The best meal we had in Bacalar! Although I'm not a fan of dimly lit restaurants, the ambience,…read moredecor and overall style of this place was very authentic and aesthetic. Upon entry, the open air cooking is fully exposed so you can see them making fresh tortillas on this open fire pit, grilling meats, food prep, everything. We received it and a large round table in the middle of the restaurant right next to the little boutique shop. The menu was filled with so many different dishes, we went overboard. You start with these freshly made tostadas and several homemade salsa for dipping. The tostadas were a bit on the hard side, but I think it's because they are made fresh. They also give everybody a small cup of what tastes like kombucha to eat in digestion. For starters, we had the mixed ceviche, guacamole, tuna tar tare, Koji sliders, watermelon salad. I felt like after that everybody was stuffed, but since the main entrees said it would take anywhere from 40 to 60 minutes to prepare, we had already ordered our main entrees dishes so we knew we were in it for the long haul. The sliders were sizable and had a nice sweet flavor, loved the tuna tar tare, fresh, perfectly seasoned, the guac was chunky and tasted very fresh. It was served on top of these crispy little possibly plantain chips. well the watermelon salad was good. We just weren't bands of warm fruit in a salad so that might've been the only miss of the night. For entrées, we ordered the tuna steak, one ribeye, one fillet mignon, the Thai salad, and I believe the sea bass. To Be honest, I was already 4 margaritas deep so I can't remember much but I do remember that the food being gooood! Everybody was very happy with their meal. My son said it was the best steak that he'd ever had. Drinks are definitely strong.... And we also enjoyed all of the desserts which the tiramisu was my favorite. We had an amazing service from Erik and Marisol. Great restaurant and food, impeccable service. I would highly recommend for a special occasion as you could easily dress up and make it a very memorable dinner. My only warning would be that because of the open kitchen style of the restaurant. It does get a little smoky in there while you're eating, but that's the small price to pay for a great meal.!

I visited Bacalar in November, and two months later I'm still dreaming about coming back just to…read moreeat here. My boyfriend and I arrived for dinner without reservations but got there right when they opened and were seated immediately. Our waiter was fantastic. He explained how the restaurant works, offered us a tour, and walked us through the menu with thoughtful, spot-on recommendations. We were brought complimentary chips and salsa, and since we were told our entrées would take 45 minutes to an hour in the wood-fired oven, we started with the ceviche de maracuyá. So worth it. For our mains, my boyfriend ordered the steak and I got the lobster. Both were excellent, but the lobster... wow. I'm from the Bahamas and grew up eating great lobster, and I can honestly say this was the best lobster of my life. Something about the seasoning and the wood-fire cooking made it unbelievably rich and decadent. I haven't stopped thinking about it since. By the time we were finishing our meal, the restaurant had filled up, but it never felt too loud or chaotic. The space felt intimate, with dim lighting, planets scattered throughout the decor, and perfectly spaced tables that made the whole experience feel special. Out of all the places we ate in Bacalar, this was hands down the best, and the one we still talk about.

It's a basic-looking home in the middle of the oasis of the lagoon. Once you know where it is…read moreyou'll see the colourful blue and white and see the seating area. The exterior is actually very clean with nice art, handcrafted items, and green plants all over. The staff members are welcoming and very nice. They made an effort to install fans for us since I sweat a lot, I'm a nog person, and it's always hot in this part of the region. so I really appreciate that. The menu wasn't too expansive but it does have tasty meals especially for breakfast. I ended up getting a breakfast package. Very basic but plenty and good with flavour. I had two pieces of toast with the side of black beans and savoury ham and eggs. You are given a choice of tea or coffee. Juice comes with it as well. It was very pleasant and quiet.

Ixchel is a wonderful place for breakfast. The food is great and the staff are attentive and very…read morenice. We recommend the Yum Kaax

Don't be fooled by its rough exterior; the food is AMAZING!!! This is a family owned and operated…read morebusiness. It was heartwarming to see the whole family involved. The food was beyond delicious. This is for those of you looking for REAL Mexican food!!!! We had the chorizo quesadillas, pastor gringa, and Trompo alambre. Everything was mouthwatering cooked to serve. I highly recommend this place

The food was allll amazing! Our group had a torta, alambre, gringa, queso Ondo, burrito, fajitas de…read more chuleta, nachos de ranchera and they were ALL delicious! Best mexican food in Bacalar!

