Nestled in the Nulu district in Louisville Mayan Cafe made me want to pack my bags and move south. It's hard to classify this place because it's not fusion but it's extremely creative. Â My bf and I split two appetizers to start, the perfectly balanced shrimp ceviche and papadzule. The papadzule was insane!!! Smoked chicken inside of tortillas with a creamy sauce and topped with a poached egg.
For entree with shared the chicken thighs and the rabbit. While the chicken thighs were perfectly crispy the tamarind sauce on the rabbit was bright and stole the show. Our sever forget to bring our order of the house special the lima beans so we packed them to go. While I was so full to have more than a tiny bite I can see why they're the stand out dish. Who knew the lowly lima could be elevated with garlic, green onion and lime.
I can see why this place is so popular and I will definitely be back on my next trip to Louisville.
Experienced a fun, flavorful lunch here that was priced right. Â Ordered the 3 Salpotes combo, with one using pulled Pork, another prepared with Squash+Goat cheese and the other using Chicken+Jack Cheese. Â All the salpotes come garnished with squash and cabbage, in addition to a side of jalapeno sauce with appropriate spiciness level. Â A common risk associated with salpotes is an almost burnt oily taste, or hint of burnt tortilla which essentially ruins them. Â
Here at MC, the corn tortilla base was fried perfectly with a wonderful crunch, yet a soft buttery corn after taste. Â The pulled pork salpote was good but didn't stand out. Â The goat cheese salpote was prepared flawlessly. Â The delicious, creamy goat cheese contrasted perfectly with the crunchy fried base, kind of like a jalapeno cheese popper, only much better. Â I've had plenty of these with crumbled Mexican cheeses, but I've never had one with creamy goat cheese, needless to say it works very well. Â The Chicken salpote had a slightly more complex and interesting flavor due to the chicken marinade, jack cheese, and some other things they put in there, but did'nt make my mouth water as much as the simple goat cheese variation.
Also had a side of Lima beans that, according to the restaurant, were prepared using an ancient Mayan recipe. Â I don't know if this is true, what I do know is that this is the best side of Lima beans I've ever had.
It was such a relief to find this cute contemporary place after driving through endless cow farms from Tennessee. It reminded me of eateries in old town Pasadena, Califirnia.
This is a "must see" for those passing through Louiseville, Kentucky or those that live in the area.
My bf ordered the Mayan huevos that came with churizo & plantains... Yummmm
I ordered the Mayan tacos: salmon, chicken & the vegetarian. Delish!! I loved the sauce!!! I could shower in it!!
We also had the Lima beans and empanadas, which were inhaled!!
Cocktails were also surprisingly mind blowing!! I can't believe how amazing everything was from start to finish for a place that seem so ordinary on the outside.
Thank you for the outstanding meal & service!!
May be other people hyped the restaurant for me, but it wasn't as "good" as I had anticipated. I mean, don't get me wrong, the food was definitely good, but I can't imagine this is one of the best restaurant in town.
First of all, our first available reservation was 9pm as the host made it sound the restaurant was very very busy. But when we arrived at 8:45pm, there were definitely few open tables and definitely not as busy as they claimed.
Our appetizer was definitely the highlight of the meal. The chicken tamale was very tasty and mole sauce was fantastic. Our entrees were a bit let down following the appetizer. The lamb and pork dishes were a bit dry, too much protein and not balanced by adequate starch on the plate. Prices were ok, but certainly didn't live up to the value.
Overall the meal was good, but I highly doubt this is the best gig in town.
Decided to have lunch so called to see if they had a table. YES, they had one & 5 minutes later my 2 dining companions & I were sipping iced tea & awaiting our salbutes & Lima beans. We were not disappointed. Chef Bruce Ucan never ceases to amaze me with his culinary abilities. Â Stellar meal.
Review Source:My favorite restaurant in Louisville. There is nothing on the menu that isn't incredible. I recommend this place to everyone I know, natives and visitors. The atmosphere is intimate, warm, and inviting. Local, farm-to-table, vegetarian options. Also, located in Louisville's hip NuLu district. A must eat!
