Food=delicious Food was fast fresh and delicious! Friendly service. I did not think it was dirty like thevrest of these reviews. Ask for the habanero salsa in the back! So delicious read more

We used to eat at Maya Pelenque when our kids were young and we always had a good time and good food.. We thought we would give it a try and we were very disappointed with our experience! When we walked in there were three tables just finishing up their meals... We were immediately given chips and salsa however we waited about 15 mins for our waitress to come over and greet us...she took our drink order and basically disappeared for another 10 minutes...so we walked out! they asked us why we were leaving..but I don;t think they really cared....by the way, when we left we were the only customers in the restaurant!! They have no concept of customer service and really need a reality show rescue read more

I'm speaking only on behalf of the tortilla soup. Really delicious stuff. There's not much atmosphere to speak of here. Televisions present on all the walls with various sports playing. The waiting staff was attentive and took care of all our needs. Because the tortilla soup was so good, it's likely I'll come back on a cold winter day. read more

It's not everywhere you can find plantains for breakfast in the south bay and these ones are GOOD. This place makes REAL homemade tortillas and they're top notch. The chille relleno was authentic and tasty. I'll be back for that one for sure. read more

I ate at Maya Palenque for more than 5 years while working in Novato. I just moved offices so I won't be going anymore and will miss it. The service was very friendly and I liked the people, but it can be slow at times because the waiter also tends bar. The chicken breast tacos are excellent and I love the rice and salsa. read more

Great service and tons of delicious Mexican food! They have outdoor and indoor seating. They have like 10 flat screen TV's, great for watching sports. read more

Do not recommend for large groups for dinner. Chips where style, food was ok but cold and the steak was chewy. I found a very long hair in my food and we had no room to move and walk around to talk. Staff stood around and watch us when they were done serving. The drinks were watered down and bar tender was favoring people they new with better drinks then others. This is not under new ownership. To me this Is the old owners trying to bring in new people. The beans looked like pork and beans with no flavor. Clean restaurant nice inside area for drinks but not for dinner. They need to step it up. read more

I thought the red salsa, chips, and guacamole rocked! Likewise my fish tacos which were fantastic...awesome flour tortillas!! Great margaritas and very good service. Can't wait to go back for more fish tacos!! read more

Very consistent good quality. Waitstaff is always great. I like it here a lot. It's not a wow kind of place, but it's good food. ive not had a bad meal here in many years. But I've never left here thinking "wow". read more

Generous portions and the food is so good. The menu contains a very wide selection including several vegitarian options. Not too expensive (two can eat well for around $35 excluding drinks) and not pretentious. A great spot to relax and have some really tasty Mexican style food. read more

Maya Palenque is a great restaurant for large groups. We had 10 in our party and Sunday lunch was perfect. The waiter was very attentive- made sure our drinks were satisfying and he was very friendly. The strawberry margarita was super good- you could taste the tequila in it which is a good thing! I chose the Santos' Tacos which were grilled chicken with sauteed red bell pepper, onions, green chilies, spicy salsa, with a side of black beans and rice. I could only eat half my meal as it was so filling and such a large portion. Their chips and salsa are fresh and chips still warm. Beware- you can fill yourself up easily on the chips and salsa before your entree arrives. Addicting. The birthday boy- instead of dessert- got a tequila bomb: tequila dropped into a glass of red bull while lit on fire. Glad I wasn't the one taking that shot down- but it was a great show! :) read more

I found this great for a casual day out! Sunday manager was great and so was the staff especially Carlos the bartender! Food was damn good!

This is a great place to have a margarita, a shot of tequila or a beer after work. In the summer they have outdoor seating and its very pleasant. If I want food though, I usually go elsewhere. I've tried most of the extensive menu over the years and I can recommend the Tropical Pork burrito or the Beef Fajitas. Both are totally decent. I personally stay away from most everything else there except the chips and salsa -- those are safe. read more

This place was AWESOME until about 2001. Before that, they had beautiful wall murals, authentic-looking staff (maybe Mayan?,) and the music was Latin American. After then, they white-washed the walls, the staff was just there to clock in and out, and you could hear the happy hour music like Guns n Roses from the bar in the restaurant area!!! WTF! I'll try it again and re-rate if needed soon. read more

