Macayo's has been setting the standard for quality, tasty, and reasonably priced sit-down Mexican food in the Phoenix area for decades, and tonight's takeout order did not disappoint. We were pleasantly surprised to receive complimentary chips and salsa with our order. Many restaurants charge for them or don't include them with carryout, so it was a small touch that definitely stood out. The cheese crisp was excellent--perfectly crisp with cheese melted to perfection. Easily one of the best cheese crisps I've had in a long time. I ordered the Red Corn Chicken Taquitos, and the red corn tortillas added so much extra flavor. There were 6 to the order which is very generous. The rice was also very good, and since I'm not a bean fan, I substituted double rice instead. Everything was fresh and satisfying. My husband ordered the Chicken Fajita Enchiladas with double rice and said they were terrific. Our daughter chose the Carne Asada Burros with rice and beans and commented on how flavorful and well-seasoned the meat was. All three of us agreed that we would happily order these meals again. The customer service was another highlight. Anaya took our phone order and was cheerful, pleasant, and helpful. I didn't catch the name of the gentleman who handed me our order, but he was welcoming and friendly as well. Great food and great service make it easy to see why Macayo's continues to be a local favorite read more

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It's good enough. Chill spot. Needs more seasoning in their dishes. Service could be better with greetings and addressing patrons as they enter the restaurant. read more

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Invited 5 guests out to lunch. So very disappointed ! Each guest complained about the absence of flavor on each dish! It had been awhile since I had eaten there; this was once my go-to for Mexican food. I know for sure 6 they have lost 6 customers! Not one dish could either of us recommend. read more

I came to Macayos today to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. It was very crowded but I was able to get a seat at the bar. A little loud for me but tolerable. They have great lunch and senior menu and the prices are very reasonable. The complimentary chips and salsa were very good. I enjoyed my Baja chicken enchilada combo. The service was amazing. My order came out very hot in only a few minutes. The chicken enchilada, rice and beans were delicious. A nice Cinco de Mayo lunch! read more

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Very good food great service had skirt steak with black beans and rice. Mexico decorated pretty cool. Check it out I'll be back

10/1/25 Parking 5/5 Early dinner 4:30. Easy parking in semi private parking lot. Atmosphere 5/5 See prior reviews. Service5/5 We were warmly greeted by the host station employee and seated quickly. Sever Felipe V. met us shortly after being seated. He was a very pleasant gentleman who got us started with iced teas and a chili cheese crisp. Filipe returned with our drinks and Crisp and took our meal order. My wife ordered the green chile pork stew and chose the Sampler plate, a departure from my go to Chimmy pick. Food 5/5 No photos visit. Everything was delicious and we would order them again! Thanks Philippe for your great service! $61.02 including tip. Eat well my friends-SYOY! read more

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Clearlyyyyyy someone in the kitchen needs to be *Kissed!!!! The Happy Hour food was so delicious!!!! It was cool and quiet, I celebrated my alone time and really glad I chose Macayos! It did not disappoint! Nena was my very sweet and patient server! Glad I got such a nice smile with such friendly service! Thank you kitchen staff!!! read more

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Food Quality: The food was good! The closest thing I could compare it to is Serrano's, if that gives you any idea. Service: A worker wearing hair net didn't wash her hands after leaving women's bathroom. When we spoke with the manager, he was extremely dismissive and ended the interaction very quickly. After it was reported to her manager, the employee from the bathroom came to our table when we were standing up to leave and argued with us that it was okay for her to not wash her hands. We left the dining area with her still scoffing and arguing at us as we walked away. The manager was also talking about us to another employee as we were walking out of the doors to leave the restaurant. Overall, the entire experience made us feel very unwelcome and significantly out a damper on the Father's Day celebration. 1/10 customer service Cleanliness: In addition to the terrible customer service, the fact that NOBODY was punished or reprimanded for NOT washing their hands in a field of work where you handle customers' food was extremely shocking and disgusting to our entire party. The rationale that leaving the bathroom without washing your hands is okay because you're "not using the toilet" is completely inappropriate. Germs and bacteria can be spread easily from someone's hands or fingers when touching the handles of the bathroom doors, stalls, toilet paper dispensers, etc. Allowing your employees to handle food, dishes, or anything else in a restuaunt WITHOUT washing their hands is completely unacceptable. Price/Value: Side note: The restaurant is made up of mostly open space, which means that it's really loud. It's so loud that we couldn't hear people on the other side of the table + left dinner with headaches. (Taken from the Macayo's website's contact page.) read more

