I'm very torn writing this review as, for the most part, we really loved the restaurant, the service, and the majority of the food- so we'd probably rate it closer to 4.5 stars.
We wandered into the restaurant our first night in Merida, not too far from our Airbnb. We approached the hostess with our limited Spanish to get a table for two outside.
They took our temperature, gave us hand sanitizer, and then the conversation went sideways. They handed in a small paper bag and kept motioning toward our masks and then with their hand toward the bag in a sliding motion. We were both very confused as it looked like the bag should go inside our masks, like a filter. Eventually, we figured out that it was a disposable bag for your mask while eating - GENIUS!
We were seated outside at a table overlooking the shopping mall's outdoor courtyard, which was very quiet. A Server brought us a card with a QR code leading to an English menu and took our drink order.
We each ordered a Margarita de Mezcal con Lima (about $6.00 US). They were made with 400 Conejos Mezcal and garnished with Jicama. They were awesome! Slightly tart from the lime, slightly floral, and served with a seasoned rim and Jicama piece spiced with chilis.
They brought us each a small tortilla cone filled with a lightly seasoned paste- it was a pumpkin seed past of some kind. Tasty and just one bite. Additionally, they brought out a basket of Fried Corn Tortillas, a spicy Habanero Sauce, and a Fresh Tomato and Onion Salsa (Pico de Gallo).
We slightly overdid our order for dinner, between finally trying some Mayan food, other than what we've cooked at home, and not eating most of the day.
My husband had the Empanadas de Chaya con Queso de Bola (110.00 pesos). He had three nice sized Empanada filled with Chaya, a local green sort of like Spinach, and Edam Cheese. The accompanying sauce was made with Tomato and Pumpkin Seeds - he highly recommended it.
I started with the Guacamole con Longaniza de Valladolid y Carne Ahumada (125.00 pesos). It was a big portion of tart fresh rustic Guacamole, topped with a smoky sausage from Valladolid, a local town, and diced smoked meat. It was wonderful - just too big a portion for one person, so we took some home.
For my entree, I ordered Poc-Chuc (190.00 pesos). A traditional grilled Pork served with Sour Orange, Pickled Red Onion, Black Bean Puree, and Chilomate - a roasted tomato salsa. Delicious, nicely cooked, and a great blend of very different flavors.
My husband went with a very traditional Yucatecan dish, Conchinita Pibil (185.00 pesos). Unfortunately, while a signature dish, this was the weakest dish of the night. The pork seasoned with Achiote and baked in a Banana Leaf was somewhat dry and surprisingly lacked flavor.
Unfortunately, we had less expensive, moister, and more flavorful Conchinita Pibil throughout the week. It might have been sitting too long or just an off night for the dish.
Overall we really liked the restaurant a lot and would probably want to check out the Hacienda operated by the same company. It was actually the most expensive meal we ate all week, but the service was also the most attentive and professional of the entire week.
Here are the approximate conversions into US dollars at the time of our review as a point of reference.
Empanadas: $5.46
Guacamole: $6.20
Poc-Chuc: $9.43
Conchinita Pibil: $9.18 read more