Good margaritas. Very friendly service. It was a beautiful day, so we sat outside. It has a nice outdoor seating area. Good food. I had the chile verde Big chunks of tender pork. Yeah! Salsa served with the chips was not very spicy. That's a negative for me. I like heat. I think even though the food is good, it is overpriced for what you get. A spoonful of beans, a spoonful of chile verde, two spoonfuls of rice. On a big plate to make you think you are getting more than you're getting. But overall a nice place. Really, if my big complaint is that I didn't get enough food, that says something, right? read more

Cool little place to watch the game and grab a few happy hour beers. Oh and they had complimentary nacho chips and salsa.

Friends from S. F. took me out for my birthday. It started out well--but unfortunately did not continue that way!! I ordered a margarita & it came on the rocks--my fault, I didn't specify, but the flavor was good! For dinner I ordered an appetizer with shrimp & pineapple in a tomato-based sauce. When it arrived, the dish looked yummy but LARGE--this is an appetizer?? They had even included a small salad on the plate. After my first bite I realized WHY the salad--the sauce was SO spicy it was basically inedible!! I could not taste the shrimp at all & could barely taste the pineapple!! There was no taste, just HOT!!! I suspect the salad was to try to temper the heat-it didn't work. On the other hand, the other two people in our party seemed to have much better luck with their orders--soft tacos & a burrito. This was NOT our first visit, but it may be our last!!!x read more

Hands-down, the most kid- & family-friendly restaurant we've ever been to, in all of Marin. And nice, strong margaritas too! Try the carne asada - loved it. The staff is really quite fantastic- they remember you and are very personable. And again - anywhere that can truly enjoy the chaos that is little kids in a restaurant makes for a great family outing. read more

I love this place. Every time I go there's great service, great food and we have a real fun time. I would not call this run-of-the-mill Mexican food... it is so much better. I love the two salsas you get and the seafood is very fresh. It's a tad noisy with the TVs and all the people but that's the fun of it! I love the fun atmosphere. I don't write many reviews but wanted to bother to give this place a big thumbs-up and 4 starts. I can't wait to go back. read more

They have really good nachos and their vegetarian burritos are so good I would recommend

I literally created a Yelp account specifically to write this because Maya Palenque is that off the charts. I used to come here many years ago when I lived in Tiburon- the food was amazing and their staff made it feel like home (the two I remember specifically were from the East coast as well, amazingly nice people). After years of having lived out of the area, I've come back and just had to hit up Maya Palenque. It was even better than I had remembered! The chips here are absolutely amazing, and the salsa verde makes the chip experience just rediculous. And thats only the chips!! The entrees and drinks are equally delicious. I got the vegetarian chimichanga- wowza! My friend also loved his meal and he had the veggie burrito. We shared a huge bowl of some delicious drink (can't remember what it was called) that was tasty, fun and a very good deal. I wish my stomach was four times larger so I could keep eating more- a dining experience I never wanted to end. I'll keep coming back because the food was ridiculously good. But more importantly, the people who work here seem to be pretty darn cool. Having spent many, many years in the service industry I really only like to give my business to places where staff are treated well and are genuinely enabled to have a good time while working. The guys that helped us out seemed to be enjoying themselves while still being incredibly professional. At one point in my meal, I accidentally knocked my knife off the table and our waiter (I think his name was Vincente?) was so on top of it that by the time I had looked up from watching it drop, he was already standing next to me with a new one in hand...and totally smiling (not the fake kind either). I couldn't believe how attentive and kind he was. Yeah Maya Palenque!! Thanks Vincente? and everyone at Maya Palenque for providing such a blow away experience and for being so nice to us and each other. I'll come back every time I pass through the area. MMm hmmm!! read more

I work over in Bel Marin Keys, and my company has monthly lunches. Due to our small budget, pizza is the best we can usually hope for, but I ordered from Maya's and was very pleased with the beautiful lunch they provided. Steak tacos, enchiladas, salad, and all the fixings (rice, beans, fresh quacamole and salsa, chips, etc.). They even threw in some chicken wings which as a big hit. The food was delicious, everyone was very happy, and went back for seconds. And it was totally within our budget. read more

Good chips, good service, and my waiter called me Miss instead of Ma'am.

