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.

Friendly staff. Good artful food presentation but the sea bass was overcooked and the mushroom dish…read moreleft much to be desired. Our appetizers were 3 raw mushrooms artfully presented with a mish mosh of flavors, and a plate of regular guacamole. The filet mignon was average. We ate much better tasting food at half the price the night prior. Artful : Yes, Flavor: Lacking. Unfortunately, we will not return.

Very chill and again fabulous service in Bacalar. Truth be told, La Pina was super close to our…read morehotel and I had a broken finger from an accident that occurred earlier. As we strolled up to the restaurant there was obviously a cook having a beak sitting on a small stool out front. I asked her what we should order. Without hesitation she replied huaraches. Now I believe the name refers to the shape being similar to the soles sandal's but the dish that arrives stacked with fresh crispy lettuce on top of a delicious mix of steak drunks and shrimp sitting on a 2mm thick handmade blue miaz tortilla. Two cream drizzles and the open fire kitchen flavours permeated the entire dish. We also ordered a felafel and a chilli rellano. Both were very good. Excellent authentic flavours packer full of loving care. Bravo and thanks.

just wanted to post updated menu pictures since the last ones were old and many things were no…read morelonger on the menu. service was great and attentive and offered alternatives to items we originally had in mind but were no longer available. A lot larger of a place than it seems plus takes credit cards!

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

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.

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!

A good quick stop for pastor tacos. It was handy, fast and efficient. The cook made sure we had the…read moresauces we needed for that perfect taste.

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!

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!.

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.

Great service and very good food. The queso fundito didn't have much flavor, so I would recommend…read moreskipping that next time. However, the pastor taco was very good and the fish taco was cooked perfectly. The complimentary salsas were very good, but not spicy at all.

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.

Food made me sick!!! They cook with lard and oil but me being vegan ordered from little selection…read moreof vegan options and still made me sick. Will never go there again.

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.