Review Source:With the Mayan Apocalypse upon us, a few friends of mine and myself decided to head back to one of our favorite lunch spots, Mayan Cafe, for one last hurrah. Everything was so good though that we're *fingers crossed* hoping to have an opportunity to return.
We all had something different, and everyone was happy. I tried the beef enchiladas ($11), which Mayan Cafe covers in a deliciously rich mole sauce, as opposed to the red or green alternatives. The beef comes from a local farm, and was perfect. It comes with a side of refried black beans and chips, and due to my love for all things plantain, I ordered an extra side of their fried version ($4). Â The salbutes are always a favorite as well, and my fellow diner ordered the huevos montueltas, and only had good things to say about them.
Right in the middle of Nulu, on East Market Street, Mayan Cafe makes for a great lunch setting, as it's easy to access from downtown, the Highlands, and even St. Matthews.
Can't recommend enough.
Mmm. Excellent local ingredients freshly arranged in amazing ways. The vegetarian burrito was delicious, and went quite well with the jalapeno sauce from the shredded beef tacos, which were also amazing (and the awesome tortillas make all the difference). The "don't worry about it" drink was great. I believe it was just Woodford Reserve and simple syrup. I slightly regret not having gotten the mimosa, with prickly pear puree and cava. As others have mentioned, the lima bean, pan roasted in sesame oil, parsley, some lime, and other stuff, will satisfy even lima-haters (like my wife), and the shrimp ceviche was absolutely perfect (surprisingly, perhaps, given the distance to the ocean).
The articles posted on the walls in the bathrooms were informative, and I imagine they're on the website as well.
Friendly and helpful medium-paced service at lunch. A nice cozy feel to the room as well.
Highly recommended for foodies generally, Mexican lovers, or fans of local and vegetarian specialties (but don't forget the meat, if you're into it).
I have been here twice, once for lunch and once for dinner. It is definitely a better lunch place. The atmosphere is great. It is tucked away nicely into NuLu. It is pretty small so it is not good for parties bigger than 6.
The staff is friendly and attentive. They look out for you and are helpful when recommending a dish. You MUST try the salbutes. They are amazing! Grab a couple of friends and give this place a try. You won't be disappointed.
Mayan Cafe is really an incredible experience. We went for my husband's birthday. It is really small, but it isn't crowded, so you don't feel like the people at the next table are sitting on top of you, like you do in some small restaurants that try to cram more people in. The servers were great; very attentive and friendly and helpful. The food was amazing. It can be a little pricey, but there are different priced menu options. I rarely give 5 stars, in fact, I had 4, but decided I needed to change it to 5. It was really that good. They are having the End of the World Meal, right now. I had that and everything on the pre-fixed menu was wonderful, from the Blood Orange Margarita to the Flan.
Review Source:I've been a fan of this place for years. I've been for lunch, dinner and private parties countless times and I've never been let down by incredible meals and impeccable service.
If you only try one thing on the menu, it should be a side of lima beans. Even if you have never liked lima beans and don't think you could, go out on a limb. This dish is to die for. Wowsers! I could make a meal out of a couple orders of them.
The salbutes are always unbeatable and, with a choice of three for one order, you get to try a variety of flavor combos with one dish.
I'm a sweetaholic and I really like their desserts. On my most recent trip, I had the chocolate bread pudding topped with sorghum ice cream. What a treat! I paired it with a cup of coffee only to find that Kenny's Red Hot Roasters makes a special blend just for them. Make sure to save room for that at the end of your meal.
Stopped by on the way into Louisville for business thanks to my fellow yelpers. Â It was about 6:45pm on Monday. Â I brought the fam along (wife, 2 yo, and 6 month old) and although children are allowed, the ambiance of Mayan Cafe feels a lot more grown up. Â Definitely a date place. Â This was on a weeknight, and we didn't have a reservation, but got seated immediately. Â This may have been a fluke, as this place is awesome and I can totally see it being packed on any other night, especially weekends.
