Mateo's advertises as having the "best fish tacos on earth," which is a crazy thing to advertise in a country and city of delicious tacos. So, yeah, they weren't the best on earth or the best I've had or the best I had in Tulum. Mateo's is a fun restaurant - big, open air space with endless seating - but the food wasn't anything to write home about. The ceviche was okay - more of the quality I expected at home in the States rather than the quality we experienced in Mexico. The fish tacos were all right. Also more on a quality I would expect in the States, rather than Mexico. Mateo's is a fun place - and a convenient place. And it wasn't terrible food, it just doesn't compare to the exceptional quality of food you can find elsewhere in Tulum! read more

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We decided to walk around Tulum and found this place. We had Baja shrimp tacos, mixed ceviche, and guacamole. Everything we had was delicious. Shortly after we sat down it started pouring so more groups of people showed up. Aside from there being a lot of people the service was still great. We were there around lunch time but I could tell that it would be a cool place to hang out for dinner. read more

Mateo's - Guacamole and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Tulum, ROO

Worst fish tacos on earth Guacamole was a salt mine yet without flavor Brought wrong order to start Coconuts taste like vomit Flies landing on you every 30 seconds Coconut shrimp sauce bland Slow service with little attention We were there as a group of 4 and phenomonally everyone's food was so terrible. The best part of the experience was leaving... however for the next 30 minutes we all experienced terrible tastes in our mouth from the food until we were rescued by a gelato place that washed away the scent of dead carcasses from our mouths Baffled at how yelp had this place at 4 stars read more

A few friends and I went to Tulum recently - Mateo's was recommended to us and is usually on the top 'restaurants' list for the area. We went with fair expectations. We ordered a round of drinks - I got a Pina Colada and it was decent. Nothing to write home about though. We also ordered the Shrimp Burrito and Grilled Octopus to share (as recommended by the waitress). The food was subpar. The burrito barely had any shrimp in it - stingy amount! It was also a little bland for my liking. The octopus was a little tough and not very well-done. Overall, the food was very mediocre at a high cost (it was around $50 per person with drinks, food, and tip). Lastly, this may not seem like a big deal, but when we got there it was during the Game of Thrones series finale. While this is awesome for people who are travelling and want to spend the hour and a half watching in Tulum, it wasn't ideal for those of us who were waiting to watch it when we went back home. We had to put on headphones to tune out the LOUD volume of the show so that we wouldn't hear any spoilers! Thankfully we showed up 30 mins before it ended, so only had to endure that for half an hour... but I wish they would've mentioned it or had another area to sit in far away from the screens and sounds! read more

Super cute place to come for dinner!! The ambiance is amazing! I had the fish (grouper) freshly caught that day, which came with two sides but not really filling. A friend of mine had the squid and I must say it is sooooooo worth it. Pricey but seasoned to perfection and a nice portion size. It's one of their *featured* photos. Live music. read more

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It took me some time to not be too critical of the places near the beach as compared to the really awesome food of downtown Tulum. That's why this place gets 4 stars. First of all - this place has the BEST ambiance of any place on this main road leading to Tulum beaches than any other restaurant. Clearly it is almost always super busy - with not only tourists staying at one of the many resorts on the beach but also the locals. I really loved the set up. It is spacious. Has great lightings. They have enough tables with different count of chairs - for families, couples, groups. And the best of all things - can u say again - the lighting! Of all colors and kinds. Simply amazing and true to the spirit of the place - fun, happy, joyous. The food - I am not going to beat them up on the prices and their faux claim to fame about their fish tacos being the best on planet earth. I wish they would take that slogan off their blackboard near the entrance - I would have really liked them more than we did. Both the regular fish tacos and the Baja fish tacos (we had both kinds) are strictly - ok. The chips were super crisp and very fresh. Our guy Miguel was SUPER Nice. Genuinely happy about what he was doing - he was kind and very helpful with my queries about the local carveza recommendations. Having little to no heat in the salsa - he got instantly what we were seeking and got us a very hot n flaming green habanero purée sauce. Loved it. I am glad we tried and liked this place. Possibly my favorite place on the beach stretch which is 5 km away from downtown Tulum. No place near the beaches can come close to the quality or the price tag of the wonderful places on the downtown Tulum drag. But if I had to pick one to dine at night near the beaches - it would be Mateos. A truly safe a bet. read more

