Excellent service and awesome salsa. Came here with a coworker and I'll definitely be back. I ordered the steak enchiladas plate. The food came out fast and was delicious. Staff was very attentive and friendly. read more

no stars they sale a drink and later because they have an event, and don't stay they just give us 5 minutes to finish and when I say why they serve the drinks before to ask, got very upset and say , I will make the security to put you outside. Dangerous and aggressive manager who is the same person is a bartender. We are woman's read more

I ordered the chile relleno and have never seen yellow cheese on top. My son enjoyed his flautas. But the chile rellenos were so so

This place fucken sucks excuse my fucking French But seriously what the hell My husband and I just left the restaurant From start to finish this was our experience We walked in there was two individuals sitting at the bar and the rest of the restaurant was empty (It's about 230pm) As we entered the door we saw two employees an older hispanic bartender and older female hispanic employee They both just stared at us and said NOTHING We were confused? Should we sit ourselves? Do we wait to be seated? So we just walked and sat down The male Hispanic bartender was also our waiter He came to the table and just dropped off two menus but still didn't greet us A couple minutes later we places our orders We got the tilapia fish tacos, burrito, flauta and Chile relleno The two plates brought a side of rice and beans one with refried beans and the other with rice and black beans I'm not even trying to sound like an asshole but the food was straight bland and not authentic at all The food was less than mediocre The guest service was even worse We waited for one refill of coke and water And again keep in mind the restaurant was empty I got up and went to the bar area to ask for a refill of coke and the bartender just looked at me like I was inconveniencing him We asked for the check and when he dropped it off he didn't even say a damn thing Would not recommend this place to anyone I promise you can find something way better in every aspect My opinion is coming strictly from a professional food & beverage/fine dining background My reviews on yelp aren't always foul but when they are.... read more

There's a reason this place has been in business for 47 years! The food is very flavorful down to every aspect. Service is professional and quick. The layout of the restaurant is great and clean. Best latin food I've had Marin hands down. read more

The food was just plain awful! I ordered a Cancun platter. It was beans, rice, cold shrimp and a large pile of uncooked garlic. A truly pathetic attempt. read more

Our local favorite in southern Novato for a long time. Joe, the owner is a gem, So is Carlos and all of their great workers. For drinks, for games, for great food, this place is the best for Mexican food around. read more

my favorite mexican restaurant for many years, tried most everything on menu and all delicious

Taco Bell is better than this crap. The Latinos working there know it too. The rice looks like rice a roni Spanish rice, the salsa taste like it's out of a can but they add fresh cilantro to fool you that it's fresh. Weak. Nothing is authentic. Disappointing... read more

Poor service. I went with my friends for happy hour to get 5$ margaritas & when the check came they charged us for the normal margarita price (11$ each). When we approached them about it they brushed us off and told us "we didn't specify". Bullshit. Don't go here. read more

First timer Love Love this restaurant!! My first impression was wow!! The open clean space and Joe was awesome. The food was authentic and delicious. I had the Fish Tacos and the were by far amazingly delicious. The drinks were strong and tasty it's a sports bar as well as sit down restaurant. Joe thee server was absolutely amazing he recommended the fish tacos absolutely delicious fresh and authentic Mexican food. If you need to experience a fresh atmosphere this is the place. read more

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It's been a long time since we've been to Maya, but a friend wanted to dine there for birthday dinner on a recommendation from another mutual friend. I'm sorry to say, I know why we hadn't been there in years. I think back in the day Maya was a happening and great spot, but now the food is less than mediocre. We all started with cocktails, top shelf margaritas and a strawberry daiquiri. I think the daiquiri had little if any run in and the margs were ok at $15 per. The entrees weren't any better. Enchiladas, tacos, fajitas, etc... we all had something different and in the end, we all decided it was not worth $217 for 7 of us. Definitely not going back. read more

Best Mexican restaurant in Novato food is delicious and there is a ton to choose from friendly staff

My go-to place for Mexican in Marin Co. Authentic, plenty of food, great service. And really nice people. Bar is great and has really good happy hours food menu if you want something small. read more