The restaurant is very quaint (small) and has a warm, intimate feel to it. Our waitress was fan-f'n-tastic. Â She was so accommodating. Â We love you, Heather.
On to the food.  Started with the shrimp ceviche.  TASTEE. Just the right amount of citrusy, habenero-y, tomatillo-y  zing. Perfect for sharing among two. Frequent Applebees consumers may disagree.
I had the meat of the day (a top sirloin), from some local farm that was served with an amazing sauce, but the quality of the meat really stood out. Â Man, that was good. The cauliflower, yes the cauliflower, was really good...like stand alone good.
My wife had the lamb. Â That was straight up bomb, ya'll. Â So tender, she could cut into with a fork. Â Good thing too because she was holding the baby while eating. Â (I was tending to the back-talking two year old, okay?) Â
The kids started their countdown to meltdown, so in an effort to be courteous to the other customers, we packed up what remained of our food  and got the hell out of there.  But not before I ordered the cocoa bread pudding.  We ate that back at the hotel and it was magnificent.  Yeah, the lowly bread pudding can be described that way.
Just got back from an incredible dinner at Mayan Cafe! Â I walked in at 5pm (when they open) and was seated right away, there were four other parties seated right at five, on a Wednesday. Â I was surprised - probably best to make a reservation if you are arriving after 6pm. Â I had the lima beans for checking in and they were delicious - they are made with pumpkin seeds, green onion, cilantro, sesame seeds and sesame oil. Â For an appetizer, I had the shrimp ceviche which was excellent - one of the best shrimp ceviches I have had north of Mexico. Â For dinner, I ordered the rabbit which had the pim tortilla and fried plantains as a side. Â I switched my order for the yucca cake. The yucca cake was kind of greasy compared to other yucca pancakes that I have had before, and I probably wouldn't get that again, although I ate the whole thing with their delicious habanero sauce. Â FYI, the jalapeno sauce was not spicy at all and just ok, so if you're looking for spice and flavor go with the habanero. I came in tired and hangry and left happy and full!
PRO: Great service, Rabbit, Shrimp Ceviche, Lima Beans, Habanero Sauce
CON: Yucca cake, Limited cabs in the area for when you are done. Â Call one ahead.
I can't really review this without giving stars - but I didn't want to give it 1 star because my experience wasn't THAT bad.
I just wasn't able to eat there. It was a Monday evening and the restaurant was literally half empty. It didn't look like there were reservations and she didn't ask us if we had one so I presumed they either didn't take them or didn't have any. But she said it was going to be a 45 minute wait, after staring at the 5 tables that were filled for a few minutes.
My bf and I looked at each other, looked around at the emptiness, and just shrugged. We went down the street and had a great meal, but wish we could have tried something highly recommended by fellow yelpers!
Pretty darn good. And a yelp deal to boot. Get the yelp deal. You won't be unhappy at all about it. Delish.
Was a little put off that the hostess had to check to see if I could have a reservation (when I called) and we get there and the place is friggin empty.
Also, family run place, but keep the toddler someplace else when seating people. Especially when it's screaming. Also, don't then tell it to shut up.
Food was good though! Got a burrito. Yum.
I went to Mayan Cafe for the first time the this past weekend after Melanie K recommended it  in her review as a great date restaurant. I completely agree with her. In addition to offering delicious well portioned food, the atmosphere is both intimate and inviting and I found all of the staff to be quite friendly.
I would recommend everything that we orded. The shrimp ceviche appetizer was absolutely delicious with fresh chunks of avocado. We each thoroughly enjoyed our entrees. I ordered the Rabbit and my date ordered the Pork. Both were tender, juicy and flavorful. Mayan Cafe certainly lived up to its reputation. I will definitely be back again.
A work colleague recommended we check this place out - am I ever glad we did!
