Family-owned Mayah’s opened in the space that short-lived Brewvino left behind. It’s a rather odd space, with a kitchen and long hallway on one side, and a bar and rather dismal seating area on the other. There’s a dreary quality to the dining area; it really needs zhuzhing up. The great thing about the space, however, is the back patio, which could be — also with just a little more attention — a lovely spot to enjoy the wonderful weather we’ve been having. Mayah’s is big on brunch, but dinner (which isn’t on the website) shows more of its Yucatecan flair.
We started out with, naturally, guacamole and thick, house-made chips.
You might think about skipping the guac to save your appetite, but don’t. Three of us found Mayah’s guacamole to be some of the best any of us had ever had. In a city full of Mexican food, that’s no small feat. It was fresh, creamy, oniony, and just limey enough.
I’m afraid we went on an all-pork rampage. I ordered the poc-chuc, a favorite Yucatecan dish:
Tender, succulent meat with great char, sided by rice and beans. The silky black bean puree was only bested by the rice, which is how I judge a Mexican restaurant: Old-school, aromatic, with great texture. I devoured the entire plate, along with both of my handmade corn tortillas. The red salsa proved tangy and mild, but we were also provided a bottle of homemade habanero salsa. Fire!
My friend ordered the carnitas plate:
While this serving of pig was a tad dry, it had a good, deep porkiness, and benefitted from the velvety avocado slices.
My other dining companion got another specialty from the Yucatan: Cochinita pibil.
Ay, mami! For sure, the best dish of the night. Crazily tender, with a slight tang and funk from the citrus and banana leaves the pork shoulder slow-cooked in. I would be hard-pressed to choose between the poc-chuc or the pibil next time.
We finished off (because that’s when they brought it out) with a shrimp panucho:
Panucho, yet another Yucatecan treat, is a black bean paste-filled tortilla, lightly fried, topped with lettuce and cabbage, pickled red onions, avocado, and your choice of protein; we opted for shrimp. While the shrimp was perfectly cooked, this was probably my least favorite dish of the night, as I found it a little soppy, the flavors a bit muddled. It could also be that, by the time it came to the table, we were all full. Didn’t your abuelita tell you not to fill up on guac and chips?
The menu offers typical brunch items — omelets, eggs Benedict, breakfast burritos, French toast, chilaquiles — but lunch and dinner bring more of the Mexican classics to the table: Salbutes, empanadas, sopes, gorditas, tamales, fried mojarra, camarones a la plancha, tortas, etc. Mayah’s offers aguas frescas, beer, wine, micheladas and mimosas. Prices are mid-range (sure, more than a taqueria, but there’s much more on offer here), and portions are sizeable.
Service was very warm and friendly, and I hope to see the place start filling up soon. Come on out and do your part! And don’t forget to ask for a table on the patio for brunch!
Mayah’s
2704 24th St. (at Potrero Avenue)