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We arrived at 6 pm . The restaurant mentioned they would have a live band at 8 pm . We ate and drank . After spending over $300 in food and drinks. We decided to wait 30 minutes for he band . Once we paid our bill, the staff told us we had to leave since e were no longer consuming food or drinks .. I have been to many restaurant bars before and have never experienced this before.. we also had breakfast set the same plane in the morning and felt awful with the way this was handled . read more

Mateo's is a very fun Mexican restaurant on the beach. It's located on the Tulum strip where there is lots going on! They advertise they have be best fish tacos in the world! I haven't had that many, but I will say, these are amazing! I had forgot to order flour tortillas, since I prefer those over corn, but no worries because the fish tacos with corn tortillas wee he best fish tacos I've ever had with corn tortillas. They also have some sauces, and their very own "special sauce" which were all tasty! Their salsa was absolutely delicious also. They had a mild and a spicy and the spicy was so flavorful. It wasn't too spicy where you couldn't actually enjoy the taste, it was perfect. They had a specialty passion fruit cocktail...passion fruit cocktails are my favorite!! It was so delicious, and healthy...getting in your fiber while getting boozed up, I'm in! They have tons of eating room space, 2 floors and nice views. The staff was very kind, and they have free wifi. Hey also have free parking if you're eating there, nice addition for sure. I look forward to coming back and trying more of their menu!! Keep it up Mateo's! read more

Mateo's - Fish tacos with special sauce! - Mexican Near Me - Tulum, ROO

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I believe we are here at least 3 times on our 4 day trip to Tulum. Try their fish tacos and you will instantly want to go back for each meal (like I did). Happy Hour: I want to say it's everyday 5-7 and its 2 for 1 certain cocktails. They bring you fresh salsa and chips. SO good. The tortilla chips aren't your normal chips. They're thicker and taste like their homemade..which they probably are. The rooftop area is one of the best spots to watch the sunset in Tulum. The service: Excellent. Very attentive and recommend to your liking. Can't wait to return once I visit Tulum again. read more

Mateo's - fish tacos - a must try! - Mexican Near Me - Tulum, ROO

If you're a sports fan and want to watch a game - I would seriously consider going somewhere else. Arrived 30 min before the 2019 Orange Bowl - and politely asked if they would put it on ESPN. Even though they have this huge NCAA sign out front - manager had no idea what i was talking about. Sadly he couldn't figure it out - instead he tuned it to a Big 10 bowl game from 2012 and women's soccer (not that I'm against women's soccer) but when you display the NFL, NBA and NCAA logos outside your establishment and market yourself as the best sports bar around - you should be able to navigate to a New Years 6 bowl game. Instead walked down to Piedra Escondida - the bartender instantly found the channel...and the food was so much better!! read more

Took a walk to find lunch and stopped here. Sat at the bar, had some fish tacos and beer. No complaints. We'll be back in a few days. The staff was nice and friendly enough.... read more

Mateo's - Empty glass of a pineapple IPA - Mexican Near Me - Tulum, ROO

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One of my favorite dinners in Tulum! Grab some drinks at the sunset lounge with friendly bar tenders then head downstairs for great food. Everyone was incredibly kind and accommodating. The atmosphere is fantastic as well! read more

While I can't speak to the quality of the food at Mateo's, the sunset happy hour is worth setting aside time to enjoy. Mateo's is a sprawling, street-side bar and restaurant that acts as a "sports bar", as well as a live music venue. But if you venture to the back of the room and traverse up a set of stairs, you'll be greeted with an elevated terrace where 2-for-1 drinks flow like waterfalls, and you're witness to one heck of a sunset around 6:30pm. There are several vacation-style drinks to enjoy - from mojitos to blended spicy margaritas and everything in between - and if you're there from 5-7pm, you'll get two for every order. Not only a fiscally responsible choice, but one that will leave you with a quality buzz before heading off for dinner on the beach. Though they take preventative measures to keep mosquitos away, you might want to bring your own bug spray. I got eaten alive twice, so tread carefully. read more

This restaurant was recommended by our concierge at our hotel and man was he right ! It sure is amazing! I was blown away by their shrimp tacos ! We went back two more times after the first! They have four sauces to choose from to add to your tacos and the secret one is amazing ! Also ordered waters with refreshers and we got mango and it was mind blowing ! A must in tulum! And great service everytime ! Bring bug repellent ! read more

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Place has funky vibe, great ambience, live music.. big plus they have ample free parking (this is a big deal esp on a Friday night) Now about the food..may be not the world's best fish tacos but pretty darn good! Phenomenal salsas to go with the tacos. Definitely not a cheap taco stand - it's about $10 for taco platter which is adequate food, chips and salsa are served gratis. read more