Beware - we did not know this ahead of time - this is a very popular place - and it's small - not many tables. So even on a weeknight, I highly recommend you make reservations - else you might not get in. We lucked out and got a table.
We both checked in on Yelp - which entitled us to each get a free order of their Lima Beans. We did not yet know what we were about to experience in terms of the Lima Beans, but we are sure glad we did!
I ordered the Guacamole and chips as an appetizer - this is a delicate, mild Guacamole - finished with Pomegranate and micro greens. Makes for a nice presentation, I can't say it does much for the flavor, Still, an elegant presentation. My one complaint is one does not get enough Guacamole - so we placed an order for another round.
I ordered the Vegetarian Burrito - which is stuffed with potatoes, caramelized cabbage, onions, black beans, jalapeño jack cheese, tomatillo sauce and comes with a fried egg on top. There is an option to add pork - which I exercised.  The burrito was one of the best I've ever had! A wonderful array of flavors and textures! The only thing I was missing was some heat. So I asked if they had any Mayan hot sauces? They brought out two small square ramekins - one with a Jalapeño sauce and the other a Habanero sauce. I like intense heat - so I tasted the Habanero first - it was smoking! I loved it! It immediately made the top of my head sweat and tingle!
The Lima Beans are amazing! I've never had anything like them - I can only say - you must try them!
Service was very good! I hope to visit here again during my next visit to Louisville!
I ate here with my girlfriend recently and it was great. Of course we had the lima beans which were very tasty. This coming from a guy who typically doesn't care for lima beans. I ordered the salmon per recommendation of a friend and it was fantastic. The entry was filling but not too much and the taste was great. They have outdoor seating which is my favorite on a warm summer night. The price is very reasonable as well.
Review Source:What a great place! Being from out of town I wasnt sure about the location but I'm glad I listened to the reviews. ( my first time using yelp! ) review from Sept 2011.
They don't need a big flashy building because the food is so wonderful and well thought out.
I had the rabbit and my brother had the special of the day duck. My mother had the scallops, everything was Amazing!!! We finished every bite.
Wine selection was unique and our waitress was sweet and helpful in deciding what to get. Normally I wouldn't order rabbit. Â But I wanted to try something new.
Get there early or call ahead it's a small dining room so it fills up fast.
The only thing I would change is the desert choices. We each had one. Â They were ok not as good as the entrees were. Â But it's still 5 stars in my book!
Top notch! Â Vegetarian dinner in Aug 2012 was fantastic. Â Great use of local grown and produced goods. Â High, positive energy and engaged owner/chef combo. Â Fantastic menu choices and tons of creativity. Â In a city full of fantastic foodie choices, this deserves a spot in the Top 5.
Review Source:This restaurant was my introduction to Louisville - and I am SO glad it was.
We went on Market Monday, which means they have a special meal composed from ingredients from a local farm. The farmers are present so that you can ask questions about their growing or raising practices. For a locavore, this place is a gift!!! Louisville has a vibrant local food scene and I'm pretty sure this restaurant is at the top of the list.
The decor is simple but lovely, the staff were charming, and the food was wonderfully prepared. Am just sad I was driving so could not try out one of their drinks!
I am starting to like Louisville. Its mainly because of places like this.
First things first. Check in on Yelp. Free Lima Beans appetizer. They were freshly cooked in sesame oil, crushed pumpkin seeds, with chives and parsley and a little seasoning. They were delicious!
Next up, it was Market Monday at the Mayan Cafe. What does that mean?
Well it means that they feature and host the produce of a local farmer at the restaurant. Great concept. The farmers are all invited and they will mingle with the diners. Always good to know who is making your food. Well in this case you also find who's growing it.
The specials were different from their regular specials, because they had a special menu based on the produce from the farms. There was a black tea, steeped with blueberries, basil and mint. It was similar to hibiscus tea, just as refreshing, with a milder taste.
