Maria's Mexican Bistro
669 Union St
(between 4th Ave & 5th Ave)
Brooklyn, NY 11215 (718) 638-2344
- Nearest Transit:
Union St (M, R)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
23 Reviews for Maria's Mexican Bistro
We were a party of 4 for 6:15 the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend. We were sat right away and received our margs in a timely manner. The chips were decent and salsa was good. The margs were potent. Our meals all arrived within a reasonable amount of time.
Unlike some of the other reviewers, we didn't have any issues with service. Our waitress was there when we needed her and other waiters brought us water refills on a regular basis.
Maria's has some of the best guacamole I've had - and definitely the best in the Park Slope area. And they make it right there at your table in front of you (making your mouth water!). The rest of the food is good, but the guac is definitely the star!
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You had me at: unlimited Bellinis, Mimosas, and Bloody Mary's. You further took me away with brunch that costs only $9.95 and includes these unlimited adult bevis. You punched me in the face with how delicious my Huevos Mexicana with R&B (a/k/a Rice and Beans) were. And, you spit on me with allowing me to sit outside on the most beautiful day so far this calendar year.
But, you lost me with your service.
When Becca S. and I needed a place to catch a cheap bite before an event in Park Slope (to which this Manhattan girl proclaimed what's Park Slope?) we hit the internetz in search of a dining establishment. After some search feature issues, and issues regarding the fact that there are a lot of expensive restaurants in PS, we found Maria's...but we didn't realize just how good we had it.
Their brunch, doods, is only $9.95 with unlimited drinks...um hello? And chips (good thick ones) and salsa (which needs a bit of salt). Awesome. Both B and I ordered Bellinis, they were good...sweet and sparkly, just like me...ha! I ordered Huevos Mexicano which is an egg scramble with cilantro, onions and jalapenos. I asked for the jalapenos on the side since spicy hasn't been agreeing with me lately and I didn't want to fight. The eggs also came with R&B (see above) and two fresh and steamy tortillas. When my dish came there were no jalapenos on the side...
I think we only went through 3 (maybe 4?) bellinis each. We had no issue ordering and receiving the first two, but our server seemed annoyed at our last round...which was either 3 or 4.
I can only comment on the brunch, and the food was really delicious. If I ever happen to find myself in Park Slope again (highly unlikely) I would love to come back here for brunch and get totes wasted...woohoo....
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So far my experience with Maria's has been mixed. It's definitely the most high-end restaurant in the part of the neighborhood it's in, with Eclipse coming in second, and I like the fact that the neighborhood is starting to gentrify enough that a restaurant like this can survive while still catering to the already existing Hispanic population.
My positive experience was with brunch. They serve a fairly generous platter for something like 8 dollars, and that includes unlimited bloody marys or bellinis and coffee, and it was nice to be there in the morning. However, the service was mixed as we were only checked on once or twice in the entire time we were there and there wasn't a single person in the restaurant aside from us. I can understand not wanting to smother your customer but when you're literally the only occupied table I expect my water glass to get refilled without delay.
Our negative experience was ordering in. Despite being an outpost based off of the original Park Slope location the guy answering the phone spoke virtually no English, and the portions are totally inappropriate given what you pay, particularly for appetizers (which were ridiculously tiny). I have yet to actually eat dinner at the restaurant though, so it may just be a takeout thing.
The atmosphere is great, definitely more on the romantic side, and is cozy and inviting. In short it's a nicer place for a date then many other places in the neighborhood could offer, although it's definitely verging on the expensive side. I'm not sure if they've realized that they can't justify Park Slope prices in this neighborhood, but hopefully they figure it out because almost every time I walk by the place is empty and I'd like it to stay open.
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I went to Maria's for a Saturday brunch with two of my girlfriends. Upon entering we were all impressed by the beautiful eclectic decor.
The place was relatively empty so we were hoping for attentive service.
