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Mon. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mon. 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Tue-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Tue-Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
"While on a mission to gather some meat for a little bbq without the hassle of having to drive somewhere, my friend and I stumbled into La…" read more »
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There's a lot of hype in SF about Mission burritos. I'll go out on a limb and say that the burritos at Maya during lunch outdo all of the Mission burritoes. Every dish they make at Maya overflows with flavor - not just size due to packing in too much rice and veggies. Try the Chicken Tinga burrito (if you can handle spice), and you will be hooked. Get it with black beans for a good consistency.
Also, the Happy Hour is amazing, every weekday, and until CLOSING! The $2 tacos are all gourmet and each have their own distinctive flavor. Not just some pico de gallo, cilantro, and un-marinated meat like most places. I usually run through 6 to 8 tacos in a sitting. Come hungry!
Be warned - Maya doesn't use a ton of veggies in their burritos or tacos...all flavor, no filler.
Um... Terrible.. in one word
- Food is not delish
- Price is INSANE
- Portions are filling.. to a FRIGGIN ant! O_o
-Service was HORRIBLE, no water, no waiter, and when the waiter did show up.. he was TIPSY! wth... jeebez people... talk about the worse experience.
Me and my friends all laughed about how full we were.. we challenged each other to see who can eat the slowest.. and to savor every bite (because there was so little). My friend paid for a Salmon Enchilada... they said it was open-faced... she got the plate and it looked like ONE taco... for like $10 bucks O_o after about 30 minutes of waiting for the bill.. the waiter comes and asks how everything was.. my friend said it was good, we're full... the waiter says "REALLY?!?!" hahahha OMG...
NEVER coming here again...
The free appetizers at Happy Hour were awes--oh wait. We didn't get any appetizers because our waiter disappeared into a vortex of crappy service for hours at a time.
When I heard about this place, I was super stoked because the happy hour drink specials seemed awesome--$5 margaritas and $5 mojitos?? AND free appetizers and $2 for 2 tacos? Don't mind if I do!
Expectations...ahh. That was my first mistake.
We had a large party of about 15, and made reservations ahead of time. We did add on a few more so I will admit that may have been annoying for the restaurant, but not to the point where the service was as poor as what we got.
We were there for about 2 hours, but the waiter must have come by only once or twice. There are free appetizers till 7 for happy hour and despite getting there at 6:15, nothing. I guess you truly do get what you pay for.
I did notice that the tables around us, which ranged from 1-5 people, got appetizer trays. It was like they were purposefully trying to avoid us because we were a large party, but of course, we still were automatically charged the 18% gratuity. Grrr!
When some of the tacos finally came out, they were very flavorful, but on the greasy side. If that's what you're going for, I'm sure you can find something better for cheaper in the Mission.
It's a shame...I really wanted to like this place since it's in a fairly convenient location, and the decor's pretty nice. But alas, by the end of the night, I was so over it that I almost gave Maya 1 star for the clusterf*ck of service that we received...or didn't receive.
Key points:
1. TERRIBLE for large parties.
2. If you're looking to rile yourself up for an angry drunken brawl and are pissed off by waiters who slack off because they know they will get their 18% tip automatically from your large party, then this is your place to be.
3. Well seasoned tacos are not enough to wash away the bitter taste of bad service.
Overall I had a good experience at Maya. Found them on OpenTable; thought there menu looked pretty good and gave them a shot.
When we got there, we were seated right away. There was a large party already there and we were given the option of a table next to the party or on the other side of the room close to the window.
We got their Chile Rellenov. YUM!! It was good; lots of flavor and just right for an appetizar. For dinner I got Langosta y Camarones ({lobster & shrimp marinated in achiote) and my boyfriend got Piramide de res (grilled skirt steak). Delicious! Good portion. Wasn't over stuffed or hungry when we finished dinner. For drinks we tried their Pomegranate margaritas. Yum! Dessert was Empanadas de platano. Yum yum!!
The reason why I didn't give Maya 5 stars is b/c the waiter seem to have dissappeared and not so interested in working that night.... Which seems like a common issue, based on the other reviews I read after going to Maya.
Overall it was a good experience and I would go back for their food.
