The best meal we had in Bacalar! Although I'm not a fan of dimly lit restaurants, the ambience, decor and overall style of this place was very authentic and aesthetic. Upon entry, the open air cooking is fully exposed so you can see them making fresh tortillas on this open fire pit, grilling meats, food prep, everything. We received it and a large round table in the middle of the restaurant right next to the little boutique shop. The menu was filled with so many different dishes, we went overboard. You start with these freshly made tostadas and several homemade salsa for dipping. The tostadas were a bit on the hard side, but I think it's because they are made fresh. They also give everybody a small cup of what tastes like kombucha to eat in digestion. For starters, we had the mixed ceviche, guacamole, tuna tar tare, Koji sliders, watermelon salad. I felt like after that everybody was stuffed, but since the main entrees said it would take anywhere from 40 to 60 minutes to prepare, we had already ordered our main entrees dishes so we knew we were in it for the long haul. The sliders were sizable and had a nice sweet flavor, loved the tuna tar tare, fresh, perfectly seasoned, the guac was chunky and tasted very fresh. It was served on top of these crispy little possibly plantain chips. well the watermelon salad was good. We just weren't bands of warm fruit in a salad so that might've been the only miss of the night. For entrées, we ordered the tuna steak, one ribeye, one fillet mignon, the Thai salad, and I believe the sea bass. To Be honest, I was already 4 margaritas deep so I can't remember much but I do remember that the food being gooood! Everybody was very happy with their meal. My son said it was the best steak that he'd ever had. Drinks are definitely strong.... And we also enjoyed all of the desserts which the tiramisu was my favorite. We had an amazing service from Erik and Marisol. Great restaurant and food, impeccable service. I would highly recommend for a special occasion as you could easily dress up and make it a very memorable dinner. My only warning would be that because of the open kitchen style of the restaurant. It does get a little smoky in there while you're eating, but that's the small price to pay for a great meal.! read more

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I visited Bacalar in November, and two months later I'm still dreaming about coming back just to eat here. My boyfriend and I arrived for dinner without reservations but got there right when they opened and were seated immediately. Our waiter was fantastic. He explained how the restaurant works, offered us a tour, and walked us through the menu with thoughtful, spot-on recommendations. We were brought complimentary chips and salsa, and since we were told our entrées would take 45 minutes to an hour in the wood-fired oven, we started with the ceviche de maracuyá. So worth it. For our mains, my boyfriend ordered the steak and I got the lobster. Both were excellent, but the lobster... wow. I'm from the Bahamas and grew up eating great lobster, and I can honestly say this was the best lobster of my life. Something about the seasoning and the wood-fire cooking made it unbelievably rich and decadent. I haven't stopped thinking about it since. By the time we were finishing our meal, the restaurant had filled up, but it never felt too loud or chaotic. The space felt intimate, with dim lighting, planets scattered throughout the decor, and perfectly spaced tables that made the whole experience feel special. Out of all the places we ate in Bacalar, this was hands down the best, and the one we still talk about. read more

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Friendly staff. Good artful food presentation but the sea bass was overcooked and the mushroom dish left much to be desired. Our appetizers were 3 raw mushrooms artfully presented with a mish mosh of flavors, and a plate of regular guacamole. The filet mignon was average. We ate much better tasting food at half the price the night prior. Artful : Yes, Flavor: Lacking. Unfortunately, we will not return. read more

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Everything about Nixtamal was fantastic. The service was unmatched. In Colorado this would easily be a Michelin star restaurant. My favorite was the mushrooms with avocado foam, but the "squash fettuccine" on top of the tuna appetizer was phenomenal. If you're in Bacalar please come here. read more

Nixtamal - Mushrooms - Barbeque Near Me - Bacalar, ROO

The service was outstanding and the food was delicious and prepared as i requested. I ordered the aged ribeye and was cooked to perfection. I will definitely comeback whenever I am in Bacalar read more

Amazing food. Exotic flavors combined with a peaceful nature-like experience. Loved every bite and sip. Highly recommended read more

The Captain from our tour recommended this place and we're glad we listened! The service was excellent, food was phenomenal and the concept of open kotchen with outdoor dining was a perfect combination. read more