Delicious, the environment amazing. They're always quick and so nice. This is my new favorite spot, I will 100% be coming back in the future. read more

I'm so disappointed in the food ! We had family from out town and tried this restaurant for the first time. The food was tasteless !!! The food is over priced for what you get!!! I don't have problem paying the price if the food is great! Save your self time and money don't bother going!! I won't try again!!! read more

The food menu here is interesting. But the service for we three on a Sunday was what I call "desperate @ and iffy. You get lots of value with generous servings, unending chips - order the guacamole it's fantastic . Kid friendly. A cozy little bar area, read more

I can't believe it was my first time visiting this place! I came here recently because it was close to my work and it opens late (closes at midnight). They have a private lot and it's right off the highway exit on 101. They have bar seating as well as a more secluded area for dining. There was at least 4 TV in the dining area if you want to watch any games. The service was attentive and fast. Although, there weren't many people since it was later in the evening on a weekday. We were served complimentary nachos with two types of salsa (green and a red), both tasty and not too spicy. I ordered a Green Burrito shredded chicken and it was good! I would definitely order it again. My friend for a surf and turf (steak and shrimp), he said he really liked the shrimp. If you're in the area, come check it out! read more

Maya Palenque - Surf and turf burrito (back), green burrito (front) - Mexican Near Me - Novato, California

Fabulous Food. Just found this wonderful place. Will return. As we walked in a fellow eating at the bar said he'd come from far south because of the food. He was correct. Both Food and Drinks were above average. Guacamole was perfect. Chips were fresh and not oily at all. read more

I have no complaints about this restaurant! I've been on a nacho kick lately, and they had the most delicious nachos with an abundance of cheese and delicious guacamole. Their chips are fresh-made, although you kind of have to harass the waiter to get refills. The waiter was so nice and accommodating when someone in our party had an issue with their meal. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy and only wanted us to be happy. We also ordered their appetizer with fried veggies (zucchini, carrots, and onions) with shrimp and it was SO DELICIOUS. Even the dipping sauce was amazing. I ended up putting some on my nachos. They have amazing salsa verde, also. Unfortunately the carbonation was off for my Diet Coke, but that's the only thing that was off. Their bathroom was clean and inviting. I will definitely return to eat more amazing, authentic food. read more

First time had lunch here with my wife for the food was terrible! I can't honestly say anything more. Don't waste your time or money. if you really want a killer Mexican lunch or dinner, go to Celia's in San Rafael. read more

Can't believe this place doesn't have more stars. We ate here twice for the week we were in Novato. Tasty food. Good portions. Reasonable prices. And the friendliest service. Margaritas are tasty and would recommend the carne asada, it was delicious as a shared meal for 2 people. read more

Maya Palenque - Outside - Mexican Near Me - Novato, California

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By far my favorite place to get Mexican food. The staff is so sweet and there's never a wait to be seated. The owner works the bar and makes the BEST margaritas. My family goes at least once a month and the quality of food never fails to be amazing! I absolutely love the fish tacos read more

Maya Palenque - Fish tacos - Mexican Near Me - Novato, California

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Great place to meet friends for cocktails and dinner. Love their steak Salad and their Shrimp seviche to die for. You must try the Maya Palenque Margarita. Carlos the owner gives you the best service, very friendly and attentive. They have music on the weekend and dancing . Plenty of parking space On the front and back side . Outdoor seating on a hot day . Kids friendly too. Definitely will return. read more

Had a great meal there tonight! I highly Recommend the "splash" and "meat sampler" if you have 4-6 people! It was perfect, came with yummy rice beans and plenty of tortillas. The meat was good and the seafood plate had yummy shrimp flavors I had never tried with pineapple! Maya Palenque is a longtime consistently satisfying place to eat and i know I'll leave happy! read more

Haven't been for quite a few years, had the ceviche which was really good, as was the service. Will definitely be back.

