Cambalache — Restaurant in Cancún

As we were staying at the Westin Lagunamar, Cambalache was suggested to us as a partner restaurant where we'd receive a 10% discount due to being a Marriott/Westin Vacation owner.

Our reservation was for 5:30 pm and we arrived 15 minutes early. We're seated right away. The restaurant was not busy yet for dinner rush. We were introduced to our main server and his assistant. A third gentleman came and took our drink order, and then a fourth server seemed to also start coming to our table to help the other 3. We think because they weren't busy, they had more staff than they needed.

We ordered a Cesar salad to share for a starter which was made at our table. It was different than a usual Ceasar salad. The server mixed the dressing ingredients in a bowl, then smeared it thickly on individual romaine leaves. We each were served 4 romaine leaves and a large crouton on our salad plate. And although tasty, it was way too much dressing on each leaf and we had to wipe most of it off.

Our main courses came out and both were good but nothing special. Honestly just average. The tomato based sauce fir the ravioli was bland. The actual ravioli's were tasty with chicken and spinach inside. My husband had 3 beef medallions with vegetables on a skewer. Beef was okay but not high end and plain roasted vegetables. Nothing really outstanding about it.

My husband and I are light eaters, so we each took half our meals back to the hotel. Neither of us had room for dessert much to their dismay. They did push for us to order dessert and another drink, but we simply couldn't have eaten more. We barely made a dent in our main course.

They brought the bill out and missed our 10% discount, so we mentioned it, and it was fixed. But then it came time to pay and leave a tip.

Instead of just allowing us to choose our tip amount on the machine, he asked out loud how much we'd like to tip. When my husband answered with the percentage, the server was immediately ticked. His demeanor changed from friendly to abrupt and curt. It was palpable.

When my husband finished with the machine payment, he literally grabbed it out of hands, ripped off our receipt, and walked away. No "thank you for coming" or "see you again soon," literally nothing. He clearly thought it should be more because 4 guys served us.

Unfortunately, 1 server would have been enough for the 2 of us. It is not our fault they weren't busy and over staffed while we were there. It's not our responsibility to ensure each of the 4 servers get a large tip. It was unnecessary to have that many serving us in the first place. What we left was good for 2 servers to split, not 4. He was rude and completely turned us off. We won't be back.

The total cost of a meal for 2 people sharing a salad (8 romaine leaves), 2 drinks, a pasta entree of ravioli, and an entree of beef medallions and vegetables was $150.00 US. Once we converted to Canadian dollars, we paid over $200.00 for a very average meal. It was way simply overpriced.

Tipping culture has gotten ridiculous. It used to be 10% was a good tip, then 15%, then 18%, and now if you don't give 20 or 25%, you're made to feel like you're a terrible, cheap person.

We felt this everywhere we went in Cancun and the surrounding area or on excursions. We work hard and save to be able to go on a holiday, then we have to factor in exchange costs to Canadian $$ from American $$. It costs us 40% more than the average American tourist there. Everytime you turn around, they are asking for tips.

Unfortunately, It was our last night there and our last evening meal. What a shame to end our trip with this experience. All in all, we weren't...

My boyfriend and I ended up having dinner here last minute after a show we were supposed to attend got cancelled last minute and we were already in the shopping plaza looking for new ideas. We saw Cambalache as we drove in to the shopping plaza, so we figured we could give it a try since it seemed like the nicest restaurant in the shopping area. We were sat immediately when we didn't even have a reservation (though we were there early, around 6:45 pm) and could not have been happier with how our night completely turned around thanks to Cambalache and its staff! First off, the staff were all very attentive and kind; they made recommendations to us, they served our appetizers onto our plates for us, and they even pulled up an extra side table so that we had room on our table to comfortably eat among all the dishes we ordered. The ambiance of the restaurant is fantastic; they have a great Argentine steakhouse theme, so it's a very comfortable but elevated experience.

Seeing how fairly priced the menu was, my boyfriend and I decided to spend the money we intended to spend on the show at the restaurant and just indulge; Cambalache made that easy with how extensive their menu is! At first, we were impressed with the platter of fruit they brought to our table so we could select which we wanted in our water glasses. We ordered a bottle of merlot, the tuna carpaccio, three empanadas (spinach and cheese, cheese and corn, and the best of the three, the seven cheeses), the chorizo cambalache (which was out of this world and is a must have!), I had the salmon as an entree (which was a really generous portion and fed me for lunch), my boyfriend had the New York steak, and we split a side of grilled bacon (which was also a very generous portion, and it came with some mashed potatoes as well!). The entrees we ordered came out on small skillets so they stayed hot up until they made it onto our plates! We were so happy with our choices, everything was incredible and came out nicely timed so that we didn't feel rushed at all. We ended up ordering the flambéd crepe suzette to split for dessert, and it's made table-side for you, which is a nice change of pace in a restaurant. We were so impressed with how great that dish was, it was light but flavorful, and the perfect dish to round out a relatively heavy dinner!

If we're in another place where Cambalache has a location, we will definitely be back. This was an incredibly memorable experience that we happened to walk up to after our original plans got cancelled; we couldn't be happier that we ended up at Cambalache instead...

I visited Cambalache today with high hopes for a special occasion—my wife's birthday. Unfortunately, the experience fell far short of expectations. Despite booking through OpenTable and clearly noting the occasion, there was no acknowledgment or celebration of her birthday.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by an unfriendly waiter named Alberto, whose demeanor made our evening unpleasant from the start. He didn't bother to suggest any dishes or drinks or tried to engage with us beyond taking our order. We opted for the meat parillada, which, to its credit, was fairly good. However, our disappointment grew when we noticed neighboring tables, occupied by white American patrons, receiving attentive service—waiters actively cutting meats and providing a more interactive dining experience.

As a Mexican American, this differential treatment was particularly disheartening. Customer service should be equitable and respectful to all patrons, regardless of background. Alberto's lack of effort and engagement was not only unprofessional but also reflected poorly on the restaurant's commitment to hospitality.

I've enjoyed dining here in the past and have recommended this restaurant to numerous friends and clients. However, based on this experience, I cannot in good faith continue to endorse it. It's regrettable that what was once a favorite spot has now left such a bitter taste. Thanks to...