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    La Chaya Maya

    4.0 (74 reviews)
    InexpensiveYucatan, Soup
    Open 8:00 am - 11:00 pm

    La Chaya Maya Photos

    LA CHAYA MAYA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Touristy
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - La Chaya Maya

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    Reviews With Photos - La Chaya Maya

    Takao M.

    Nice place with an old style feeling of nostalgia and originality in what it seems to be a former house turned into a restaurant. Service is great, our server was very helpful explaining our options being first time in Yucatan. Food was delicious and honestly very cheap!

    Chaya maya
    Sara S.

    ONLY rating chaya maya drink that i had to go The best one in merida! And clean bathrooms!

    Assorted regional tacos
    Robert F.

    Great spot for local, traditional food (Mayan and Mexican) Service was fantastic I ordered a sampler platter of different tacos each with a different protein and each prepared a different way. Everyone of them was delicious! Their plancha meals were beautifully presented and they were seasoned well. My girlfriend ordered the chicken one and it came on this big cast iron skillet and wooden platter with a bowl of sauce and an co container holding the tortillas. We would definitely eat here again.

    Jasmine L.

    This place was highly recommended on many blogs. They have all sorts of great foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I got the Agua de Chaya con Lima and it was soooo refreshing during this 95+ degree day. The meal was even better. I read about the traditional meal for mayan culture and it did not disappoint. The restaurant is beautiful and shaded outside with plenty of tables.

    David C.

    Great food and traditional yucateco food from the region. Started off with the Vaporcito (tamal wrapped in plantain leaf) the sopa limón was great and the empanadas de queso de bola was delicious. We ordered the tikinxic it's a grea fish plate with shrimp fish amd octopus.

    Tortillas made traditionally.
    Mark W.

    Located in a beautiful old house, this is a good place to find cuisine of the region and to be in beautiful surroundings. There were two ladies making fresh tortillas the evening we were there. I was told that this is the newer of the two restaurants of the same name and same owner. The crowd appeared to be natives rather than tourists, which is a good sign.

    Los 4 yucas (371 pesos Jan 2021)
    Tuli S.

    Not worth the hype. We tried the four yucas and the only one worth eating was the cochinita pibil. All the dishes come out on a small plate which lies upon the larger dishes in the picture. There is exactly enough for two but it's not how much it looks like it would be in the pictures. The food came out lukewarm which was strange. It was already cooked ahead of time (arrived a few min after we ordered) so they could have warmed it up. We've been to Mexico a few times and the food is ALWAYS hot! Anyways, none of the dishes were amazing or flavorful and it was disappointing after seeing so many good reviews. Service was good and the outdoor seating is fun. Very touristy and we will not be returning.

    Panucho with cochinita pibil (put smoked pork) on the left, and salbut with relleno negro (pit smoked turkey) on the right
    YangHwa P.

    We wanted to try another Yucateca food (aside from Mugy), so we went to La Chaya Maya. I would say the service was pretty good; it was as busy as Mugy, but I felt like the attention from the servers here was a bit more difficult. The ambiance here was also okay, maybe it was our table being at the corner, but did not feel particularly nice. Food however was delicious. I think more on a saltier side, but nonetheless good. I would recommend anyone interested in Yucateca food to visit both here and Mugy.

    Salbut de pavo and torta de cochinita
    Liz A.

    On our last night in merida we decided to try this place. Also very well recommended, a little bit on the pricier side than most places we tried with authentic yucateco food. It was delicious, they were busy that night so service was on the slower side but definitely worth it!

    Xiaoting X.

    Oh wow. The food here is so flavorful and complex. As it was a pretty big restaurant in a popular tourist area we were worried that it may be a tourist trap but we saw many locals here and the grooms is the best we've had on this trip. Also great that they have taco choices where you can pick one at a time! Great to sample a variety.

    The food was very bland. Left was the Pavo en relleno negro the right was estilo maya.
    Alexa B.

    The food was cold when brought out. Would not recommend was very disappointed. The tortillas and veggies were very bland.

    Courtyard dining

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    3 years ago

    Food was good & prices were affordable.. Service was friendly and they have 4 locations in the city.. Recommend checking it out...

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    A must do for every tourist visiting the Yucatán and a chance to enjoy some of the most classics regional cuisine.

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Excelente servicio y la comida típica de la región. El local invita a un ambiente familiar.

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    3 years ago

    No love here. Not very exciting or interesting. Mayan cuisine is so much better than it is here I would pass this place for sure.

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    6 years ago

    Best lime soup in the entire trip! Place is beautiful and service is excellent! There is another location but this one has a courtyard.

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    Page 1 of 2

    La Chaya Maya Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - La Chaya Maya

    The conchanita pibil on the panuchos was so moist, flavorful, and plentiful!

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

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    Pancho's

    Pancho's

    4.1(35 reviews)
    0.2 km
    $$$

    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.

    The secret upstairs bar under the open skies makes this restaurant extra special. Its a platform…read morepatio built into shade trees with a thatched roof. It's enchanting at night watching the lighted towers of the old cathedral standing watch over the Merida night sky...sitting at a candle lit table with cool Yucatan breezes blowing. It's a far remove from the hustle and bustle of the narrow, crowded downtown streets and the lively plaza. I ordered a pumpkin seed-based salsa which was prepared table side in a stone vessel. My friend ordered the grilled fish with rice, pickled carrots, onions and sauces. Both were delicious. We also had nice drinks, red wine sangria, and beer. What was perhaps the best feature of the place is the excellent waitstaff who are bilingual, who are helpful with making you feel comfortable, who provide charming conversation and tips, and who are generally well trained in hospitality. Such a far cry from the dour and arrogant wait staff typically found in Washington DC restaurants. This is a good place for a quiet escape from the plaza crowd.

    Photos
    Pancho's
    Pancho's - Área de bar

    Área de bar

    Pancho's - La entrada del Pancho's

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    La entrada del Pancho's

    La Chaya Maya - yucatan - Updated August 2026

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