Riviera Maya Cantina & Restaurant — Restaurant in Maple Grove

I eat Mexican food pretty frequently at home, made personally and in restraunts, as well as all over the US when traveling. I grew up on it and it is a home food to me.

I tried this place based on all the 5 star reviews. The food looked good in the pics and I am in town for work so I headed over for dinner around 7pm.

To start off, the staff was busy but very friendly and attentive - no complaints there. The food and drinks are a different story though.

The iced tea tasted like instant made with double the powder needed. It was absolutely disgusting and it took all of my power not to spit it back into the glass. I have been told that I am extremely picky about my iced tea, so I figured it was a fluke and ordered a water and some queso fundito.

The water tasted dirty, and not in a natural way. Then I figured maybe I should just order Margarita because that's what most Mexican restaurants are known for.

While I waited for the marg and apptz, I perused the menu for something for dinner. There were a lot of things on that menu that were puzzling, french fries and avacado in burritos for one, and there were a lot of staples missing, such as chorizo y huevos y frijoles.

The Margarita came and it was basically a snowcone covered in lime syrup. What I drank/ate were tiny crystals of ice that tasted like straight sugar with a little bit of fake lime. I tried to sip it 3x before giving up.

At this point I was not gonna order a dinner and figured I would just wait until the appetizer came so I could see how bad that was. Queso fundito is a hot plate/bowl of chihuahua cheese (some cheese blends vary) topped with chorizo. The queso fundito here was basically a plate full of burnt sausage (not really sure that was chorizo) covered in a thin layer of cheese (mozzarella?). I dont really know what to say here.

Not to be dramatic but this was hands down the worst Mexican food and worst Margarita I've ever had. Now maybe it was a really really off day for this restraunt, but I wonder if this might be what Minnesota wants for...

I’ve never been sad eating tacos, but this is the closest I’ve come. Went to Riviera Maya Cantina with my family and we all tried something different. The overall theme was no flavor. This was the most bland south of the border food I’ve ever had. And the seasoning that could be tasted out of place and wrong. To start with, the chips taste like standard bagged chips. Not bad, not great. The salsa was an odd combination of chili, jarred picante and maybe ketchup? Did not taste fresh or flavorful like you’d expect from chips and salsa. We got a cheese dip for the table. It arrived with a welcomed surprise of jalapeños in it. We dig the peppers, but big ol slices of nacho style jalapeños in a dip isn’t super conducive to dipping. The cheese sauce itself had a weird overwhelming flavor of raw flour, like an undercooked béchamel sauce. I ordered the shredded beef chimichanga special dinner. Looked delicious but tasted, you guessed it, off. it was like the beef was flavored with only cinnamon. No salt, no other seasoning. Being covered with the cheese sauce, the flour and cinnamon almost tasted like a sweet dish more than a savory one. It tasted kind of like mini donuts with no sugar. My wife ordered the steak a la Mexicana. Cooked nicely, but again, not a flake of seasoning to be had. Overall, edible but no flavor and just a huge let down. One child got elote. She liked it, but it looked like it had no seasoning what so ever. Just mayo and queso fresca. The other kids got a burrito and a shrimp quesadilla. They said it was ok. Teenagers, I was happy they answered how it was. 😂 My overall opinion; it was edible but I wouldn’t recommend and I won’t return. Redeeming quality;...

My wife and I ate at Riviera Maya Cantina for the first time tonight. We enjoyed the outside seating on the plaza. We enjoyed their house Margaritas (mine on ice and my wife’s frozen). They were refreshing and portions were generous. We enjoyed their free salsa (mild) and chips while figuring out what to eat. I had the El Paso Enchiladas. Fresh green pepper and onions were laced inside with pulled pork. They were great. My wife got 3 carnitas tacos. Everything was fresh and tasty. Our server was friendly and professional. The vibe is definitely “neighborhoodish” in the best sense of the word. The menu is big with lots of options - including standard Mexican foods and others that put a creative spin on them. Steak, beef, pork, chicken, seafood, and vegetarian options are all there. Prices are affordable as well. There is ample parking (free) on the street or behind the restaurant in a lot. It is a perfect location for a relaxing meal that won’t stress your pocketbook - but also a nice place to meet up with friends. I recommend checking it out next time you’re in the mood for...