This place is just okay. Â We went because it was conveniently located by the theater.
Happy hour:
margarita and beer. Â Margarita was tasted good but requested it mixed, but didn't get it that way. Â Beer was modelo especial or bud light on tap. Â I enjoyed the beer. Â Both items were a good price due to happy hour.
So far, we didn't mind about the margarita. Â The chips and salsa are very good. Â Spicy, but not too spicy, salsa which I really enjoy.
Our appetizer came after the entrees which was unfortunate because it broke the flow of the meal.
The appetizer was fine and the chile Colorado too. Â The tostada was small. Â Overall, the quality of the food was good to okay.
The problem was you pay $14-15 for the entrees, but the size of the entrees do not match the price. Â You feel like you're overpaying so you think....Hmm...why come back at these prices.
If want chips and salsa, happy hour, and a move, then you can go. Â We plan to try the other places nearby.
Maracas wasn't the worst Mexican food I've ever had, but it was pretty bad. We ordered guacamole to go with the chips and salsa; it was completely bland and decent. I had a wet burrito with shredded beef and my gf had steak and shrimp fajitas. Everything we ordered was bland and tasteless. It was extremely disappointing. Service was decent however. I'll never come back.
Review Source:Really love this place! My husband and I come for happy hour a lot and its a great price! The appetizers are yummy, we always get the guacamole, street tacos, bbq chicken quesadilla and pot stickers. This fills both me and my husband up for about $20 bucks. Can't beat that! Even the few times we add on margaritas and beers the bill is still under $40. Never had a problem with service either.
Review Source:My husband and I stopped for happy hour. Â There were only three guests in the restaurant, so I was really disappointed when one of the employees picked up a broom and duspan and cleaned the floor around our table. Â It was disgusting! Â I would not have expected it from this restaurant. Â I ordered tacos and couldn't eat them because the meat was tough. Â When we left, there were two employees by the door who didn't acknowledge us at all. Â They weren't busy, so they could have said something, like "hope you enjoyed your time with us" or some kind of thank you. Â We won't go back.
Review Source:There are some ups and downs here. Â I can understand why the reviews are so mixed.
The Bar: Â
I loved the Cadillac margaritas. Â Enjoyed quite a couple!
The bartender was over-worked trying to keep up with the entire restaurant by herself on a Friday night! Â Luckily, what looked like a manager or owner, stepped in and helped her out, so the wait didn't turn out to be bad at all.
The food:
Not the best. Â Not much flavor nor authentic Mexican taste. Â Probably would not go here again based on the food. Â I had the Shrimp Fajitas. Â Someone else had the chicken breast plate. Â I've never seen whole olives and big slices of Jalapeno used that way... Yuck.
As in other reviews, I have to admit the salsa was bomb digity. Â Very good with a good amount of heat. Â I ate SO MANY CHIPPSS! Â
At the end of the meal, the manager/owner got our buddy (whose birthday it was) fried ice cream with a candle. How cute! Â AND even better gave the whole table a free specialty shot! Â
This made me, in no way, biased. :)
4 Stars!
Time to vent ...
After confirming our reservation TWICE, we show up with our party of 15 on a Saturday night and suddenly there's NO record of our reservation. Strike One.
Thankfully they can seat us without a reservation ... 15 people ... on a Saturday night ... can you say RED FLAG?
Next I offer the entertainment - a solo keyboard player - a $10 tip and ask for some Elton John.So hours go by and Lanny (the pianist) plays NO ELTON, I finally ask him again, and guess what, now that he has my money he tells me he doesn't know any Elton John. Maybe I should have chosen someone with more top 40 hits??!! Impossible.
Moving on to the food:
Margaritas - donde esta la tequila? Sugar lime juice fans will be pleased.
Guacamole - lightly pounded avocado meat with no seasoning, why not just leave the skin on I say?
Food - my carnitas tacos had cheddar cheese melted on them, need I say more?
In conclusion, shake your maracas somewhere else if are looking for a good time.
The reviews on their salsa alone are so mixed, I have a feeling that they only bring out this alleged "tomato paste" salsa for the chumps. Â The salsa we got was fresh and full of ingredients with the kick of a mule. Â
Best chips and salsa period.
Well, saying salsa and period together is a bit gross. Â
Best chips and salsa exclamation point.
We ate lunch here on a Monday, lucky to find a place this great off the 10.
