Enchilada was good but the rice had almost no seasoning, and the refried beans had too much salt. I'd give this place one more try but that's about it.
(3)
Julie C.
I have been coming here for a long long time. We had nicole tonight as a server. Worst service ever! Not only did she get my order wrong twice but she tried to come over ask me if my order was better than tried to show me on the menu how I was wrong. When i showed her she was wrong she stomped off. Then came back to the table to fill water and did not fill mine but others mine was empty. I'm not sure we will be returning anytime soon. Sad cause I really love their Baja sauce.
(1)
Lisa V.
This is a classic Mexican chain restaurant and they are consistently delicious. We each had a different margarita and we all tasted the others. They were all good. I had the cucumber margarita which was really light, less sugar, and very tasty. We each had two individual bowls of salsa with chips as an appetizer. Yum! For dinner I had the roasted poblano chili. It wasn't too heavy, nor to light. I really enjoyed it. My husband had the steak fajitas and he likes them well done. The seasoning was perfect. Our other friend had the Baja Burro, which looked delicious. This isn't a need an upscale five star Mexican Cantina, but a great neighborhood Mexican restaurant. The price was right. The service was friendly, reliable and at a reasonable pace. I will definitely be back.
(4)
Marie C.
Service was terrible. The Appetizers came with the meal, instead of before. We waited a long time for the meal. No refills on drinks (two of us had soda that should have been refilled). Requested extra napkins and never got them. Could see our server standing and chatting with other employees. Poor customer service. Have had better service elsewhere. In their defense they did give us credit on our bill towards the appetizers and the food was good, but the place wasn't that busy to have such bad service.
(2)
Terrance H.
I have been coming to this Macayo's with my family for many years! It was once our family staple for get gatherings. So it was great to be back after some time. The food is always great and dependable. The actually physic of this establishment is in much need of renovation. The booth cushions gave no support and sank in, some were torn. It is apparent that the wear and tear of has taken it toll. Also, the service took a bit of a dive on our last occasion. The server wasn't to pleasant and didn't seem to happy to be at work. Long story short. Old building, solid food, hit or miss service.
(3)
Chris H.
HH is fantastic! $3 Margaritas are what Happy Hour should be about after all! They also offer select appetizers for $3 & $5. A few of my favorites include: tamale bites, red corn chicken taquitos, baja pizza, and large cheese crisp. I've heard the queso dips are pretty fabulous as well. You can get 1/2 pint of Baja sauce for $2.99 now! If you have ever had the pleasure of eating a Baja Chimi, you know that this is a marvelous announcement. I would swim in that stuff if I could. Though, that is probably highly unrecommended for numerous reasons and I bet it would take A LOT of sauce to fill up a whole pool. That being said, definitely make sure to try the Baja sauce if you have not already had the opportunity to do so. In my opinion, the best tables in the place are the booths by the windows. Don't forget to watch your step as you are walking up or down the stairs. This has become a bit of a joke between my friends but surely you'll receive the same warning. Just one more example of the great Macayo's customer service. Making sure I do not face plant in a crowded restaurant is rather high on my list so thank you. No matter when you dine you will receive unlimited chips and salsa and you will get plenty of drink refills. Typically, the food is out fast and pipping hot. On my last visit, food was out in under 10 mins! (We weren't even on our second bowl of chips yet). In the past few years, the menu has been adapting to various dietary needs so they offer gluten free items and (to my delight) calabacitas (their version has corn, zucchini, poblano pepper) have been added to the menu options as well. (Yay!)
(4)
Fay W.
We live nearby so we eat here every now and then. The food is always good - so are the margaritas. My favorite was the berry berry - and I was impressed to see that they used real, fresh berries in it. YUM! I do wish they would get rid of the whacky African animal motif. But they've been on that corner forever and I guess it's a "thing" by now.
(4)
Mario C.
Is has been a very long since I have visited this Macayo's. Parking is shared with a few other business's but, still amble parking. Very colorful inside, but, some places here are a bit worn out and could use a bit of sparkle. We came about 5:20 and had about a 15 min wait. They were quite busy for a Tuesday night. We checked it out upstairs, but it was freezing a cold up there. So we were glad we ate downstairs. We got a nice booth. we had a sweet server. She was very busy, but did her best to keep checking on us. She refilled our salsa and drinks several times. The food was just so so. Not the kind of Macayos we know and love. I had a steak Quesadilla which was a little light on the steak. Lots of Onions though. T got shrimp enchililadas. She said they were good but, both of us the rice and beans were a little flavorless. All in all good food though, service was great! Thank you Nora!
(3)
Marie M.
I hadn't been here before but it was great! Very friendly staff. Fast service, good food and drinks and moderately priced. Super atmosphere. I'll be back!!
(5)
Leticia W.
I come her for the margarita's. It's really the only thing that has kept me faithful to macayo's. The menu has changed and i can taste the difference. I do really like their Baja chicken burro. The patio area is always nice. The bar area upstairs is due for a renovation. Overall the food is ok the drinks are good the location is great.
(4)
TJ H.