Next up the gazpacho. Now I've had gazpacho once before at the South Congress Cafe in Austin and that was chilled and delicious. Here the gazpacho wasn't chilled, rather it was just cold. Like not heated, but not refrigerated either. The flavor was amazing though.
There was also a ribeye, but no one tried it.
I had the gazpacho and the black bean and goat cheese empanadas. The empanadas were covered with a pumpkin seed sauce. They were very tasty, but they were missing something. They were missing some acid and some heat.
My colleagues got the seafood bisque, the quinoa salad, and the beef chilaquiles. They all said their food was scrumdiddily-umptious!
I then proceeded to order the spicy chocolate mousse. We all shared the dessert and it was absolutely amazing! I would give the Mayan Cafe 5 stars just for this dessert alone. It had cayenne, cinnamon in a wonderfully light chocolate mousse, covered with whipped cream, blueberries, an orange slice and pumpkin seed brittle. We all dug in and before you know it was gone. I would have licked that bowl clean if I wasn't out in public. Seriously.
I did scoop some with my finger and lick it :)
My wife and I came here after we received a Louisville Originals Gift Certificate. My wife and I needed a night out and the Mayan Cafe was on our list of places to hit.
The small or quaint restaurant features dark lighting a nooks and crannies where tables or nicely tucked into. However, like a majority of restaurants in Louisville, the sound level is always a problem. There is no chance of having a nice, quiet romantic evening here but this is also good for their business since they are always booked!
The server we had was very helpful and the bus boy was very quick to refill our water glasses. He must have had some type of radar because he would show up out of nowhere and my glass was magically filled again. The flatware, glasses and dishes complimented the atmosphere nicely and the originally artwork/photography on the wall from where the Chef is from, was a nice touch for the realism of it all.
We started off by sharing the empanadas filled with goat cheese among other delicious things. The "breading" reminded me of a potato latke and it was simply delicious! It was flavored just enough and you could taste each ingredient individually and they blended nicely.
For the main course, I had the Rabbit. It was decent, tasted of a gamier chicken. Not bad, but I was missing that melt in your mouth moment. I have had rabbit before and there was nothing overly special about this particular plate, but the plating and presentation was worth the price. My wife, had the Vegetarian Burrito and loved it dearly.
We perused the dessert menu, but nothing really tickled our fancy.
Mayan Cafe is a good, solid restaurant in the heart of NuLu that deserves a visit from everyone that passes it. Is it a repeat place for me, probably not, but maybe, just maybe for those empanadas would I come again~!
Had a late lunch here last week with a friend...The hostess was unbelievably gracious; service was good. Â It was quiet because of the time of day, but I imagine it would be a good place for a romantic evening out...
The food...Oh, yum. Â Good wine list.
The ceviche had a lovely piece of Ahi and was well prepared...just wish there had been a lighter hand with the cilantro, tbh. Â It goes a long way...
I have to admit, I was really skeptical about ordering a burger in a place whose chef focuses on flavors from the Yucatan...I mean, really?!?!?!?
But the burger is great - the roll is perfection, the toppings both comfortable and novel, and perfectly cooked.
The plantains made me a happy woman, indeed. I could eat these every day.
Mole was good...not the best I've had, but good. Â The lima beans were very tasty.
The coconut etc, etc, sorbet with fried mint was fabulous. Â My friend nearly licked the bowl clean. Â And I nearly fought him for the honor.
Lima Beans with Yelp checkin.
I was very excited to try this place during our visit to Louisville. Â Chef Bruce Ucan grew up in a small Mayan village in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Â The food was authentic and there were pictures in the restaurant of the village where he grew up. Â It is a small cozy restaurant with dim lighting so it was the perfect setting for a romantic evening after a long day.
The service was great and as soon as I checked in on Yelp there was a special for free lima beans. Â Our server brought them out as an appetizer. Â I like lima beans all right but these were no ordinary beans. Â They were delicious.
