Cocina Maya Mexican Grill & Mezcaleria — Restaurant in Lake Mary

This was one of the most underwhelming experiences that was so hyped up on social media I’ve ever experienced. We went for happy hour and then got dinner. I didn’t like that happy hour is BOGO for the drinks because I didn’t like the first drink I ordered (the baby head—it was way too sweet, but looked cool). I ended up ordering a Oaxacan On The Beach as my second drink, which was much better. We ordered the guac app and that was tasty. Then, for dinner, I usually order Carnitas everywhere I go because they never disappoint. Boy was I wrong. These were the worst so-called carnitas I’ve ever had. Carnitas are supposed to be simmered and so tender that they shred apart and then crisped up. These were hard-to-chew hunks of pork that were fatty and did not shred apart. I had to hack at them with my butter knife. I absolutely would have explained my disappointment for the dish if our server would have asked or checked up on us.

Considering that we were one of like 5 total people in the restaurant, our service was very slow. We sat at the bar. We had to wave over our server three times. And we ended up paying with the bar code on the bill because the server was so slow. This poor lady was extremely nice—just very slow in checking in on us. Also, sitting at the bar was useless because there was no bartender.

This restaurant has had foodies on social media make complimentary videos about their experience, but I’m honestly confused why they raved about this place or if they were being honest about...

What Cocina Maya’s kitchen sent to our table was downright disgusting to the point where I question their food safety practices. There are certainly better options in the area.

If you like cilantro piled high on everything, and don’t care about food safety, you’ll love Cocina Maya. We ordered an appetizer of street corn off the cob, no cilantro. It arrived piled so high with cilantro you couldn’t see the corn. We sent the street corn back and it returned from the kitchen after somebody picked it off the top by hand. I couldn’t get the image of someone rummaging their fingers around in my bowl of corn out of my mind. It was so disgusting and insulting! We sent it back a second time. And they sent out a new bowl a few minutes later with no apology.

We also had their signature Mezcal-Charred Trompito Al Pastor. Overall, the flavor was good however there were several slices of pure inedible fat padding out the stack of pork. Ironically the pineapple was the best part of the dish. I asked for no cilantro, and a heaping pile arrived covering the onions I wanted to eat.

My friend got a free shot for a good Google review on a prior visit. In my experience Cocina Maya does not deserve the high rating it...

Had such a great experience at Cocina Maya Mexican Grill! From the moment we walked in, the service was outstanding. A special shoutout to Natalia — she was incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and genuinely sweet. She made us feel welcome and took the time to explain the menu and recommend a few favorites.

The food was fresh, with generous portion sizes and bold flavors. I started with a passion fruit lemon drop — perfectly balanced with just the right amount of liquor and sweetness. For appetizers, we tried the cheese dip made table-side. It was a fun, interactive touch adding beef to it, and while it was flavorful and a cute experience, it wasn’t quite the traditional dip I expected, which was a small letdown — but definitely worth trying for the novelty.

For my main dish, I went with the carne asada tacos and they were absolutely delicious. Fresh ingredients, well-seasoned beef, and just the right amount of toppings. Everything tasted authentic and thoughtfully prepared.

Highly recommend this spot for anyone looking for fresh, flavorful Mexican food with warm, attentive service. I can’t wait to come back and try more...