Only go here if you want food poisoning! Went there Monday night & our food came out within 10/15 minutes max. We should've known then something would be wrong. My enchiladas were luke warm. I got the red chile enchiladas & my husband got the shredded beef chimichangas. He noticed halfway through eating, there was a slimy off colored piece of meat. We both stopped eating at that point. Both ended up horribly sick just 5 hours later. read more

What a great experience! The food was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned -- classic Mexican comfort food done right. The chips and salsa were amazing, and every dish came out hot and beautifully plated. The service was excellent too -- friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. The atmosphere was vibrant and fun, with that authentic Southwestern charm that makes you want to stay and relax. Macayo's in Mesa is definitely a place we'll come back to again. Great food, great people, great vibe -- loved everything! read more

-Food was great, honestly. The only thing I could complain about was that the carnitas was a little dry but it was not bad at all. -The service was very terrible. The server was not welcoming at all and very short with each person of our 8-person party. She did not gently place certain things on our table such as practically throwing an apple juice and a cup of lemons on the table. She also left too fast when we were asking for things so I couldn't get in all I wanted to ask for in one trip. Overall made me and my table feel very unwelcome. -One busser or something like that went to the bathroom and came out of a stall and did not wash her hands. I would hope you guys expect all staff to wash their hands when exiting the bathroom whether they use a toilet or not. They are still spreading germs around the restaurant instead of doing the best they can to not spread BATHROOM germs around areas where people eat. I reported it to the manager on shift and he treated the issue very lackluster and dismissive, like he didn't care about cleanliness in the restaurant. Then when we were done eating she spotted me grabbing our stuff/ writing a note on the receipt for them to see, she proceeded to argue with me, saying that it's totally fine for her to use the bathroom without washing her hands, 1) because she "didn't use the toilet" (again, even if she didn't, she still came from a dirty stall where people piss and shit) and 2) because she doesn't handle food and only clears dirty dishes from tables. That shit was very disrespectful, unprofessional, and just wrong for any staff member to deny needing to wash their hands after being in the bathroom for any reason. 8/10 food, but 0/10 service. read more

Stopped by for dinner, ordered the carne asada cheese crisp and the trio enchilada. Everything was good. The only thing I would have liked different, would have been that the crisp was slightly over cooked. Service was nice and wasn't over crowded. We got seated immediately and our server kept that water full. Thank you for a nice visit. read more

Macayo's Mexican Food - Carne Asada Cheese Crisp - Mexican Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

Stopped in for lunch and sat at the bar. It was pretty quiet so we were able to order quickly. Nice dog friendly outdoor patio that would be great in the cooler months. The food was ok. The taco was good but the enchilada was just ok. The tortilla tasted premade and the sauce had a metallic taste to it. read more

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Got right in and was attended to by Hoe who was very nice and had my Diet Pepsis coming one after another. I had amazing service and the ambiance was well lit and quiet. Service with a smile. Great food. Very clean, organized restaurant and waitstaff. I joined the rewards program as well. read more

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Good chips and salsa, guacamole and grilled skirt steak fajitas. I wasn't a huge fan of their refried beans though. They didn't have much flavor. First time there and look forward to going back soon. read more

Really great team service on a super busy lunch rush by Rosa who was helping out Kyle, as he had just taken on a giant table of 16+ people. The food was quick, hot, tasty and presented beautifully as usual. Our booth was comfy, chips and salsa excellent as always, drinks cold and refills-a-plenty. So glad Macayo's brought back their LUNCH SPECIALS menu! My Mom and I each had the shredded beef taco and enchilada combo with rice and beans for only 12.99 - what a deal! I got shredded chicken in mine, she got cheese, both covered in green sauce instead of the usual red. Yum Yum! See pic. Another wonderful visit from one of the many great Macayo's locations around the valley. read more

Macayo's Mexican Food - LUNCH SPECIAL Shredded Beef Taco / Chicken Enchilada with green sauce, rice and beans only $12.99! - Mexican Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

What was passable, run-of-the-mill Mexican food a couple years ago was sadly inedible on our most recent visit. Truly horrible enchilada sauce and a beef taco that tasted very off made for a poor lunch experience. The relleno and bean tostada were at least edible, but far from good. The facility was spotlessly clean and quite pleasant, but with so many excellent Mexican food options in the valley, there is no reason for us to give Macayo's another try. read more

Love the pizzas and calzones. Great service. Waitress was super nice. Didn't take many photos. Was busy celebrating cousin's birthday. read more

Macayo's Mexican Food - Pizza - Mexican Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

