Guerrero Maya — Restaurant in Sanford

You know when people say they really wanted to like a place? I really truly wanted to not just like but love this place. Sanford is a bit of a forgotten town in the area, and I was hoping to have a reason to drive out here. But at least the night we went (tonight, Monday), we left disappointed.

First the building itself is incredibly cute. Right in downtown Sanford, the owners have clearly taken care in making an authentic feeling experience. Our waitress was also incredibly sweet and kind, and was super responsive and quick. Unfortunatelly, the food was downright terrible.

We ordered and the food showed up fast, like less than 5 minutes. At first I thought it was because the restaurant was almost empty but even then... I quickly realized why. The whole plate- chicken enchilada, chile relleno, beans and rice- just had an orange cast like it had all been sitting under a heat lamp waiting for some time for someone to just order it. The enchilada cheese was dried up, the tortilla was tough and also dry, and the chicken tasted slightly off. The chile relleno was only nominally better; it was soggy, watery, rubbery and lacked flavor. Like the enchilada, it definitely did not seem freshly prepared. The red sauce that came with both dishes tasted like ketchup, to be entirely honest. I ended up taking just a few bites of each and calling it quits. Usually, I can at least depend on refried beans but here it was clear the oil or fat being used had started to go rancid and tasted stale and off. My husband thought his burrito was passable, but not good.

The margarita was serviceable, made with a mix, as most restaurants are. Not particularly strong and the rim had sugar instead of salt. which is weird.

Since coming home, my stomach has also been rather upset.

I lived in Austin for almost 20 years, and have learned to temper my tex mex/amerimex expectations, but Guerrero Maya left me more disappointed than I've found myself in a while.

I do hope I just hit them on a bad night and others tend to have better experiences, but for the drive I made to come here, not to mention the very high price point, there are much better (and cheaper) places along 95 in Portland...

I recently tried Guerrero Maya for the first time with a close friend, and it was such a wonderful surprise! We chose this restaurant after seeing their beautiful food photos and large seafood selection — and they absolutely delivered.

I’m a big fan of crabmeat, and their menu featured it in several delicious variations. I ordered the enchilada de jaiba, and it was fantastic. My friend Lisa had tacos that went above and beyond the typical taco experience — fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented.

The atmosphere was clean, simple, yet very festive — kudos to whoever designed the decor! Service was excellent, and the menu is impressively extensive: lunch and dinner options, vegetarian choices, combination plates, and even a kids’ menu.

As a tequila connoisseur, I have to mention the 1800 Margarita, available in three sizes. I went with the medium, and it was perfectly balanced and delicious.

The portions were generous (we both had plenty to take home), and every bite was worth it. I’m thrilled to find such a gem so close to home — but honestly, I’d travel far to enjoy their food again.

I’m not an overly fussy person, but as a retired restaurateur and chef, I know great food and great service when I experience it. Guerrero Maya should definitely be your next stop for a remarkable...

Went with some ladies for dinner! This is definitely one of the best sit down restaurants in Sanford.

We all had margaritas with flavor shots - very sweet! The one in my photo is a size SMALL, and was on the cheaper end. We just had to request salt on the rim cus it didn’t seem to come w/ it btw.

I had the street tacos with carnitas and they were were GOOD and FRESH! I got the smaller size and it was the perfect portion for me (small stomach), but there was an option to size up too.

Get ready for a sweet surprise before your check comes. :) It’s just a little touch, but it definitely added to the experience.

The owner was very pleasant and chatty and friendly with us! You can tell they put their heart in it.

We even noted employees cleaning the menus, which is definitely a GREEN FLAG!

Definitely support this...