Macayo's was very busy. Sunday night. There were a few tables open so we asked to sit at the one facing the patio with the lake view. The hostess was very accomadating & sat us at the requested table. Our server was at our table quickly & took our drink order. K & I decided we were going to try the "3 course meal for $10.99" offer. This is a pretty good deal. You start with either tortilla soup or salad. Then pick one of the 4 entrees & finish with one of the two desserts. K went with Tortilla soup, Shredded Beef Mexican Flag Chimichanga (sauces on the side) & fried ice cream. This is where it got interesting. K asked if she could sub additional Baja sauce for the green sauce but was told no. She could however order the sauces on the side with additional Baja sauce. Huh? Our server politely pointed to the small print on the menu that read "No substitutions, Thank You". Geeze. I'm starting to get flashbacks of our dinner at Abuelo's. Unless these are pre-made, why can't the cook scoop an addional blob of Baja sauce instead of a laddle of red sauce? Monkey's... I know it's Monkey's. K said the Tortilla soup was not overly spicy with a nice rich flavor. Her Flag Chimi was tasty, plenty of filling and extra yummy with the extra baja sauce. K really enjoyed the fried ice cream. A scoop of Dryers quality Vanilla ice cream rolled in a crunchy corn flake and cinnamon type coating & fried. Topped with a drizzle of honey. Yummy goodness. I ordered the salad, Green Chile Pork Stew & fried ice cream. The salad was a decent little salad. Really a perfect starter. The pork stew had chunks of pork with Poblano pepper, tomatillo, Jalapeno, onion & cilantro. It came with 2 flour tortillas. Yummy. Really a good stew. I gave my ice cream to C. C wanted his new favorite Mexican dish... Steak & cheese, toss in a tortilla if you must. Well looky there, on the 3 course menu is a Grilled steak quesadilla. Perfect. Or so we thought. C asked if they could leave off the chopped up vegetable medley sprinkled on the top. Our server politely pointed out that there is also chopped up veggies (onions & peppers) INSIDE the quesadilla AND again pointed to the "No substitutions" note on the 3 course menu. Monkey's. &@$# Monkey's. So we scrapped that idea & went with the Carne Asada Burro without the pico de gallo. $11.49. Since this is on the regular dinner menu our server said we could make any necessary changes we wanted. C loved the burro. The carne asada was cut into decent sized chunks, very flavorful & not at all chewy. Winner, winner, steak burro dinner. We took the rice & beans to go. C loved my fried ice cream but was not a fan of the honey drizzle. In the end we all loved our food. A policy is a policy so I can't really complain. Good food. Polite service. Fair pricing. 4 Stars.
(4)
Joan G.
Have been coming here for years and it is consistently good food. It is older and quirky but the food and service are always good. I like sitting in the booths next to the windows with the view of the lake and in the fall/spring the patio is very nice. The bar is upstairs and has some good happy hour deals. My favorite is the chimi with the baja sauce, it is a spicy white cream cheese type sauce they add to the regular sauce and gives it that extra kick! They do sell margarita glasses that offere discounted refils as well.
(4)
Matthew D.
We stopped here for supper after a friend recommended this as she's been there before, Im actually visiting from the north east so not familiar with this place at all. I'm hoping my experience tonight was a fluke..... Let's start with the decor its almost typical, really bright pastel colors, older building. It actually looked like it was going to be fun. We told the hostess we were in for dinner and she asked if we wanted to sit upstairs or down, I didn't know it was two different areas etc. She said there were Tvs upstairs and we could seat ourselves or if we wanted to be seated to sit downstairs, we sat downstairs and that was probably our mistake. The odd thing with the decor is the loft of creepy animals... Hippos, giraffes, zebras etc.. Looked more like an African Safari than a Mexican joint... The server came over realized she forgot her pen, or someone stole it so she would be back.. We got a story on how many pens she goes through etc, it was mildly amusing actually. She failed to come back for a bit. We looked up and she was dropping off checks etc. Finally got a beverage and chips and she disappeared again. It was slightly busy so we were understanding for a bit. The manager walked through the dining room looking at the floor instead of the tables so we couldn't even grab him to say we hadn't ordered yet. Another 5-10 minutes our server noticed us and ran over and wouldn't ya know she still didn't have a pen and couldn't take our order, she went to get a pen or so we thought. We were all slightly annoyed but understanding since the party of 9 behind asked for separate checks. We finally asked if she was going to take our order and the server actually got another server to wait on us and she said, I won't be able to give you good service so she passed us off to the new server who was definitely a lot better but at this point it's already been a while. We placed our order and food was out in minutes, my soup had a huge chicken breast in it which was great had I been able to get it on the spoon lol. See pic. It was like half the cup, it was really tasty though so I was pretty stoked. I had the stuffed pablano, which was awesome. My friends had the shrimp chi I which were also awesome. End of the day the food was good but customer service kinda sucked. I'd go back next time I'm in AZ to give it another shot because of the food
(2)
Dee S.
Would like to see that the handicap parking revised. Currently you have to walk the entire length of the restaurant to the park your car. It's quite far. Service was extremely slow, granted it was a bit busy, but there was lots of staff walking by. Salsa was okay and the chips were okay, nothing great. Something to eat while passing the long wait for our lunch. I ordered a cheese crisp with shredded beef, it was disgusting the way it was presented. The meat was so wet that the crisp was no longer crispy. It was very unappetizing. Blah! We couldn't get our bill fast enough to get out of there. .. definitely won't return. There is way better Mexican around town.
(1)
Michelle F.
Alayna was and is a wonderful server, she was always there with refills and a pleasure to have. She was great and helpful, food was wonderful as always and Alayna the best part of it. Thanks
(5)
Anita L.
OMG this was the best customer service I received in a long time. My order was wonderful. We received our food quickly and it was nice and hot. Very yummy too. I would definitely return and recommend them to my friends and family.
(5)
Daniel T.
The food was good as usual and the service was prompt.
(3)
Nina H.
It's been a while since I've been here but the food is always great. The service could use some work.
(4)
Audi S.
Food was good as always, but the customer service was crap. The happy hour posted every where is not valid anywhere other than the bar upstairs. I got no discount on the appetizer after seeing multiple signs stating half price appetizers and drinks. A bill for almost $60.00, for poor customer service, and on top of it all I was practically sharing my chips and salsa with the pigeons. I will not be back. Check your bill if you choose to eat here, they are on the hustle ;)
(1)
Ray Z.
Enjoyed the meal, but happy hour was unfair. They listed $3 house margaritas of which I got 2. Served in a large martini style glass. Then I watched a guy order one after happy hour and the drink was served in a regular large drinking glass. Not the much smaller glass I got. So basically I paid $3 for a much smaller drink. A happy hour drink should be a special price on their regular priced drink.
(4)
Tom H.
The restaurant is very fun looking, with a nice chaotic layout that has lots of nooks and areas. There is an interesting fan and a display of colorful jungle animal figures. Inside and out, this restaurant says "Fun!" Our server was friendly. But the food was so so, and the food and check service were a little slow. I am rating the restaurant mainly based on the food and the fact that my first visit was a serious let-down after a lifetime of curiosity about Macayo's. Oh, and it's not cheap. $30 for 2.
(2)
Dennis M.
Great perfect everything!
(5)
Anna Kaira M.
