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Maya Restaurant
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Touristy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
144 reviews for Maya Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"Chips and salsa were yummy and fresh." In 21 reviews -
"Delicious food and margaritas." In 31 reviews -
"Fish tacos were soooo good, made with snapper." In 14 reviews
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144 reviews in English
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Review from Bill W.
Oxford, MA
5/8/2012
we stopped in to the Maya while on vacation in Sonoma just to have a Margarita. The restaurant is perfectly decorated in old style Mexico. The staff is ultra friendly and service is fast. We had delicious appetizers and drinks as the staff worked on a new cocktail to celebrate the upcoming Cinco De mayo.
Glad we stopped -
Review from Maggie L.
Milpitas, CA
4/30/2012
Fresh tortilla never disappoints, however,
Sangria here did, big time. Seriously, the worst Sangria I've had in my life, dude, stop making sangria if you are going to make it like this.
Food is plain, like Mexican food you can find everywhere else. Stay away from the tortilla soup, tasted weird with the big corns they toss in there. -
Review from Katie G.
Milwaukee, WI
4/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place was disappointing. The interior inside was cute and the menu looked great so I had some decent expectations.
Bottom line: This is a no flavor restaurant. If you want pretty food with no flavor this is the place to go. If you like it mild, have it it here, kids. If you want flavor, go elsewhere.
The salsa was different than usual - more creamy is how I'd describe it. It wasn't bad, but not my thing. No big deal - I was waiting for the rest of the food.
Guacamole - no flavor. Hmmm.
Empanadas looked delicious. They were ok, but no distinct flavor.
Spicy stuffed jalapeños (which is how they were labeled on the menu) - no flavor - not even slightly spicy.
I had also ordered a soup, but when the waiter forgot to bring it, I didn't bother to tell him otherwise. I couldn't handle another flavorless disappointment.
Big sad (and hungry face) by the time I left.
Others commented on the margaritas. I did not have one, but I hope for the sake of future guests that they are as good as other reviewers noted. -
Review from Raina S.
3/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
Maya is a pretty restaurant in a great location, right in the corner of the lovely Sonoma Square. The food looks beautiful, but the flavors are always a little bland for my taste.
The service is great, and the cocktails are muy fuerte! Just don't expect anything too spicy. I like the carnitas here, and the portions are good for the price. Happy hour specials are even better! Get here before 6 pm to take advantage of them. -
Review from Kiki H.
4/22/2012
FANTASTIC nachos, chips and salsa, and margaritas! Great location for all the action. I love this spot for a casual lunch with great (fancy) Mexican food while in wine country.
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Review from Amy H.
San Jose, CA
3/26/2012
We came here on an off-season Saturday night. The place was almost full, and though we got a table right away, I bet you'd need a reservation in summer.
For drinks, we got a sangria and two margaritas, all superb. Their vegetarian options are severely limited, but I was very, very impressed with my grilled seasonal vegetables. Everything was grilled to perfection! My fiancé ordered one of the specials, a pork chili of some sort, that he enjoyed--just a touch spicy, nothing overwhelming. They kept us supplied with tortilla chips throughout.
Service was friendly and pretty quick, especially considering that the place was pretty crowded. -
Review from Kelli S.
Santa Rosa, CA
4/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
Soup taste like water and when u said u didn't like the soup. All they could say that the way it made. I would not eat here again and the prices are too high for food not so good. White beans are refried no flavor. rice is like uncle ben box
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Review from Liz O.
If you are with a tour group, you may want to stop in here. My husband and I were hesitant because we didn't want to resort to a Mexican Restaurant (we are Mexican so we figured we should venture out from our cuisine)... but we couldn't help ourselves. We had very limited time and had to be back on the bus. We both decided to order the pozole. If you like lemon, you will love the pozole. It was the green pozole, but it was super delicious. It sure hit the spot. We got our order fairly quickly and got the check just as fast. We were happy with our choice of restaurant. We even had a few minutes to spare!
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Review from Charles D.
San Francisco, CA
4/1/2012
I like the food and have never has a problem with. I went there a few Saturdays ago and they had a sign saying closed due to a fire, so I'm glad to see THEY ARE OPEN
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Review from Phil M.
Petaluma, CA
10/28/2011
The great place diagnoly across the square was booked, so I decided to take my wife and son to Maya.
The food wax horrendous. I ordered the grilled chicken, my son had the baby back ribs, my wife had the prawn enchiladas. The elchilads were good, not great. The ribs and chicken along with the grilled veggies tasted like it was cooked over a kerosene lamp.