I don't usually like ordering things such as burgers when there are so many interesting entrees, but sometimes a person is just in the mood for a burger. Â When I read the burger had havarti cheese and cilantro-caper aioli with fried plantains on the side I knew I had to try it. Â This is without a doubt the best burger I've ever eaten. Â I would highly recommend this be a must stop if you are in downtown Louisville.
So I was super excited to try this place because the new "NuLu" area of Louisville is really popping up some fantastic restaurants and I heard so much good news about this place.
First off, this place already is at the top of my book because if you check in on Yelp, you get a free side of Lima Beans! Â Which this is tough to say because I call myself a Louisvillian and part southerner but, these were the best lima beans I've ever had. Â Sorry Mom... Â The seasonings, flavors, and the tenderness of the bean make this place top notch for the essential southern side dish. Â Which is weird because this place is Latin American...go figure!
For dinner I had a free side of limas, a bowl of butternut squash soup with goat cheese, and the Mayan salad. Â Both items I would get again, I preferred the soup more because it was very tasty and had goat cheese in it (which is my favorite of all cheeses). Â I licked the bowl...not really, but I wanted to. Â The salad was good but I'm not a fan of fruit in salads, but it was beautiful with grapefruit, avacado, pine nuts, jicama, and a grapefruit dressing. Â The unsweetened tea was oddly fruity. Â
Overall this place is a most to visit, kinda pricey and I suggest reservations but definitely a must!
Affordable restaurant to get cool points from your date.
Based on many reviews I have been wanted to try this small NewLou Restaurant and I am so glad I went. I was having a business meeting and wanted a place that was smaller and more intimate, I got exactly what I was looking for. Although it was more romantic low lighting intimate then small space. I was not even trying find a classy upscale place, but it looked like I had good taste for picking the Cafe from my guests perspective.
Even without a reservation we got lucky and were sat immediately.
However, in the future I would do a call ahead because it was very busy for a Wednesday.
There was a great selection of wine and cocktails. I completely forgot about the Lima beans special but had the guacamole instead. You can tell it was freshly made, because of the chunks of fresh Pico and avocado in the dish. It was topped with pomegranate seeds which made me a little hesitant, but it was soo good.
For dinner I had the Shrimp entree. The shrimp where jumbo size and cooked perfectly. My Shrimp dish almost had a stir fried texture, but was more crispy and flavorful. My business partner got the Vegetable Burrito. I am not a huge fan of black beans, but I got to sample a slice and it was amazing! The burrito was sweet and textured. On top was a fried egg that helped bring all the flavors together while getting your protein filling.
The two top table was large enough for us to take notes. The server was very attentive while giving us time to chat business talk.
I will have to come back to have a romantic dinner and try the Lima beans. This is definitely a place to make your date think you are more hip, then you may actually be, without breaking the bank.
Seafood bisque, Mayan burger, jalapeño sauce all FANTASTIC!!!
I was in town visiting family and already had lunch plans that inadvertently fell through. Â I remembered my friends Kim and Jason mentioning this restaurant. Â
I stopped in and had lunch alone. Â I was a little nervous because the door said lunch service ends at 2:30 and it was already 2:20. Â
I walked up to the hostess stand, the person who greeted me didn't blink, smiled graciously, and seated me no problem!
Every staff member that walked past me was EXTREMELY friendly and sooo helpful. Â I didn't eat a single bite of food that I wasn't completely impressed with.
Of course since I was dining alone I was eye-spying everyone else's plates and everything looked amazing!!
Next time I'll have to bring someone with me, but this restaurant met ALL my expectations and more!!!
Okay, so wasn't sure what to expect here. It looks so unassuming. But it is actually a really nice restaurant that is generally hard to get a table at. Lucky for us, it was a Wed at 8. Not exactly prime time for the fancy dinner.
First off, thank you Mayan Cafe for the check in special. That just makes me smile. Granted, they were for lima beans. Lima beans? I mean they are good in some butter, but who really gets excited over lima beans? I. Stand. Corrected. These were the best lima beans I have EVER had. Seriously. Check in and get them for free and check them out and then brag to your friends about their awesomeness.