The lunch special was great: $4 off (30%) combinations. Â
I got two tacos beans and rice. Â The shredded beef was great. Â The carne asada was just okay. Â The beans were creamy. Â The rice was nice and dry with corn. Â
Came with sour cream and that corn dessert thing. Â I liked it. Â Mooey bwayno.
Yes, I speak Spanish. Â The kids at school teach me. Â They have a nickname for me. Â I don't know if it means "Teacher" or "Leader"... what does Poo-toe mean?
Anyway, my wife liked her veggie fajitas w/ corn tortillas and her margarita. Â Diet Coke and water refills came before I needed them, so the service was great. Â A great place for lunch, dark like a cantina should be. Â We would come again and we've added it to our Interstate 10 dining list along with La Casita Dos in Blythe. Â
It's cool that we found it on accident, driving blindly, getting off the 10 and hoping to find something. Â I had a feeling we'd find something good if we got off on Dinah Shore. Â Getting off on Dinah Shore... I felt like Burt Reynolds!
All credits for finding MC goes to the boyfriend! Good job, babe! : )
Beverages -
*** Sweetened Green Tea: didn't taste much like green tea, but still good.
*** Sweetened Citrus Tea: MUST GET!!! Perfectly, LIGHTLY sweetened. Doesn't have much of a tangy, citrusy flavor, but it's so refreshing! I think it had a splash of Orange Bang, because there was a slight after taste (BF's observation), and you could see the foamy bubbles that Orange Bang creates on top.
Nachos (with steak) -
Served on a LONG platter. Every nacho is covered in cheese, beans, steak, and pico de gallo. Obviously too much for two people. I think we finished about half!
Our entrees weren't as good. Actually, it was pretty forgettable because we ate here about 2 days ago, and I forgot already. =P BUT, the sweetened teas and nachos are enough for us to go back next time we're in PS.
Damn. I should have actually READ the reviews here. Just because the restaurant has a 4 star rating, the food is good. Most of the reviews are talking about the bar, not the food. I regret my decision here.
As we sat down and started eating chips and salsa, my salsa tasted gross. My girlfriend who is hispanic flat out told me we were eating tomato paste. ARE YOU SERIOUS? Why would a Mexican restaurant do that? Isn't it cheap to buy a large container of salsa from Costco across the street? At least buy pre-made instead of the gross version of so called salsa. Most of you who are bragging about the salsa obviously do not know food, sorry to break it to you....
I decided to order steak fajitas that was not very good. I was given a choice of corn or flour tortilla. I ordered flour and was given corn.
The only saving grace was my girlfriends sopes that was supposed to come with pork but came plain. We had to ask to have the pork added because the kitchen messed up. Minus the screwup, the sopes were decent.
Service was friendly but most of the action was at the bar. I would suggest trying another restaurant that would serve real salsa.
You have to offset the summer season by selling the poorest ingredients you can find for the most exorbitant prices you can get away with, I presume?
I see so many rave reviews for the salsa here and it just kills me. Tomato paste, you all love tomato paste salsa?
Tomato paste salsa and canned chicken burrito (a $14.00 canned chicken burrito that is) does not do it for me. I can't wait to move out of this hell trap and eat delicious Mexican food on a regular basis.
If you truly care what you are spending your hard earned desert dollars on and appreciate real Mexican food, go to El Gallito in Cat City. It is the only 5 star I've found here. And I've been lookin!
My friend insisted that we eat at Maracas. I was not completely convinced about eating here. I always go to Las Casuelas Nuevas. I went with her suggestion "Just to make her happy!" Well, I must say, the Margaritas are THE BOMB! If you go for Happy Hour you won't pay a lot and the Margaritas are huge! We had appetizers for our meal and I definitely didn't go home hungry! The chips are great and the salsa is about the BEST I have ever had. The tortillas taste like they are freshly made, not store bought. I recommend you make the drive off the main drag (Hwy 111) to try this great Mexican food!
Review Source:We were greeted by Todd, the owner, upon arrival. I mentioned I wanted a tequila and he suggested the Don Julio 70th anniversary. Wife ordered the shrimp fajitas and I had the chile colorado. Todd came back to the table and spoke with us for about 15 minutes. There was a musician, Lanny, playing live music, and he sang a song for my wife and daughter. Then he invited me to play harmonica with him, which I did. Todd brought us a slice of amazing tres leches cake on the house. great food, great hospitality, good value, live entertainment, family friendly, in short: Highly Recommended!
