We were in Ballarat late afternoon around 3 pm and look for some food for lunch. Not many places open at that time so we had limited choice. Mexican is always a good food and this one was great! We had some corn chips with guacamole and jalapeno ppppers to share and I had a prawn taco while my husband had a veggie burito. Tasty and delicious food! We also had 2 cocktails to share, coconut margarita and guava-rita.

Unfortunately my group had a couple of issues. My first bite was bland not because I wanted it mild but there was no flavour, my second bite was unfortunately accompanied by a short black hair. My friends order came out wrong twice and due to food restrictions, wasn’t able to eat it without pulling it apart. she gave up with the second didn’t ask for anything else. The young girls serving us was great and very apologetic for the mix ups. The place could do with a good scrub also.

Friendly customer service that went above and beyond all plates were empty bar staff taking photos for us for a special occasion went above and beyond thank you

The food at Hecho en México was genuinely excellent — fresh, full of flavour, and clearly prepared with care. The atmosphere was also a highlight: lively, warm, and true to the restaurant’s vibrant theme. On food and ambience alone, I would happily return. Unfortunately, the service significantly let the experience down. Our waitress (short, with dark hair, appeared to be older) was unnecessarily abrupt and unwelcoming from the start. When I momentarily forgot to mention part of my order, she raised her finger to shush me mid-sentence and turned away to address my partner instead. Later, when I misunderstood the QR ordering system, she responded with a very visible look of irritation and curtly stated that I “had to order through her,” as if the mistake were an inconvenience rather than an honest misunderstanding. Good hospitality is about making guests feel comfortable and respected. Sadly, this was not the case. While I truly loved the food and the overall vibe of the restaurant, the attitude of this particular staff member impacted the experience enough that I’m hesitant to return. Great kitchen, great setting — but one extremely rude interaction can overshadow both.

JALAPENO POPPER was the best out of the other things I ordered, it has an acquired taste, worth for a try. Enchilada also very rich, but consider I have tried other branches in Melbourne, this one is slightly less dense in the taste than the Melbourne branches. Finally had Pozole in Ballarat, other branches don’t have. It is warm and nice, especially when you drink the CAZCABEL coconut short with the pork. Unfortunately the hot chocolate is a not recommended, too diluted, my homemade chocolate will be better than this.