We stumbled upon Casa Banana while walking the beach road in Tulum looking for a dinner spot. It's…read morea Michelin guided restaurant and we were lucky to get a table on a Wednesday night since we didn't have a Rez. It's a very vibey spot with low lighting and a boho atmosphere. The highlight of the entire night was the baked fig appetizer! It was gooey and delicious! We also ordered the whole fish baked in the wood fire oven. The fish of the night was yellowtail. First time to ever eat a whole fish and wow was it good! For cocktails we got the Pilar, which had the lightest hint of hazelnut, and the Emerald whiskey cocktail. It was unique, but the Pilar was better. Service was very attentive and made great recommendations. Go check this place out and try and make a reservation for the weekends.

Had some time to kill before our reservation at Ilios, so my friends and I came here for a couple…read moreappetizers and it ended up being such a great find. I've been eyeing Casa Banana every night we've been here and it felt so much more chill compared to all the surrounding party restaurants. It was the perfect stop for a reset. The vibe was top tier. So intimate and cozy, and it felt really nice sitting by the fire on such a chilly night. Our server Joaquin was so friendly and attentive and took great care of us. The octopus salad was so lovely, and the Argentinian chorizo was honestly one of the best chorizo I've had. Not very spicy, served with perfectly toasted focaccia and roasted vegetables. We also loved the pickled eggplant that came with it. They brought out complimentary toast and spread when we first arrived too which was so sweet. So happy we stopped here

Spotted this super busy spot with a mix of tourists and locals. Decided to come in for a late lunch…read moreafter exploring central downtown. Ordered fried tacos and guacamole. Pros: - huge portions for the cost. Great deal - flavor is also solid for the items we ordered - service is prompt. Food came out within five minutes Notes: - should have ordered the chicken (what they're known for)

Their chicken is amazing. If you want street style / authentic el pollo loco, then this is the…read moreplace to be!

Amazing food in a truly special rustic chic environment. Opened up by an Italian ex-pat (it's quite…read moreinteresting how many Italian ex-pats live in Tulum), MamaMuu is a stylist's DREAM. Like everything else in Tulum, the aesthetic is rustic chic...Wabi-Sabi. Everything looks worn and natural and effortless. The awesome part about this place is the fire oven. Spitfired meats, barbecued and roasted to a delectable charred crust with tender center, are chosen and cooked up finely in front of you. The drinks (like all the other cocktails in Tulum) are made from fresh ingredients with wonderful Mexican touches and garnishes. I love the theme here of 50s and 60s rock legends. The placemats are old vinyl records. It's just too cool. And in the jungle. MamaMuu is perfect for a date and a drink. On the jungle side of the road. Bring a flashlight for the walk.

We live in the Bay Area where Korean BBQ spots are everywhere, and we've tried a lot of them over…read morethe years. We've also eaten at many places in LA, which is known for having some of the best Korean food. We saw this place had pretty solid reviews, especially on Google, and even saw comments from people claiming they were Korean and from LA saying this place rivaled KBBQ spots there. Because of that, we came in with really high expectations. Unfortunately, we left disappointed. The restaurant is located upstairs, and the elevator ride alone almost made us turn around. It was extremely shaky and honestly felt unsafe at times. There were moments we thought it might actually drop. I would definitely recommend taking the stairs instead. We ordered the mixed combo with beef, chicken, and pork, along with soybean soup and steamed egg. The banchan selection was limited and overall the flavors were pretty underwhelming. The biggest issue though was the meat quality. Most of the meats were chewy, including the pork belly, which should have been much more tender because of the fat content. One thing we've noticed in Mexico compared to the US is that the meat quality in general often isn't quite the same, and this place really highlighted that for us. Honestly, Gen BBQ back in California is much better than this spot. I understand some people love this place because they cook over charcoal, but the cooking process took forever. Each meat took a long time to cook, and they had to replace the coals multiple times during the meal. The one thing that really stood out in a positive way was the steamed egg. It was honestly one of the best steamed eggs we've had. Super fluffy, airy, and cooked perfectly. If you're someone who really loves Korean food or Korean BBQ, I personally wouldn't recommend going out of your way for this place. There are much better options out there worth spending your money on.

Would have liked to taste their food but I took a taxi all the way here and the hours on yelp said…read morethey close at 11:00 I walked up they had people still eating at 9:45 and they said they're closed they won't serve me. I just wanted to get food to go.