Review Source:I stopped in on the weekend for a bite and a libation. I sat at the bar and ordered a large Mango Margarita and a shot of Avion to start. The margarita was just what the doctor prescribed on a HOT afternoon. The shot was smooth and had me feeling warm & fuzzy. I kind ol used it as a sipper/chaser behind the margarita.
After making a basket of chips disappear "Whoudini style" I thought I'd better ingest something more substantial. I requested the Taco Truck Carne Asada tacos and I was happy I did.
They were three small tacos with queso fresco and some roughage. They were simple, tasty, fresh and cheap. There was also a chipotle sauce to drown them in. I received the bill and the affair was $25 including the $13.50 shot. OUCH!!!
Well worth it though. The bar is spacious and the location is convenient. I also struck up a conversation with some fellow patrons. I had a nice time.
Went here for happy hour on Tuesday with a couple of friends. We all opted for 22-ounce glasses of Modelo, which were right-priced at $4.25. Would have preferred a wider selection of draft beers, as the only options were Modelo and Bud Light.
Soon after sitting down, someone brought us some salsa and a basket of chips that was large enough that we didn't need a refill as we each plowed through 66 ounces of beer.
The bar is a good size, and the bartender, Cynthia (pronounced SIN-tea-uh), kept our glasses full without us ever having to ask. Might go back again next week and take advantage of "Taco Tuesday," when they serve small tacos with your choice of meat for a buck apiece.
I love spending a Saturday might at Maracas! Great music, charming staff, unbelievable service & delicious food!
It's located in a shopping mall so there's plenty of parking. Â They have live music, friendly staff and prompt service.
We started off with their fresh guacamole 5/5 (tomatoes are on the side so it's never soggy)
Strawberry Margarita- nothing special frozen- run of the mill
Cadillac Margarita tasty
Tilapia Fish Taco plate- 3/5 good, average
Wet Burrito vegetarian style 5/5
Fried ice cream 4/5
Definitely a destination spot if you're within 20 miles looking for god Mexican food with excellent service and a fun environment.
we were stuck down the road at the westin for a conference and this place was a welcome find within walking distance.
this place has all of the appearances of a local favorite. Â folks seemed to know each other at the bar. Â the beer was cold and tasty and the calamari was frankly mind-blowing. Â they serve it with some sort of thick pasty salsa which i would eat with a spoon if given the opportunity.
speedy service on a weeknight and solid delivery on my vegetarian enchiladas.
Went, for lunch on a Sunday and the place was pretty empty. We were seated and serveed drinks and chips and salsa. Like everyone else is saying, the chips and salsa was VERY good. We ordered our food and it came out within about 15 minutes, just after we had finished our chips (perfect timing!). I ordered the truck tacos in carne asada, carnitas and fish. The tacos were very good and I was full off of those three and the chips and salsa. The service was good and we were pleased with the bill. The meals were around $7-$12. When we left I forgot my sunglasses at the table and the waiter ran out to give them to me. Good food, good service and good people here.
Review Source:Recently introduced to Maracas via a business partner and good friend. Haven't been too adventureous in what I've ordered, but what I have had has been on point and quite tasty. Their Cadillac Margueritas gave me a good buzz.... always a good thing!
Although the food isn't unique (but tasty nonetheless), the thing I like best about this place is the energy that I've felt when interacting with the folks that have parked themselves at the bar. There's no such thing as a stranger there. That more than anything else is what makes this place a fun place to get my grub on and find some new friends. Give it a try. Be friendly and I guararentee you will have a wonderful evening.
Maracas Cantina is a good mexican restaurant when you are in need for a Mexican fix right before going to the movies. Average pricing and average service. What keeps me coming back is the great live music! There are not a lot of places that have good live music in the valley and this place does which makes the whole experience worth it!
Review Source:Solid lunch place that looks like it would be good for happy hour. The food was good and filling, Margaritas hit the spot and it turned out to be a mellow choice for late lunch.
However, our service suffered even though it wasn't busy. The reason- inattentive waiters who were bored and transfixed on some Mexican novellas and/or some other reality shit that was playing on the bar TV. I mean we wanted refills and the waiter was literally walking towards us while looking 'back and to the left" watching the fucking TV. If I was the owner, I would have fired 'em. Oh wait, there was no owner or GM to be seen.
