Mayas Snack Bar — Restaurant in New York

Maya’s Snack Bar captures the essence of Mexican street food with remarkable authenticity, bold, layered, and rooted in tradition. Each dish reflects Mexico’s deep culinary history, where indigenous ingredients meet generations of creativity and community.

The elote regular is a perfect example of how simplicity can become an art form. Corn, or maíz, has been a sacred staple in Mesoamerican culture for over 9,000 years, worshiped by the Aztecs and Mayans as the foundation of life itself. In Mexico, elote has evolved from ancient roasted corn to the beloved street snack found on every corner today. Maya’s version celebrates this legacy beautifully the corn was tender and juicy, slathered in creamy mayonnaise and tangy sour cream, dusted with salty, crumbly cotija cheese (often called the “Parmesan of Mexico”), and finished with chili powder and a bright squeeze of lime. The interplay of sweetness, spice, and creaminess creates a perfect balance, a sensory experience that speaks to centuries of culinary ingenuity.

The chicharrón preparado was the star, vivid, textural, and unapologetically indulgent. This dish emerged from Mexico City’s bustling street markets as a fun, customizable snack built on fried wheat chicharrón, designed to be eaten on the go. Maya’s version took that spirit and elevated it. The base was crisp yet airy, topped with fresh lettuce, shredded cabbage, diced tomato, slices of avocado, and cueritos, pickled pig skin that had a perfect gelatinous bite, adding depth and contrast to every crunchy mouthful. The combination of mayo and sour cream brought creamy richness, while cotija cheese and Valentina hot sauce layered salt, tang, and heat. Every ingredient contributed to a harmonious balance of flavor and texture: crispy, creamy, tangy, and slightly spicy, just as true antojitos should be.

The horchata, a rice-based drink introduced through Spanish influence and later transformed with Mexican flair, tied everything together. Its milky sweetness and hint of cinnamon offered a soothing counterpoint to the bold flavors of the snacks, completing the meal with nostalgic comfort.

Every bite at Maya’s Snack Bar tells a story of heritage, street culture, and culinary passion. The attention to detail in freshness, seasoning, and presentation shows a deep respect for the roots of Mexican cuisine.

I’ll absolutely be returning to try their esquites, the off-the-cob cousin of elote, Tosti Locos, Dori Locos, and the pan...

Went on the weekend during the late evening, was a few people there and a bit of a wait. Overall loved the type of snacks offered! Takes a lil to get used to what you would want, they did offer a variety of choices, ended up getting the Chamoyada. It was the first time I tried this. With the way it looks you would things it's extremely sweet; but it wasn't, which was a surprise! The tamarind candy and mango meshed well. You can customize the type of shaved ice flavor you want, which is awesome. I also tried the crazy esquites which is very customisable depending on chips used as well. It took a bit to understand size wise which would be better since I didn't want anything huge. They were helpful at the counter to explain. Crazy Esquites is the smaller portion compared to the Crazy Tosti Esquites. These are just the individual corn kernels and not on the cob. Loved them! The store itself has cute decor. The staff was also very courteous. When there was an issue with my order, she just gave me the one she made by mistake, as well as the corrected order I made. I would definitely return to...

I was here earlier today. I paid for an ice cream and left my phone on the counter. When I returned shortly after to get my phone back, the people working said that they did not have my phone. I asked if they could view their cameras to see if someone grabbed my phone. They said they couldn’t do this. I checked find my friends as I was sharing my location and the last location was this store. Right at the time that I left my phone, my phone was turned off, so of course I cannot keep following the updated location. When I returned to the store to show again that my phone had been left here, the person working said that the individual who has access to the cameras was in Mexico and would not be able to access the cameras for months. So either my phone was taken from the very staff saying that the cameras are inaccessible and do not want us to have access to footage or they are falsely advertising camera security. Very...