I seriously believe that we ordered the wrong things. Let's start with the good things about our experience here. Restaurant looks clean, we requested to sit out at the patio since the weather was nice. Scott our server greeted us, put down the complimentary chips and salsa (which was alright - not bad not good). Service was okay. Scott checked us frequently and made sure our drinks were filled. We didn't really talk much, no how are you today/is this your first time here etc. But he wasn't rude. He was alright. Anyway we ordered the Chile Verde Shrimp Enchilada, Spicy hot wings, Jalapeño Burger and a pumpkin flan for dessert. We had the green tamales to go as well. For drinks my bf had dos equis and I had a raspberry hibiscus lemonade. The pumpkin flan and the tamales were outstanding. The rest however, wasn't memorable. Bad parts: Ordered hot wings and it seemed we got buffalo flavored wings that was sprinkled by dried chili peppers. (See the picture) Nope, not even hot at all. It was a tad bit overcooked too so it was dry and wasnt juicy/succulent. My shrimp enchilada had the tiny shrimps inside, I know that shrimps are up this season since I work at a restaurant as well so I didn't really mind but the flavor was just lacking. The Mexican rice tasted like it was mixed with 3 cups of butter. I wasn't happy at all. Didn't finish it. My bf had their jalapeño burger and as Ive said in the description of my photo, it tasted like burger king with just salsa on top. The fries though were pretty decent. He didn't finish either. And we were starving when the food arrived. All in all, sitting on the patio was a major plus but watch out what you order. If it's your first time, better ask what's popular first and probably stick with that. Would come back maybe weeks or a month from now but not so soon. My hope for chain restaurants are seriously dying.
(3)
Mike C.
On the plus side: service was over the top and the place is very cool (has an upstairs seating area). Chips and salsa were fantastic. Prices were reasonable. On the minus side: my chile relleno was mostly dough - not at all what I expected. I would go back, but I would definitely try another dish the next time.
(4)
Onel V.
Love this place! My boyfriend took me here for lunch & the ambiance was a treat itself being seated at a booth where we have an unobstructed view of the lake...the food was good, the server was attentive with our needs. My boyfriend ordered the guacamole dip, it's heaven! Avocado mixing w the citrusy taste of lemon & cilantro, the best! I ordered for the steak fajitas and they're soooo good! Next time I visit him in Phoenix, I'll ask him to take me here again...we are coming back:)
(5)
Bill S.
One of my favorites! But only 4 stars.... The food is great. But...the service. :-/ well.... just make sure you keep the waiters attention. Do as I do.... Make empty slurping sound with your drink straw, as you stair at your waiter, or try waving the empty chip bowl. Just what ever you do DON'T throw it. You'll never get service after that. Talking from experience here. Yeah well sorry Mr. Waiter. 15 minutes to get seated, another 20 minutes for you to ask me if I have ordered, then 15 more minutes for you to bring me a drink and chip/salsa. And yes 30 more minutes to bring the food and 1st refill. So, after an hour and 20 minute the food! Hallelujah!! It's worth the wait. Everything on the menu is very good. The chicken stuff poblano is my favorite. And try the spinach con queso dip. Maybe the waiter was just having a bad day. I will definitely be going back with hopeful intentions.
(4)
Dani O.
My food was served to the table next to me. The customer chatting away on her cell phone put her finger in my green corn tamale a few times complaining 'this isn't my food' and when she finally decided to quick playing with my food, told the server it wasn't her order the server attempted to then serve it to me! I told the server that the other lady put her finger in it a few times so I couldn't accept my food. She took it to the kitchen to be remade. My order came out on same red plate that was originally presented to me. The plate itself was piping hot with extra sauce on the tamale than the last one but food was room temperature. My boyfriend's food was also room temperature and his side of french fries a total of 13 were soggy. The server even noticed there were very few french fries on the plate and said she'd bring out another order. We were starving at this point so I ate around the end of the tamale that I felt to be still compromised and my boyfriend ate his room temperature overcooked steak but left the 13 soggy french fries. The second order of fries never made it out to our table...may have gone to another table and we were just ready for our check. While waiting we called a manager over to inform him (Brian) what had happened so it wouldn't happen to another customer in the future. Brian swore up and down he personally threw my food out and the food I now had was all freshly prepared. He apologized profusely about the second order of fries never arriving and the entire experience. Brian removed both our meals and my second untouched Patron margarita from our bill. I've come to this location several times and it has never been like this. We shall return after their remodel and give them another chance!
(2)
Brenda S.
Love the food but we are freezing our butt off. Need to do something about the fireplace not working and turn up the heat.
(3)
Jillian G.
I guess you guys agree with me, but if this place isn't good why are they ALWAYS packed?! I'm so confused. And during my 8 years of living in AZ people around me all seemed to love Macayo's, another thing I don't get, because I think the food is nasty. It's inauthentic and makes you feel like crap after you eat it. I like the idea of the restaurant with all the bright colors and the cool patio, but the place is actually really dirty. Now they don't even have taco salads anymore! What kind of Mexican restaurant gets rid of their taco shells?? If you're looking for Mexican food go up the road to Si Senor, that place is amazing!
(1)
Lori G.
If you are an animal lover, boycott this restaurant! I went in for dinner after work. I walked in behind a woman who had parked in a take-out only spot, and I happened to notice a dog inside the car, windows opened a few inches, as I walked by. I didn't think much of it, as I figured she was actually getting take-out. WRONG. Maybe 10 minutes later, I notice she is sitting at a table ordering food! I go up to the manager and tell him that while she parked in a take-out spot, she is eating in the restaurant WITH HER DOG SITTING IN THE HOT CAR. He shrugs and says it is a "sticky situation" and he is not going to do anything. The hostess says, "Mike!" and goes and picks up the phone. I go sit back down, but after a few minutes, am too antsy to just sit there, walk back outside and see the car and dog are still there (just to make sure I had it right) and walk back inside and confront the manager again, asking if he called the police. He says no, as he "didn't see anything", but since I witnessed it I could call the police myself. I asked him if he ever heard of a thing called animal cruelty, and turned and walked out, calling 911 and checking on the dog, who seemed ok but was still panting. The manager comped my meal for the "situation" (according to my waiter), but his behavior was inexcusable. My family have been regulars at this location and the Ahwatukee location for a long time, but I cannot continue spending money at a restaurant where they blatantly ignore something like this.
(1)
Meredith M.
One of my favorite Mexican restaurants! We my mom's surprise 60th birthday party on the back patio and it was great. I've gotten lucky and always have had great service here. My only complaint is that I wish there was another one closer to my house (in South Chandler).