We enjoy our weekly family Mexican food night out at Macayos. You get chips and salsa while you wait. They have good happy hour specials including drinks and appetizers. There is a good variety of items you can choose from on their menu. When love their shredded beef chimichangas smothered in Baja sauce served with rice and refried beans. The nachos are a great appetizer to start with and it's large enough for 2-3 people and very filling. We always order ours with shredded beef. Their award winning green Chile pork stew is delicious! read more

Haven't been here in seven years stopped in today for lunch. No paper towels in the bathroom, dirty dishes left on the table outside the whole time I ate there, it was never cleaned up. I ordered a tortilla soup and asked to have that served ahead of my lunch. It was and it was pretty good. However, it took 10 minutes of waiting once I finished my soup before my food was brought out to me by somebody else. I don't know if that's normal but I don't think I've ever waited that long for my entrée. I ordered a shredded beef burro with Verde sauce and a side of beans. I had to ask for more napkins because all I was given was one napkin. Forget about having even a paper placemat; just ate flat on the table. I ate outside and nobody ever came to check on me. I finished my meal and waited for a while for my ticket and nobody ever came. The service was terrible. So I had to go to an appointment so I went up to the front and the girl came up with the little machine and said," would you like to check out?" and I said yes so I gave no tip and that made her mad you know how I know that?... because I asked for a paper receipt on the machine and she just quickly hit the last button turn around and said thank you goodbye without ever looking at me before I could even ask for the receipt. Forget about asking about a dessert there they don't even know you exist once they put the food on the table. The soup was good as well as the Burro, the beans were good, but if it wasn't for that, that place would be a big flat zero. I have not been there in seven years and I will never go back again. I felt like I was ignored. Not even a smile from anybody. If I had brought business clients to lunch there, I would have been mortified. Never again! read more

The food was excellent, and the customer service truly went above and beyond. One of my dishes wasn't prepared quite the way I had hoped, and I was hesitant to mention it. However, our waitress, "Marianna" took the time to genuinely check in and ask detailed questions about my meal and whether I was enjoying it. When I explained that the dish was a bit too salty for my taste, she immediately stepped in and went out of her way to make things right by removing it from my bill. Her attentiveness and exceptional service turned what could have been a disappointing experience into a great one. I would definitely return and highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Hostess was friendly, but couldn't seem to find us a booth. Saying a table needed to be cleaned. The bus staff wasn't in yet. We could clearly see there were 4 booths available. Our server was great and made a price saving suggestion. Kudos to that. It seems their enchilada sauce has changed. It's been awhile since we've eaten there. The sauce was more tomato tasting. Not spicy at all. The appearance wasn't as red either. Maybe the lack of spice. I know I won't be ordering it again. The cheese crisp had a different texture. It didn't use to fall apart on the bottom. Chunks and crumbs landed in the plate when taking a bite. read more

I ordered online for pick up. When I asked at the restaurant if all the special requests were correct since they were not on the receipt. I was assured by the hostesses that the requests came through in back and it was correct. Imagine my shock when I got home and the order was not anywhere near correct. The battered shrimp for the two orders of shrimp tacos was grilled. One of the orders also requested no cabbage. Guess what. Cabbage. Lesson learned. Check your order visually before you leave. Because even if they assure you it's right, it may not be. read more

I've been visiting several of Macayo's locations over the years. The food is always good and reasonably priced.

Bartender Ray was extremely rude. We waited 10 minutes at the bar and I had to go by the kitchen to get him to come out to serve us. We wanted the Frozen Margaritas and his response was "We were slow and what you want me to do". It was 8 and they close at 9. Why did he shut down the Frozen Margarita machine down so early. Smh read more

The "birthplace" of the chimichanga. It better be good...it was. Too bad that was the only thing. Beans tasted like burnt matter. Rice had little taste. Homemade hot sauce tasted like runny tomato paste. Margaritas have to be great here right? If Koolaid made a margarita flavor this would be it. I decide to order another, but this time top shelf hoping to redeem this place and it was very bitter. Both drinks tasted like it came from Applebees. Service was slow. She used the table next to us to drop stuff off. Did not see how we were doing after we got our food. So yeah; not impressed. read more

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Food and service were really good! Staff were friendly and helpful! Definitely will go back for great time!