I'd only go to Maya for take out lunches or happy hour, seems like the best time to go. The food isn't bad. But, if I'm craving for a bomb burrito - I'd prefer the nitty gritty places of the Mission. Of course, located in SOMA, it's catered more toward the business people close by. The restaurant has a romantic/intimate feel inside. And, what's best is on those perfect summer evenings they set up tables in front so you can sit outside. I'd say it's more of a place of atmosphere, with decent Mexican food.
Pros:
- Good atmosphere
- Cheap to-go lunches
- The to-go person behind the counter is always super friendly
- Happy Hour with FREE APPETIZERS
Cons:
- Not easy to find parking (not sure if they validate)
- Pay in cash for togo orders
Recommendations:
- Veggie burrito
- Pomegranate margarita
- Love the chips and guac!
- Don't try to eat here if you're looking for something more casual
Update 10/30/09:
I went to Maya To Go and got a burrito. It was okay. Not great. I'll stick with the entrees in the future as that was a home run!
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I went here for a business lunch recently and fell in love with Maya! After looking over the entire menu we both decided on the Guacamole appetizer and Arrachera for our entree. Delish!!!! The Guacamole was thick and chunky - so flavorful that I couldn't stop! The main dish included grilled skirt steak, rajas potato gratin, mole cheese enchilada, guacamole, and cilantro oil. Oh my goodness, this was so good.
I'm happy that Maya has a "Maya To Go" option as well for convenience. I can't wait to try their burrito as long as it comes with guacamole!
I go here for a take out burrito at least once a week. Its so nice to go to a REAL Mexican restaurant with Real tortillas! Allright! The take out is only in the afternoon and is only $6.
The burritos are full of fresh beans, chicken and rice. simple, fresh and authentic. Also, the fresh corn tortilla tacos are awesome too!
Dinner here is excellent but more expensive...
One of my fav as far as Mexican in San Francisco...
I Love to come here for drinks with friends...
Love the place, the staff and can forget the Drinks!!!
Happy Hour is def my fav time to come, u get free appetizers!!!
Really? Overall review of 4.5 stars? I'm surprised.. yes, happy hour is awesome because you get free appetizers... but im not a fan of that black bean dip at all. The chips are so-so, I much prefer the thinner crispier chips they have at tropisueno.
We went for an office happy hour.. the strawberry margarita and sangria were pretty good, tried to al pastor tacos which were alright. Can't really beach 2/$2 tacos and there's pineapple with the pastor as well! YUM! Don't think I'd ever chose this place over tropisueno.. but a few coworkers said the burritos were great for lunch except they're stiingy on the chips?
This was once a longtime favorite of my wife and I. No longer. If you want to skip the sob story, the short version is: Food was once 5 stars and is now 3 stars, The service was once 4 stars and now is about a minus 10.
First, the service:
When making the reservation, we informed the maitre' d that this was our wedding anniversary dinner. No special treatment required but just wanted him to know. (Read: A little effort to make this night go smooth would be appreciated.)
Um, no suck luck.
A couple of things went wrong early. For example, the wait staff brought me two steak knives for reasons yet to be determined.
Additionally, I asked for a red wine (Carmarnere) and he brought me a white wine instead (Chardonnay, I guess?).
But the whopper was his repeated efforts to pass off Mahi Mahi as Tuna. And I can't believe that I just wrote that because it sounds totally frou frou and pretentious, so just bear with me.
We ordered tuna ceviche as an appetizer. About 10 minutes later, he brought us three tacos containing I don't kow what instead. Not tuna, that's for sure. They were delicious, but not what we ordered. To his credit, he gave it to us on the house. He promised to return with our tuna ceviche.
On attempt number two, he brought us Mahi Mahi. Again, not tuna. Whatever, we're easygoing. We mentioned to him that, again, this is not what we ordered, but whatever, no big deal.
"No, No, No," he says. "Let me fix this for you right away." And then the WHOPPER . He takes it away and within eyesight has a conversation with another waiter and hands him the plate of Mahi Mahi.
The new waiter turns around, walks directly to our table with the exact same plate of Mahi Mahi and with a flourish announces, "Here is your tuna ceviche. So sorry for all the confusion."
I'm baffled at this point. You do realize you just brought us the *exact* same plate we sent back. It looks identical. It *is* identical. And this whole keystone cop handoff was done about 15 feet from our table -- in plain sight. Do we really look that dumb? Beyond feeling pity for you, should I also feel insulted?
Answer: Yes. I feel insulted.
So to sum up, moron waiter, several incorrect orders and then blatant lying. But wait there is more:
He brought us the wrong check -- three times.
