BEST OF MERIDA 2025 - Tacos La Union gets the nod for the…read morebest tacos. A humble eatery on Calle 57, they offer the best breadth amd quality at an amazing price. Service can be slow but its worth the wait. Oh and get the elote!!! So good! See prior reviews for more details and happy eating from John Seeto!

If you're looking for a place that serves the region's largest variety of taco options, this place…read moreis probably it. We had to visit multiple times to take in those options, and we can also say that their tortillas are among the best, namely because they are built to contain those fillings, unlike others that are simply not quite up to the task. Here are a few tips that we'd like to pass on from what we've learned: - The Lomitos offering is one of the best, bursting with flavor and smokiness. I think it's often overlooked, so definitely grab one of these. - The Lechon, Cochinita, and "Pork Belly" are all great, flavorful and juicy. You can't really go wrong with these, though the "Pork Belly" may not be what you expect, so read on. - The Castacan is the crunchy skin and pork belly that most Westerners think of, so if you're looking for that experience, this is your taco. - The Asado Yucateco (beef) is solid, but a little dry. Pork options are going to dominate it. - The artisanal cerveza is a great pairing with their tacos. If you are a beer snob, it's worth the extra cost. - We think you can pass on the queso fundido. It was more of a cheese blob than what we prefer in a fundido. Plenty of tacos to placate your hunger, so this can be a pass. - The light brown salsa is great, with excellent flavor. The small, dark brown salsa is a tongue-melter, so proceed with caution. I'm a pepper belly, but that salsa probably overwhelmed the great taco flavors, so just know that. Overall, a great place to get the variety and explore it. Seating was comfortable, and service was efficient, though not very chatty. They can get busy at times, which just speaks to the popularity of a well done taco. If you follow the given advice, you may have more of a 5-star experience. We had some of the misses, so you don't have to, though part of the fun is your own exploration. Buen gusto!

STUNNING!! I have never wanted to applaud after a meal…read moreuntil tonight. The patio atmosphere was beautiful, service was perfect, and the food and cocktails were out of this world. Highlights were the grilled shrimp tacos and the ceviche. I wish I could fly your chef to Australia! 11/10

I like to come here and sit at the bar and enjoy their 20 peso drinks and snacks. The mini torta…read morepibil and panuchos are some of my favorites. I've never had a sit down meal here but the the main dining area is very nice and there is another section that is open to the sky. Customers are a combination of locals and visitors. Bathrooms are clean and service is good.

Absolutely fantastic. Handmade tortillas served in a traditional gourd vessel - everything here is…read morethe best. I have eaten here about 11 times but can never get beyond the poc-chuc - I cannot say enough good things. If you are in Merida, go to La CHaya Maya (there are two locations). You won't regret it.

Whoa, this place is popular!…read more Hubbers and I are so glad we came through the exact time we did because if we waited ten minutes, we would have had to wait another 20. We were seated and given menus immediately so they're efficient with their time! Since I'm a first timer, I wanted to take my time with the menu. While waiting, they gave us complimentary chips with 2 kinds of bean dips, pico de gallo and red sauce: all very tasty! We've had to ask for a second serving! I've had huevos motulenos a few times, so I wanted the other version: huevos divorciados de la chaya maya. (Fine, I'll admit, I got it because I thought it was funny.) All I asked is if it was spicy (it's not) and that's all I know about the dish. So it was almost like a surprise dish for me. HUEVOS DIVORCIADOS DE LA CHAYA MAYA: I left it up to Hubbers to pick which ones I might like. He chose relleno negro and pipian - and he chose well! Broke the sunny side up yolk and mixed it in the relleno negro, added with the crispy texture of the chips: YUM. Did the same for the pipian, with its nutty flavor and creamy texture. Even the pumpkin seeds added taste. Sooooo goood! I made sure to empty that plate. LOS 3 MOSQUETEROS YUCATECOS: Hubbers' choice. This is a pretty plate! I got to try the pureed plantain (a first for me!) and that was tasty! Had a teenee taste each of the three dishes and also delicious. FOOD: 5. SERVICE: 4. VALUE: 4. PARKING: I didn't notice any parking lots, so can't comment on that, but there is street parking. Could be a challenge. OVERALL: 4.50 (bumped it up a little.) And the cherry on top: there's a lady making fresh tortillas. And they are delish! A crowd formed outside waiting for seating. I truly understand why. They really are popular! An amazing first run! Highly recommending!