Bacalar is such a gem, and this art studio and restaurant is just a reflection of it. The juices &…read morefood are fresh to order, delicious, healthy and unique to say the least. I came twice during our trip and tried the Mayan omelette which had beans on the side, and pumpkin seeds on top, There was some dry toppers inside the omelette which I couldn't figure what it was but good! Also the orchard soup was made of spices, carrot, kale, and other vegetables with a side of avocado toast which was also delicious. There's a lot to look at because it's a local art studio and souvenir shop. Definitely check out the goodies on the way out!.

BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE!! amazing {vegan} food and chill vibes with amazing musicians. Coffee was…read more:::chef's kiss::: and the artwork was icing on the top. HIGHLY recommend!

Feed me tacos! I loved this place, and the vibes, the decor,…read morethe service, and of course the food. I came back 2x on my vacation after trying a few other places and Barbanegra was my favorite. First time I had fish tacos. The second time I tried 3 tacos: the chicken, shrimp and another fish. Fish tacos here are my absolute favorite. I'll definitely be back.

I wanted to love this place. The decor is amazing and the vibe is awesome as well. The owner was…read morethere and super nice but I have to say I didn't love the food - it was good - but the service was really not good unfortunately. Let me start with the service - I just think some more training would be helpful. Our waiter was a little all over the place. Removed some dishes but not others. We asked for water bunch of time to refill the bottle they leave on the table and didn't happen so asked other staff. And finally the food all came out at different times. I get maybe they bring as ready but there was a big gap between when we got the fish tacos, vs other plates. The food was good but not great. Lacked in flavor. I ordered the Arrachera plate and was a littler smaller than I thought based on pics I saw on TripAdvisor and price. Others ordered fish tacos, cauliflower, ceviche, queso fundido, guacamole. I personally thought the ceviche was the best. Anyway - check em out if ya want - maybe a little off the night I went.

Date: Monday, August 21st, 2023 Time: around 3:30pm…read moreParty of: 2 to eat in + 2 for takeaway Meal: Late Lunch *Taco de Cameron (32.00) x5 *Taco de Carne (24.00) x6 *Taco Cochinita (22.00) *Taco de Filete (23.00) *Taco de Caracol (34.00) *Taco Pulpo (35.00) *Taco de Jaiba (32.00) *Cerveza (45.00) *Agua Purification 1/2 L (21.00) x2 Probably one of my favorite meals in Bacalar as I adore tacos. We were staying at an Airbnb close by, so walked here on a Monday afternoon with the hubby. We ordered the above to eat in and takeout for his parents. I think like 8 of those tacos listed were mine. I love trying all kinds of fillings so can't help it when at a taco shop. I have to order like one of everything. All the tacos were delish. I especially liked the pulpo / octopus and carne asada. The conchinita pabil was new, so I decided to try that without looking up what it was. It's traditional Yucatec Mayan slow-roasted pork dish. Glad I tried it cuz I adore pork. You can grab sauces for your tacos and they give you complimentary chips. Definitely a must eat for any taco lover in Bacalar.

Unfortunately, our experience at Taco Loco was disappointing. The food was served cold, the service…read morewasn't great, and one of the guests in our party didn't receive their food until everyone else had already finished eating. We really wanted to enjoy the experience, but the service and food timing made it difficult. Hopefully, this was just an off night.

this is what you think of when you think of a quick cheap and yummy taco joint. the service was…read morequick and the food was yummy. fun and lively, fast casual atmosphere. the chips and guac were standouts for me. the chips were thick and the guac was fresh and plentiful, with there being more guac than chips to dip in! the margarita was as also the perfect combo of delicious and strong. would recommend if you are walking around town!