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I found Nixtamal as I was searching for the best place for my group to celebrate my partner's birthday. Nixtamal and two other establishments surfaced in several searches, but Nixtamal stood out the most. And we are so glad it did. From the beginning, Nixtamal did an amazing job at answering all my questions and helping with making a reservation. They also provided helpful information which helped us decide on the perfect time for our reservation. We arrived during daylight, and the establishment was beautiful even then. It is full of greenery, smal creatures, and wonderful staff. Everything this places uses is environmentally friendly and they do not waste anything, as they even make cups out of wine bottles. Super cool! The place smells impeccable with a smokey smell, and they randomly use some type of smoke to deter bugs. So do not worry! Humberto was our waiter and he was very attentive, knowledgeable, friendly, and hilarious throughout our stay. I must add that every other stsff member we encountered was just as pleasant. We took our time ordering to enjoy the ambiance. But everything we had was out of this world delicious. Their cocktails are fresh and delicious. Their food is unique but AMAZINGLY delicious. Their dessert was also great. The staff did a wonderful job at celebrating my partner's bday which consisted of a mini cake, shot, and live show. I must also add live music begins at 8 and ends at closing. Everything about this place was on point. I have never been to a restaurant that checks off all the boxes. We left this place feeling amazing after our wonderful experience and we cannot wait to return. Thank you very much for the experience and wonderful hospitality, Nixtamal, Humberto, and rest of the crew! read more

Nixtamal - Barbeque Near Me - Bacalar, ROO

The vibe is super cool, the staff is great and the service is good ( although my kids complain because we waited almost 40 minutes for a guacamole). The concept is interesting but the food wasn't as amazing as I thought... I would remind the chef that sometimes less is better. Prices are super high (Mexico City prices) and the experience wasn't worth it - I had food poisoning and spent two days in bed. read more

I came to Nixtamal for the first time 5 yesrs ago.. it used to be a small charming and delicious restaurant .. now that Im back in Bacalar I made a reservation for my boyfriend and I ... unfortunately I was a little disappointed. The place is beautiful!!! Tulum vibes... presentation is on point... service is pretty good as well... most of the food was good.. but I am very sad to say that my filet mignon didn't meet expectations. First, we started with the fire, roasted avocado with quinoa and bean hummus. I attempted to try something that I wouldn't normally eat, and I would say this is pretty good. Probably better for a person who doesn't eat meat or who leans more towards vegetarian than meat. As my main course, I ordered a medium rare filet and it came chewy.. after trying to eat it, I told the waiter about it and he offered to cook it a little more.. when it came back, it was still pretty chewy.. which probably means the quality isn't the best. I can say my greek salad - filled with nuts and cranberries- was delicious .. my cauliflower pure was great.. and everything else was good.. so , the place probably gets a 8/10. My boyfriend said he wouldn't go back to it.. so if you're looking for beautiful setting and presentation...this is it. read more

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This place isn't afraid to have fun with food, and more importantly is very willing to go big and liberal with their use of fruits and vegetables. Any chef that can still make a protein shine while respectfully using as much produce as this one, is good in my book. read more

Nixtamal was a vibe and one of my dining highlights in Bacalar! The salsas were outstanding so already my heart was happy, and the arrachera sealed the deal. read more

Nixtamal - arrachera and rib eye! - Barbeque Near Me - Bacalar, ROO

this place was on a list of recs by our airbnb host & it did not disappoint. Food was great. We wanted to try the mushrooms with avocado foam, but they were out. we went with the guacamole instead. very good. for entrees we shared the lobster and steak which were good. lobster is seared at table. we even got to pick the weight. the huitlacoche pudding was good, wish it had more of the huitlacoche flavor. It would be 5 stars, the only mishap we experienced was the wait time. they sat us right away! i dont believe we had a reservation. maybe we did? but the time it took for the waiter to get us drinks and put our food order in was a bit too long for us. however, the ambience made it enjoyable either way. LOVE the way they sing you happy birthday. very cool! must try! read more

Amazing food and incredible Service. We ate there twice bc the food and drinks were out of this world! Excellent ambiance with live music or DJ. read more