Okay, so the service was bad. It happens. Perhaps you won't be so unlucky. In fact, I'm willing to bet you think it won't happen to you and that all you really care about is the food. So, how, was the food?
Meh. It was better a year ago. I would give the food 3 stars. We used to consider it 5 stars. And trust me, I am willing to overlook the service when rating the food. Regardless of our experience, the food just wasn't as good.
Then again, maybe it would have been more flavorful with the red wine I had ordered.
shrimp tacos on the take-out menu at lunchtime = yum
only $6.50? even better
Hands down-- best fish tacos! Also-- they have delicious margaritas!
I had lunch and happy hour at Maya on different occasions. I give my lunch experience a 3-star and the happy hour a 4-star. Maya serves semi high end and more elegant Mexican cuisine. The menu consists of Mexican fair like tortilla soup, tacos, quesadillas, and meat dishes with mole sauces.
I went with a group of my coworkers during our lunch hour. The service was slow even though the restaurant wasn't full or very busy when we were there. Our party of 10 took forever to get our food. We had to ask our servers 3 times if the kitchen had forgotten about our order. The wait was so long one of my coworkers was so hungry that he was stuffing his face with free tortilla chips and salsa. We were almost late going back to work had we not wolfed down our food like hungry hyenas finding fresh kills.
The food quality was fair, there was nothing that particularly stood out for me. I ordered a combination lunch of tortilla soup and 2 fish tacos. The soup was tasty, but I felt that it could have been served a little warmer in temperature as supposed to lukewarm. I felt that they had plated it too soon and left on the counter while they were waiting for the remaining dishes for the rest of the party to be ready and brought out to the table at the same time. My fish tacos were delicious. 2 soft flour tortillas, although in my opinion corn tortilla would have been tastier. The white fish fillets were fresh and fried to crispy and hot. The salsa was a wonderful company with the tacos, it was tangy with fresh tomatoes and a kick of spice on the tongue.
Happy Hour at Maya was a much better experience. We had drinks at the bar area where they had setup cocktail rounds tables as well as bar seating. They serve complimentary appetizers such as deep fried Mexican spring rolls, refried beans, tortilla chips and salsa. The bar tender did a good job making our drinks. We ordered strawberry and regular lime margaritas and they were tasty and not stingy with the tequila or too much liquor that it over powered the drinks either. Good drinks and free appetizers earned them my 4-star rating.
I'm generally not a big Mexican food fan, but Maya's serves decent Mexican cuisine and has a nice environment for lunch or dinner. I enjoyed dining here, but it is not a restaurant on my top list of places to eat on a regular basis. But if you like Mexican food, you should give it a try.
So my buddy called me last week to tell me about this new happy hour he found. You know how when you go to a happy hour in the city it's like $1 off draft beers or app's are JUST $9.50 or something? Not at Maya. beers are $3 (probably as cheap as you'll find near FiDi besides Red's) and everything else is $5. Everything else includes well drinks, margarita's, mojitoes, wines, and sangria. $5 is pretty dayam good in my opinion. Even better... all their hand made tacos are JUST $2. It's like... yes, I would like 5 tacos. Here's a 10-spot.
But the BEST part of this happy hour? It goes from 4:30pm until they close their doors. Let me say that again: it goes from before you get off of work until CLOSING! No more rushing to pound your drink-in-hand just to beat the clock and save $2. -1 star because I dreamt of the tacos being huge and they were merely mouthful-sized.
My friend introduced me to Maya's happy hour and since then I've returned three times. Upon arrival, you get a free three tier appetizer and endless amount of fresh tortilla chips, which are amazing. The mijitos are unique and fantastically flavorful such as: strawberry coconut (the best), coconut, and coconut pineapple to name a few. By now, I think you can tell that I adore coconut flavors. Normally, I don't like to drink or I would have a sip here and there, but oh my gosh the mijitios are fantastic.
The decor is Mayan/Aztec inspired with a contemporary twist and definitely beautiful! Happy Hour is situated by the bar of course and the patio. Next door is the restaurant, where I have not dined in yet and always looks busy. Parking is dreadful! Public transportation is strongly advised, unless you work nearby.