Our treat while staying in Tulum, we came here after coming from the beach. It was happy hour so 2 for 1 cocktails were definitely on the agenda. The drinks were STRONGGGG, worth the money if you wanna have a quick buzz. I ordered the ceviche which was totally worth it, super yummy and even after finishing the chips I was spooning the rest into my mouth! :P I also had the fish tacos which they claim to be the best in the world, they were good but not the BEST I've had. They even brought out different sauces to choose from. My favourites were the tamarind and cilantro and a few drops of the habanero. The waiter was really friendly and we even had a nice chat about where we all lived. :) read more

Mateo's - Fish tacos. - Mexican Near Me - Tulum, ROO

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I loved this place in Tulum! It has great free WiFi, we had fresh coconut water, rented bikes for half a day, ate dinner, went to the rooftop sunset lounge with live music, and had drinks while listening to live music over a span of a few days. This place has everything! Would recommend for a good priced restaurant in Tulum. read more

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this review is on the service and atmosphere, my husband had to watch the Raiders game while in Tulum- so we wanted a nice spot to chill at. this was it. an open setting with three floors of space. the staff were very helpful in locating the channel. strawberry margaritas were great. after the game took a 10 min walk to catch the sunset, came back and went up to the 3rd floor for some live music by Los Brockolis, if you're in Tulum you have to catch a set by them! read more

This was my first spot that I went to for food on my first day. I just want to say the portions are huge so don't be big eyed like me & order EVERYYYYYTHING you see. I spend about $43 and that was fare for everything I got. The people were polite & didn't have to wait long. The reason I give 4 stars is because I found myself getting up a few times to get someone's attention. But over all the food was great! I'm a foodie so I know good food. After I finished my food I asked for a taxi & the server was nice enough to do it. What I did realize is that this restaurant like many others are on one strip & it's not hard to get a taxi at all. Because these drivers know it's a tourist attraction their literally outside waiting. read more

In a land of simple, Mateos brings life to the party. Stopped by on our bike journey and boy were we pleasantly surprised. Beautiful people and atmosphere, the drinks and food were even better. If you do not visit Mateos bar while in Tulum and experience the tacos, margaritas and atmosphere, then shame on you!!! By the way, make sure you take a walk upstairs to capture a hammock and view of Tulum. Now back to the Margs... read more

Mateo's - Cocoa Locos! - Mexican Near Me - Tulum, ROO

Their sign says "best fish tacos in the world" and it's true!! They are delicious! My husband I I got one plate of fish tacos and one plate of Baja to share. The Baja were good but the fish were epic. Paired with the shots of tequila we had made it a perfect vacation lunch. Everyone who visits needs to try this place! read more

Mateo's - Mexican Near Me - Tulum, ROO

2.5 stars Not sure why all the hype here. We came here as the only "sports bar" in Tulum. By sports bar it has 2 TVs, all of which are on a delay from each other. The drinks are extremely watered down, so not worth ordering. Food is alright. The shrimp tacos were the best I've had on the menu. The fish tacos were so over cooked it was inedible. there just aren't that many options in Tulum so if you need to watch a sporting event, I guess this where you go. Otherwise, not sure why you would. read more

Visited on a Saturday night (around 10pm). Food was okay. My husband had the coconut shrimp, which he liked. I had the quesadilla, which was a bit bland. Service was HORRIBLE! Very slow and little attention. Music was nice and parking was available for patrons. read more

I came to Tulum for the first time this past week. I had made reservations at the more known restaurants, Kin Toh, Rosa Negra etc. And let me just say they didn't compare to this place. I found the food in Tulum very blah until one of our cab drivers told us about Mateo's! The place is non fancy, open air restaurant and ughhhh the food is so good and tasty and flavorful! The price is not bad either, me and my husband never spent more than $60 on dinner and drinks. The Margaritas are nice and strong and everything we tasted from the coconut shrimp in its beautiful presentation, to the fish tacos, quesadillas, wings etc was delicious! We loved it so much we came here 4 times during our stay lol for lunch and dinner or just drinks! Pass by and give this place a try for sure! read more

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Mateo's is a nice respite from some of the more upscale options in the area. Low key, lots of screens to watch sports on and plenty of booze and tacos to go around. They tout that they have the best fish tacos around and they were pretty darn delicious. Maybe not the best you'll ever have, but when you're hungry and looking for a quick bite... it sure does a great job. Lots of folks and music at night make for a great time away from the hub bub of the hotel strip. read more

