Mayan Cafe — Restaurant in Louisville

So glad we finally got to try this little gem We made reservations and even though traffic made us late, the staff were so kind and there were no issues. Parking in this popular stretch is hard to come by, but if you check one block behind the restaurant parking is fairly easy to find, with just a block to walk.

The interior is small, warm, and inviting, with great lower lighting for ambiance. The noise level of voices did get high, but it felt like a Saturday night on the town. If you want less noise, ask for the courtyard area, which seemed very low key and charming.

We definitely recommend trying their cocktails. The “Spicy Mango Margarita” was a terrific option, as was my wife’s “Don’t Worry, Brough” They also offer a bourbon flight and dessert bourbon (we got the dessert one to-go and it was delicious).

We aren’t usually huge fans of scallops, but after reading so many great remarks about the scallops ceviche, we had to try it and it was fresh, bright, and amazing. The chips were so good! For entrees my wife got the Cochinita Pibil (slow roasted pork) and I got the Duck with fried plantains and a very rich dark mole. Although i’ve tried duck elsewhere a couple of times in the past and thought it wasn’t for me, this version was slow roasted, tender, and so flavorful without a gamy taste. My wife’s pork dish was probably still my favorite of the two dishes. We each had half of our meals to take home. For dessert we got the Chocolate on chocolate. The sauce was close to a southern chocolate gravy (a rich loose pudding) and although the menu reads that it has chili in the sauce, we couldn’t detect any spice/heat. It was still very good.

We will definitely be back to try other dishes...

I ate at this restaurant the month it opened, some 20 years ago. It was a favorite then, and it's a favorite now. But it's come a long, long way since those humble beginnings. I think it's hopscotched around the block on Market Street into a modestly sized restaurant, but reasonably proportioned from a kitchen point of view.

The dining room is well appointed but still casual in a way. They say the blood orange margarita is a house specialty, and four sidewalk tables make for a warm summer cocktail hour. This block of Market has diagonal parking so it's set back from the traffic a bit.

I had a kale salad and the scallop ceviche. My friend had the empanadas and the lamb mole. The kale salad was better than expected, had a slightly sweet dressing with quinoa, radishes and jicama. It also had feta but not the dry Greek style, this was creamy like goat cheese. The ceviche appetizer rounded out a good meal for me. It was delicious in its own right, but I could tell from the spicyness and the acidity that it wanted for a glass of wine. I got a glass of the sparkling Malbec rose and it really made this dish next-level. The pairing was amazing, it almost masked the stronger flavors in the ceviche and brought out all the undertones.

Friend from New Mexico thought the empanadas were tasty but, what was the word ... I think it was 'gummy.' The lamb mole was as good as anticipated and the bar was set high.

Mayan Cafe has kicked it up a few notches since they first landed in Louisville but they haven't lost that original desire for hospitality. Sometimes, especially in the restaurant business, I like to say "success is a leading cause of failure," but that is not...

An Amazing Food Experience !!

I was looking for new food adventures in the East Market District when I stumbled upon the Mayan Cafe. I have had Mayan food before, prepared by Mayan friends, and I was very curious to experience Mayan food in a restaurant. My visit took place on a Thursday and I was lucky enough to walk in and get a seat right away before the restaurant filled up. My server was friendly and walked me through some of her favourites before I placed my order. I started with the Three Sisters Salad. The 'Three Sisters' in indigenous cultures are beans, corn and squash, and the Mayan Cafe's version of the 'Three Sisters' is beans, corn and squash that are locally sourced. The salad is a light and refreshing starter made with roasted corn, pickled butternut squash, garbanzo beans, jicama, pepitas, queso panela local and lightly tossed in a house-made mint vinaigrette. The salad was absolutely pleasant to eat.

For the main course after being served a side of Tok-Sel lima beans, on-the-house was one of Mayan Cafe's signature dishes, the Cochinita Pibil and from Garey Farms slow-roasted local pork with an achiote sauce and pickled onions and surrounded by tok-sel lima beans. This dish was spectacular and I highly recommend it for anyone visiting the Mayan Cafe for the first time. The slow-roasted pork was tender and had the perfect amount of spices and flavour. For dessert, I had a Chocolate Torte and Ice Cream from a local Louisville Ice Cream maker. I finished my meal with a twenty-three-year-old rum to help wash everything down. The Mayan Cafe is unique and has exceptional food and it was a great place to start my East Market...