As far as the waiters, I personally did not like the ones I had. When you need one, they are never there. When you don't, they are presently annoying. Last time, my friend and I felt rushed because he, the waiter, wanted to cash out (We were there for only 40 minutes). I do not condone that kind of service at all. I was once a server and in those circumstances all I had to do was transfer my ticket to someone else. And I would still get my tips (that is a standard)! Then this woman walks over to our table because she thought we were someone else. But little did we know, she was the owner of the restaurant. Unbeknownst to us, we had a casual conversation complaining about the waiter. She leaves and comes back with a complementary drink. Out of the corner of my eye, i see her scolding the very waiter we were complaining about. After she leaves the restaurant, the waiters (yes, plural) came by and asked why we complained. How uncomfortable, right? And so, I feel like docking 2 stars away from a perfect rating. Okay, maybe one because the mijitos are great. I wish there was an option for half stars!
I was invited here for a birthday get together, the only person I knew was the birthday girl. There was another person I'd met a couple times but that was it. I'm generally not comfortable in these situations but a woman invited me to her birthday party so I went.
Before I get to far into this I want to qualify this whole review by saying I had a nice time with the people there to celebrate my friends birthday.
We were in the bar. I had two beers. When I was ready to go I asked how much the beers were and was told $5 each which is about par for the neighborhood. I gave the guy a $20 for my two beers and he brought back $7 and change. I didn't want to make a scene at someones birthday so I let it go but I sure the hell wasn't going to tip on top of being overcharged so I took every last penny back and put it in my pocket.
When they realized I wasn't going to leave an additional tip they brought me a check, after I'd already paid, showing that the beers were $5 and the rest was for their health insurance. I'm all for people having insurance but I have some issues with what happened.
First of all the health insurance should be included in the price and not snuck on at the end.
Secondly, I've never paid extra for health insurance at a bar. Not once ever. When you ask how much a beer is in a bar you expect the price you are quoted to be the final price.
**the black beans (and the black bean puree) are not vegetarian***
They are made with chicken stock.
I know that this is fairly common with beans (that's why I always ask) - but they have a vegetarian section on the taco menu - and one of the items on that section of the menu (requeson enchilado tacos) contain black bean puree.
I asked if the black bean puree was vegetarian, and the server told me it was not.
This does not make sense to me- and seems just plain wrong. Why even have a vegetarian section if you are not going to stick by it? Oy.
The good-
The chips were amazing. The chipotle cream sauce on the vegetable tacos was incredible. The atmosphere was very comfortable, and my water glass was never empty.
I do feel the prices were too high, and I find the added 3% charge for insurance insulting. Just raise your prices by a few cents to cover the cost- your employees deserve insurance, don't try to make me feel bad for you that you have to pay for it. It just feels so shady. The guacamole was good- just not worth the high price. Maybe I just have a hard time with mid-up scale Mexican food.
I would definitely go back again to check out the less expensive happy hour.
Day one of the new job, and my boss took me here for "lunch". We got here at like 11:25 and the kitchen wasn't even open though, so i'm not sure my experience is that comparable.
Quick service, great food and a very peaceful ambiance. I was getting the low down on my new position, and stuck wtih some chicken tacos to avoid the usual look of fear and disgust I get when people watch me eat. :)
tasty and good. I didn't get to see the bill, but from what I gathered from teh menu/ambiance, it was probably a little overpriced for the tastiness of the actual food. Then again, I did stick with the tacos.... my boss got an eggplant dish that looked pretty amazing.
I'll probably be back, though I wonder if it'll taste as delicious when I pay?
Never ate here, but their Happy Hours are pretty cool...you order a drink, and they bring you free snacks...Drinks are tasty...Tacos are tasty, but waaaay too small...Staff is not really friendly...but I love the decor and bathrooms, so give it 4 starts lol
Eh. I found this place after looking on a zagat review, maybe I should have checked out yelp first? It was Date number one and it really was not a suitable place to meet somebody you never really met before. It was way too loud and I did not care for it really. After the first round of drinks, I clearly suggested we go elsewhere. The only great thing about this place is that their strawberry margaritas seem quite fruitful, however, not exactly strong enough. Come on, for me, everyone knows the stronger the better.