Easily one of the most beautiful restaurants in Mérida. People told me, whom had been to Mérida…read morebefore, that i had to go the Apoala so it was definitely on my list! Buddy and I sat outside and I order a cocktail and the eh brought us out super bomb chips and two different kinds of salsa, the green one was better I think! I hadn't had a piece of meat all week so I went with the steak, it was really great. The black mole sauce on it made it for me but the meat was cooked absolutely perfect. If I was by myself or with a women I would've ordered more honestly, kindof wish I got to try more of the menu... but still had a wonderful experience. The staff was ofcourse super friendly!

I love Apoala, and not just because it's one of the first time I've eaten crickets! The food is…read moreOaxaca's rather than Yucatecan, so it's a good way to explore other Mexican cuisines in Mérida. The drinks are well-made as well. We always have a great time eating here and sitting outside to look out on the square--very romantic!

Yummy food, tried grasshoppers for the first time they were like salt and vinegar chips w lime. The…read moremole sweet potato brought me great joy i am obsessed w mole and will make it a mission to have every time i am in mexico. Drinks r just okay in my humble opinion.

Catrin is a pretty interesting place, the food and drinks are good but not legendary, the prices…read moreare fair. But what it really excels in is the experience. Right around sunset many times a week they have a sort of light show in house that is just a ton of fun to behold, especially for a visitor. If you live here you may only need to see it a couple times but as a passer through it kind of is a must see experience. Unfortunately I dont really know when they do the show so call ahead, Ive gone and seen nothing at times.

Visitors, you must go eat here. We found many foodie places with fancy, tasty, tiny bites that were…read moregreat on a vacation trip. This place is more focused on authentic, well made simple Mexican food, generous portions, excellent service and drinks, and best prices. We ordered arrachera tacos, one order with cheese, one order without. The plates arrive with extra tortillas and enough meat to have 4 tacos, and you will eat all four. Bonus tacos! Best margaritas in town. Best service of anywhere we ate; very attentive to every need. One outdoor screen showing local sports. Lots of local people-watching, scenery, and positive vibes to take in right on their main strip, Paseo de Montejo. This restaurant proves you don't need to be pretentious and fancy when you have amazing authentic local comfort food and treat your customers like royalty. Glad we saved this place for last but... next time we'll go there first. Visitantes, tienes que ir a comer aquí. Encontramos muchos lugares para amantes de la comida con pequeños bocados elegantes y sabrosos que fueron geniales en un viaje de vacaciones. Este lugar está más enfocado en auténtica comida mexicana simple y bien hecha, porciones generosas, excelente servicio y bebidas, y los mejores precios. Pedimos tacos de arrachera, una orden con queso, una orden sin. Los platos llegan con tortillas extra y suficiente carne para tener 4 tacos, y te comerás los cuatro. ¡Tacos de bonificación! Las mejores margaritas de la ciudad. El mejor servicio de cualquier lugar donde comimos; muy atento a cada necesidad. Una pantalla al aire libre que muestra los deportes locales. Mucha gente local, paisajes y vibraciones positivas para disfrutar en su avenida principal, Paseo de Montejo. Este restaurante demuestra que no es necesario ser pretencioso y elegante cuando se tiene una increíble comida reconfortante local auténtica y se trata a los clientes como a la realeza. Me alegro de haber dejado este lugar para el final, pero... la próxima vez iremos allí primero.

The bistec tacos are soooo good! The portion is quite ample. The order comes with two tacos and…read morefour tortillas. I had to eat some bistec before I could double up on the tortillas to actually pick it up. I actually tried the habanero salsa which is common for this area. Just a bit will add amazing flavor; just don't overdo it!!! We also ordered a side of beans which came with tortilla chips. Since the beans had chorizo I couldn't eat them. Hubby said they were amazing! Also amazing is the service. Our order came out very quickly and our waiter was fantastic. This is a relaxed restaurant that is quite clean. You can eat inside or outside.

At Rosa Sur 32 there is minimal indoor seating with more on the patio outside. Ot is located in An…read moreParque Santa Lucia. This small gem is tucked in with more notable and recognizable restaurants, but from my point of view, not better! The expansive menu invites its guest to explore and try something new. Our first visit was months ago and now that we are back in Merida we made Rosa Sur 32 a priority to visit. I won't begin to explain the menu, it is too diverse. But trust my word, whatever you order will be well worth the visit. Great service and comfort await you!