At first, our waiter took fantastic care of us...that is until we ordered our second round of Bellini's which come all-you-can-drink with brunch. The waiter seemed to roll his eyes and from that point on we had to flag him down to get him to bring additional rounds. At one point, we watched the bartender make our drinks and they sat on the bar for a good 5 minutes with several waiters (including our own, who sat next to the drinks and folded some napkins) completely ignored them. I can understand if we got there at 11 and stayed until 4 pm, but we were only there for an hour and a half.
All in all, the guac, salsa and homemade chips were delicious, the Pozole soup was disappointing (the "zesty" broth was bland), my friend requested egg whites in her omelette and didn't get what she asked for, the service was slow and rude.
Terrible service in a nearly empty restaurant is unforgivable.
Overall I like Maria's. The decor is cute, there's lots of seating. The food is good. Average. The guacamole is delish, homemade right there in front of you and served in the mocahuete it was prepared in. I've had enjoyable meals all the times I've been there, however, I think it's pretty pricey for the flavor and portions.
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I have to echo Elisa C's sentiment and call third time a scam.
I am a california-raised official mexican food snob. Of the 3 times i have eaten here over the last couple months the food went from reallyandtruly fantastic to barely edible. The service has been laughably bad every time - which i will totally forgive for great food.
The only menu item which I have found to be consistently good is the Chiles Poblanos combo. It's a unique and delicious treat.
The last time I ate there 2 of us got the same dish: el Molcajete (lava rock fajita type fest) with chicken and filet mignon. My friend's was OK - mine was barely edible. I think they heated my 'rock' way too much - one of the onions burned my lip and left a blister, the chicken was leathery, the supposed-to-be-rare filet part was fatty and tough - totally overcooked and one piece actually tasted 'gamey', at which point i stopped eating. Another of us only ate half his enchiladas because they just plain sucked.
Unfortunately sending food back is impossible because you never see the waiter again until you have to beg a busboy or hostess to find them and give you your check 20 minutes after you finished eating. This part was true all 3 times i ate here.
waaaaah.
They make very good cocktails and the guacamole is predictably good, the chips are perfect. If i go back, which is doubtful, this is all I will order.
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Fresh from a conversation about how there is no point in getting Mexican food in NY if you're from San Francisco, I went to Maria's anyway because my New Yorker friend was in the mood and had no immediate plans to visit California. It was pretty good, not perfect, but I walked away happy and full.
Looking back, I realize that our meal was more expensive than I had been expecting, but at the time I didn't care because I was somewhat trashed. I had ordered the "pasion de Maria" - passionfruit, tequila, some other stuff, a chili-salt rim, DELICIOUS. It got the evening going.
The fresh guacamole has been covered in several reviews. I liked it, although I didn't know until I read just now that apparently it cost $10. As I said, I was somewhat trashed after the pasion. The chips were my favorite kind - light and flaky. Sometimes they weren't up to the task of coralling the giant chunks of avocado in the guacamole, but we muddled through together.
For dinner, I went with the Enchiladas mi Bandera - one chicken/mole, one cheese/tomatillo, one shrimp/suiza. They were good. I thought the mole sauce was really tasty, but I don't know a whole lot about mole sauce so if you're one of those people with a connosieur thing going on in this arena, your mileage may vary. The black beans and rice on the side were also good, but not so awesome that I kept stuffing my face long after I was full, which sometimes happens to me with rice and beans on the side. Maybe that was for the best.
My friend had the shrimp diablo, and seemed pretty pleased with it as well. It wasn't super spicy - anyone who really wants food spicy at Maria's in general should probably ask specifically for that. For a drink, she had ordered the pepina - english cucumbers, pineapple, some kind of alcohol that was probably tequila, and maybe some other crap. I don't know. It tasted really good, but it lasted about 5 seconds.
We liked the atmosphere - I guess "homey" is the word. In the case of Maria's, I couldn't decide whether it was a weirdly contrived homey or a cool, genuine homey, but I also didn't care - everything is made of wood or clay and the color scheme is warm, end of story.