And worse of all I was on a date with a guy that seemed so perfect. He had the looks, the career, the lifestyle and everything a girl would want in a guy. But too bad he just had no empathy. For example I am quite the film buff and I asked him, "What was the last movie you have seen?" "It was "The Bridge." I say, "You mean the Bridge, Bridge?" Of course I knew this movie and it was stunning watching it a few years ago. I go, "What did you think about it?" I am pretty disappointed with his response of, "Life is not that bad, like, it's really not that bad." I mean it was a little unsympathetic and it seemed like he had no idea on the pain of human existence. Yikes, dating in the city=tough luck. So maybe this two star review is skewed because of the inability to relate to new Date number 1.
Ok, so if you're looking for a date spot, If I were you, don't go here unless you really knew your date very well and you guys were honestly utterly comfortable with each other. But please don't go here for the beginning stage of any romance. It's too loud and intimate for that and plus don't try doing a one-on-one thing either such as reuniting with a long-lost friend from grade school after ten years. However, like many crowds in here, do visit for a threesome of after work drinks just to enjoy the loudness if that's what you want. Don't go here for remarkable service or anything authetically Mexican, I don't think so. And yes, this review is skewed because of my experience of meeting a guy that just had no idea how to relate to me.
I think it's great to have an upscale Mexican restaurant.
Yes, their food is better than your taco stand and please don't compare them to a tacqueria!
Quality and service deserves 4-stars.
It had been years since I had been to Maya but I recently went with some clients of mine for lunch. Maya is definitely not a typical Mexican restaurant but it's good on a different level. Some things on the menu were difficult to decipher but all of the food was good. The chips and guac with a spicy sauce was really good.
I want to come back and try Maya for dinner to see if there are any additions to the menu.
Came to happy hour here and was pleasantly surprised. Its not that hard to find, but is very surprising when you do see it. Its kind of within the plaza, so when I saw the address as 303, I was really confused. Someone needs to letter the building or call it a plaza.
I have no idea how the dinners and such are, but happy hour is very cheap. The menu says that happy hour starts from 4:30 to the end of the night...and with the hours that's listed here, I don't know how that works. But I arrived at around 8PM and was able to have $5 Margarita's and Mojito's and $2 taco's. Not half bad.
The sucky thing was that they charge for the SF health insurance thing. Other restaurants in the city I've been to don't do this. Instead, they just adjust the prices of the food...which I prefer. Because its a fixed price. Theoretically, they could shaft me with a $50 additional charge and call it health care. Coming here with people from out of town made it so we had to explain the whole reasoning behind it. Thanks Maya for being an ass about giving your employees health care.
Service kind of sucked (maybe they needed better health coverage??). We craned our heads around so often that I think my neck still hurts from it. Still no guy responding. I understood when there was a ton of people, but when we wanted the bill and it was quiet...I'm wondering why it took so long.
Tables were a little small, but atmosphere was nice. Got a little dark after the sun set. They had really cool electric candles with fish bowl stones surrounding it. Very cool. Problem with the atmosphere is that its within eye-distance of the 24 hour fitness. Not necessarily a bad thing, but when eating and drinking, I really don't want to know that I COULD be keeping healthy instead of killing my organs. A few more rounds will solve that though.
I like to think of myself as a bit of a Mexican restaurant chips & salsa connoisseur, sans the salsa. Maya has some of the best chips I've ever tasted, period. They're crunchy and salty and flavorful and baked to perfection. I seriously could sit down and eat a meal comprised entirely of the chips they serve before your appetizer/entree.
That being said, Maya's food is absolutely horrific. Haha, I'm just kidding. It's actually super tasty and will leave your tummy very happy. I had a really great dinner here with a good friend a few weeks ago with strong sangria, awesome enchiladas, and an empanada dessert that seriously knocked my socks off. Honestly, the dessert was out of this world. (Thank God he paid. Shit's pretty expensive. Thanks again Kevin, if you're reading this!)
I came here again this past Monday for lunch with my mom and sister (a known theme if you've followed my Yelping for any length of time), and was again dazzled by their chips. Oh, and if you ask nicely, they'll gladly make you the calamari appetizer even though it isn't on the menu anymore. (Though, the fact that my "model hot" sister asked, might've had something to do w/ their compliance!) And no joke, it's got to be the best calamari I've ever tasted.
Eat at Maya. You won't regret it.
Reason #1 to get through a grueling work day: HAPPY HOUR.
My friend and I planned to meet up a week later for drinks. We knew the date, time, but had no idea where until we were both in the car. I suggested 111 Minna because it was a Wednesday - and she suggested Maya because she was hungry. I was a bit reluctant. First, she completely lost me at "Mexican". Then she reeled me back in with "free food" - and the $5 happy hour drinks didn't hurt. So off to Maya we went. I'm always up for something new, right?
