at Bar Mercado, West Melbourne

A stone’s throw from Queen Victoria Market, this Latin American-leaning venue builds its menus around fresh fish and produce from the stallholders. Dishes draw from Peru, Mexico, Colombia and beyond, but on Tuesdays, $5 tacos filled with wood-fired corn or pulled beef brisket are the way to go.

85 Peel Street, West Melbourne, barmercado.com.au

Two-for-$18 tacos at Maiz y Cacao, CBD

This under-the-radar Queen Street venue goes beyond the usual repertoire of Mexican restaurants in Australia. Find pambazo, a grilled sandwich dipped in chilli sauce, and the steamed cornmeal parcels known as tamales topped with house-made mole. Tacos are worth a try, too – choose from pulled pork, market fish, chargrilled beef or sweet potato, served in pairs from $18.

1/189 Queen Street, Melbourne, maizycacao.com.au