Okay, moving on. I also got two apps because they sounded so good. The black bean and goat cheese empanadas were tasty though I could have gone with a touch more goat cheese. And it really did hurt them on my scaling factor in that I had the Seafood Bisque. And it was creamy, flavorful, warm goodness. Okay, so awesome just wasn't sufficient, so I was reaching a little there. And all that plus a dos equis for 20 bucks including tip. Yay!
The main courses aren't cheap. It is definitely a nice dinner. You can get a burger for 11 bucks with fried plantains or you can go with the steak special for 29 bucks.
Decent beer selection from about 3.50 - 6 bucks.
I've decided this is the best restaurant in Louisville. Â After coming here another time, and again over the weekend, I truly don't know why we are not eating here more! Â This should be a must-eat for every Louisville Yelper, whether it's a random Tuesday or a special occasion.
There were three of us recently, and ordering a cocktail, three courses each, a bottle of wine, plus two glasses of wine, and the bill was $160. Â We gorged like kings! Â If that's not upscale dining value, I don't know what is.
The food is absolutely ridiculous...in a delicious mouth-gasm way. Â The three of us shared
-Salbutes of the day (beef tongue, which was surprisingly tender and non-gross!)
-Chile relleno (light and crispy)
-Empanadas (black bean and goat cheese)
- Cochinita pibil (just could not say no to this deliciousness!)
- Brisket chilaquile (surprisingly light and brisket super tender!)
- Flank steak with yellow mole (excellent)
Our out of town friend could not believe the food here, and was already planning his next visit to come back and eat here!
My only (minor) complaint is that even with the interior re-design, the space still does not fit the food. Â The tables are pretty close together, and it feels kind of cramped in there. Â The ambiance is still not my favorite, but I'm willing to overlook this. Â The food is just that good.
Last night I headed to Mayan Cafe for a late night dinner with a large group of friends. Â There were 8 of us and the small restaurant was so accommodating. Â They quickly set up a table for us and sat us right away.
There was also a Lima beans special for checking in on Yelp! Â So lets talk about what is really important....the food. Â It was fantastic. Â I had a pork something that I could not pronounce, but it rocked my taste buds. Â It was so tender and juicy with an amazing flavor!
I wish I would have been hungry enough for dessert because it sounded amazing but my meal filled me up to much. Â We closed down the restaurant and the staff did not seem to care. Â They were chatting with us and seemed perfectly content to accommodate our desire to stay and catch up with friends. Â Next time you are in NuLu, I recommend you check out this spot!
First off - thank you, Yelp, for the free Tok-Sel Lima Beans! Yum!
Secondly - this place is delicious. Please go here for your own good.
We started with the Empanadas - black bean and goat cheese! Packed with flavor. After reading all the raving Yelp reviews about the Salmon, I wouldn't let my fiance choose anything else (hey, he likes salmon more then I do!). Can I just say that if they bottled the cuitlachoche cream sauce that they put on there, I would most certainly drink it with no shame!! The salmon itself was flavorful and moist as promised. I went with the Brisket Chilaquile. I think I still dream about it. The seasonal vegetables were SO SO packed with flavor. The brisket melted in your mouth. Mix that with the sweet light tomato sauce and jalapeno puree for a little spice?? Heaven!!
We were too full for dessert and plus, the hostess had generously sat us at a table that had an 8 pm reservation, so we wanted to give them enough time to flip the table. There is no way their desserts are bad though! I'm sure of it!! I would say to DEFINITELY make a reservation though, as we were the only people who walked in without one and were able to sit. We saw several other parties turned away. This is a do not miss if you are in the area, so make your reservation and come hungry!
Damn.
While planning a road trip from Chicago to Atlanta it was looking like Louisville was going to be where I'd stop for dinner, so I poked around on Yelp and the Mayan Cafe seemed like a great choice; it got me off the highway and into downtown, plus it was littered with great reviews.
