Zitla Ceiba Food & Drinks — Restaurant in Playa del Carmen

I WOULD GIVE THIS PLACE A NEGATIVE SCORE IF I COULD!! We showed up on a very rainy night and to give them credit, they set up a table for twelve people very quickly. Our waiter went around the table and took drink orders. Then the wait started ..... and kept going and going. It was easily 35 minutes before everyone had a drink... four were smoothies (a bit watery, but tasty), a sangria, a lemon drop, a couple of other mixed drinks & waters. The waiter came back to the table to ask several people what drink they'd ordered (he never wrote them down). Mind you, the restaurant was not full - maybe 1/3 full of people. We were joking that the bartender must be looking up the drink recipes on a slow internet connection ..... well, the Portugal/Canada soccer starts, so we watched while we waited.... Then we ordered food (before all the drinks came). Three assorted appetizer platters, burgers, chicken fajitas, nachos, ceviche.... And then we waited. We were into the SECOND HALF of the soccer game before the food started dribbling out (that's 45 minutes for the half PLUS 15 minutes for the break). A nacho plate (mainly beans and very little cheese) here - a burger 5 minutes later, a ceviche (had to wait for the chips), etc. One of the burgers came out, my son took a bite AND I KID YOU NOT, THE PLASTIC AROUND THE CHEESE SLICE WAS IN THE BURGER!! By now the game is almost over. We are still missing the chicken fingers and chicken fajitas & we've put more money on the parking meter....and THEN THEY BRING OUT THE APPETIZER PLATTERS. The first thing someone grabs is a mozzarella stick - it's frigging ice box cold!! We call the waiter over. He apologizes, takes them all back. Minutes pass, still missing 2 dinners, brings them back, we grab a mozzarella stick, still cold!! He leaves the platters, after a few minutes, brings out mozzarella sticks and I SWEAR I AM NOT LYING - they are FROZEN ON THE INSIDE! We finally get the chicken fingers, but the waiter asks the guy who's missing his dinner what he ordered. He's so pissed he tells him just to cancel it! By now I am beyond pissed and I am starting to get up - the waiter comes out with a plate of mozzarella sticks, very brown and finally hot, but I tell him just to forget it - we don't want them (I did go up to him & apologize as it isn't his fault the kitchen sucks). BUT after, everyone said the waiter should have stayed on top of the kitchen... So, I confused - lots of great reviews on lots of food rating sites, but this was THE WORST EXPERIENCE WE'VE EVER HAD!! Slow food is one thing, BUT SLOW AND BAD FOOD is another. Okay, I admit the French fries were tasty and hot. The bill for 12 people was $350 USD. (5 people had 2 alcoholic...

• Updated for 2024* Zitla Ceiba was a huge disappointment today.

It has been removed from our favorite restaurant list to a non-return place. Other than the great deal on draft beer, the food experience was not good, bad value and mediocre quality. The portion size and tortilla size of the tacos is half the portion of this same location in 2023.

We ate at Zitla on c12 for Christmas day (4 days earlier) , and it was amazing and delicious. The tacos and tostadas are much larger and well put together. Do yourself a favor and skip this location, head to Calle 12 location for a much better experience. The menu is also different and had more taco and tostada choices.

Previous review form 2023: We had another excellent meal at Zitla Cieba today. The drinks and service were very nice in the back courtyard. The main event is the delicious tostadas and tacos. Currently in 2024, the Gober taco here is my favorite taco in PDC. We are excited for another...

I am a self proclaimed food snob so please bear with me.

Food- 3.5 stars Service- 5 stars Atmosphere- 4.5 stars

Zitla is a vibrant and popular restaurant in Playa del Carmen. Here are some highlights:

Cuisine: Zitla offers a mix of Mexican, Caribbean, and Latin dishes. They have a variety of tacos, seafood, and vegetarian options.

Special Diets: They cater to different dietary needs with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.

Atmosphere: The restaurant has a fun, open-air setting with live music, making it a great spot for a lively meal with friends or family.

Service: The staff is known for being friendly and attentive, ensuring a pleasant dining experience

The chill vibe and the kindness offered in service makes me want to come back...