Beware the bored waiter!
Dang..I have almost 20 reviews that need to be completed.
And I have to remember to jot down pertinent things about
a certain meal for each review or else I will definitely forget.
Hence, this review will be short.
This was back in August...
So, on to the food. Â Well, I have had better mexican food.
But thats not to say this place was bad. Â It was ok. Â I ordered
an enchilada with a tamale plate. He ordered a side of spinach
salad with chicken covered  tomato sauce (vera cruz?) plate.
One thing I do recall about this place is the lighting and definitely
the ambiance of the place. Â Relaxing. Â It was not crowded. Â A few
groups of 2, 3, or 4. Â So it was absolutely conducive to a great
conversation with Mr R.
I just wanted to get back to our villa:)
This place was cool. Â
Went there for dinner while on vacation in Palm Springs with the family.
They had a blues band set up at the front of the restaurant which is a bit "off" having blues music at a Mexican restaurant, but it worked out well! Â It greatly improved the vibe as the vocalist was interacting and joking with the customers and it made for an entertaining meal.
The food was good, not outstanding, but maybe a couple notches above Chevy's. Â
Their margaritas are strong and tasty.
Prices are fair, not cheap, not expensive.
Good place to go and have a good time at.
Pretty pedestrian Mexican fare ... but it is what you would expect in a strip mall in Rancho Mirage. How Mexi-authentic is a place going to be when it is next to a Red Robin, Regal Cinemas, and near a Costco?
I've been a couple times and this beats the Maracas in downtown Palm Springs hand over fist. But that's not that hard to do, actually.
The place looks nice enough, service is friendly enough, and the place is clean enough. Get the gist? And the food? It's actually the best thing going here, but they definitely color within the lines. Nothing too creative or too spicy ... just pretty standard AmeriMex offerings.
I did order a BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad last time I was there for lunch and it was enormous. It could have served four, easily (yet I did eat most of it .... yikes!). There was no ranch dressing, so I was a bit mislead by the name of the dish, but the BBQ dressing was amazing and there was a ton of chicken in it.
Safe and sane ... that's the name of the game here. The 80+ crowd from their walled enclaves in Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert will like the place, as will the neocons who wouldn't venture into Cathedral City or Indio for more authentic fare.
My rating is based solely on the Baby Back BBQ Ribs- with mango salsa. Side of rice and black beans? Perfection. Boyfriend and I have been here twice, kinda went out of our way here the second time we were in Palm Springs, just to have the ribs. They are seriously delicious. Not to mention how addicting the chips and salsa they provide are!
It's a really clean and spacious place, with a large bar and options of both booths and tables.
The ribs have been so good, so we haven't even had a chance to look at anything else on the menu, haha. Definitely recommended. Don't think you'll be disappointed!
Searched yelp for the best mexican food in the area and led us here.
They where filming a commercial yesterday while we were here.
I chips are very good but the salsa was a little ketchupy but it was good.
I ordered a chimichanga and it was more like a burrito, it was soggy and soft but it didnt have good flavors and it was huge. I was only able to finish alittle bit more then half.
Id go back but id probably try the chile relleno or some calamari.
A large group of us descended on Maracas Cantina, solely  based on the yelp rating...and yelp came through again! Everything was extremely good, from the Sopes to the killer Carnitas plate! And they had Fat Tire Ale to go with it.
I strongly recommend Maracas if you like Mexican food and good beer.
The wife and I really like this place when we want a quick bite to eat at the bar and an ice-cold beer or other beverage. Â We have been exploring their appetizer menu, and the calamari appetizer stands out as one of the best we've had in a long time. Â They use a generous portion of sliced calamari steaks rather than rings, and the dipping sauce is a spicy salsa; not the sweet cocktail sauce used most everywhere else. Â We also tried the BBQ chicken quesadilla. Initially we were expecting some BBQ sauce to be used, but the dish was sweetened with caramelized onion which made it taste amazing. Â It's refreshing to dine at a locally owned restaurant which is not a mega chain and serves creative and tasty food.
We have been to this place a handful of times now and have not explored the entire menu yet, but so far so good. Â The service is fast and we have been treated very well each time we have gone there. Â The prices are very reasonable as well. Â We would recommend this place to friends and family without hesitation.
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