This place is the bomb lived in Marin all my life moved to novato 2 years ago and went here . Carlos at the bar makes it happen. His son is great to see on Saturdays happy hr is so good never a bad meal read more

. One of the bartenders was EXTREMELY RUUUUDE. He was upset because my boyfriend accidentally slammed a cup on the bar because we were in a hurry for an Uber outside. He threatened to kick us out when we were already on our way out.. we are regulars.I was really upset about this! I have not eaten here but they do attend you well. read more

I called two days in advance and made reservations for 10 people at 5:30 pm on a Sunday. I asked if we could have the back room and was told yes, it's available. When we arrived with our party, the back room was occupied by another party and I was told they could not accommodate us at all! The manager accused me of not making a reservation and was very rude. I have come here with a group before, but never again. read more

Four stars because "yay! I'm a fan" and how could you not be? The restaurant has a casual local kind of feel with a good percent of the patrons at the bar or the pool table. There's a gigantic patio that wraps around the front with some lovely shrubbery and rope lights, perfect with their expertly mixed margaritas. It's a great place to hang, my girlfriend stayed and had a 3 hour dinner extravaganza complete with their tumbler sized shots of patron, belicimo! The food in my opinion was pretty tasty and very generous, for $30 I got 2 margaritas, a shot of patron and two steak tacos with rice and beans. Not shabby, service was good too. read more

Walking in the place at 12:15 in the afternoon it was empty with one couple seated at a table. There where no greeters and I had to ask someone if they where open. I seated my shelf and relaxed some trying to figure out if I should run. The guy I asked if they where open turned out to be my waiter. He delivered warm chips and a mild red and green salsa. I ordered the Crania Asada. As I waited and enjoyed the chips the place filled up more with the lunch crowd. It never got totally full but a good crowd. Noise level was low so it was a pleasure to be inside. My lunch was delivered in a timely manner and hot. The waiter was very attentive and kept my ice tea full. The meal was very good. It is not the best Carna Asada I've had but it was not the worst, it was good. Lots of TV's with sports running if your into that. I felt it a very friendly place and I might have caught them off guard when I came in. Yes I would eat hear again if ever in the area. Watching the customers that where hear a lot seamed to be regulars as they where greeted and talked with a lot. Seen some go in the back to say hi to the cooks. Not sure if the corn chips where home made but they had a great crunch. Salsa was good but I like more heat. read more

Great food, I asked for substitutions and they made it easy for me. They make the drinks strong so order accordingly. Family friendly, used to go in on fridays with the kids and the chips and salsa were in front of the hungry kids within minutes. The best part... NO AWFUL HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONGS!! read more

I used to come here after work for their great margaritas when I worked in Marin but hadn't been by for quite sometime until last week. Many positive changes since my previous visit. There is a new menu including a unique drink menu you won't find anywhere else. The decor has been upgraded, love the warm colors. I've always liked their outdoor seating for the summer. I had a great dish, chicken cancun. My friend had one of their "daily specials", a seared ahi tuna salad, that she loved. It was a very pleasant overall experience. I will be back.... read more

We were led to believe this place was pet friendly. That is decidedly not the case! They wanted us to tie our dog to a tree outside. They became actively hostile when we pointed out that they were listed as pet friendly and that a new California law requires restaurants with outdoor areas to accommodate dogs. All pet lovers should avoid this place. read more

overpriced. marginal food. I love mexican food, and have been to Maya Palenque 3-4 times (it's close to home). Not once have they EVER gotten my takeout order correctly. The first time I was overcharged $12 for an entree that I did not order OR recieve in my takeout bag. The second time they forgot to include side orders of guac (a major necessity) and sour cream which I had already payed for. Dinner for a family of 3 added up to 40 bucks and I refuse to pay that much for the kind of taco and burrito that Maya Palenque serves. Las Guitarras, Fernandos and both way better choices in Novato. I am anxiously waiting for this place to go out of business. read more

