Maya

My go to place for happy hour! My coworkers and I come here at LEAST once a week. The Maya margaritas are to die for and the bartenders are more than attentive. Be sure to come in on Wednesdays (margarita Wednesday!)and Thursday’s and be sure to ask for Javi.

Love this place! Super cute inside and the food is always awesome! I’ve been several times for happy hour and tried things off the bar menu and also to the boozy brunch. You really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu! Brunch is the best because not only are the drinks unlimited, so is the food! You can literally try everything on the menu. 2 hours for $ 45. Totally worth it! Come hungry!
Maya has the best Margs in NYC imo! Quality of Margs is way better when they’re not the ones included with the boozy brunch but even those are good.
Anyways, from the service to the food & drinks… thus place is the $hit! I’m typing this review with a hangover from yesterday’s brunch and I still wanna go back! Do it!

Best deal in city. Only good review on Unilocal.Jenny is the best wAitress. Nachos/​Nutella French toast on faaaaleek.

I truly do not understand how this place is so popular. I LOVE Mexican and just moved into the area, so I had high hopes for this place. We came here for dinner, and ordered the guacamole after waiting to be addressed by a server for over 15 minutes. 20 minutes later, our guacamole (which was approximately a fist full) was served with some chips. The guacamole was good, but for the price ($ 14) and considering it was split among 4 people, not sufficient. We had also ordered drinks — a plain margarita (which tasted pre-​made) and the peppino, which I enjoyed.
For dinner, I ordered the crab and shrimp enchilada ($ 24). It was awful — the sauce was seemingly glowing green, and the seafood was anything but fresh. My fiancé ordered the short braised ribs ($ 29) which were dry. To top it off, we weren’t asked once how our meals were, and had to find someone to get the check, which took 30 minutes to return to us. 2 hours and over $ 100 for a bad dinner later, we left, and won’t be returning. Overall, this place seems to have cheap food pushed out to the masses.

Came here with a few friends for my birthday brunch after recently visiting their sister store (Zengo), for unlimited food and brunch. We were seated immediately for our reservations by the window (it was the beginning of summer, so beautiful weather). Service was speedy and attentive, the waiter did not miss a beat when it came to refilling our drinks. The food would not stop coming, and we were not complaining.
At one point a lady (maybe the manager/​owner?) came over to ask us how our service was, to which we complimented their staff and how happy we were. She then asked if we tried the pan dulce. When we replied no, she immediately called over a staff member and ordered several plates of that along with some other dishes she thought we’d love.
Overall, loved the food and the service was impeccable!

We went here for restaurant week… Something we love to do to find new places. We are rarely disappointed and always treated well!
Maya was another story. First I asked if they had any frozen virgin drinks and was told that they were all premixed with tequila. Pretty flimsy for an upscale place.
The appetizers were quite good but there was nothing else on the table… No chips, no tortillas, no bread.
The entrees were smaller than the appetizers and were on large plates with tiny portions and no side dishes… No rice, no beans, no corn bread etc.
There was only one dessert to choose from or assorted sorbets.
My impression was that they were treating restaurant week customers very poorly. Looking around I saw diners with much fuller plates of food.
We have dined at some very good restaurants… Our favorite is Boulud Sud and been treated with great curtesy and a great meal. This was a big disappointment!

Went here for unlimited brunch with a group of ten people. Service was decent, but not great. There was a large period of time where we couldn’t find someone to refill drinks order more food.
Price is high for the quality of food, not great. Place is loud and you have to shout to talk to the person next to you.
Overall, not impressed with this place. Def overpriced for the overall experience. Wouldn’t recommend.

Great Happy Hour Specials!!!
I have only been here for the margaritas and I would highly recommend that you come during happy hour because the margaritas are only 5 – 6 bucks, depending on the type you get. One tip that I will make is that if you do not like your margaritas too sweet then you should really ask the bartenders to substitute some of the triple sec/​sour mix for seltzer water and stay away from the frozen margaritas. For the most part, the bartenders are very accommodating of that request.
The atmosphere is bumping but not too crowded, since it is on the «lower» Upper East Side. However with the music and the margarita-​inspired good times, the bar and lounge area can get a little loud but the back area is a little more quiet. I would recommend dining in the back area if you want a more intimate setting.
Also, be sure to check out Maya’s calendar because there are specials almost every day of the week. For example, Maya has taco Tuesdays where tacos (typically three types, including a «taco of the day») are only 2 bucks. But, be warned that these are the mini tacos and not regular-​sized tacos.
If you are in the area drop by, drink, eat and be merry. Oh, the Blood orange margarita is to die for.