We do not drink and drive so we ordered soft drinks that were never refilled. The service was terrible, food was the worse we ever had at a "fine" dining estblishment.
Be warned, do not go here... -
Review from Rocky S.
Sonoma, CA
4/29/2012
Wanna good margarita? This be the place (for Sonoma anyway)...wanna a good time, see Enrique THE man when it comes to mixin' margs...fun happy hour.
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Review from Silvia I.
San Rafael, CA
3/9/2012
The best Tortilla soup in the Bay Area, period! Tonight I also had the flank steak salad, which was fabulous. Good service and good ambience, just a little too noisy. I love this place and I highly recommend it!
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Review from Susan N.
1/21/2012
Ordered the grilled vegetables platter with a guava chile sauce because I was curious how the flavors would work together. It was excellent! The dish was attractively arranged with an assortment of vegetables including potatoes, plantains, peppers, and asparagus. My dining partner had carne asada tacos with a beer from Nicuragua. Great chips and salsa too! Highly recommend!.
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Review from Rebecca K.
Sonoma, CA
10/31/2011
Maya has a great location (on the Sonoma Plaza), boasts a very fine tequila collection and, while the food is edible, the service is horrendous! My wife and I, brother-in-law and his wife arrived on a Thursday night around 6:30 and, despite 2 hostesses being on duty and a fairly empty restaurant, waited about 15 minutes for a table. In my mind, that's simply unacceptable. This was even after I got the attention of the bartender to advise him that now 3 couples (including us) were waiting for a table. All he did was tell us that "someone would be right there". NOT! Once we were seated, our server was increadibly slow to take drink orders and bring the beverages to our table, let alone finally take our actual dinner order. Nor did she ever return to check on us and see if we were enjoying our meal. Maya's prices are too high to put up with sloppy, ill-trained waitstaff.
We live in Sonoma and want our local eateries to succeed. We patronize them as often as possible. Maya has been there for many years and it must be surviving off of tourist dollars. As for these locals, we're heading back up to The Springs for authentic Mexican with great service and reasonable prices. -
Review from Bekah S.
Sacramento, CA
8/2/2011
A few friends and I were in town for a day trip. Part of the expectation of eating dinner there was being in Sonoma and a higher level of food service and quality. I think after eating in The City so much, one wants great service and even better food.
What we got here was basic bland Mexican with average service. The waitstaff was friendly, our drinks came in a timely manner and the water was filled up. The decor is nice, but I am reminded when I eat that one is not eating the wall art.
The the mole lacked flavor and the portion sizes were limited.
We ended up paying the bill and going down the street to the Brazilian place to eat desserts. -
Review from Paul S.
San Francisco, CA
2/19/2012 1 photo
Best Margaritas in town, ask for the top shelf!
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Review from AL S.
San Rafael, CA
10/23/2011
I have never posted on yelp, but I was so moved by how offensively bad the food was I felt it was my duty to warn the rest of the world about this horrific restaurant! I
I work in the food service industry, and if the restaurant that I owned or operated was serving food like I was forced to pay for last night I would be embarrassed and shut my doors.
If you are the owners of this restaurant and you are reading this review, I challenge you to eat what is coming out of your own kitchen.
If i could describe the food in a single word " FOUL"
Serving mexican food in the town of Sonoma this bad is criminal.
The best part about my dinner was the chips and salsa and the moment we sent our food back and left.
There were several of people in our party, and everyone had the same sentiment about the food...Y U C K!
Having a great location can only keep the doors open for so long when the food is this bad.
The proprietors of this establishment should be ashamed of the under seasoned cold rotten slop being served. Have so pride of ownership, heed my warning and turn your business around before its too late.
Sincerely
me -
Review from DeDe K.
San Jose, CA
1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
We had a great late night dinner at this restaurant. The margarita I had was very good. I shared a taco plate with one of my daughters, one taco had beef and the other had chicken. We both liked the beef the best. The rice and beans were good too. My other daughter had a cheese quesadilla, which she said she enjoyed. The fresh homemade chips and salsa were very yummy! I'd definitely come back here. The staff was great.
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Review from brad c.
Danville, CA
9/25/2011
VERY tantalizing flavors in this upscale "Authentic" Mexican restaurant, located right on the southeast corner of the main town square.
The chile rellano is unique because of the spicy orange/ tomato sauce.
Prawn enchiladas in a tarragon cream sauce is also delicious, and unusual.
Ground beef enchiladas were spiced with a complex combination of mexican flavors and well-worth trying.