Located in SOMA, parking was unusually easy at 6 pm. We scored a spot on the same block and walked to an office building, and Maya was on the ground floor. Entering the restaurant, I noticed the bar area was rather cool, and there was only one table left - - which we hastily grabbed.
Maya offers free food for Happy Hours - I believe the time was from 5-7pm. It was reminiscent of tapas in Madrid, except each table got the same array of food. They did have $5 drinks - but only a select few, including Margaritas, which I do not like, and Fruit Mojitos, about which I am extremely finicky because Mojito is my middle name. But I spotted the magic word, "SANGRIA" - and both of us decided to go that route. My friend, having been there before, said that we must order the guacamole. That, and the free platter, seemed enough to start.
Our server was a big guy who was friendly and nice.
The sangria arrived in a semi-tall glass. Now, for $5, I thought it wasn't enough of a serving, but it did taste good (with minimal alcohol in it, it seemed), and I drank it like it was Hawaiian Punch.
The guacamole was decent. For whatever reason, there were several huge chunks of unmashed avocado in there that our tortilla chips would crumble trying to retrieve. We ordered spicy (they offered 3-4 levels from mild to spicy) but it failed to even nudge my spice buds to life. Oh well.
The tortilla chips seemed freshly made - a bit on the oily side, as is the case with most freshly made chips, but tasty and fattening.
The free sampler platter they serve is really quite generous. We were given basically two bite-size servings of a variety of Mexican foods like tamales on the first tier, and a full plate of a warm bean dip concoction on the second tier, and the bottom tier was a full bowl of tortilla chips. The bean dip was simply outstanding - I resisted from taking the whole bowl and throwing it down my throat into my tummy and reminded myself to be a civilized human being. The top plate of samples were generous, but nothing was impressive - but it was free, so we ate it gratefully.
I am a big believer in tapas-style bars. There is nothing quite like doing a bar crawl and having to purchase a drink at the bar but being offered bites of outstanding food while you wait and drink. In Spain, you learn very quickly that one should never stuff themselves on this free food if you're going to do an actual bar crawl, because every place offers great bites worthy of trying. You simply take one nibble of a couple things in one place, move onto place #2, order another glass of wine, and take another nibble of food - hitting up as many as you can in one night, eating bits at a time here and there. In the US, I suppose this method doesn't work because people would go into the first bar and eat ALL the free food while only drinking one drink - and basically ruin the whole purpose of "tapas". I really can't blame any restaurant for not offering this - it's just not the "American Way".
In the meantime, while not quite Spanish cuisine and not really tapas, Maya offers something quite close to this concept. While the food is not notable, two girls were basically full and thirsts were quenched for a mere $20 something dollars, including the guacamole. Furthermore, with friendly service and rather nice ambience - Maya made for a pretty good Happy Hour venue. It's appropriate for 1:1 good times, or I could easily call my whole Happy Hour Crew out here and take over the entire bar area.
Sangria Happy Hour for ALL!!
The other day, facebook stalking led me to the page of my first kiss. And there he was in his profile picture: ironic glasses, multi-colored scarf, faint goatee, and fingerless gloves. Consider me heartbroken.
Some discoveries kind of kick you in the gut, like finding out that the guy who taught you how to kiss is now a raging hipster. Other revelations are more serendipitous, like how high-end Mexican food at Maya can be both delicious and seemingly authentic.
My roommate and I had our monthly girl date here, and she enjoyed the house sangria while I happily drank up a couple of traditional margaritas. As we gossiped over our other roommates and checked our phones for the text messages that hadn't come yet, we gobbled up the enchiladas (me), the sauteed shrimp (her), and the calamari salad (both of us).
Both indulgent and satisfying, it was an excellent way to spend a weekday evening. We balked at the $70 apiece bill, but it was great for filling that "way better than Farolito" void we both had in our stomachs.
Even if the men of my past continue to surprise me in less than wonderful ways, at least I can go to Maya with the confidence of knowing a quality - if not pricey - experience is waiting.
