by: Peyton, KidCritique Blogger, Age 12
144 S. Oak Park Ave
Oak Park, IL 60302
(708)-358-9800
(about a fifteen minute drive from downtown Chicago on the Eisenhower expressway)
Rating 4/5 starbursts ****
I'd heard good things about Maya, so we decided to make the drive from the city and check it out. Overall, it was pretty good.
The decor was nice, and the vibe was good. We had to encounter a short wait (15 minutes) for our table so I'd recommend that you have your parents call ahead to make reservations.
Our meal was started with a plate of chips and salsa, on the house, (love the green salsa, the red one is okay) and you can get additional plates at a very low cost (I think it was 1.00, not sure) We had an appetizer of the "Nachos del Sol", which consisted of braised sweet beef, tortilla chips, melted cheddar jack cheese, tomatoes, scallions, onions, and jalepenos. These were delicious, very flavorful.
The kids menu covers a wide variety of things, such as burritos, quesadillas, nachos, enchiladas, and mini burgers. It was basically mini versions of the stuff on the regular menu, but "Americanized". Since there was nothing on the kids menu that appealed to me, I decided to order from the regular menu (a breach of etiquette, I know, but...)
The regular menu is very large, consisting of traditional Latin/Peruvian/Mexican dishes. I had the "Tacos de Maya", which was basically corn tortillas, pico de gallo, guacamole, beans, cheese, and your choice of chicken, steak, or portabello mushrooms. You got to assemble the tacos at your seat, which made it feel personalized. The tacos were very good, I loved how there were real corn tortillas.
My only criticism is the desserts. I opted for the flan, which I typically love, but I felt that this was just not good. It had a rubbery texture to it, not the kind that flan should have, but instead a feeling of jello. I'd recommend having dinner there, then going to Oberweis or another place down the street for dessert.
So, overall, Maya wins in atmosphere and food, loses in dessert.
Maya del Sol is good for kids over the age of four.
