Merida — Restaurant in Houston

It was okay. Don't really feel the need to go back. Having been to Merida a couple of times and had typical food from the Yucatan before, we thought we'd give it a try. We thought it would be more Yucatan food based, but that was a small section of the menu. It was basically a typical Mexican restaurant with a small section of traditional Yucatan dishes. When we asked the waitress, she said the food was very different than in the Yucatan. The name Merida, comes from where the original owners were from, which if I understood are the same ones from 50 years ago. She also said they have a lot of regulars that have been going there for many years. And that's kind of the overall feel of the restaurant, a comfortable relaxed homey atmosphere. As for the food, the cochinita pibil was good and the best thing we tried. Everything else was okay, not great. If you're stopping in for typical Yucatan food, you can basically get it all on the Merida Special plate. The flour tortillas are made in house and thick. Which for me don't make it the best thing for the fish tacos. If you've never had typical Yucatan dishes, I'd say maybe give it a shot if you're really interested. Other than that, I would probably try other Mexican...

I'm going to start by saying , the food is great ! But now I'd like to tell you why the 2 stars 🌟 🌟 ?? We arrived at 10 a.m. , we were seated (4 adults , 1 toddler , 1 baby) , ordered queso and drinks first, it arrives and then we placed our order for food . No biggie . Then we notice a family of 8 arrive seated behind us . And then a table for 2 next to us . Ok , 20-30 mins pass , food starts comming out , we're ready to eat , but it goes to the table of 8 behind us . WTH?? Ok , then more food comes out and goes to the table for 2 next to us , again. WTH ??? Our waitress never came to check on us during this entire time. I had enough, I go speak with the manager and he says , SORRY ! That's it !! It literally took an entire hour for us to get our food . On top of that, the place was HOT !! Outside was 65 degrees , we came in with jackets and sweater and had to strip down , it was that hot. So I I end this by saying, I will never return here for breakfast during these hours . It was a horrible experience, my boys were agitated and ready to leave after 2 hours of being their and noone even tried to alleviate or remedy...

I pride myself on seeking out and finding great eateries. As such, I know to go to the heart of the neighborhoods that embody a culture's food. That SHOULD have been the case with Merida. Situated in the charming East End neighborhood of Houston, it is surrounded by authentic Latin cultural art studios, public performances, and restaurants. But their food... all I can say is they need help. The menudo had an overwhelming taste of licorice (courtesy, I am sure from overkill on star anise). Notice the full bowl? I did NOT even finish the bowl. The chips were fried in old grease that had a rancid taste. NOT GOOD!!! Sadly, the red salsa has a bizarre after taste that these taste buds could not place. I will say the Salsa Verde (which was NOT green) is pretty good. There are plenty of GREAT places in East End, including Dona Maria, a stones throw across the street! This place simply not worth the visit.

P.S. The menudo is $14.95 for something that didn't taste good. Finally, our server, Torena was rude, arrogant, and simply disinterested in helping any of her customers . Come on guys...the service made the...