This seems to be a staple when it comes to the beach area of Tulum. I don't blame them; TVs, a bar, loads of seating and even a sunset roof, what more would you want? Well... me personally authentic food. Their special of the day is 'Mayan garlic octopus' which has been the daily special since I have been in the area. Decent to taste but over cooked. They don't seem to know their beer what so ever, ordered a Mayan IPA beer and was served a Lager. In the bottle. I had to argue with the server that I was given the wrong beer and pointed out the label multiple times. The service really isn't that great in general despite the cervaza debacle. For Americans (which I am) I get it, you can watch football, but please try to venture out a little more. I'm watching the place get a line out the door, when there are so many other places that are exceptional in the area that are not on Yelp or new to it. You are in Mexico, live it up! I promise Mateos will be just fine. read more

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Steak Fajitas are incredible. Great service and ambiance. Very reasonable prices. Love it! Will be back again.

Our family stumbled upon this place when we were driving thru Tulum. The food was excellent and service very fast. The fish tacos are great -- get them fried. Their fried fish and fish bites are amazing, especially with the tamarind chipotle and Secret Sauce. read more

The hubby and I stopped here after a long day of walking around the Tulum ruins, saw a sign that said best fish tacos in the world and decided to stop in and have a try. So first the feel of the place is very much like many Mexican restaurants in NJ with beautiful wall paintings and colorful decor which we really loved. There was upbeat Mexican music playing which really set a nice and playful mood. As soon as we sat our order was taken and they brought out some tortilla chips with 3 different types of sauces, which we tore through bc we were starving! All three sauces were different but very tasty. Hubby ordered the fish tacos I got an appetizer sampler. We both really really enjoyed our food and the ambiance. The staff was very friendly and this was one of our absolute favorite places that we ate in Tulum! Deff give it a go! read more

Mateo's - Mexican Near Me - Tulum, ROO

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My friends and I stopped here to get a margarita on our way to see a show at Papaya Playa. The margs were ok but nothing special. Mateo himself materialized as we were finishing our drinks and started to talk to us, asking us how we were enjoying our drinks. He then proceeded to both criticize the servers and tell us about their "true Mayan roots". He told us about how sturdy they were and demonstrated by pushing them around. He offered us a tequila shot and asked our server what tequila we were drinking in our margaritas - Don Julio. We could hear him tell the server to get us a cheaper tequila for the shots. They brought out the shots and we were so creeped out by this guy that we all pretended to take them but poured them out as he took his. We quickly left after this encounter. read more

Amazing spot - anyone who complains must be crazy! We had fish and shrimp tacos and ceviche. The unique sauces they give on the side made the meal, and the complimentary homemade chips/salsa were also delicious. read more

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I had been in the car traveling for quite a while and I was starving. I heard that the food in Tulum was really good, especially the fish. I was told it was extremely fresh. I spotted the prominent sign saying "best fish tacos on earth". So I obviously got extremely excited and then I saw they had 4 stars on yelp so I was even more excited. It took us 20mins to park and then we got seated. We ordered the guacamole and I've had guac all over the world and honestly a 10 year old taco bell sitting in the heat would have more flavor than that. Zero seasoning, zero onions, zero tomatoes, zero cilantro it was like avacado and moldy limes. Then the Baja fish tacos were bland and just gross. Honestly everyone's dish's were just lacking any sort of care and flavour. The chefs have lost their passion and I hope this comes as a wake up call to the owners. read more

Horrible food. We ordered four different meals and they were all equally as bad. The fish I ordered tasted like they had cooked it in old oil and all of my friends food was equally as bad. The guacamole was literally just avocados and a ton of salt and the coconuts we had were old and looked molded. Overall just plain bad.... don't trust their "best tacos in the whole world" sign because the reality is quite the opposite. read more

Fish tacos were amazing but service was alil slow. I had to eat my food with my hand because the server didn't bring a fork till i was about done. Food definitely made up for the service tho. Please try the fish tacos you won't regret it read more