Date: Sunday, August 20th, 2023 Time: around 2:45pm…read moreParty of: 2 Meal: Lunch *Picadillo de res *Prensado *Champinones *Chuleta Ahumada *Chile Relleno *Carne Asada *Combinacion - ceviche tostada? *Agua *Light Coke I love tacos. Whenever in Mexico, I always try to hit up a taco spot, if not several. Since the hubby and I had just finished a boat tour with his parents, we decided to grab our first meal here. (It was on my list of bookmarked places. The in laws didn't join us as they wanted to go back to the Airbnb.) If memory serves, this is on or right off the main square area, so very easy to get to. I don't recall having to wait for a table. From our receipt, we got the items above. (It was hand written, so I'm not sure what everything cost.) I believe most tacos were $22 MX per while some were $25 MX each. And the tostada might have been $99 MX. I believe our whole bill was $295 MX. The shrimp ceviche was my fav. I'm a sucker for any kind of seafood marinated in citrus. This was good, especially with a little hot sauce. The tacos were tasty as well. The prensado / chicharron was deliciously chewy and meaty. I think we also got some fish tacos from my pix, but I didn't see it on my receipt, so I'm not 100% sure. That might have been a mistake now that I'm thinking of our time there. They may have given these to us in accident. If so, I know we told them about it. Service was fine. No fuss, no muss. They took our order and served everything when ready. I'm from the US and don't know any Spanish. Didn't have an issue communicating. Also, there's an English menu on the board as well. A fine place to grab some tacos if in the area. I'm more of an offal taco person, so I was missing those types of meats. But worth a stop by for a quick snack.

Every time we visit Bacalar, we always dine here. Everything that they do is on point. From the…read morefood, drinks, service and ambiance. Yolanda is our lovely and kind server tonight. She gave us wonderful recommendations on the menu. The Corazon burger is amazing!!! And that fillet tuna is definitely a favorite. I highly recommend visiting this place to finish off a great vacation in Bacalar. Thank you El Barril!!!

I'm not sure how this place has so many great reviews. We went for dinner on the recommendation of…read moreour host. We were sat quickly and had our choice of seating. The atmosphere was nice. The server was nice but inattentive. We repeatedly had to ask multiple times for water, the bill, basic condiments. She didn't bother to return after delivering the food to see if everything was OK. The waitress had to go ask someone about every request, even the simplest ones. We ordered the mixed grill which was edible but an uninspired pile of mostly chicken with one pork rib, one sausage and a few vegetables thrown in, all smothered in BBQ sauce, which left everything tasting more or less the same. We also had the guacamole, which was decent but needed salt which I had to ask for. If I had visited the bathroom before we ordered I wouldn't have even bothered to eat there. The women's bathroom was out of order so I was pointed to the men's room. The water in the sink was not working and there was a bucket of cloudy soapy water in the sink presumably to "wash" my hands in. There was a pile of dirt and rocks all over the counter next to the sink. They don't accept credit cards and when we paid cash the exchange rate they gave was well below what is typical for the area. This in a place that is frequented by tourists. The food was expensive for the quality and service provided. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. There are other much better options in the area.

Fresh cozy little place with friendly people and yummy food. Chicken empanadas were made from…read morescratch right then and they were willing to make them special and gluten free.

This is not recommended. The fruit they gave us was pretty dry no granola or yogurt options. Plus…read morethe papaya was rancid. Flies were all over us and food was bad. We won't return to this place ever again.

One of the best meals I have had during my stay along the Yucatan Peninsula. Located one block away…read morefrom the lagoon and walking distance from the cute downtown area of Bacalar, the open air restaurant is tastefully decorated with lots of wood features. Serving Italian food, bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar came out first. The pizzas looked amazing but I opted for the local sea bass which came on top of a puree of cream of asparagus. The fresh fish was flaky and was topped with seasoned breadcrumbs, the asparagus puree was flavorful and a beautiful shade of green. I split a bottle of chilled Argentinean Malbec which was light like a pinot noir and surprisingly paired well with the sea bass. Our English speaking server was exceptional, attentive but not overly cloying. The entree with the bottle of wine and tip came to $67. Would totally return here!

restaurant and service by Ulysses for my wife's 50th birthday. Beautiful ambiance, food and serviceread more