We arrived here pretty late. Around 8:50 without reservations. We immediately got seated and we were told that our waiter was going to be right with us. 20 minutes later, our waiter arrived at our table. We ordered our drinks and dinner expecting somewhat of a wait as people around us had not gotten their food even though they were there before us. Fast forward 60 minutes later, our food arrived. There was no check in from our server before this just when he brought our drinks out. The food was decent but my filet mignon was definitely not medium as I ordered it. My husband ordered the catch of the day and he was pretty pleased with it. At our exit , our server offered us a complimentary dessert. The ambiance was good. It has a romantic vibe to it. It is outdoors so I strongly recommend wearing mosquito repellent as they were attacking us all night! The couple next to us got a special visit from what we thought was a mice. Our server later told us it is called a "ziriguella" that lives on the tree next to us. It is a bit dark so we couldn't really see our food or the utensils. We were hoping they were clean. Yikes! For food and one drink each our tab came to about $1,200 pesos. The dollar they were taking it at $17 pesos a dollar. I recommend paying with pesos as the dollar is currently at $19.50-$20 pesos a dollar. We wouldn't come back to this place due to the long wait and lack of customer service. read more

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I saw the reviews for this restaurant on this platform and others and I thought there is no way it's really THAT good. I was wrong. It really IS that good. Much better than Pujol in Mexico City and any other restaurant in Mexico City I visited while living there. Food, service and ambiance a full 5 star experience! Chips and salsa - you must try the passion fruit salsa Avocado with quinoa - very good and soft Stuffed mushrooms - delicious mushrooms (I am not even a mushroom fan!) filled with goat cheese Chocolate salmon - probably the best salmon I ever had Tuna with passion fruit sauce - the best tuna I ever had... hands down! They also played nice music and sang me a happy birthday song! The manager gave us a tour of the grounds (the grow a lot of food there) Highly recommended! read more

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Amazing ambiance for New Year's Eve. Worst service I've ever received ANYWHERE in the world. I've traveled far and wide and this one truly was the worst. They clearly overbooked themselves trying to make the most money but they couldn't handle the amount of guests. Had to leave the restaurant to purchase my own wine bottle and was scolded when I asked to have it uncorked at no cost. Food (if and when arrived) was undercooked, ice cold, not mindful of my restrictions, and subpar at best. Would not recommend. We left midway and we're the third party to do so in the evening. This was written from a restaurant just two blocks south at Ajal. Our food was served there within 20 minutes upon arrival. Great Vibes. Happy New Year! read more

Nixtamal - Undercooked fish? - Barbeque Near Me - Bacalar, ROO

Amazing ceviche to start, huge seared tuna for main dish, and the best guava mojo I've ever had. Service and atmosphere were great as well! Highly recommend! read more

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This place is amazing. The staff is beyond kind and friendly and generous. Looks unassuming from the outside but once you enter is like a magical little camp. Dimly lit, tiny pebble below your feet. Trees and lights above you. We were celebrating a birthday and received a nice little birthday song and small cake for free. They also bring everyone a free shot of kombucha upon arrival, which was really good. They have a lot of flavors. And there is a live band. Here's where the food falls: They have a happy hour from 5:00-7:00 pm which includes two for one mezcal mojitos. We tried the guava; it was huge and really good. -the guacamole lacked a bit of salt and needed more citrus, but not terrible. When they reloaded we are all the chips and still had guacamole left over they brought out more chips. -the passion fruit ceviche had rich , soft fish, pulpo, and shrimp along with a thick passion fruit infused marinate and blueberries. Sounds weird, but it works, trust me! I do not love the whole passion fruit seeds. Otherwise, really outstanding. -I had the catch of the day which was a filet of grouper with grilled watermelon, goat cheese, and pesto. Again, sounds weird, but worked really well together. The portions are huge and you leave feeling full. -both of my friends had steaks; the flank and filet mignon. I didn't try them, but they both really enjoyed them. For two apps, three entrees, one happy hour mojitos, and a shot of don julio we paid 2300 pesos, not including tip. Not bad for a nice meal! read more

Food, service, and ambiance is amazing! I was amazed in how delicious the food was. Also, prices are not bad at all. I thought it would be pricier because of the location. I will definitely be coming back here when i return to bacalar. FOOD IS DELICIOUS! read more

Nixtamal - Dont remember the name of the dish but it was delicious - Barbeque Near Me - Bacalar, ROO