Went to have dinner with family, first visit yesterday. Awesome food preparation's, great service, and very friendly staff. Would go there again for food and yummy flan. read more

This restaurant is understaffed, the food lacks any authentic Mexican spice whatsoever, and the rice tasted like it was cooked in dirty French fry grease. There was nothing authentic or Mexican about the place. Each item on my plate tasted the same as the other. Rice like chimichanga, chimichanga like the beans. The beans were so gross they were laden with lard. Come on seriously! You have the opportunity to create some great food but you decide to sell bland baby food greased food. The food wasn't even the worst of it. The bathroom was dirtier than a gas station. The walls were splashed with black marks and it smelled almost like the food. Clean the damn bathroom and make it shine!! There is a serious disease going around and you can't even clean the bathroom. Get in there and scrub the floor, the walls and the toilet with BLEACH. Don't use anything else just bleach bit spic and span or cheap cleaner. It needs to be cleaned. I can't imagine how bad the kitchen is. It's got to be just as bad. You should look at owning a restaurant as a privilege or just close the damn doors. It's unacceptable. read more

The first couple of times I ate there, I was not impressed. I ordered fish tacos and I got flour tortillas instead of corn and I'm gluten-free. I now have to be very specific when I order tacos and let them know I can only eat corn tortillas. They will also assume you prefer black beans if you don't specify that you want refried beans. Their salsas, beans and rice are just average, in my opinion. So why eat here and why 4 stars? They REALLY know their SEAFOOD! Aside from great seafood Maya Palenque has very good customer service. You always get greeted politely, seated quickly and never neglected. The servers are awesome and make you feel at home. They are also super nice to kids and bring out crayons for them. The outside patio is such a nice place to eat on a warm evening, the kids have space to run around a little. I didn't know this at first but now that I know they specialize in seafood, that's all I order. My sister and I ordered ceviche once and they asked us if we wanted octopus since they had just received a fresh supply. Of course we said yes and the ceviche was superb! We also ordered some shrimp smothered in a mild red sauce that was yummy too. I can't really say if the bar is any good, I've only ordered their cheap margaritas which are what you would expect if you don't splurge on the good stuff. I'll have to see if I get a top-shelf margarita next time. I did ask for a Paloma once and they had no idea what it was and messed it up pretty bad. A Paloma is simply grapefruit juice mixed with Tequila. I even explained it in Spanish to them but they came back with something that was way off. They supposedly turn this place into a night club after hours but I've never been there to witness it. There aren't any places to go out dancing in this neighborhood so that sounds kind of cool. Anyway, if you're into sports, this is a really good spot to watch games, especially soccer games! read more

Awful. Wanted to like the place but... Terrible ambiance Dry, flavorless food Sounds of the freeway Even my son, who will eat anything, wanted to leave. read more

Bummer..so they list Happy Hour and have plenty of tables to do happy hour but they do not do happy hour..so guess we'll go to another Mexican restaurant that does have happy hour.. The website looks great and happy hour menu is superb but not offering it doesn't make sense to generate interest to get out from the home and drive business to their restaurant.. hope they will see this and make that change a filled table spending money is better than an empty one taking money down the street.. read more

It's a Novato thing. Love Maya for all the drunken memories I've made here. You'll be able to see them written all over the girls bathroom stalls? Along with everyone else who's made their mark. I don't know, I can't explain my drunken behavior. But who can? Maya's is a fun place to come basically any night of the week. Carlos, the bartender, is the man. He hooks it up and makes sure you have a good time. I have spent many nights here I'm sure I should have been thrown out, but never once. The food is pretty good. The quesadillas, burritos and the chicken sandwich are usually my top 3 choices. Although I have been known to order myself a fat plate of nachos late into the night. A lot of outdoor seating, good music, pool tables, big bar. Sounds like a combination for annihilation to me :) read more