Ironically, this place was not on our list to try until someone said they have the best fish tacos. So, we tried them. And we ended up eating there every day for lunch during our recent trip to Tulum. The fish tacos are awesome. I choose to get mine baja style. Fresh fish, fried to perfection, not greasy, not "flat", just perfection. on average, they come as a serving of 4 (smallish, 4" tortillas) with fresh slaw and avocado. I say "on average" because on the first day, we on;y received 3 tacos each! Consistency in these parts is not exactly the strong point. But its the SAUCES you need to explore: chipotle, habanero (my favorite), "secret" and creamy. We started our lunches with their salsa, an order of guacamole and margaritas (beers for MrSS9). The guacamole was good, not great. Their margaritas tended to be a bit bitter for my taste. It's straight up lime, tequila and Controy - they just had a bit of a "bite" to them. And their pico / salsa is very tasty - FRESH with lots of good spice. Service isn't the greatest - Prices were very "american" (read; no deals here). I had expected them to, at least, see the my margarita glass was empty and come to the table to ask if we wanted another, but that didn't happen. The place is definitely hoppin at night. Theres a deck over the restaurant and you have beautiful views of the sunsets and the jungle in the evenings. If nothing else, go for the fish taco - It's well worth it! read more

We stopped at Mateo's for lunch on our last full day in Tulum after a week long vacation. How I wish I'd never been tempted by their inviting atmosphere and giant sign proclaiming to have the best tacos in the world. Um, no. First of all- this place is a bit pricey for Tulum, even when taken into account that it's on the beach side and not in town where everything is cheaper. Three tacos for 120 pesos-- this was not including sides, which were 40 pesos more. So about that best fish tacos in the world sign? Hardly! Flour tortillas with tacos? So wrong. And on the inside: tiny bits of fried fish with either a mayo based or another sugary sweet sauce on the side. Ugh. No chili/hot sauce unless you ask, and then it's just a generic bottle of the stuff. Obviously far from authentic. And not very good either. The fish was tasteless, the tortillas were tasteless, the sauce tasted like something I'd get at PF Chang's. At the end of the meal and we were handed a check for 360 pesos for two juices and six tacos. The receipt was stamped "Tips not included". it was also printed "tips not included" on there as well. The waiter then came up to us to tell us that tips weren't included, just so we were absolutely sure on this. Right... One hour later and both of us were puking up our lunches into the sand of the most beautiful beach I've been to....the next two days and plane ride home were complete agony. Sadly enough, with our appetites wiped out, our last meal in Mexico was Mateo's. So yeah...head into town for insanely good al pastor tacos at a quarter of the price. Without the food poisoning too! read more

This review is based on having dinner downstairs, not on the upstairs bar. The convenience if you're staying nearby is definitely a positive, but unfortunately the food lacks originality and flavor. As other reviewers have said, the menu is pretty Americanized. We did love the fresh chips and salsa that came out complimentary prior to the meal, but the tacos and burrito we ordered were slightly disappointing. The dishes themselves lacked flavor, and even the sauces they brought out were kind of creamy and didn't feel super authentic. Unfortunately, I don't think we'd elect to go back unless we had no other options. Redeeming qualities are the service (excellent) and location. read more

After a long drive up from Bacalar we were hungry and had some time to kill before we checked into our hotel down the beach road. We stopped at Mateo's for some lunch - I had a burger that was pretty boring, just a patty of meat and cheese squished between a bun, the fires were ok. My wife had some mediocre steak tacos. It gets really hot since there are no fans to circulate the air. They only take cash and American Express read more

We went here twice on our vacation- the very first and last place we went to. First, because it's where our hotel staff recommended. Honestly we were a bit disappointed with it that first time, because it seemed to be catering to a tex-mex-gringo kind of crowd, not what we were going for- although our service was super friendly and helpful. We order a bit of dinner and beers but maybe we were just wound up and cranky after a long day of travelling. On our trip to Tulum almost every other spot we dined at we were enthralled by. People kept recommending Mateo's to us and I would sort of roll my eyes. Been there. Then on the last night of our incredible vacation, we just wanted to drink some mezcal in a lively environment after another incredible dinner, and inexplicably, we wandered back to Mateos. It IS a lively environment. We sat at the bar (much more fun). Our bartender was so cool and friendly. He showed us all this great mezcal to sip. There was a funky band playing- they had a bunch of instruments including trombone. My boyfriend and I enjoyed ourselves, maybe by then we were really relaxed and could enjoy Mateo's for what it is! read more

We felt ill after eating the chicken kabobs. The skewer was mostly bell pepper and onion anyway so it probably was for the best. Strange to not be full and then get sick afterward. Not sure how clean their food is. The waiter tried to upsell us each time we ordered a drink or entree. And after we paid our bill he followed us to complain and ask for a bigger tip. The whole experience was very uncomfortable. In general we recommend avoiding this part of town to eat. Overpriced. read more