We stopped in to watch the NFC Championship game (49'ers won.. Superbowl here we come!!!) We partook of the snacks (nachos and chicken wings) which were good. They had chips and salsa available non-stop. I preferred the green salsa. The staff was on top of things and the bartender came over to serve us himself (we were in the bar area but not sitting at the bar itself) and made a point of welcoming us and when we left thanking us and inviting us back. The place was very busy until about an hour after the game ended. We stayed so he could have enchiladas and watch part of the Ravens vs. Patriots game. He really liked the enchiladas. I didn't have dinner - too full from the snacks. Quick note the spicy wings are.. spicy! I think I'm glad we didn't get the habenero ones. A note on the well drinks, I had a margarita and hen a mojito. Both were made well but I asked for them to alter the mojito a bit and it was done with a smile. So kudos for that! =) He had bud lite.. They have a lounge with large leather couches, tables, and tv screens. We moved over there for a bit before leaving. It is comfortable and a nice spot off the bar/restaurant. We will be back. read more

THE WORST excuse for Mexican food I have ever even imagined, Seems to me it would be difficult to cook ANYTHING with less flavor, especially "Mexican food". My husband and I could not imagine how the place is still in business. As Scott M. reviewed below, "cavernous Mexican spots bar with no personality or warmth". Awful. Absoultely awful. This is coming from someone who has never even taken the time to write a Yelp review. It's that bad. I apparently needed to give it one star to submit the post. read more

I've lived in Novato for over ten years. Maya Palenque is about a five minute walk from my home and my wife and I have eaten at this restaurant numerous times. We considered this a standby for good, hot, and delicious Mexican food and the place is open late so good for late-night meals. Unfortunately, the quality of the food has suffered to the point that it is not acceptable. They need to improve the quality or I will not find any reason to come again. I tried it again for lunch today and I barely ate half of what was served. The old Maya was great. A little noisy, rowdy, and drafty - but the food made up for the lack of ambience. No longer true. read more

How can you call yourself a Mayan/ Yucatecan cuisine restaurant using the most inexpensive generic Chinese ingredients. No roasted chiles, no citrus-infused flavors and spices. Just bland disappointment! I see a Mexican guy cooking in the kitchen but have a strange Chinese flavor in my mouth. I did confirm the Chinese sauce they used in most of their dishes is Gourmet Sauce, a popular Chinese condiment. The waitress was honest enough to tell me that they used this sauce for their meat dishes. No chile or Mexican staples of meat preparation. Gourmet Sauce is something you purchase in Smart and Final in a 5 gallon bucket. And that was all the flavor in the beef fajitas. The tropical pork had no flavor and it was tough as leather. And the enchiladas my friend had were not much better, the type of enchiladas they sell frozen in any bulk store. I give this restaurant 1 star because the waitress was the only thing worth a dime in this so called ' Mexican' restaurant. I suggest Maya Palenque only sell beer and get rid of the dinner menu and the watered-down cocktails! Run don't walk away from this restaurant!!! read more

Wow, a lot of changes have been happening at Maya. The decor is still transitioning and the food has had some great revisions. Try the new $2 tacos and sangria. I also like it spicy and they are now making the marinated jalpenos, carrot, onion mix. I can never remember the name for that! But it is tasty. If you have never to Maya or it has been a while, I would definitely check it out. Oh, I almost forgot about the new spicy mango margarita! My new favorite, a great combination of spicy and sweet. read more

The food is ok, used to be better. The drinks are good, but could be stronger. The wait staff is ok, unless it's the Joe (co-owner), I think that's his name. He is rockin' as is his wife. HOPE THEY BRING IT BACK UP TO WERE IS USED TO BE IN FOOD, SERVICE AND DRINKS. I'll go back in a couple of months and see if it's coming back. Crossing my fingers cause I used to love going to this place. read more

great building and staff, foods good, good happy hour specials, fresh warm chip bar, but THERES TVs ON EVERY WALL! :( i think theres 12 in here! the decor (decorative sombreros are not mayan....) is minimal, and could be more archaic.... read more

The two stars are for the bartender and the happy hour. Sorry to say the foood gets no stars. Sorry, but the food is edible at best. I will go for happy hour and stick to the chips and salsa, the best thing they can offer. Sorry to be so harsh but I feel like I'm ordering off the kids menu, no flavor. read more