Everyone loves to complain about Mexican food in the city, particularly those from CA, AZ, or TX.
I split time between LA and Santa Barbara for years and confess I was one of those people. There has for some time been upscale Mexican (Rosa Mexicano) and Mexico Lindo (wonderful family-​run operation in Kips Bay, 26^th and 2^nd I think). And a friend 35 years on the Upper East Side swears by a place I’ve never heard of in the 80s, but one night last trip I looked on Unilocal for UES Mexican and ran across this.
See my 1 Star review of that abomination on 61^st and Lex. Cute awning, cute patio, overpriced food, and egregiously rude and incompetent service.
I went for dinner by myself on Thanksgiving Eve and loved every thing about it. The hostess/Maitre’d is terrific, a California girl, and the dining room casually elegant. The design is excellent: the bar, which is very loud after 7 or 8, is separate from the dining area, so you can eat a meal with kids or adults and actually carry on a conversation.
Unilocal check-​in deal gives you one free margarita with an entrée which is cool. I recommend the soft tacos. The Happy Hour menu is limited but excellent and you can’t beat the price. Their «squash blossom quesadilla» looks nothing like a quesadilla but quite wonderful. All the meat is flavorful and well-​prepared.
This is innovative, eclectic Oaxacan cuisine. I could not believe it’s been here 17 years and so favorably reviewed by the major magazines and press outlets.
Happy Hour drink prices are terrific too. And they have a very cheap Taco Tuesday. Note: they don’t serve anything off the dinner menu until 5PM, so if you are going for Happy Hour and want something beyond the limited HH food menu, you should probably wait till 5 rather than go when it starts at 4.
The food comes out very quickly. So this is a good choice if you’re grabbing a quick bite before a movie at Beekman Theaters on 2^nd or the dumpy neighborhood place on 60^th and 3^rd.

I went to Maya for a friend’s bottomless brunch birthday. I hadn’t heard such great things about this place and I’m honestly not sure why. We were provided with excellent service, very attentive and helpful staff, and everything came out rather quickly. The dishes come out in a family style manner and you can continuously order throughout the brunch. Most brunches are one entrée and bottomless drinks, it was interesting and awesome to see that this place had both! The mimosas were very strong and there were several types offered (traditional, mango, Maya, and lychee.) The Maya Dog was great and pretty much everything dreams are made of, it was bacon wrapped, as all foods on earth should be, and had lots of stuff on top. I had an intimate experience with the pan dulce, one of the most delicious brunch items in NYC. It can be described as French toast with Nutella, whipped cream, and a variety of other toppings. The corn on the cob was excellent. The squash blossom quesadilla and chicken tinga tacos were fantastic as well. I highly recommend this for place for brunch, I loved everything that I had!

If you and your friends are craving guac in the Upper East Side, grab a seat, dive right in, and explore the plethora of taco options they have to offer.
Be adventurous and go for the Octopus Tacos. If you’d rather play it safe, their Tacos El Pastor are one of the best I’ve tasted outside of Mexico.

Came for happy hour. Strong drinks and not bad tapas .
The bar tender was nice but the people working the greeters section is rude as such. Almost a deterrent not to come back if happy hour wasnt such a good deal. The butternut squash quesadilla is the
Will be back despite sub-​par customer srvice!

Definitely come here for the happy hour.
$ 6 margaritas, wine, and sangria, $ 4 bar, and $ 4 mexican tapas. I had the smoked brisket nachos, which was tasty and a nice serving for $ 4. I also tried the al pastor tacos and taco of the day which were OK. the flavors were pretty good, but they were quite small and I’d probably try different bites next time.
I also liked the atmosphere of the bar area. large bar, a few high top tables, as well as some lounge style seating.
I’ll be back to try the bottomless brunch!