Nice vibe, aesthetically pleasing, drinks and food were good as well. They also cleanse the restaurant every hour using incense which I found to be really interesting to watch! read more

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I came here for my birthday dinner. The food was absolutely AMAZING!!! Black aguachile was impeccable and exotic tasting, the ahi tuna is everything you could've want in a fresh fruity delight. The flank steak tasted amazing and cooked to perfection paired with potatoes. Absolutely delicious!! Highly recommend this place for any occasion. read more

Nixtamal - Flank steak. Ahi tuna - Barbeque Near Me - Bacalar, ROO

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Loveeeeeee this place it won't disappoint must stop if in Bacalar ... found this place on Yelp and had to see for myself if yelpers were right... words can't even describe how perfect the food, taste, presentation everything was on point. Service was amazing and they recycle wine bottles and use them as drinking cups. Just stop by, you won't regret it. read more

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Excellent place to celebrate a birthday or special celebration. Food was good and the drinks are so good too. Nice art decor around restaurant read more

Nixtamal - Drink - Barbeque Near Me - Bacalar, ROO

Nixtamal is a wonderful restaurant, with many local dishes that showcase the passion for food the people of Mexico have. The vibe is mellow, with great music and a beautifully decorated dining area. There is even a seating area with a fire pit that looks into the open kitchen. Speaking of which, the food is phenomenal. We only ordered a couple items, but we were very happy with the quality of the dishes brought out. The salmon was fantastic, with a unique spin on the seasoning, and the chocolate dessert was unreal. Very unique flavors, with every bite bringing new friends to the party in your mouth. The cocktails were excellent as well. Jalapeño margaritas and cucumber gin & tonics were refreshing and made with skill. The staff was first class, and we had the pleasure of chatting with the owner Rodrigo and learning about the story of the restaurant and all the hard work he and his crew have put towards making a great dining experience. It's a must try if you are in Bacalar. read more

Incredible! I can't say enough. This place has unassuming, thoughtful, pleasant decor though nothing extravagant, so I wasn't expecting too much. The food.. WOW. We ordered tuna steak and shrimp. After our 2 week trip travelling (and eating a lot) in Akumal, Tulum, Bacalar, and Cancun, my girlfriend and I reflected back on our favorite meal. This was it, hands down the best tasting food of the trip. Kudos to the Nixtamal chefs. read more

It was our first day in Bacalar and found about this place on Yelp. We walked from our hotel to the restaurant and you wouldn't think there was such a nice restaurant in the middle of the town. We didn't have a reservation so we had to wait for one hour (call in advance so you don't have to wait) But the wait was well worth! We order some arrachera sushi and guacamole as starters. And the guacamole was delicious, very fresh avocado and very interesting ingredients and textures. For main we got the catch of the day! The fish was very fresh, covered by a very tasty sauce and served on top of goat cheese and watermelon. The taste was amazing. Highly recommended if you are in the Bacalar area but make sure you try to get a reservation. read more

Driving through bacalar, you would not imagine a restaurant like this would be here and it is a hidden gem. As soon as you walk in, you can smell the smoky wood burning and as you look at their decor, you will soon realize everything is handcrafted. On the side there is an instagram worth picture spot, but going through the entrance of the back (you'll see what I mean) is where the magic happens. Before going back there, ask for the tour and you will see their garden, compost, wood working station, coconut oil maker, into their kitchen, kombucha station, and where they prep and grill. Their food is delicious, service great, and drinks spectacular. read more

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Beautiful restaurant with outstanding food and service. We enjoyed the lobster and the fish of the day. Loved the ambiance.

The place is very nice. The food is AMAZING, they hace an exceptional and friendly service. I had a T-bone and y husband had a Ribe eye. We both loved it. The waitress was very nice and friendly. She checked on us at the perfect times. While eating our dish, the chefs came to greet us and make sure the everything was good, a very nice gesture that we certainly appreciated it. We order the mousse half chocolate and half mango, it was soo good, so smooth and full of flavors. They decorated with a sauce on the side that was a bomb. It was an explosion of flavors in my mouth, sweet, the a little sour, then little spicy and then sweet again, crazy bc I have never tried anything like that, but was so delicious! I'll definitely come back everytime I'm in Bacalar! read more

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The whole experience was awesome. Definitely recommend making reservations. Well worth it. The food was so good. The steak and lobster was amazing. read more

One of my best meals in Mexico. The food, atmosphere, and staff were all amazing (even the four-legged ones). I had the salmon and guacamole everything was exceptionally good. Ask Ricardo (the chef/owner) to show you around the property! It is worth it. read more

The food was good. I loved the Restaurant and the decorations and is very cozy. The service was bad, the waiter it was rude.