Burritos are mucho GRANDE: way too big for the average human. Gotta share it..
Eat here. It's different, and good value for high quality ingredients. -
Review from Frank A.
Campbell, CA
8/21/2011
Not the finest or most authentic Mexican but quite good nevertheless.
The giant burrito and the [beef with cheese i don't remember the name of] were a bit oily.
My friend got some grilled steak and that was awesome.
I think they were already closing the kitchen when we walked in and reopened just for us so one extra star! -
Review from Eli L.
Los Angeles, CA
9/15/2011
Great tacos. Gaucamole was fantastic. Low corkage fee and great service. Try the mango salsa is sweet and spicy. Yummy!
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Review from Amber B.
Los Angeles, CA
7/18/2011
Perfect! My husband and I were recommended to this restaurant by a friend and it was excellent!
After a day of wine tasting, we welcomed the yummy margaritas for a change of pace, and the food was delicious. We ate lots of chips with that incredible green salsa. Then had fantastic nachos and fish tacos.
Highly recommend! And a great, well-curated selection of tequila! -
Review from Lupita P.
Napa, CA
7/14/2011
The location is a plus, the decor is beautiful, the food is not authentic but enjoyable, the bar is just perfect, the service?? Heh... It was less than expected :(
I visited Maya for a second time, and the service was still "missing" :( will I visit Maya a third time? More likely... And I will def. post it on yelp! -
Review from T.H. J.
Andover, MA
12/20/2011
It was ok. Not genuine Mexican. More like upscale "On The Border". If you have your choice for one Mexican meal in town during your visit, go to Rancho Viejo
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Review from DJ G.
Monterey, CA
6/29/2011
Cute place right in town. Food was excellent and large portions. Smoked salsa was yummy and different. Service was just so-so, but friendly place.
We had lunch and my guess is that it's a happening place at night. Fun bar area.
We'd eat there again. -
Review from Laura G.
Los Altos, CA
2/27/2011
A good option for a downtown Sonoma dinner. After a long day of wine tasting, the palette calls for COLD BEER (or margaritas). On a Saturday night around 6:00, the restaurant and bar were filling up with Mexican food fans. The menu has a great selection for people of all tastes - they even had a vegan entrée of grilled veggies with black beans. Plus, the complimentary fresh chips and salsa always hit the spot.
It's not cheap but not outrageous for the location.
Fun vibrant atmosphere with sturdy wooden chairs that are carved to cater to your bum. :-) -
Review from Kristen S.
South San Francisco, CA
3/4/2012
Prawn enchiladas were really good.
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Review from Anne B.
12/15/2010
Stopped here on a rainy Tuesday morning after my first two choices were closed for lunch (bummer about the winter hours!). I was pleasantly surprised by the cozy wood interior and the nice view of the street outside. It wasn't very crowded at all and I was seated immediately. I ordered the carnitas tacos special and the Maya margarita.
Food was served quickly. The margarita was good (strong!) and the tacos were amazing. Fresh hot meat, lots of cabbage, fresh avocado, and beans and rice. I wolfed down the plate and sipped on the margarita. Great, attentive service. A very enjoyable lunch! -
Review from Ms. B.
San Luis Obispo, CA
12/24/2010
We pulled into Downtown Sonoma after a long day of travel & fortunately for us we had parked right in front of Maya. After one look at the menu we were sold! Each of us ordered a margarita & they were all delicious! I ordered the fish tacos & I thought they were great! Yes, I've had better fish tacos but I've also had much much worse. So if I ever find myself back in Sonoma I would definitely go back for some decent fish tacos & a margarita.
Pros: decent mexican food in Sonoma with no other mexican restaurants in sight, fast service, good drinks, clean restaurant
Cons: expensive -
Review from Linda S.
Sonoma, CA
8/20/2011
My party of 4 really enjoyed this restaurant. The food was quite good and filling. Good service and beautiful facility. Will definitely go back.
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Review from Tam F.
5/13/2009 2 photos
On our way out of Sonoma, Leah and I were starving and wanted to walk around the square. Since it was after 2pm on a weekday, our lunch was on the late side and our options were limited. Since we both like Mexican food (and met in Arizona) we figured this would be a good place to stop.
