Muelle de Chema — Restaurant in Playa del Carmen

Have you ever had a restaurant meal so ghastly that you commiserated about it with fellow restaurant guests? Me neither, until I ate here. After our meal here, we went shopping near the Cozumel ferry where we ran into an Eastern European woman we'd seen seated at another table (there were only two occupied tables in the restaurant, which should have been a tip-off) Our weary, dinner-disappointed eyes met. She told us she'd seen us there, and we commenced to bond as people who same traumatic experience often do. We were equally mystified at what had garnered such positive reviews for the place. I'm not sure which restaurant cooks and staff garnered all these positive reviews in the past, but it was not the crew working there on Saturday night, who seemed completely out of their depth in running a restaurant, and indifferent to the new challenges it presents. You could mistake the place for a clubhouse of old high school pals who decided to open a restaurant without a clear idea of how any of it was supposed to work, or that they might be required to do the odd bit of labor along the way.

Some strange occurrences in our dining adventure included: Receiving a dish of green salsa as a starter, and having the server throw on two small plastic bags of chips to accompany the snack. Asking for squid rings from the menu and receiving onion rings instead. Neither the young waiter nor the kitchen staff seemed aware of the difference between the two deep fried dishes, though when we pointed it out, our waiter did sheepishly admit that onions were not in fact, squid. The order of guacamole came with fried pork rinds. Is this a thing? Perhaps, but not a good thing. The beef in the burrito was tough enough to make a good pair of shoes. The waiter and some other front-of-house guy spent a long time in lively joking conversations, without a glance at the restaurant patrons. The woman we met later got more of his attention, but didn't seem to appreciate the attention she got, or the dishes she received. The refried black beans were dry and crumbly. How in the name of all that's holy does a Mexican restaurant in actual Mexico mess up refried beans? Has anyone here cooked or served food before? Anyone? I get it, excellence and professionalism are not usually on the menu at inexpensive restaurants in tropical tourist towns, but Good Lord, this place sets the bar at a new low. Not...

I had a great experience at Muelle de Chema in Playa del Carmen. The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere was welcoming.

I started with the Pina Colada, which was perfectly made with fresh pineapple and coconut cream. For my main course, I had the Huevos A La Mexicana y Tocino, which was a hearty and flavorful dish of eggs, beans, tomatoes, onions, and bacon. It was the perfect way to start my day.

The service was excellent. Our waiter was very attentive and quick to bring us our food and drinks. He was also very knowledgeable about the menu and made recommendations that we really enjoyed.

The atmosphere was very welcoming. The restaurant is located right on the water, so you can enjoy the views while you eat. The interior is also decorated in a traditional Mexican style, which makes you feel like you're right in the heart of Mexico.

Overall, I had a great experience at Muelle de Chema and would definitely recommend it to others. The food, service, and atmosphere were all top-notch.

Here are some additional details about my experience:

The prices were very reasonable. My meal cost around $20 USD, which is a good price for the quality of food and service.

The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I went for breakfast, but I would love to try it for lunch or dinner next time.

The restaurant is located in a central location in Playa del Carmen. It's a short walk from the beach and the main tourist area.

I would highly recommend Muelle de Chema to anyone looking for a delicious and authentic Mexican meal in...

If you’re Mexican or even look Hispanic, don’t go here. Went for breakfast here with a tour group from Sinaloa and we were kicked out so they could give the space to another group of people (white foreigners). The staff was trying to be polite about it, but once the owner arrived (also a white foreigner) he proceeded to yell at our tour guide, almost made her cry, and told us to “get your people out of my restaurant”. The place seemed nice but not worth being discriminated in my own country. As far as the owners response, the point was missed. It was about the attitude towards trying to resolve the issue at hand. When is it ever okay for a grown middle aged man to aggressively yell at a 20 something year old girl? Yes, there was a misunderstanding with the reservations, but the only option was to rudely kick customers out? I’m sure if we were foreigners from a different country, it would have been handled very...