A whole Fresh grilled chicken with tortilla, rice, and pickled red onion. The homemade habanero…read morelime chili salsa is so spicy and addicting . Service was quick in an open air ambiance

Amazing! 3 of us split a whole chicken and it was absolutely delicious in every way!…read more They delivered rice, sofrito, pickled onions, and had a green salsa on the table that was hot and works so well with the charred yardbird We ordered a side of potatoes that were also incredibly prepared. Do not miss this experience if you are in PDC!!!!

We found this spot on the back streets of Tulum and wanted to try it becuSe we saw 0 tourist and…read moreonly locals. Menu was simple - we opted for the pork tacos. So good! Ate them with salsa and some hot sauce. It really hit the spot. There were families hanging out but we were in a hurry so ate and ran but it was a refreshing change from the chains on the mail strip. Service was very quick and friendly - we watched the cook make the tacos right in front of us. Yum!

This is the side of Tulum that tourism and tourists dont talk about. 2 off the main drag and you…read morewill see people live in shanties in fenced off lots. It isnt pretty considering how much is coming to certain parts of the community. In the back streets is a cool taqueria that does barbacoa only on Saturdays and Sundays. It's actually a really big clean space and there are a group of old ladies making tons of lamb and pork for the barbacoa and carnitas. They give you all the condiments on the side and you choose how you season and dress your tacos. You can also buy by the kilo to go and we saw many folks from the community come in to take food to go, saying hi to the families here. If you're in the area make an effort to eat at a locals only place and see if you can buck the trend of feeding money to the resort/tourism machine

Food is solid, and delicious. Nothing fancy is guaranteed. The Pork Ribs & Chicken are sold by the…read morequantity you desire, then coarse chopped & bagged with tortillas. The facility is basic. Grilling station built inside a plain concrete block building, some coolers to keep things hot, and a beverage cooler round out the kitchen. Didnt notice any beers. There are tables inside to sit. I could see grabbing meats alone to take to the beach for the day. Other items are sold in bags, so will be tricky to eat on the run.

If you want a cheap lunch this is the spot! PDC is full of overpriced food and this little place is…read morea gem. They cook pork ribs and chicken all day long. Tasty, smokey, and fresh. Half a chicken to go with beans, rice, sauce, slaw, and tortillas is 70 pesos (Dec 2020). USD $3.50! They also have fresh juices (pina, horchata, tamarind) for 15 pesos. Price wise it's a 5. Taste wise I'd say closer to a 3 because this is a no frills place. Overall, a 4 because we have gotten lunch here a few times. Get your food and get out haha!

This is the best place to have grilled meat and chicken. You can get a while chicken in Tuesdays…read morefor 80 pesos and 2 for 150 on Wednesdays. Don't miss that place for great and ravishing chicken.

This place was close to our hotel and they had a sign for 2 for 1 margaritas and 3 tacos for 100…read morepesos for happy hour! HH was 2-6 and we caught the last hour. This is part of a hotel, but I forget the name. The outdoor seating area was very similar to most Tulum restaurants with the white gravel and wooden tables/chairs. We ordered margaritas and they were very tasty and fresh, with lots of herbs. It was almost like a mojito! I had steak tacos and my hubby had shrimp, so we could mix them up for a little surf-n-turf. The shrimp were cooked perfectly and the steak was nice and tender. Definitely good for only 100 pesos! It wasn't very crowded on a Monday afternoon, but I have a feeling with their HH deal, it won't be long until it's standing room only!

Malevo is one of our favorite neighborhood spots. It's super convenient to our Aldea Zama condo and…read morethe affordable, delicious meals and drinks always satisfy. We've enjoyed an authentic Mexican breakfast here (definitely order a coffee as well) fabulous cocktail hours (try the passion fruit mojito-divine!), amazing dinners with friends...we love the steak, goat cheese salad, guacamole, octopus (the appetizer is a must! And the main is equally delicious). The atmosphere is casual and relaxed, and the food is top quality (and much less expensive than beach front restaurants). Staff is fun and friendly, although service can be slow, but mostly because everything is hand-crafted.

This place is amazing!! We had the best food - everything was cooked to perfection! We had the New…read moreYork steak, the lamb rack, and the stuffed potato with chorizo. The micheladas were the best ones I've ever tried (and I've tried a lot, haha). The restaurant has a very fancy feel, even though the food/drinks were reasonably priced. The ambiance was beautiful - gorgeous paintings of jaguars everywhere and dim lighting to set the mood. The service was outstanding. Our waiters, Guillermo & Martín, made sure we were taken care of throughout the whole night. They even brought my friends and me a mini coat rack to hang our purses next to our table.

Carpaccio octopus : Light, refreshing and flavorful. Thinly sliced well flavored…read moreGuacamole: needed a little more lime but it was great overall