Good value excellent food salsas were terrific very pleased with our meal. We will be back. $36 read more

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Came here tonight with some family to celebrate a birthday!! We had a reservation and arrived right on time, but still wound up waiting about 10-15 minutes. Our server was with us quickly and took our drink order, which came out timely as well. They offer free chips and salsa as an appetizer while you're waiting for your meal! They gave our party of five 4 salsas. My mom and grandma kept mentioning that theirs was a bit spicy, but myself and my cousin disagreed. It wasn't until the very end of our meal that we noticed they supplied 2 different heat levels! The waitress didn't tell us that there was a difference. I ordered mini chimichangas, as I wasn't very hungry from all the chips. My meal was good! Everything seemed pretty fresh. The cheese on top wasn't melted very well, not sure if that's how it's supposed to come or not. The rest of our party got burritos and chicken fajitas. Our server was kind, and kept checking in on us. I love Mexican food and I will never be disappointed to go to a Macayos! The prices are average, the service is quick, workers are friendly, and they have the golden COMPLIMENTARY CHIPS AND SALSA! read more

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Go only if you have no other choice... Food bland and tasteless Service slow, and wasn't even busy read more

My first visit. Came for Lunch about 12:30. Very crowded which is always a good sign. Sat at the bar for 10 minutes. Nobody came. Waited in line at the Hostess Stand. She said I could sit at the bar and she'd tell the Bartender. Bottom line, the Green Chili Pork may be the best I've ever had. It was delicious. The Service was quite slow. Not enough Staff. I will be back because of the excellent food but I'll try to come at an off-peak time. Management is definitely lacking. read more

Had a girls lunch date, and I had the Ground Beef Fiesta salad and it was absolutely the best I have ever tasted. Two of my friends ordered the Macayo's Burro's Bowls. Needless to say when we left we all said we found our New Mexican restaurant. Everyone was extremely pleased with the food. The service was top notch, the place is clean and very appealing. The dinnerware they served our food was warm and auth Mexican ware. Highly recommend. read more

Macayo's is somewhere with a lot of nostalgia, but when I've tried most recently I haven't been too impressed with the food. I was excited to see online they have a vegetarian menu, but was shocked to not see it on the physical menu. Hopefully, everyone pulls up the menu before hand to see if they have dietary restrictions or preferences. I'm writing this review the next day and I still taste the garlic, which I'm not a fan of. Thankfully, I'm not a vampire as this would have sent me to the void. Also, the dish is listed with a chili pepper but I didn't taste hardly any spice. Shame as I do love spicy! Overall, the food was okay but nothing I would purposely go out of my way to get again. The Veggie Tacos have been better from a different location, so I would skip the veggie enchilada in the future. Lastly, the service may have been a little slower to start as I went in on a Tuesday but was extremely friendly & quick to offer both a refill and a to go beverage which I appreciated. The decor is over the top Mexican decor, which always has a nostalgia factor for me. The atmosphere and service is what brings me back as the food isn't the greatest Mexican food but still tasty. read more

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My last review said they were very good with their multiple menus for seniors lunches and happy hours and that is good but beware. We went there for lunch and ordered from the senior menu and the lunch menu. However, we were charged the regular price for the cheese crisp because it was from a different menu. The meal came from the senior menu and they won't give you the lunch price for the cheese crisp if you don't order your meal from the lunch menu. I can understand that, but they need to tell you that when you're ordering, they really need to tell you that when you're ordering read more

Service was very good I thought it was the manager who seated us in the bar -very mannerly nice man I like the food here and the atmosphere read more

Literally ordered food and waited for an hour and 15 minutes for it to be to go completely despicable would never suggest this to anyone

For this to be the birthplace of the chimichanga, we were slightly underwhelmed! I will point out that service was amazing and the restaurant was clean. We just didn't enjoy our food as much as we thought we would. We may try a different location when we're in the area again. read more

Enough folks shared their feelings with staff and on reviews like this so they made the decision to go back to their original, fresh, taco shells!! And they are DELICIOUS!! Thank you Macayo's for listening. read more

Nice menu. Good service and place we go back to every once in awhile! Like fajita burrito

Went today after hearing about an Anniversary $0.78 Crispy Taco special. Haven't been to a Macayo's in years. A $0.78 taco special has to be a waiter nightmare.. but my server was very cheerful and friendly. My expectations were pretty low for a $0.78 taco... but these were normal sized and full of meat, lettuce, cheese and diced tomato. Mine weren't very hot... I can imagine that they cook a million at once and have them precooked and ready to plate up. I was there at about 2pm... After the lunch rush. Beef was plentiful (especially given the price).. but a little bland. Watch out for bones.. I got a small one in mine. No big deal. It's real beef! Definitely improved by a spoonful of salsa (which... sadly, was very, very mild). Even so.. it was an incredible value in these inflationary times and service was pleasant. I'll go back (maybe for fajitas) read more

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