(5)
Heather D.
Went here on a Thursday night and there was a pretty long wait. When we walked in the lady who appeared to be the hostesses asked how many there were two of us she said it would be just a minute. Well that minute turned into 15 mins. Ok so we sit down and got a waitress who was obviously overwhelmed. She didn't know who was sat first. We told her to take care of the other couple who was sitting next to us. She came back and got our drink order. We were ready to order by then but she didn't ask until after she brought our drinks. Now all if those things aren't necessarily horrible, but that and this made it a bad experience. She came back to get our food order. I ordered a cheese enchilada with GREEN saunce no onions. And my boyfriend ordered the sampler platter with NO GUACAMOLE. Since he is VERY allergic which he told her. So of course we were upset when we received our food. I received a cheese enchilada with RED sauce that tasted old and not good. And my boyfriends food had guacamole. She dropped iff our food quickly and when she came back and we told her, she said she told them no guacamole and asked if she could take just the item's with it in and remake them. So she did that but when he got them back they were still cold. When it came to my order she again said I told them green sauce. She said she wrote it down correctly and that I could see her ticket. I don't care if you wrote it down correctly. It obviously wasn't right so why would you bring it? I was starving and we had to pick up our kid so I didn't have mine remade. But the food was just awful. When she came to give us the bill she told us the manger (who we never spoke to nor did they come to apologize) gave us 20% off??? No one apologize for what happened just made excuses. We quickly left and we will be extremely reluctant to return. We have been here multiple times and it's never been bad. I understand somethings but the way things were handled were horrible
(1)
Ralph C.
Well Beloved n I haven't been to a Macayo's in quite a bit. Now I know why. Friday night thought we done at different restaurant than the usual. Macayo's had a no wait so we scooted right in. Waiter was ok. I ordered a carne asada chimi Beloved ordered a carnitas plate. The wait for food was reasonable, however the beans were overcooked both rice n beans super dry the chimi has a sauce that seen better days Beloved didn't fare much better same issue with beans n rice The carnitas were large chunks of beef that I could see from across the table that they were very dry. Carnitas could have greatly benefited from a sauce to make them platable. My two cents No Mas
(1)
Russell V.
I bought a deal chicken to try this place out and they refused to honor my coupon because they don't know how to use the smart phone app. I hate being ripped off by MACAYOS.
(1)
Mike A.
After a 6 month hiatus, I had family in town and we wanted Mexican food. On Black Friday, we knew restaurants could be packed because of hungry shoppers taking a break from their door buster deals. I reluctantly went back to Macayo's and I'm glad I did. Whatever beef they were using before is back to the original and the menu items tasted just like I remembered it. This time I ordered the shredded beef Macayo Chimi with rice and beans and oh was it good! I barely finished my plate and I was relieved the quality of food had returned. Our server tonight was Ken and he rocked it. He made sure our glasses were full and he served our food real quick and we had everything we wanted. Even at the end he noticed my Father-In-Law's name on the credit card (he paid the bill) and said "Thank You Mr. Rausin for dining with us tonight." That was a nice added touch. He really seemed like he cared about his customers. We've never had bad service at this location. My faith in Macayo's is restored and I will be back!
(4)
April A.
Brought my dad here for dinner, as we were craving Mexican food and am glad we did! Not only did we receive top-notch service (Many thanks to our amazing waiter, Ken), but our food was so good and served in a matter of minutes from when we ordered it. And you thought only Jimmy John's served your food to you lightning fast?! Ken made sure our glasses were filled, checked in on us to see how we liked our meals, and was very efficient. He also pronounced my dad's last name correctly when giving him back his credit card after dad paid the bill. That deserves kudos in my eyes right there as my family last name is hard to pronounce and hard to spell for many people, despite it only being 6 letters. I had the Baja Chimi and it was so good and filling! I will definitely order that again! Great service + great food + great company=An outstanding experience!
(5)
Patti N.
We love this place! So peaceful at night by the lake! Unfortunately we had a horrible server named Danielle #7142. So horrible that I didn't even want to leave 2 or 3 percent tip let alone 15 percent! We needed refills for the kids and never got them before we left. We were halfway done with our meal and she brought us out the tab like we weren't welcome here anymore! We had to flag her down for everything! Not one time did she ask us if we needed anything or if everything was okay. We ended up leaving a 3 dollar tip and she's lucky she got that! Never again will I go to macayos I'd this is the kind of serice I'm gonna get.
Horrible service!! Sat for 15 minutes without any service. One server came to the table beside us and walked away. I mentioned to the hostess what happened and she was like ok, what do you want me to do about it. We walked out.
(1)
Miss J.
Okay, so we did go back after I swore off returning. We had an eye appointment with the awesome eye doctor there in the parking lot, and the siren song (of the olden days when Macayo's was my favorite restaurant) was calling me. I focused on the chips and the hot sauce (which you must ask for or you'll never know the glory) and then ordered a tried and true favorite, and it was fine. Things are a little different from back in the day. That's a fact. They won't acknowledge it, but it's true. However, sticking with a reliable mex-n-match of shredded beef taco and a beef tamale, rice & beans, I did fine. The service is marginal these days unless you get one of the "old" crew- there is a short full-figured blonde waitress that's been there forever, and she is the finest server you can have for any price-level restaurant. I can't remember her name. But she's great. Anyhow, it was better this time.
(4)
Mary S.
Lunch time at my favorite place with my favorite guy. Love this place. I had a yummy taco salad and my hubby had beef tacos. Love thier tacos, but just felt like salad today.
(4)
Blaise B.
This is my go-to Mexican food restaurant whenever I have to meet the folks out in Mesa. I do not think I have ever had a problem out here except maybe for it taking a minute too long to get a margarita on a busy day but you can't really fault them for that. The decor is bright and festive which is great for the tots and the mini-chimis always seem to put my girlfriend in a good mood when when she is blue (read:hungover).
(4)
Brian B.