After over a year of working everyday in SF, I finally got around to trying Maya. I went here for lunch and settled on ordering the Chicken Mole Tacos. They weren't the best mole tacos I've had, but they surely weren't bad either. I was rate them as pretty average. The mole itself had decent flavor, perhaps a little on the bland side, but the chicken was very tender and was cooked just about perfectly. Had the mole been a little more flavorful, I would rate them a little higher, but unfortunately, they just didn't meet my expectations.
I will definitely give them another shot and give some of the other items a try. I have a feeling Maya would be much better suited as a place to eat at, rather than to go items.
My company just moved into the hood so we decided to check this place out for happy hour. The weather was gorgeous so they set us up with a table outside. Their complimentary appetizer sampler platter was DELISH :) and their $5 margaritas were pretty tasty too! Great HH specials, super chill environment, and decent service!
I can't really comment on anything else at the moment, but once I try this place for sit-down lunch/dinner, I'll be sure to update my review.
For some reason expensive Mexican food just seems like a non sequitur, as our good friend Tony Bourdain showed us with the fabulous taco truck in Oakland.
To be honest, I'm so cheap that the only food I've ever had here are the tacos at lunch from their cash-only takeaway menu. That was good, but nothing to write home about. What is so amazing about this place is their happy hour. They plop down this tower of little appetizers, bean dip and chips and it's freeeeeeeeeeeeee! Cheap people of San Francisco rejoice! All you pay for is the drinks....and did I mention the drinks? The fruit mojitos (raspberry, pineapple, strawberry etc) are orgasmic. Real fruit muddled in there. IMHCO (in my humble and cheap opinion) the raspberry is the best mojito in the city.
Maya "Next Door" is the cheap, fast, over-the-counter, weekday lunch (11:30-2pm) version of Maya, the upscale $$$ restaurant.
It's the farthest place I regularly walk to for lunch so that must be a good sign. The service is quick and they can move through the lunch rush with respectable speed. My favorite item at the moment is their fish tacos that's filled with high quality fish (not fried) in a fresh corn tortilla topped with chipotle salsa.
The only negative is that many of the items (tacos/mulas) can be difficult to eat out of the tin foil in which they're served. Also it's cash only so come prepared.
Usually I would not condone spending more than ten bucks on Mexican food, but Maya is an exception to the rule.
I've been here a few times with large groups and been consistently impressed with both the service and quality of cuisine.
Many of the dishes are gourmet versions of simple, more traditional items. Overall, the food is rich and delicious. And even though you may be tempted to gorge on chips, use some willpower to save room for the main course!
Bring an appetite and you will be satisfied.
Love, love, love the happy hour here! Who doesn't love free food?!! And we're not just talking chips and salsa, people! We're talking black bean dip, bites of taquitos and tamales! Yum! And $3 drafts? $5 margaritas?! $2 tacos?! I'm there. Only took a star off for service but hey, when you're running deals like this, you can't blame 'em.
I've eaten at the restaurant for lunch, but typically go here for lunch takout. In my opinion, this is the best burrito type lunch within many blocks. Here is why - their salsa kicks butt as does their quality of ingredients in the burritos. Some people might complain they don't give free chips - well that is because they fry them fresh! They aren't those rinky dink ones you get from mexico au parc, they are the thick ones and are fried perfectly. I get burritos and quesadillas pretty often from this place. Put their number in your speed dial and you will be set (don't wait in line unless you don't plan to go here).
When the weather is good, you can sit out in the courtyard and people watch.
I'm sure happy hour is much better, but the lunch is EHHHHHHHHHH...
This is mostly due to our server (who I'll leave unnamed), who is the crankiest server I've ever encountered. His mannerisms were anything but courteous and polite, making snarky comments to a simple request like "Whatever you want ma'am" with a wave of his hand and a bow. He refused to split our checks at first, but did so after someone from our party insisted. Then he continued to ignore us for a good time, making sharp turns to other tables when it looked like he was heading straight to our table to collect the check. There were lots of eyebrow-raising and eye-widening between Jin and I.
I was too tempted by the prix fixe, but I remembered that I had spent far too much money on lunch this week and I already ate a chicken salad from Bakesale Betty's for breakfast. Really, the prix fixe is a fucking good deal because you get an entree, appetizer, beverage, and sorbet for just twenty bucks. Also, it's more of a semi prix fixe than it is a prix fixe because you can actually choose among a limited selection of entrees and appetizers. The sorbet flavor is picked for you and is only one scoop, but by then, you should be pretty full anyway. Today was strawberry and it was good. As for beverages, you only get to choose between an iced tea or a soft drink...
