The steak was mediocre at best I am not sure how on trip advisor this came to get so highly rated…read more The meat is not clean in the sense that it has a lot of fat and isn't trimmed. I asked for a cut of steak to have marveling and I think they took this to mean the one with the most gristle. While going to the restroom I saw that they cook over a grill which looked like it hadn't been cleaned since the Mayan temples were built. He coals were hit but there was no way to control the temperature. There were not temperature zones and all the meats and veggies mixed together. I asked to have my steak reheated. Not a complaint mind you I just eat slow and sometimes I need it thrown on the grill to reheat. They brought it back on a bread plate?! I have been to Mortons, Lowry's, Flemmings, Ruth Chris, and House of Prime Rib In San Francisco this is the McDonald's of steakhouses. If your looking for "Prime" steak look elsewhere. 3 stars for service and dessert.

This is one of the absolute best places for botanas in Mérida. Go and order a beer and you'll soon…read morefind yourself devouring a number of tasty snacks. The ambiance is always lively, the food and drinks always reasonably priced and delicious, and the service is great. We always make this one of our first stops in Mérida!

Came through twice…read more The first was at noon on a Sunday. Joke is on us: we learned they're not open until 2pm (only on Sundays. Otherwise, they're open at noon all other days.) We came through a couple of days later because it came highly HIGHLY recommended by Big Bro. So, I was more curious than anything. Another reason I came through is to try their kibi's. (It topped my Yelp search when looking for this particular grub.) We wanted to get drinks as well since it was a hot and humid day! Pina colada for me, brewskis for Hubbers. We put in an order for the kibis because that's main reason I came through. Drinks came through, and then... mini plates of snacks, oh, WHAT! La botana, is what they call them. Whew, didn't plan on eating more than the kibis, but I welcomed it! It was a pretty good variety, too: there were sausages, pork skin, jicama and some sort of salad. Staff told us if we wanted refills on any or all of them, to let them know and they'd be more than happy to comply. Kibis finally came through, and I have to admit that I was disappointed. Not only did they lack taste, but they were also hard. They may have been overcooked which most likely contributed to the lack of flavor. Initial thought in mind were hockey pucks. Chewing through one was a challenge that I didn't bother going for a second. (It was practically inedible.) The guac, pico de gallo and sauce were great, but didn't do much for the pucks. Hubbers really liked it, though, so there's at least that. FOOD: 2. SERVICE: 4. I noticed staff mostly just hanging out together at the bar, but they were excellent at being mindful of guests. VALUE: 3. 5 for las botanas, 1 for the kibis. PARKING: Street only. It will be a challenge, for sure. OVERALL: 3. FUN FACT: They are the second oldest cantina in Merida (opened in 1917.) I learned the place is far livelier at night when they have bands performing. Someday, maybe...? Not a one-and-done, but it'll be a long minute before a second visit, if at all.

BEST OF MERIDA 2025 - Botanas Botanas are a special treat,…read morebasically free food you get with drinks. Lucero doesnt call it in here, they serve a great variety of excellent options (mmm the gizzard is absurd). It varies throughout the day the service levels and botana availability; but show up around 7-8pm for a safe bet on a good experience with solid service, availabilty, and a good place to hang. See prior reviews for more details and happy eating from John Seeto!

What a great surprise this was! I had no idea what we walked into, I thought we were just going to…read moregrab drinks at this ultra chic looking bar. We ordered beers, we received those, and literally 2 min later a waitress came out with all these mini tapas and I was in shock. I had mentioned that we didn't order them and she said they came with the beer, and oh my, it's genius! we literally didn't feel the need to leave the bar and ordered more than we should've. Some of the tapas were great, some were decent, nothing terrible but what a deal and concept.

The service is excellent!!!! The place is nicely decorated depicting marine artifacts. But the…read morefood! Wow! Excellent! Everything we tried was deliciously cooked and beautifully presented. Some of the things we had were shrimp cocktail, fresh oysters, Rockefeller oysters, pasta Alfredo, grilled octopus, salmon carpaccio, crab claws.

I'm really disappointed by my experience here, especially because this has been one of my favorite…read morerestaurants in Mérida. I was served the wrong dish, and when I politely brought it to the waiter's attention, I was told there was nothing that could be done and that I still had to pay for it. The meal was boxed up for me without offering a replacement or any solution. When it came time to pay, the credit card machine was handed to my husband for the tip, which felt awkward and dismissive given the situation. The food itself was also underwhelming. I asked about adjusting the seasoning and was told it wasn't possible. The flavors were not what I expected, and having eaten at restaurants all over the world, this meal fell well below that standard. For a restaurant that presents itself as service-oriented and welcoming, especially to visitors, this experience was surprising and disappointing. En Espanol Estoy realmente decepcionada por mi experiencia aquí, especialmente porque este ha sido uno de mis restaurantes favoritos en Mérida. Me sirvieron un platillo incorrecto y, cuando se lo mencioné amablemente al mesero, me dijeron que no había nada que se pudiera hacer y que aun así tenía que pagarlo. El platillo fue empacado para llevar sin ofrecerme un reemplazo ni alguna solución. Al momento de pagar, la terminal para dejar propina fue entregada a mi esposo, lo cual resultó incómodo y poco considerado dadas las circunstancias. La comida tampoco cumplió con mis expectativas. Pregunté si era posible ajustar el sazón y me dijeron que no. Los sabores no eran los que esperaba y, habiendo comido en muchos lugares del mundo, este platillo estuvo muy por debajo de ese nivel. Para un restaurante que se presenta como orientado al buen servicio y hospitalidad, especialmente hacia los visitantes, esta experiencia fue inesperada y decepcionante.

Wow! Cannot believe that no one else has reviewed this lovely restaurant. They have bren open for a…read moreyear and while pricier Than most of the (Mexican) restaurants we visited on our trip, we were ready for a channge from Cochinita Pibil, and the portion size and good quality was excellent and will worth it The 3 of us arrived at 4:45PM on a Sunday (when they close at 6PM). We were the only ones there but were treated like royalty. This is NOT a tapas restaurant, though there is an ample selection of appetizers that could be shared. The ambiance is elegant. Enjoy you meal at this fine restaurant. We did!

We had dinner here on a Friday evening before Christmas. We would have given it a better rating had…read moreit not been for the nasty, aggressive and unprofessional (male) wait staff. The food was "OK" but came out at uneven times. It's an attractive place but they need to train their waiters to be less aggressive and more helpful if they want anyone to return again. (We won't).

The location is wrong. La Cubanita is on 56 between 41 and 39...I put in for a correction…read more Great little spot for Cuban cocina económica. Offers 4-5 dishes a day for 150 pesos, which includes a salad, rice & beans, and plantains. Hubby and I got the picadillo, which was flavored perfectly and was a lot of food. All the sides were great too, I especially enjoyed the vinaigrette on the salad. The taste and vibe was as if you were sitting in a Cuban family's kitchen, which basically you are. The spot is small, and also serves as an art gallery. They accommodated us and our dogs inside and service was fabulous. English was spoken if needed. Definitely recommend!

La Cubanita is great! Best Cuban food in Merida! It is great example of the 3 B's, bueno, Boni…read moreto, barato (good, pretty, cheap). Their ropavieja is to die for served with congress and sweet fried plantains. I ate my portion over 3 days! Cuban sandwich was fabulous, huge! And it's the real thing. I'm now hungry thinking about their food. Can't wait to go back.