Great time with great friends. As soon as you walk into this place, there are no waitstaff, seating hostess, or a welcome crew for that matter. It's a sit down at any table you want type of restaurant and the waiter/waitress will eventually see you in a hot minute. I had the grilled ahi tuna tacos, which are tasteless without the avocado dip they come with, makes them all that much better. It does have a little kick (just a side warning to the folks who don't like spice) Our waitress, AUDRA is AMAZING! She is VERY attentive and fast. Drinks were being refilled before we ever noticed they were empty. (Thanks for making us laugh Audra!) After dinner we all went back downstairs and enjoyed the patio area. Which is a bit hard to find for the first time folks. Use the door by the restrooms to head to the patio. Our patio server was Colby, who was also VERY attentive and quick. All around had a great time, will be back again and ask for AUDRA and COLBY.
(4)
Aaron S.
I love Macayos. Traditional authentic Mexican food yet still very unique. Love all the bright colors and atmosphere. THE BAJA CHIMI! For that matter anything on their menu with the Baja sauce is to die for. Really like the salsa. Good margaritas too.
(5)
Steve E.
My wife and I made a reservation for 15-20 people for an after party following our wedding and reception this past weekend. The reservation was ready as requested. Good thing, too, since we had 19 people in attendance and the restaurant was absolutely packed. The service was quite slow to start, but once it got going it went well. The food came out reasonably quickly for such a packed restaurant. Our server was friendly and even complimented us at the end of the meal for being such a fun group to deal with. Our group had a good time, very good food, and decent service. About the only problem we had aside from the slow start to the service was the noise level as there were quite a few birthday celebrations throughout which required several servers to sing and clap loudly. It was a little disturbing for people in our party with sensitive hearing, though we all appreciated the friendly party atmosphere.
(4)
Liz D.
I think Macayo's is pretty good! They have a great menu however I think they're a bit over priced. (I'd recommend Aribas).
(3)
Lia B.
The service and atmosphere were great; however, for the price of the food vs quantity and taste... Not worth it and most likely not return unless brought by a friend again.
(3)
A. E.
2 Storey's of moderately passable mexican. The salsa is what pulls them down, along with the beans... they tasted like they wanted to be yummy and just weren't. ON the PLUS side were the plethora (tell me Jefe do you know what a plethora is?) of SUPER MEGA chips in my basket of chips... if you don't know what a super mega chip is, let me tell you: It's a corn chip that has multiple corn chips folded into one another, often with the center being chewy because it's not fully fried. YUM Thank you and goodnight.
(2)
Robyn N.
Obviously I'm one of the few who likes this place, but I just judge it for it is. I don't come here expecting authentic Mexican food or a fine dining experience. I do come here for tasty margaritas and the poblano chicken dinner, which is the only food I've ever ordered from here. It's a chicken and cheese stuffed poblano pepper, breaded and fried and covered with their bajai sauce. Now I know the bajai sauce is nothing more than cream (sour cream?), cream cheese and jalapeno juice, but it sure is yummy! Quite addictive and no way it's good for you, but I just can't help myself. The chips and salsa they serve when you sit down are good, they offer a mild and a hotter sauce and I like them both just fine. I love the patio they have overlooking a small "lake". It's a great place to hang out and drink margarita's. I have always had good service here. I've been here many times over the years and I'm sure I'll be back again!
(4)
Joanna C.
I love this restaurant! They have great service, a nice ambiance, and the chips and salsa are great. And the fried ice cream is the best! Everyone in our family and everyone we have introduced the restaurant to, agree. I have been to the Mesa and Gilbert location and prefer the Gilbert one. There is a nice beside the restaurant literally out the patio. Great place for a date or for a family night of good food.
(5)
Christie C.
All I have to say is... You had a nice run but it's time to quite. I go about once a year and each year they go down hill a little more. I don't think I'll go back.
(2)
Destiny A.
I love this place. I love the food and the atmosphere. Very friendly staff and the manager does come around to talk to you. I love their tacos, chimichangas and chips! They always fill the chips up and I have a huge party when I go there. With the Mexican food restaurants out there, this one is the best one. I love the food and the atmosphere they provide. I have always had a friendly waiter, the manager has come to talk to us and even help serve drinks. They are always aware of when the chip bowl is empty. I think the only two things that annoy me from there is their rice is not good and their green corn tamales are too smooshy. Other then that I love this place and until I can find a place that wows me with their mexican food, this is it. If anyone orders a burger from here they really shouldn't be posting a review, wtf is up with that? It's a mexican restaurant not McDonalds.
(4)
Brant A.
This place has a great patio. And the margaritas are decent. However, the food is definitely Americanized and only ok at that. Maybe for a happy hour on some nice Summer day, but other than that, there are plenty of other places closer and better.
(3)
Rich R.
This review is gonna be a little different. As much as I go here, you would think I love Mexican food. Truth is, I'm not a big fan at all. My wife loves it and with that, I'm bound to make an appearance once a week. My two items that I rotate here are the California burrito, and the Cheeseburger. The burrito is the closest thing here I can get to Chipotle which I love, and the burger, well it's pretty good, but nothing special. The hidden gem here is the french fries. Man those are good. Cooked in the same oil as the tortilla chips, it really brings a different flavor to the fries. One thing I can say about this restaurant that I love? The excellent customer service. I've never had a bad waiter or waitress and the manager is very involved in the customers experience as he does ask everyone if they've enjoyed themselves and if there is anything he can do to make it better. That alone makes me want to come back. And who knows, I might try something else on the menu.
(2)
Erica L.
Your typical Mexican chain restaurant in the suburbs. It's good when you need your chips and salsa fix, but don't take the date here if you want to impress. The back patio is the place to be especially when you're sneaking in a margarita at lunch. It's got misters, shade, and a view of a playa lake. It almost makes you forget you're in the burbs.
(2)
Yvett R.
Oh. My. God. Friends had been telling me that we should try Macayo's. They said it was good Mexican food. I finally tried it. I ordered the Sonoran Enchilada Sampler and I'm not kidding, the sauce tasted like the crap they used to give us at elementary school and call enchiladas. That is EXACTLY what it reminded me of. Blech. I didn't like it then and I don't like it now. How have they been in business for so long?
(1)
Penelope R.