Although they have an extensive wine list and a full bar, they do not list what kind of nonalcoholic drinks they have on any of their menus. Of course, almost every restaurant has iced tea and soft drinks, but we would've never known about their fruit smoothie if Jin had not asked.
As for the food, it as great. They were creative with the dishes and my compliments go to Chef Richard Sandoval. The milanesa de berenjena was a tower of very light goat cheese, grilled tomatoes, and fried battered eggplant paired with avocado slices. I couldn't distinguish the sauce, but it went well with the eggplant. The mole poblano was good, but a little strong. The chicory and cumin flavors kind of overpowered the natural sweetness of the plantains. The tamal al chipotle was also good, but tasted like something I can get from Trader Joe's. There was also the complimentary chips and salsas. Both salsas were pretty spicy, which I like, but it was unanimously decided that the green one was better than the red one.
My Bill:
milanesa berenja 14.50
_________________________________
tax 1.43
healthy san francisco surcharge 0.51
_________________________________
total 16.44
lunch M-F
dinner S-S
complementary appetizers 5-7
tip: make reservations online and dress a little nice because this place leans towards fancy pants
I've only been here for happy hour but the place was great.
The drinks were great, the staff was REALLY friendly and the food was awesome.
The drinks were $5 and the tacos were $2 (but you have to get 2 anyways so its really $4)
The tacos were really tastey and had plenty of vegetarian options. Also the complementary botanas were really good as well. My friends and I had a really good time and we'd definatly come back again for happy hour.
Waving to and fro
Full of lots of attitude
Sorry, Cranky Guy
______
I had my boss take me here on my last day of work because she said she'd treat me to lunch. I ordered the $20 prix fixe menu, but it's a little misleading. Apparently "any non-alcoholic drink of your choice" means either their nasty ice tea, coke, or diet coke. Guess which one I shouldn't have ordered.
The tamale was bland.
The red salsa is disgusting, but the green is okay. They try to scam you into getting guacamole, which for some reason is the most expensive appetizer, by asking you if they can bring you some chips and guac (not mentioning that it isn't free) before taking your drink order.
The best part of my mole poblano were the fried plantains on the side--what does that tell you?
Sorbet was surprisingly good and is the only reason I'm giving them 2 stars. Please try harder, Maya. I want to like you, but I don't yet.
Takeout lunch review only (in their bar 'til about 2pm):
I am OBSESSED with their fish tacos right now! I want to eat them for every meal, every day. They are squishy and warm and delicious and they make me feel real good. Reasonably priced as well, for "upscale" Mexican food (~$7). Make sure to get homemade tortillas!
Big ups to Oliver N for showing me the way.
Another happy hour place added to my ever growing list.
Their main attraction is the $5 drink specials for margaritas, mojitos, sangria, house wines and well drinks from 4 PM through the rest of the night. Being a big fan of mojito I just had to try this place. They offer a wide variety of different mojitos such as strawberry, green apple, and pineapple. They were all pretty tasty but my favorite had to be the strawberry mojito. So tasty were these drinks that weall ordered a couple rounds.
If you get there early enough, they do serve complimentary Mexican botanas from 4 - 7 PM. They are bite size appetizers with some chips and bean sauce. Server does make sure that they serve the portion size according to how many people are in your party. You definitely won't be getting full of of this but they were offering $2 tacos which I didn't get a chance to try.
Overall a good happy hour place but not the best. My only pet peeve was that the waiter not only forgot to make some of the drinks we ordered but also tacked on a couple of extra drinks on our bill. So people beware, keep track of your drinks!!
No good, this place is no good.
Only saving grace are the strawberry mojitos.
mmmm...strawberry mojitos. Happy hour was actually pretty good here. I thought it would be super… Read more »
When we arrived as a party of 8, we received quick service. We ordered lots of different appetizers and daayyyymmmnn their quesadillas were the best I ever had. Seriously! Mucho Sabor!
For the main meal I ordered their "meat stack"....Pyramide de Res (I think). The amount of food appeared to be minimal but the presentation was very nice. It was actually a perfect amount of food. The steak was cooked to perfection and not over done.
Their prices are a little steep and most of our group enjoyed their food.
New Happy Hour
Neighborhood: Financial District
Happy Hour
Neighborhood: North Oakland
San Francisco, CA
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Union Square
Category: Mexican
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