Bottom line: for Mexican food in New York, this Californian thinks that Maria's is a viable option. I would go there again, and when I did I would order lots of drinks.
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They say that third's a charm, but in this case, "scam" is a better word choice. My first two experiences at Maria's were pleasant; indeed, I recommended this place to others and felt content knowing that there was a decent Mexican restaurant in my hood. But a few nights ago, I went back with about 5 others and it was plain awful: the margaritas were gross (heavy on the triple sec and syrupy), the tacos were cold and tasteless and they did not have any kind of hot sauce available. Not hot sauce in a Mexican joint?
But the service was even worse. Yes, perhaps it was late for a Sunday night (circa 9:30 or so) but if you really can't be bothered to serve people past a certain hour, don't seat them. And if you do seat them, at least pretend you're not an asshole.
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For those of you that found the sit-down restaurant expensive, walk around the corner on Union to their tiny "cafe" which usually has a few tables out front and may even have some in a tiny courtyard (I couldn't tell). The menu here is much reduced and there is no waiter service, but the prices (and food!) can't be beat.
The night I went, they had six different varieties of tamales (unheard of!) to choose from. I had the cheese, pork with jalapenos, and the chicken mole. All were delicious, and huge. I ordered 3 because tamales are usually pretty small, but I probably only ate the equivalent of less than 2 of these huge ones.
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Maria's is cozy with kind of eclectic Mexican decor. The atmosphere is non-pretentious and the live music on a recent Saturday night visit was pleasant and fairly non-intrusive.
The space accommodated our group of six easily. While waiting for our table, we enjoyed drinks made with some of their specialty tequilas. The pomegranate margarita was strong, but tasty. The avocado frozen margarita was also good. The sangria was basically red wine on the rocks with chunks of fruit floating in it. The bartender mixed up a number of drink orders (regular margarita instead of pomegranate, salt instead of no salt, etc.).
We started with the made-to-order guacamole, which was good but bland. Then I ordered the tortilla soup to start, which was above average. The steak with goat cheese quesadillas was the highlight of the food ordered. I also ordered a seasoned corn on the cob (similar to Cuban style), which wasn't hot enough and had pieces of un-melted butter all over it. Many dishes came with rice and bean sides--delicious. The waiter made a few mistakes with the orders, which were quickly remedied but annoying.
Everyone was satisfied with the food flavor and quality, although the service wasn't as polished as it could have been. The servers could have been more attentive and detail-oriented.
With drinks and tip, the total came to a nice $35 per person. If I return to Maria's, I'll likely try a seafood dish. Apparently that's the specialty. Overall, a reasonably solid pick for a night out in Brooklyn.
UPDATE
I did go back and did order seafood: the evening special recently was the seafood paella. It was AMAZING. So, I was going to increase my rating one star...HOWEVER, the service was terrible again! I actually had to enter the restaurant (we sat outside this time) and hunt down a waiter or other staff person just to get the check! And then we waited some more for someone to take the check back with the credit card. Anyway, the food experience improved a lot, but the service was same-old, same-old.
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Being the stubborn lady I am, I wanted to resist coming to Maria's for as long as possible. It's the second installment (the first is in Park Slope), and it just seemed kind of weird to me that another Mexican place was coming in. Apparently, the influx of PS newbies in Sunset Park inspired the owner.
*edited after more experience*
We've been ordering in from them a lot because my husband loves the Chile Combo Platter and the Pork Burritos. They are fast, and the food is just as well-made delivered as in house.
Maria's is different than the other Mexican places in a few ways:
1. It's more expensive.
2. It has specials that lean towards the high-end of gourmet.
3. It has a romantic atmosphere.
It is similar in a lot of ways, too. It's authentic - it reminds me of the more "chic" places I went to in Mexico. You know, the ones that have beautiful lights and an outdoor seating area with a canopy and music playing that doesn't make you raise your voice. Good times.