This is my favorite macayo's. I really like this place been coming here for many years. I always have the baja chimi and a margarita. I know its run of the mill, but they have this dish nailed down. I worked at the one on central when I was a young muchacha and their chimi is good too. But Im always disappointed with the one on warner bummer cause its closer to me
(4)
Debbra H.
where to begin? how about a capitol T for terrible. I have been going to Macayo's off and on over the years.... Last night I took a friend from out of town there for dinner. I felt confident that the food and service would be pretty good. Well, not so. Besides the presentation of our meals being amateurish and unappealing the food was tired and dried up. Laughing as I write these words but, it's the truth. The waitress was sweet and tried to do her best but, we sat there for 1/2 hour before they took our order. Then to the food. Honestly, I had a beef tostada and the flavor was unrecognizable and the beans were like paste. The bean tostada that my friend was attempting to eat was completely unacceptable. Now, how hard is it to pull off something as simple as a Bean Tostada... really? The waitress offered to get us more food, different food etc. What we really should have recieved was a refund and an apology.
(1)
Anna C.
The food is basic and the service is not good. The waiter did not tell us what food they were out of and the kitchen just replaced that food with something different or nothing at all. It took a long time to get drinks and chips refilled. We had no response to our complaints about the food. Overall, you can get this kind of food anywhere, even the grocery store.
(1)
Thomas L.
I am giving this place 1 extra star since I love the sauce that they sell at stores for enchiladas. So I decided to go here and give the real thing a try. Man was I surprised....they dont even use their own sauce they sell. The sauce that landed on my tongue was gross, I tried to start over in my head thinking maybe I was expecting to much but the meat inside was not any better. To top all this off the sewer was over flowing outside and was stinking up the night air. Even though my wife said she liked what she ate this is my review and I would never return. Learn from this review and use the sauce that you sell at Walmart and things will start to get better.
(2)
Brad C.
Their green chile tamale with baja sauce is probably the best thing I have ever put in my mouth. Chips and salsa are alright. Also try their mini chimi-s. So good. Great service.
(5)
Maggie F.
The service was great! We had a large group & had called prior to make a reservation. Our table was ready when we arrived & they had assigned 2 servers. They were both incredibly pleasant & attentive. Our food came out really quickly & no one had any complaints. I wouldn't say this was authentic Mexican food, but it doesn't have to be. A good time was had by all :)
(3)
Diane M.
I have been going to this Macayo's location since it's grand opening in the 80's! This continues to be my favorite Mexican restaurant in the valley. I now make my hubby drive me quite a distance just to go here 1-2 times a month to get my fix. The food is always consistently delicious.
(5)
Carina M.
I hate you. Really hate you. I hate you even more because I have to pass by you every day to get to the grocery store. I hate you so much I make sure to flip you off everytime I pass by you. I hate you because I love mexican food and instead of you being Rosa's you're Macayo's. Why can't you be more like Rosa's? Why do you have to so close to me? Why must your fugly parrot be so obnoxiously bright at night, a welcoming beacon of mexican food for unsuspecting first timers? You lured me in. Made me think you could have been authentic; the real thing. You're not. Dross. That's what you are. Dross...yet people still like going to you. May you burn in hell for trying to pass off that slop that I ordered as a chimichanga. I hate you. PS No, I'm not kidding - I really hate you.
(1)
Melissa H.
It's a Valley staple. It's not the best, but it could be much, much worse. I make it here about once a year. The place is usually packed. The decor is bizarre. The margaritas are good. The chips and salsa are pretty damn good. The food is meh. The service is always friendly.
(3)
Jennifer K.
They make a great queso dip. Most of the time the wait staff is ubber friendly too. I think the food overall is pretty decent, but admittedly I mainly go for the queso dip!!
(4)
Rex S.
The food is OK but is 'gringo-Mexican' food. If your parents are in town and you need a safe place to go, this would do the job. Bring your antacids with you, maybe some Gas-X too as high winds will blow after eating here!
(2)
Brian G.
I have been to this Macayo's too many times to count and unlike other restaurants that change over time I can always count on Macayo's to have the best service and food possible. Plus the food is cheap and you get plenty of it. My food choices have varied and I have always been impressed with my choices, although my favorites are still Spinach Con Queso for an appetizer and a Baja Chimi with Beef! Just talking about it now makes me want to go again!
(5)
Lynn N.
When Taco Bell's menu beats out a sit-in restaurant for flavor, speed, and seating, there's something that needs to be fixed. Reservations were made for a large party of approximately 25 people days in advanced, so normal expectations were that the seats would be reasonably ready in a reasonable location. Once we walked inside, it was a different story. We waited almost an hour to be seated, and once the tables were ready, most of our group was sat in the blazing hot sun. It was ridiculous. After about 10 minutes we had to complain since as soon as we were seated, a whole area of seats opened up underneath some covered awning. Another 20 minutes or so and we were relocated inside and tables were moved around to accommodate everyone. Ordering the meals went smoothly, food came out in a decent amount of time, and the margarita drink was good flavored, not that strong. The food itself was disappointing - visually appealing, but left a lot to be desired for taste. I ordered the fajita quesadilla which came with guacamole, sour cream, and a shot size of beans and rice. The cheese, chicken, onions, and bell pepper filling was very bland. The few fine points couldn't save the overall review of this place, even though the staff tried their hardest to make everyone happy. Poor planning on the upper management's part.
(1)
Lauren L.
Horrible food.
(1)
Amber Z.
The place was clean, the service was great, the food was nothing to woohoo about. I have been there twice, the food is consistently the same bland and boring stuff. The salsa is just a step above Pace picante, the beans are not good, and the rice was the same. If you have never had 'good' Mexican food, then you will probably love this place.
(2)
Kirk K.
Won't be back. The parking lot use to be packed. No I know why it isn't. Not sure what happened. Food below par service very slow. Rice way over seasoned. Perhaps the manager will read this and make corrections.
