Mr. Pampas Kukulcán — Restaurant in Cancún

Being in Cancun so many times and this time around, we didn't want to do the all-inclusive because that is what we always do. We happen to be staying at a very luxurious Airbnb next up to the mall. We stumble upon Mr. Pampas and Ruth Chris Steakhouse. Since Ruth Chris was a place in the States literally next to our house that we often eaten. We wanted a change and glad we went to Mr. Pampus. The buffet was clean and absolutely delicious and so much to choose from. The price is about what you would pay in the States. Except the quality for a Brazilian steak house in Mexico was so much better than what we have at home. The buffet area had everything imaginable that can get you so full before your meats come out. So go slow on the buffet. All was delicious and gourmet. The meats were actually hot and fresh. The key point that made the 5 star is that the meats all have flavor that didn't bore you after a few bites. We were able to eat, try every cut, and actually eat it all and get seconds. The dessert was great as they had so much to choose from. Big tip: They also have dessert in a glass display or the on the carts for an extra additional charge. You shouldn't really need to choose that option and having to pay extra since they already have a big selection of dessert on a massive buffet area that included with your dinner that you dont need to order from paying option. Mind you that you do have to pay for anything you drink here. No free refill either. That okay as our total still came out as what it would be in the States. We already knew that in Cancun. Nothing free. Mexico supposedly supposed to be cheaper than. but Cancun is a tourist spot. So you either get charged overcharged or prices that are like the States. Super sketchy, but it is a given. They also included their tip in your meal. So be ready to check your receipt! Which is fine for us. We usually tip 30 percent tip at all dining. Since they already added the extra 10-15 percent tip, it your choice to add more or keep it like it is. You can't request to take it off. That is Cancun custom for the service industry. You gotta get use to the automatic tip. Back then, on our first time experience, the automatic tip, it kinda made us upset as we would normally give 30 percent tip everywhere we eat anyway. We both have worked in the tipping environment in our younger years. So we know that tipping is important to help servers as that the bulk of their income. Anyways, We felt like it was not what we were used to when we first encountered this coming to Cancun and not doing all-inclusive. We got to understand Cancun does this everywhere we went. It wasn't a surprised anymore and that why we are still giving this restaurant a 5 star. If you go out to eat or just do anything in general like a grocery shop,buying things in the mall, or even buying a cup of coffee. Be ready to check your receipt for extra fees. Overall, I love this place. Like the fact they have a child care for kids. If you want a nice dinner alone. They can babysit your kids for free. Or you can enjoy your dinner as a family first, then let them go to the kids' zone. While the adult has a few drinks or desert in peace and quiet! I'm so glad we chose this restaurant over Ruth Chris. 2 adults 1 kids 1 toddler with non alcoholic drinks and tip (since they calculated that in) =$80 worth every penny for dinner. You will be...

My girlfriend and I were excited for a Brazilian steakhouse dinner after a busy day visiting Cancun. From the street, Mr. Pampas appeared very busy. From inside, they had a huge buffet on display.

Upon entry to the restaurant, I asked the hostess about the buffet meal. In broken English, she stated "dinner is 400 pesos" - which based on the exchange rate was about $21 USD a person. A good price, we decided to stay and were quickly seated.

The food quality was mediocre at best. Cheap cuts of meat were served long before the prime cuts, and the portions were uneven. Gizzards, chorizo, and gristle - while the better cuts trickled out late or not at all. The wait staff working the "swords" were polite, but slow. We ordered Fiji water as our beverage.

A large buffet included a number of salad items, vegetables, cheeses, luncheon meat, crackers and bread, along with various desserts. Most of these items were of low to mid-quality.

Imagine my surprise when - at the end of the meal - we were provided a check that reflected 449 pesos per person, plus 130 pesos for two small bottles of water. The total came to 1,028 pesos, but here's the real scam - we were forced to pay $85.00 USD in cash because the "credit card machine failed." That is an exchange rate of 12.09 pesos per dollar - when the going rate was closer to 19 pesos. In short, we overpaid by 40 percent, even after being scammed by the hostess that initially stated 400 pesos per person.

Complaints to the manager fell on deaf ears. He adamantly denied that the hostess offered this statement. When we asked for the hostess, the manager stated that she had already gone home for the night. When I questioned each of the condtradictory hand-written notations on the check, the manager stated that since my credit card was declined, I had to pay in cash. And since I did not have sufficient pesos, I was forced to pay in US dollars. I did not leave a tip, having already been scammed.

Inflated prices and predatory USD exchange rate, poor and dismissive service, weak meat selection, and deliberate scamming of tourists - that's Mr. Pampas in Cancun. Don't say you have not...

Loved the food but the reason behind the one star is the server behaviour. He was very friendly but when I asked for the addition he presented me a paper where you could hardly read any details on it (we ordered an appetizer and two main courses and drinks). I didn’t mind since he was very friendly so didn’t give him hard time for it and tipped generously. It’s after he asked me to pay extra for two coconuts that he said bought from another restaurant for us from his own pocket that I started questioning his behaviour. He said he paid $20 usd for two coconuts. I said ok no problem, how much in pesos buddy, I’m not American and don’t have USD on me. Then he started calculating the currency exchange rate so I asked him: “dude, if you bought it from the guy across the corner it must be in pesos, no? So just tell how much you want for it (coz I knew obviously he wanted to make money on it which I didn’t mind). At the end we paid $40 USD for the two coconuts with rum in it.. a bit too much. But the reason for the ONE star is not this, I could have said it’s too much and paid less maybe, the reason behind this review is that when I recalculated the total bill, he had added about 20% on the total manually, plus the 15% I willingly tipped him, but that was before I knew he was planning on ripping me off. So please read your bill twice before paying! The funny part is that the server of the restaurant beside them (the one in the corner) warned me saying they add 20% on their prices so I made sure I checked the prices of each item.. I just didn’t do the math for the...