The waitress was nice enough-but slow. Leah ordered a margarita and I think I annoyed the waitress with not ordering one as well(alcohol=higher tab). The taste of the margarita I took was decent (not great). The best part was the guacamole which was very tasty but the chips were stale-ish. Leah had the carnitas plate which was pretty mediocre(bland) and I had a taco trio that were small-like street taco sized. The pork in mine was better than the carnitas Leah had, the carne asada was good and I didn't eat the chicken taco because the flavoring of the chicken was sweet and not in a good way. Our meals came with rice and beans. The refried beans were very light in color and lacked any flavor. Apparently, they use a white bean, not pinto. We were never asked if we would like black beans which I saw on another patrons plate and I did not see them on the menu as an option.
It wasn't the worst meal either of us has ever had, but it wasn't great either. It really borders around a 2.5 and the next time I go to Sonoma, I would skip this place for sure. -
Review from Michelle S.
Oakland, CA
6/15/2008
Kinda expensive...
But where else can you get a quail salad AND a cadillac margarita with such EXEMPLARY service?
Nowhere! (But if you do know, PM me the Yelp linky.)
The flan is also firm, creamy, and custardy too...like creme brulee that hadn't been blow-torched yet. Me likey.Listed in: I love tacos.
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Review from Ed U.
7/15/2007
What's yours is Mayan and what's mine is ...uh, never mind.
Not to be confused with the upscale Mexican place of the same name in SF - this one provides middling fare for the Guaymas crowd who went overboard on the free tastings on their Sonoma winery tour. It's a bit better than Chevy's, less packaged but by no means a must-stop culinary destination.
Truth be told, we only stopped here because Della Santina's down the block just closed, and they weren't buying my story about my terminal illness and how this was the last meal I wanted before escaping to Cuba for free medical care. You can tell this darkly lit place accommodates partying drunkards because the furniture is really heavy, even the chairs are a chore to move.
Luckily, Jamie W. and I arrived around at about 10PM, so most of the revelers were sharing tequila shots at the bar, including our waitress. But to her credit, she came by promptly and courteously. I ordered the $17.95 Hangar Steak which was a hefty portion over a mound of sauteed vegetables and fingerling potatoes and covered with some a buttery chipotle sauce. The meat was a tad rare, but overall it wasn't bad, just nothing that memorable.
Jamie W. had the $15 Baby Back Ribs which came with Swiss chard and French fries. Again, it was a heaping amount of meat but unfortunately not falling-off-the-bone tender. The sauce just seemed to be ladled on rather than infused. The chard was a bit undercooked since it was chewy, but the fries were right...even better in the sauce on my dish. Did I mention the chips were a bit stale that time of night?
You can't knock the free refills on their cold beverages, and the waitress was genuine and helpful. Their prime corner spot off Sonoma's city plaza surely means they are not lacking for customers. I just wish the menu was executed with a bit more panache to justify its location.
FOOD - 3 stars...middling fare...nothing to cancel your French Laundry reservation for
AMBIANCE - 3 stars...kinda Chevy's, kinda Guaymas, kinda not memorable
SERVICE - 4 stars...friendly and pretty fast
TOTAL - 3 stars...not dyin' for Maya...but a few glasses of free Zin beforehand may make you more forgivingListed in: Northern Exposure for the Big…
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Review from Jing F.
Updated - 2/14/2010
This place is totally awesome. The atmosphere, the food, and the service excellent. I had the Chile verde with rice and beans and tasted the flan, the creme brulee, and the chocolate cake (i didnt order dessert so i just had spoonful of each and everyone's dessert).
i have to add that it was really a nice day today in Sonoma.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/6/2007
Service was GREAT!!! love those chocolate decadence...it is very rich and you can just taste the… Read more »
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Review from Katie W.
11/18/2008
Who knew there was a world of Tuesday night diners out there?
I was crabby. Fresh from a nap crabby and almost bailed on my dinner plans, after all - I was in a grump and it WAS Tuesday. But, I gave in and we went out.
Maya's was the destination, and I was after one thing. The fish tacos. I have seen these on every spanich/mexican food menu and never, ever have ordered them. Tonight was the night.
A basket of tortilla chips and 2 kinds of salsa later, there they were. 3 small tacos in soft white corn tortillas. Fresh fresh. Tomatoes, cilantro, onions, fish. Simple and tasty. Side of black beans and spanish rice, salad of red cabbage and more fresh tomatoes and you got one full and one happy Girl.
The poc chuc looked awesome too. The smoked flavor is predominant, little overwhelming - but good. Served with mango salsa and more cabbage salad with your black beans and rice, this is a super filling and flavorful dish.
They have a large, full bar and this place gets loud at night. Fun place to be. The bartender came up with most of the drinks and he's always there. The agave nectar margarita isn't bad either - and I ain't no margarita fan.