A GEM IN THE PARK - Nestled in the corner of among a line of restaurants in Parque de Santa Lucia…read moresits Rosa Sur 32. Though inside seating is limited they have a number of tables outside so on a cool night its beautiful. We ordered light, getting only the house salad of the day and fish tacos. We were pleasantly surprised when they brought us complimentary bread with a chilled zuchinni garlic puree, think like a thick zuchinni gazpacho but it actually tastes good. Very refreshing on a warm evening. The house salad was anything but mundane, coming with mixed greens, cubed cucumber, cubed apple, cubed celery, and sliced kiwi. It was fantastic and the portion was generous. We also ordered fish tacos and these come as a pair. The breading was light and crispy, slightly oily in a good way, and served piping hot! Also just a pleasure to eat here! If we were to move here, we will be coming back for sure! Happy eating adventures ahead to you and thanks for reading! -John Sito

Mercado 60 is a great and inviting space to meet friends or acquaintances. There is a lot of open…read moreseating and various vendors with all sorts of delicious eats and treats to partake in. Matter of fact there are 18 different culinary options. PRO TIP: If you're going on the weekend, get there early to grab and chair and tabletop. The staff is super attentive and it's incredible people-watching. PRO TIP 2: There are not a lot of vegan options but some dishes and plates can be veganized, just ask the vendor from one of the many options. Some nights there are live bands or beer yoga! and other special events so check out their website. I really enjoyed Mercado 60 and can't wait to go back for more eats and cold beers.

I really liked what this place was trying to do in bringing a modern food hall concept, but it felt…read morea little forced, and the food was just average. I did like the ambiance and live music, and people were friendly, but in a city filled with great food, there are better places to go.

We wandered past the stall in the Lucas de Galvez Mercado; the counter and several surrounding…read moretables were packed with locals, and there were people standing to get food to go. This is ALWAYS a good sign! It seemed that many of the other stalls in that area were serving Conchinita, so grilled meat were a nice change. As we circled back two seats opened at the counter so we jumped in. We sat face to face with all of the action. I ordered a Torta con Queso and my husband went for the Burro. You could see them grilling the meats right in front of you as well as layering the dishes together. Within a few minutes we had delicious piping hot food. The Torta con Queso was a half loaf of fresh baked bread, layered with chopped grilled meat, some salsa and gooey melted cheese. They actually melted the cheese on the griddle and placed in onto the sandwich with a spatula. The Burro was two tortillas rolled with grilled meat and cheese, and grilled. They topped it with a mound of shredded lettuce, salsa verde and some crema. Both were freshly made, incredibly delicious a good value. I think between the two dishes and two bottles of coke we were about 130 pesos, which would be $6.50 US The place is nothing fancy, but the food was amazing and the staff was very friendly and helpful for two guys struggling with very minimal Spanish

GREAT CANTINA FOR A LOCAL VIBE - La Negrota is a really fun local cantina where most of the seating…read moreis in an open courtyard and you get packed in like sardines as it fills up at night. With live music playing often you will have spontanoeous dancing eruot as couples get into the groove and enjoy the fun. With drinks you also get botanas, basically free appetizers, which are fine but nothing to wrote home about. The food is pub food style with a latin twist and while they aren't shooting for fine dining if you are in the mood for a local style pub meal its a great optiion and a lot of fun. Happy eating from John Seeto!

Came through twice…read more The first was at noon on a Sunday. Joke is on us: we learned they're not open until 2pm (only on Sundays. Otherwise, they're open at noon all other days.) We came through a couple of days later because it came highly HIGHLY recommended by Big Bro. So, I was more curious than anything. Another reason I came through is to try their kibi's. (It topped my Yelp search when looking for this particular grub.) We wanted to get drinks as well since it was a hot and humid day! Pina colada for me, brewskis for Hubbers. We put in an order for the kibis because that's main reason I came through. Drinks came through, and then... mini plates of snacks, oh, WHAT! La botana, is what they call them. Whew, didn't plan on eating more than the kibis, but I welcomed it! It was a pretty good variety, too: there were sausages, pork skin, jicama and some sort of salad. Staff told us if we wanted refills on any or all of them, to let them know and they'd be more than happy to comply. Kibis finally came through, and I have to admit that I was disappointed. Not only did they lack taste, but they were also hard. They may have been overcooked which most likely contributed to the lack of flavor. Initial thought in mind were hockey pucks. Chewing through one was a challenge that I didn't bother going for a second. (It was practically inedible.) The guac, pico de gallo and sauce were great, but didn't do much for the pucks. Hubbers really liked it, though, so there's at least that. FOOD: 2. SERVICE: 4. I noticed staff mostly just hanging out together at the bar, but they were excellent at being mindful of guests. VALUE: 3. 5 for las botanas, 1 for the kibis. PARKING: Street only. It will be a challenge, for sure. OVERALL: 3. FUN FACT: They are the second oldest cantina in Merida (opened in 1917.) I learned the place is far livelier at night when they have bands performing. Someday, maybe...? Not a one-and-done, but it'll be a long minute before a second visit, if at all.