Oh Maya! Santa Maria - Keys 2 the Coast

By Donna | October 3, 2019

Maya Restaurant in Santa Maria, California is a Keys 2 the Coast favorite for Mexican food. If you are from the Central Coast, you know that there is no shortage of good Mexican food in Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo counties.

Maya offers a taste of vacation in the Santa Maria Valley.

The family that owns Maya truly make you feel at home. Teresa and Manuel Paredes pride themselves in offering authentic cuisine in a place where customers keep coming back, because they feel right at home. I can attest to the fact that they know many of them by name. The Maya Restaurant has been open for over 50 years, the service is exceptional, as is the food.

Dine indoor or al fresco at Maya Mexican Restaurant

We highly recommend that you try the Aguacate con Camarones. This dish is huge, and the presentation is impressive. Your plate will be covered with perfectly ripe avocado halves, topped with a generous portion of fresh, plump shrimp cocktail. It is on the appetizer (apertivos) menu, but trust me it makes an excellent entrée. Tacos are always a hit. The tortillas are fresh, and if you order crispy tacos, they come out hot and loaded with beef, chicken and a few other choices, topped with more cheese than expected. Fresh Guacamole Dip can be made right at your table and the chips and salsa are really good. We chose Maya for the reasons mentioned above and the variety of shrimp, fish and classic Mexican dishes. As an example, the camarones a la diabla is a delicious shrimp dish in a spicy ham, bacon, onion and mushroom melody. It’s a burst of fresh and spicy flavors.

Menudo is one of the many hot and savory dishes on the menu at Maya.

Maya is spacious, with comfortable seating and a bright colorful décor. Another big benefit to dining at Maya, is the fact that they have a nice patio with red and yellow umbrellas surrounded by tropical plants. Sitting on the patio makes you feel like you’re on a mini-vacation in Cabo San Lucas. The margaritas are good and they offer a nice selection of wines. Try pairing an Opolo Mountain Zinfandel, instead of a Modelo beer with beef tacos. It’s a surprisingly good combination.

Longtime employee, Luis Gil shared, “I’ve worked here for seven years and this is a place where employees feel like family and customers feel at home.”

Maya is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week. You can find them in Santa Maria at 110 S. Lincoln Street. The main cross streets are Broadway and Main. They also offer delivery, catering and their Kitchen on Wheels food truck.

Call (805) 287-9920, or Like and Follow them on Facebook, to stay up to date on specials, and dates and times to experience live mariachi music along with your authentic, family style meal. https://www.facebook.com/TheMayaMexicanRestaurant/

Honorable mentions go to Los Agaves and Los Arroyos Montecito Mexican Restaurant, and Las Cazuelas Restaurant and Tequila Bar in Nipomo, all of which offer good food, service and dining al fresco.