Stop in - whether it's a Tuesday or not, the people are friendly, efficient and the food is good. Also, you're in downtown Sonoma. Pretty damn cute place, if you ask me. -
Review from Tanya P.
3/13/2006
Temple of Tequila. 100% Blue Agave only.
Babers and I were escorted to this more refined Mexican restaurant featuring Mayan / Yucatan, regional cuisine for a very sweet Valentine's date. It's Guaymas (in Tiburon) goes Telluride ski lodge. The Maya specialties are exceptional and the seafood dishes are supposed to be their strengths. Very healthy but was expecting more flavor. Chili spice used to accent rather than fire up.
Great live music from various bay area musicians.
If you choose to scale the Temple of Tequila, be prepared to get a cab ride home. The local authoritiesout are a bit Roscoe P. Coletrain like. -
Review from Ron L.
Oakland, CA
4/3/2006
After visiting a few wineries for some tastings, my wife and I headed into Sonoma for some dinner. We parked and this was the first place we saw. The inviting, and somewhat gourmet sounding menu enticed us to come in. The restaurant has nice ambiance and decor.
Maya starts you off with fresh tortilla chips complimented by two delicious fire roasted salsas, one red and the other green. We started with an excellent traditional lime margarita and fresh brewed iced tea. We shared a caesar salad and chile relleno appetizer. The moderately spicy, roasted poblano chile was the key flavor (as it should be), with the cheese and a mildly sweet red sauce playing a balancing role. The caesar salad was light and refreshing with crunchy romain lettuce, delicious olive oil, shaved hard cheese and freshly made croutons. We had the tamale special for the main dish, which consisted of two small tamales, one with cheese topped with a red sauce and the other with roasted vegetables topped with a green sauce. Everything we tried was completely amazing, down to the white beans and rice.
Also, save some room for some dessert. Our friendly and helpful waitress helped me decide on the ibarra chocolate creme brulee, a first for me. We weren't disappointed with the smooth chocolate decadence.
This meal as described above turned out to be an excellent value at $45 (before tip). I will definitely go there again, and highly recommend it. -
Review from Jay n.
Plainfield, IL
10/28/2010
*** Go to Maya in Sonoma ***
Siimply put, Maya was the best dining experience of our week long trip to San Fran, Napa, Santa Rosa and Sonoma. If we had found this place a night earlier, we would have gone back again. Our experience was GREAT.
I'd highly recomment anyone in Sonoma to try this restaurant. You don't have to like any type of food, Maya has a mixture of everything with a South American flair......but it's ALL GOOD.
Everyone in our party said that this was the best restaurant we tried all week.....too bad we found it on the last night.
For Starters, the Chips and Salsa are GREAT. Thin home made chips, hot from the oven. Salsa - both red and green, excellent both. We added Guacamole.....better than home made.....PERFECT.
There is an extensive choice of Tequila's from the bar...and the margaritas are very, very good. You can tell they are home made, very good quality.
Shrimp Tacos - Excellent, like nothing we've ever seen before
Fish Tacos - Excellent
Hanger Steak - Excellent
Mixed Grill - EXCELLENT........great selection.
The Mixed Grill (Fajitas) were the best I've ever had - grilled hanger steak, grilled shrimp, grilled chicken, grilled veggies - peppers, onion, cauliflower, carrot, mushrooms. Hot tortillas, black and refried (white) beans......and both the red and green salsa's. These are the best 'fajitas' that I have ever had.
Service was great. Our server was back and forth constantly, bringing drinks, making suggestions.
Just a great overall experience and one of only 2 Five Star ratings I can give after an entire week of eating. -
Review from Nitin S.
Milpitas, CA
12/25/2007
My My My...
This is one of those rare places where authentic food meets good ambience. For someone who likes their food spicy, this is heaven.
I tried the fried Jalapenos and Prawns Diablo. The fried Jalapeos was a pleasant surprise, the hotness; because of the cream cheese; hits you after a while, it is amazing. I could have done with more rice and less fried plantain in my Prawns Diablo but both these dishes were just out of the world (yummm). -
Review from Lisa A.
Decatur, GA
8/4/2008
When we first walked into Maya, I thought it was the sister restaurant for the Maya in the city. They have a huge collection of tequila and the decor is very similar. When the waiter brought us the chips and salsa, I asked and he told me that they are not affiliated. BTW, the green salsa was excellent.
The food was very fresh and flavorful. As others have said, it's a bit in the pricey side, but I thought it was worth every penny. If I was in the area, I would come back in a heart beat.