The guacamole ROCKS. However, ours wasn't made near our table. Maybe they made it at the table by the kitchen...but since I wasn't watching, I missed it.
My Chile Relleno was really good, but the elote was deflated. My husband got the pork loin special, and he raved about it. There was also a lack of choices in the Jarritos category. I wanted tamarindo, but all they had was fresa. I didn't even know there was a fresa. Oh well.
They are running a lunch special for $6. A really good deal. They seem to have become a part of the neighborhood without too much trouble. I can't wait for the good weather to return so I can have lunch in their outdoor patio. Whoo-hoo!
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Its okay. Yes, the guac is great and they do offer items that are not "typical" of a Mexican restaurant, however I do find this place more pricey than it's worth. It's okay, but not great and not worth going out of your way for.
Ohhh yummy yummy place of heaven. Pitchers of mojitos....and boy are they powerful!!! They are totally worth $38 a piece...I know it seems pricey, but pricey, as Haley mentioned, is relative. And this is a price worth paying. The guac was awesme. The ceviche de camarones is to die for. The service is amazing. And the outdoor tables are sweeeeeet....especially when you manage to catch the fireworks opening the River to River festival as you down your third pitcher....along with the great mariachi music coming from inside...mmmm
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I have to agree w/ Jocelyn that Maria's deserves 3 1/2 stars. The guacamole is soo good and fresh. They make it at a little station close to your table. The chips are thick and fresh served w/ yummy salsa. The food is good.
Oh to be able to give 3 and 1/2 stars.....oh well. Maria's is a good place to go for dinner. The food is good, not great. I've found it generally lacking in salt at times. However, I love the freshly prepared guacamole and their delicious margaritas. Overall, you could do a lot worse than an evening at Maria's.
there's a new maria's in my hood! 5th ave and 37th(i think). alcohol is served now. tasty margaritas
get the chiles poblanos combo! yum!
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"Expensive" is so relative. It's expensive if you're a college student and/or living on unemployment. $10 for guacamole they offer you at the beginning of the meal is a little steep, I knew we would be paying a lot for it when I saw it being prepared fresh, but it would be nice if the price was on the menu. I feel as though it's rather deceitful to not include it. With that said, it was the best guac I've ever had and worth every penny.
The service was sloooooow, it took them about 10 minutes to give us menus. It took them forever to bring the food, as well, yet my boyfriend's chicken was undercooked.
I really like the decor and atmosphere, but I definitely won't be returning.
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I've been to Brooklyn 3 times and I've eaten here twice! It's a pretty big space, friendly staff, has some outdoor seating...great guac, good drinks...the enchilada sampler is AMAZING.
Stopped in for margarita and guacamole - could not have been a better choice. Margs were well mixed and guac was served fresh.
We found the staff to be helpful/thoughtful, but a little stand-offish - maybe thats just because we are crazy gringos. I would go back again for a a full meal.
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I adore Maria's. The mexican food is authentic and prepared with care, and the menu is not typical.
Amongst my favorites are the Enchiladas Suiza, stuffed with shrimp, oaxacan cheese, and topped with tangy tomatillo sauce. Or, even better is the heated lava rock with strips of sirloin, oaxacan cheese, roasted poblanos, grilled chicken, and surprising saucy bits of chorizo on the bottom - yum!
You can never go wrong with a creamy avocado margarita(if you're lucky, Maria will make it for you). Also lovely is the selection of over 100 tequilas - ask the owner, who is often around - for a recommendation, and sip away.
I haven't been since they're remodeled - but more space will make the space a little less cramped, and a perfect destination for quality mexican at reasonable prices.
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what i particularly like about Maria's is that their menu has real, fresh entrees in place of the usual enchiladas, tacos, and burritos that you get in most mexican restaurants. the guacamole is also quite tasty (and made right at your table), and the pomegranate margaritas are wonderful. it has definitely made me forsake my old mexican faves.
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It's great. Not expensive. Small. Really good.
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