No love for this place. To be fair, the service was fine. Nothing spectacular but certainly not bad either. The place was pretty dead during the lunch hour, which made for a nice quiet atmosphere. Chips were okay, but kind of stale. The table we were seated at was next to a part of the wall where it looked like someone's dinner had thrown up all over. Otherwise, the decorations were kind of cool, although it felt like Christmas what with all the blinking lights. I got a chicken burrito and asked for no pico de gallo and no rice, 'cause I just don't like burritos with rice in them. I was presented with a burrito with a side of beans (no side of rice) because the server took it to mean I wanted no rice at all. Understandable, but he still should have clarified. My burrito itself was uneven and bland. The meat was not savory or flavorful. The chicken was dry dry dry. And instead of sauce or beans in my burrito, it was all chicken and onions and peppers - I felt like they had made fajitas and wrapped them in a tortilla to look like a burrito. I had to mix forkfuls of burrito filling with my side of beans to make it somewhat flavorful. Not only that, but I had ONE spot of cheese in my burrito. The cheese itself was delicious but it was the size of one of those grocery store vending machine bouncy balls (an inch in diameter maybe?) and there was not any else throughout the burrito. And don't even mention the sour cream. The equivalent of two dollops of it had been put in my burrito and were not evenly dispersed, making for a mouthful of sour cream a few times and the rest of the burrito lacking throughout. For $11, I expect a lot better. read more

Maya Palenque has tasty food of reliable quality. I live in SF where there's quality Mexican food everywhere, but when I visit my parents, our options are much more limited. A lot of other places are hit-or-miss, but this place is my go-to. It's right off the freeway, and parking is pretty easy. They have good, well-sized drinks, and a lovely outdoor seating area. Inside is nice and airy too. They know my dad by voice when we call in an order (ha). He's picky, and has a peculiar requirement for burritos: he only likes ground beef, and no beans or rice. I think that sounds like a sad burrito, but it's all he ever orders. Most places mess it up, or don't have ground beef. But Maya Palenque always comes through. I can't complain. read more

As much as we enjoy Mexican food, we don't find ourselves here too often. Part of the reason is that it's on the other side of town, but mostly because the parking situation here kind of sucks.. poorly paved lot with lots of competition from honky trucks, a convenience store and a nearby apartment complex. I suppose this place is what Uber is all about... But enough about the parking - once your inside it's a great experience. Aztec-themed walls make you feel like you've arrived at a destination. Menu, while being full of sumptuous options, is not in any way overwhelming, and the drink menu has enough to please most. And all things considered, the prices aren't too bad either. Certainly the desserts, from what we saw, may be priced for one, but could easily fit two. We really need to come here more often... read more

Came for a late dinner plus a drink or two. Casual atmosphere, a nice local spot. Had a few drinks and a full course meal. Meal was well prepared and filling. Price was good too. No complaints. Nice wait staff as well. read more

Maya Palenque - Good food, and legit prices. - Mexican Near Me - Novato, California

Not a review, but a comment about Eban. He sounds like a racist. Why else would he comment about the age and ethnic background of the employees. And, wouldn't one expect Latinx employees at a Mexican restaurant????? read more

Super nice, quick, delicious , kid friendly and veggie fajitas had avocado slices on top, nice touch!

I like different kinds of food and this place satisfies. They start you out with two kinds of salsa: a fragrant red chunky smoky mildly spicy and a mild green salsa. You can ask for more spicy; we did and were promptly brought some salsa with more fire. But not too hot. The chips were weak and tasted funky. I ask for some Serrano chiles and was brought some grilled and salted serrano's - very yummy. Their menu is influenced by southern Mexico cuisine: papaya, plantains, and spices. Like. The Tropical burrito, had chunks of roasted pork, pineapple chunks and black beans of the real kind: they were obviously soaked well to rehydrate them and had a meaty taste. Chunks of red and green bell pepper were in the fancy red tortilla. $13.95. Tip: it's enough for two light eaters. This burrito was one of a kind and I would get it again, it's pretty good imho. Parking: ez Customer service: ok read more

Haven't even had the food yet and we are so happy with the Spicy and Dirty Margarita and the chips and salsas. Made in house salsas with so much flavor. Great service, music, and ambiance also! Can't wait for the meal, yum! read more

Maya Palenque - yummmmmmmmmmy! - Mexican Near Me - Novato, California

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