I showed up Thursday night around 7:30 PM without a reservation but was able to immediately grab a small table outside in the alley. Â Upon checking-in to Yelp I was granted a free appetizer of Tok-Sel Lima Beans. Â They were easily the best Lima beans I'd ever had, the dish vanished quickly; smokey with a hint of citrus.
The small menu hinted that the chef concentrated on doing a few quality authentic dishes, and the Salmon entrée was my choice.  Upon hearing the specials from the waitress I found they offered another Salmon dish with a tomatillo sauce on top of a bed of pasta with peppers.
The salmon was cooked perfectly. Perfect. I only wish I could get this level of moisture, taste, and texture out of salmon myself (and I have a freezer full of wild Alaskan salmon we caught ourselves). Â A bottle of local Bluegrass Brown Nut Ale was a perfect, nutty companion to the meal.
Hoping to return here on the way back home.
If you are fortunate, you will have a chance to dine at Mayan Cafe during your stay in Louisville. Â It is such a welcome contrast to the heavy food and lack of choices you'll find in town (although of course there are a few bright spots). Â
The Mayan is a humble restaurant with simple, but inviting decor. Â The real knockout is the amazing flavors the chef achieves with his dishes. Â All our appetizers were amazing although I especially enjoyed the salmon, goat cheese, on some type of toast with a satisfyingly spicy chile hot sauce. Â I wish I could have bottled that sauce and taken it around with me through my meals in Louisville. Â The scallops entree, though I did not order them, were stellar - perhaps the best dish at the table. Â I loved the fresh ingredients, attention to detail, and passion the chef clearly puts into his dishes.
They also served bottles of this amazing bourbon beer, which I could not find anywhere else. Â It poured like bourbon and looked like the color of a deep amber honey - and boy did it go down smooth. Â Too smooth. Â This is definitely a place worth visiting.
My situation: I'm in Louisville for a conference and expect to eat unhealthy, fairly boring food during my stay.
My reality: I found Mayan Cafe and all of my expectations escaped me.
So it started as a bit of a journey after some ill directions created a rather long and blistery walk. But once we walked in, we knew we were in for a treat.
This is a very small joint, I would venture to say, even, too small. But it worked fine. We had a later reservation and the place cleared out pretty quickly. An early observation and a bit of an annoyance was that they seemed not to be using air conditioning much. It was hot out, the air should have been on much cooler than it was. But I will give them a pass on that.
The menu is mighty incredible. It rotates regularly to reflect seasonal, local offerings, all in a mayan style (are you surprised?). As we debated the main courses, we ordered a few appetizers. A bit hesitantly we tried the crawfish ceviche. Having never seen this as an offering, and knowing that crawfish can really be hit or miss, we didn't know what to expect... Along with the crawfish we went with the tuna ceviche as well as guacamole.
From the first bite of quac, I knew I was going to be in a happy place. The guac incredible. Deep flavors, perfect consistency, an overall perfect dish. And I have to say, the ceviches only deepened my love for this place. Not knowing what to expect from the crawfish, I was hugely impressed with both offerings. Both were amazing, and the whole table was pleased.
As for the main course, I went with the jumbo shrimp in a light coconut sauce, served with a squash cake and quinoa salad. It was astounding. The flavors were bold, yet not overpowering, and flowed nicely across my plate.
It was a large portion too, which is fairly rare for higher end restaurants. The joy of being in lesser known food city?
Byt this point I was about to pop. And as soon as the dessert menu was put in front of me, I knew it was a bad idea, but how many more times will I be in Louisville?
I went with the cheesecake with local peach sauce. Cheesecake is something that I don't order often, and I'm not really sure why I ordered it, but I am glad I did. It was not the New York style cheesecake that I was expecting, but had a lighter, whipped consistency that was much easier to digest after such a binge.
The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful and made the quick stay an excellent one. I expect only more good things from this place. I might just have to book another trip into town sometime soon!
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