The Quick: Solid 3.5. Great happy hour specials (all night Monday) on food and multiple drink options. Food is good but nothing spectacular. I’ve heard the brunch is legendary.
The Details: Although Maya is not really convenient to any subway, it’s worth a stop for happy hour if you work near the area. Chips and Guac are great, and there are many food specials at happy hour (offered only at the bar). The venue has a great vibe, perfect for loud girls night out or casual date. It’s not my favorite Mexican place, however I always have a good time. I’m looking forward to trying their brunch and may have to update my review afterwards.
The Damage: HH features ~$ 5 drinks. Off HH the food can get pricey.

Me and a couple of friends went here for happy hour on Friday. Their happy hour drinks are pretty good! I believe all their happy hour drinks are $ 6 each. I actually came here twice because it was that good! I highly recommend the libations! Basically, all my friends and I ordered 2 of those. We also had the margaritas and they were good, but not as good as libations. We also had the guac and chips, which is your standard guac and chips but were good to munch on as we were drinking.
I only came here for happy hour and I strongly recommend it!

The prix fixe lunch menu is a great deal! I came and was surprised that this place was fairly empty around noon on a weekday. It was simply decorated, but felt classy and nice. The service was friendly.
1. Chips and salsa: There are two types of salsa, one more spicy than the other. This is pretty standard.
2. Crab guacamole: I know we already tried the regular chips and salsa, but this one looked pretty unique. The dish itself is pretty good, and there was a decent amount of crab. I didn’t think the crab taste was too strong.
3. Taco appetizer: Very well presented and actually enough for a light meal! There is plenty of meat and a nice mango sauce on top.
4. Crab cake salad: The crab cakes were delicious! Crunchy and plenty of crab. The lettuce and cheese were fresh and in the right proportions.
5. Haddock: I loved this dish! It’s a healthy filet over a bed of spinach and squash purée. It worked very well and the colors are beautiful!
6. Flan: Smooth and sweet, this flan is as good as any. A nice way to end a great meal.
All this was $ 19 for an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Worth it!

I stopped by last week on Tuesday for happy hour drinks with a friend. Lucky for us they have $ 2 tacos to go along with their $ 5 margaritas ($ 6 for flavored).
It’s a very space, plenty of seating for folks coming for drinks only. bNice restaurant towards the back as well.
We went for the taco of the day and a pork taco. Both were tasty but quite tiny. You’ll end up ordering quite a few. We also tried the bacon wrapped hot dog off the tapas menu, which ended up being disappointing. It was a mini hot dog cut in half with a very tiny piece of bacon.
The margaritas were a bit on the sweet side. Syrupy sweet, so I’ll assume it’s some kind of mix from a machine. I guess I’d come back for happy hour but it wouldn’t be the first place I’d go to.

Weekend Bottomless Brunch Review
Was here with a group of 7 and we all got the Bottomless Brunch. You get a bunch of food to share and unlimited drinks.
The value is awesome and so is the service. These girls and guys do work.
Most of the food was good but some dishes were ehhhh.
Recommendation: don’t let them bring you what they want, because you will get the bacon and other random items. Ask them to bring out the good stuff like tacos and tamales.
Side Note: this place is super loud

Came here for happy hour at 4pm. We were pretty stoked to see a happy hour menu for both drinks and tapas. Of course we had to learn that their kitchen only opens at 5pm even though happy hour starts at 3pm on weekdays. Margaritas are $ 6 each. Tapas are $ 4 each or 2 for $ 6.
The lounge and bar area is pretty chill and comfortable with armchairs against the walls and stools by the window. We enjoyed our frozen mango margarita while waiting for their kitchen to open. Definitely worth the wait. We had their chicken tinga tacos and squash blossom quesadillas. The tacos were more bite size than tapa size but nevertheless quite rich and tasty. I could probably get more bang for my buck down at the Lower East Side but for the Upper East Side, this is a pretty awesome happy hour with good food!

I’ve never done a bottomless brunch. Maya was my first. It was great.
My first time here was about a month ago. My experience was great. The food was good. You can order however much you can eat and drink. Also if you want to try several plates, the portions are small enough, but not too small, so that you won’t be full, unless you go crazy. My favorite dishes are the tacos chilorio (pork tacos), the tostada de tinga and the Mexican style corn.
For the cocktails, they have the traditional Margarita, Bloody Mary (made with vodka), Bloody Maria (made with tequila), spiked agua fresca, and four flavors of Mimosas (traditional which is made with oj, mango, lychee and blood orange/​passion fruit.
This place is great. I will definitely return in the future.