(1)
Emily C.
ok. i love macayo's, i always have. the food is pretty darn consistent and when i'm going to a chain restaurant, that is what i expect and actually what i want. as per usual, the food was exactly what i had anticipated. i would have loved to give a 4 or 5 star review on the food, but that's not what this review is really about. THIS is a service review. Matthew and i went to dinner with my parents last night (Sunday) around 645 and Paul was our server. now, i don't know if he was new or one of those older, jaded servers who think they know everything. sometimes they're hard to tell apart. this guy seemed like he didn't want us or anyone else to be there, like he had better things to be doing than his JOB. if you don't like people, DO NOT BE A SERVER. seriously. had to ask for refills two separate times after near empty drinks (1" left in glass) sat for 10 minutes, had to ask for more chips twice, and he dropped Matthew's plate on the way out of the kitchen and said "did you hear that crash? that was your taco, they're making you another one." which took another 10 minutes. oh and my favorite...my dad ordered shrimp fajitas. the food comes (minus Matthew's) and what kind of fajitas do we receive? beef. i said to my dad, "didn't you order SHRIMP fajitas?" he replied that he did in fact do so and stated such to the server. Paul said that was incorrect, that he wrote down beef. my dad said that wasn't what he ordered and that he would indeed like shrimp. so i don't know how you get beef from shrimp, or even steak from shrimp. yes, they're all monosyllabic. but they've got differing vowel sounds and one of those words starts with a different letter even! he was totally rude and when i go back (it's inevitable, i like their generic food occasionally) i will specifically request to not sit in Paul's section.
(2)
Erica O.
Dear Macayo's, I would like to thank you for renewing my hatred for your bland, artery busting Meximerican food. I hadn't experienced your brand of deep fried crap since I came of majority and stopped dined out with the family at restaurants that specialized in satisfying even the blandest of palettes. I must say, you continue to exceed my wildest expectations in that respect! I had to continue looking down at my plate just to make sure the 3,000+ calories I was consuming were more than just a mirage of Mexican food. I will admit that I have a long standing, simmering hatred for you, Macayo's. So maybe this biases my opinion a bit. I can't in my right mind fathom why I thought you deserved a second chance last night. I think it's testament to the fact that sometimes I make super stupid decisions on an empty stomach, especially when I'm hungry enough to eat the ass end out of week dead burro. I suppose I was expecting something a bit more appetizing than that stretch of hyperbole. How wrong I was. Your patio was the highlight of the evening. It's backed up against a lake and there was a duck that watched me eat. He had a shiny green head. It was nice. I made him my zen when all I wanted to do was lash out in frustration over the meal. If I could offer a suggestion to benefit both the duck and myself, perhaps you could pipe some music out onto the patio, because listening to Suzie and Sally Suburb bitch about their waistlines while committing refried sin was pretty grating. The food however, far outshone those cackling soccer moms in terms of annoyance. I don't know who you think you are, Macayo's, but charging 10-15 bucks an entree at your establishment just about gave me a heart attack long before the lard had a chance to bully up on my arteries. Maybe it's because I think you have the street value of a gum job from a run down whore, but I have to say that those prices were shocking. I could travel the valley over and find better Mexican food for much cheaper. For that price, I expect outstanding quality and taste, or at least a hip see and be seen environment. All you have is a duck working in your favor. I do have a serious question for you though, what's with smothering your entrees in cream cheese and trying to pass it off as Baja sauce? It was the same jalapeno spread I get on my bagel in the morning, but with even less heat and flavor. I suggest renaming it Manhattan sauce in honor of the bagel and schmear capital of the nation, and I think it would be a touching homage to the Pace Picante "New York City?!" commercials. I also can't understand why the majority of your entrees offer either rice or beans, but few have these in conjunction. Those are universal standards at a Mexican food joint, and the ultimate test of quality since they're comparable the valley over. Do they bring you shame? Is that why you don't want to offer them both? Or are you just a cheap nickel and diming motherfucker, Macayo's? I'm more apt to believe the latter, because you charged me two bucks for guacamole without informing me that it cost extra. Then you delivered a pile of gelatinous green goop of questionable origin that had absolutely zero flavor. By this point in the meal I really shouldn't have been surprised at how bland everything was, because I was on to your ploy of substituting flavor for gobs of cream cheese and a heavy hand with the salt shaker. But despite stiff competition from the bland pico de gallo and the puzzling "Baja sauce", it was the shitamole took the grad prize of suckdom for the evening. I have never tasted weaker guac. You must have used some terrible avocados and whipped them with corn syrup or some other food-like filler. There wasn't a zing of cilantro or lemon juice, no hint of Serrano spiciness, not even the tang of some onion, although I did see a couple soggy tomatoes bits added for color. I don't think I will ever be coming back, Macayo's. It's not you, it's... I can't lie; even to spare your feelings. It's you. It's all you. I'm breaking up in a public setting because I'm scared that you'll key my car while by back is turned, or at the least smother it in cream cheese. I know you're into that freaky shit. Wishing you deep fried broken dreams, Erica
(1)
Rob F.
I like this place, it's good American Mexican food in a corporate chain atmosphere, and given the crowds that mill about on the weekends waiting for tables when this is a little off the beaten path compared to the national chain restaurants located down the road. The bar mixes great drinks. My biggest issue is that the wait can be really long, but I can understand why.
(3)
Art R.
Not a place for authentic Mexican food but if you are looking for gringo southwest food where you can take lightweights from the east coast to it is ok. I do like their salsa. Lots of flavor but not very spicy. The guacamole is a overpriced rip off. It is what it is.
(3)
Kristy R.
Haha, okay, I am obviously the odd one out here. I was both surprised but not at the same time when I saw how low the average reviews for this restaurant are. Surprised becasue this is my favorite sit down Mexican restaurant. Not surprised since I know usually half of the people I know don't care for the food here as they find it to be more of an American take on traditional Mexican dishes. I really like the food here. It is always consistent and super yummers! The three things very important to me in Mexican cuisine are the beans and rice and of course the chips & salsa. You usually get these as a side with every Mexican dish, so they better be good. Their beans are always piping hot and creamy and their rice is super flavorful and extremely moist! Their chips and salsa are delicioso! Chips are served hot and this salsa is very unique and has a garlicy flavor. May sound weird in writing but it is phenomenal when you're eating it (bring gum for afterwards if you're on a date) ;-) I have liked every dish I have tried here. There combination plates are great because they actually give you a ton of choices! Sides and entrees. Most places will give you a small list of options, it makes it very limited for vegetarians too. When I used to eat meat, I loved their shredded beef tacos! I would get soft tacos, corn tortillas. Very moist and tender. I really like their burritos, all of their enchiladas, their green chile and corn tamale, and so so so much more! Their baja sauce is this creamy, cheesy, spicy sauce that you can get on your food or for your chips. Wowza! I have not had a bad food experience here...an occasional service experience or two when they were really swamped but I will remain a loyal customer. Thank you for your yummy food!
(5)
Paul B.