I do not normally review restaurants. We stumbled on this restaurant while escaping a hurricane. Delicious, I had flank steak (arrachera) and my wife had the tuna. Both extremely good. Service was slowish only because I think it is more an experience. Cash only so come prepared. If ever in the area I would definitely return. A must if you are Bacalar. Our waiter JJ was amazing. read more

Nixtamal - Tuna. My steak photo failed but will post anyway - Barbeque Near Me - Bacalar, ROO

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Absolutely Amazing Experience... Went with my teenage son for Christmas Dinner. Live Music and Fantastic Food From Soups to Salads and Salmon... Tender Filet Mignon to Juice Ribeye Steaks. Succulent Shrimp that were to die for... Desserts from Heaven for Jesus's B-Day. Service was Completely Beyond Compare. Currently on holiday for 5 weeks; Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and, 5 Star All-Inclusive on the Mayan Riviera... This was the best service we have received. BEST RESTAURANT IN BACALAR... Would definitely go back here again sometime. Thank-you for your wonderful hospitality, and the service of your talented management and friendly staff... You gave us a wonderful Christmas Experience when we were over 6,000 Kms from home. read more

If i could leave zero stars i would. It took 1.5 hours to get our drinks (coke/cocktail) and 2 hours to get our food and it was a small portion. It was good but not worth 2 hours. Im never coming back. Pretentious place trying too hard. Si pudiera dejar cero estrellas lo haría. Nos tomo 1.5 horas para traernos nuestras bebidas (coke/bebida) y 2 horas para agarrar nuestra comida y fue una pequeña porción. Estuvo bueno pero no para esperar 2 horas. Nunca volveré. Lugar pretencioso. Triste. read more

I want to go back to bacalar just so I could eat here again. The food was super delicious and the prices very reasonable. The huitlacoche tiramisu was possibly the best desert I've had in my life. read more

Not sure why so many negative reviews I travel full time & this restaurant is possibly the best I've eaten at in Mexico. Amazing food pairings. Phenomenal ambiance. We got the salmon & the ribeye & both were world class. Blown away honestly. read more

Great place with amazing food and great service. We had a lovely evening with some fun live music. Leaving my first review of this place since it deserves it. Would recommend it to anyone! read more

This was recommended to us from a business owner in Tulum (check out Tulum Art Gallery!). Ambiance was perfection. Live music. Camp fire as you wait. Candles on tables. Seeing the food being grilled in front of us and the sage they would periodically use throughout the restaurant. The food was good. Got the avocado and quinoa and mushrooms to start. I thought it was weird to add chocolate to dishes because I'm not a huge fan of sweet, but it wasn't too overbearing. Could be done without chocolate. Def enjoyed the avocado and quinoa more. We also got two rib eyes. Wish I had gotten something different. So if you decide to go here def order to try other food. Should have tried the portabella, lobster or filet. They sounded the best as entrees. They also grilled the meat exactly how we asked for. I always get medium in fear that that will undercook my meat vs getting my medium rare. This was done exactly medium well, so be prepared if you do the same. The service was okay. The waiter took our order and checked in. But if management is reading this, I want to give a special shout out to Pedro who wasn't our waiter but checked in on us often throughout the meal. Lit our candle when it was out- almost immediately I might add (talk about attention to detail!). Asked us how our meal was and if wanted to see the dessert menu. Then asked how our meal was and cleared our plates. I'm not sure what Pedro's role is but he deserves a raise and to be a server there if he isn't already. The service he provided was like I was back at my favorite Michelin star restaurant in San Francisco. No joke. It was that freaking great and made the experience. If you're from the states and looking for a good steak, check this place out. It's not pretentious like the other reviewers said and honestly the price isn't terrible! This might be a better weekend spot vs weekday. But for a nice meal in bacalar I'm not complaining. read more