This is pretty decent Mexican food. You have to remember, this is a chain restaurant, so if you're looking for authentic Mexican (though I must say, most authentic stuff I have had wasn't anything to brag about), this isn't the place for you. But if you want to get a taco and beans and a margarita, stop on in. The back patio is nice when it's cooler out.
(3)
Than R.
I don't know why i have been here more than once, but the parking is horrible, and the food is only so-so. lots of color and flare but not much going for it. the baja sauce is great but i seem to get sick later that evening when i eat it. i need to learn from experience
(2)
Seana S.
best salsa ever! also a fan of the mini chimi's... as well as regular-sized.
(5)
Shannon B.
This weekend we went to Macayo's to celebrate a birthday. We had a 7:30 reservation and the table was set up early! I brought a cake to the restaurant and they were nice enough to put it in the refrigerator until we were ready for dessert. Many people in our party have a lot of specific food needs and our server, Kyle, made suggestions to help each individual person. He was so helpful and kind. Our meals were hot and even though there were a lot of special requests, they came out perfect. I would go here again
(4)
Aaron M.
Expensive mediocre food and i had terrible service. Mexican food should not be expensive. The best thing was the raspberry hibiscus tea.
(2)
Mathew N.
You can never go wrong with Macayo's! Margaritas & Burritos. Heck Yeah!
(4)
Tabitha P.
Terrible experience. Maybe the waitress was just having a bad night but her whole demeanor made me feel like I was bothering her. We asked for a drink menu and were told that they were upstairs. ( we had been sat downstairs) We went to the front and asked for a drink menu, no problem. The best part of our whole night was the guy who makes balloon animals. The service was super slow. The waitress never checked to make sure out meals were correct or to see if we needed anything else. It took forever to get refills. She brought us boxes for our leftovers than disappeared, while we waited for our check. After about 10 minutes we went to the front to ask for our check. As we had 2 small children we were ready to leave. We requested split checks. Our fault for not double checking, however the waitress had jumbled the whole thing. My card was charged, then voided ( will update on that), then charged for the correct amount. Not once had the waitress apologized for her lousy service. Needless to say, we did not tip. I have never been so dissatisfied with a restaurant. Absolutely will NOT return in this lifetime. After rating a few days (probably because of the credit card company) the original charge that was voided did not process through.
(1)
Jennifer T.
Terrible, terrible, terrible service! I had just arrived from California, it was hot and I was starving. I wanted Mexican so I decided to give this a whirl. Granted we got there at 8 and they close at 10, but still. Hostess sat us down and handed us menus. No one came for about 15 minutes until I got up to notify the hostess. She said "oh, sorry there must have been some confusion with the waiters. Uh, ok! She took our order, brought us out drinks and after we got our food, our server showed up. A little too late I thought. She asked if we needed refills and we said no. My friend asked for a side of beans and the girl forgot, says "oh no I forgot about those but I'll make sure they're pipping hot when they come out". She was a complete airhead! The food was mediocre at best! Won't be going back to this place, yuck!
(1)
Rebecca H.
Food was great, service was bad. Waiter never came around, my drink was empty most of the time and wasn't getting refilled. Normally love this place. Wait staff was lacking, I really hope this won't be a normal occurrence.
(3)
Barbara H.
I love the patio here. the food was not too bad my last visit. We would definitely return.
(4)
T B.
I drove by this location and almost kept going. However once again I was in the mood for Mexican food and decided to give this place a try. The restaurant itself is rather outdated, trip hazards everywhere as you walk from one level to another to another. A pretty dated restaurant. I ordered what else, a burrito. Again what is it with all meat inside and nothing else...after a while you really want more favorable tastes. Oh well, another restaurant bites the dust when it comes to burritos. Maybe try something different if I am in the neighborhood.
(2)
Rand H.
Stopped in here for lunch today with Mike C., Robyn N. & Arlin B. I thought the restaurant was great, with a lot of small dining areas on all different levels giving it character, & a pretty little lake outside which was in plain view of our table. Also, there's a nice covered patio out there, of which at least part is reportedly smoker friendly. The service was great, & the food I had was delicious! This was a "Mex 'n' Match Combo", which gives you lots of choices. I went with Tortilla Soup, a big (Pablano) Chile Relleno, a shredded beef hard taco, & steamed veggies. The portions were generous, everything was served at the right temperature, at the right time, & the prices here are very reasonable. How can Enya keep from singing, & how can I keep from giving this Macayo's 5 STARS? Woohoo! :-))
(5)
Marie S.
I seriously don't understand what people think is so great about this place. Maybe because it's been around forever and they're the kind of people that won't ever branch out and try something new. This place was okay back in the day but has suffered a serious decline. PEOPLE! We live close to the border. There are plenty of excellent, authentic Mexican restaurants in the valley. Macayos is to Mexican as Olive Garden is to Italian: a bland, Americanized, chain restaurant version of international food. The food is nothing special. When asked what ingredients were in the salsa a waiter responded, "I don't know, the salsa comes from a can." I can never say that I've had great service here. One waitress in the bar broke my friend's older "Senor Bob" margarita glass, didn't apologize and just gave him a new one. When he pointed out that the new ones are much smaller her response was, "You get the same amount of tequila in both." Which is not true and leads to another point. The margaritas here have become downright horrible. I watched the bartender fill margarita glasses with a pre-made pitcher of watered down sweet and sour mix lightly spiked with cheap tequila. It's sad that I can't even force myself to come here, given that it's walking distance from my house and they have a nice patio on the lake. But after many worsening experiences I have given up on this place and won't return.
(2)
Lee Ann W.
Went for dinner tonight and was able to be seated within 15 minutes of check-in. Great enchiladas! Entertaining atmosphere but seems very noisy.
(4)
Christine P.
This is my favorite mexican food restaurant anywhere! They have the best spinach con queso dip! the chimi's are also always very good. service is great, salsa is yummy!
(5)
Jason H.
Macayo's has never been one of my go-to Mexican restaurants. It's always been just OK but not exceptional. My wife swears by the Margaritas and they do have Negra Modelo on draft. But the food is, as I've already said, just OK. They have recently added al pastor tacos to the menu. These are pretty good. I've also tried the carne asada burrito, which is decent.
(2)
Katarina H.
This is one of my families favorite Mexican resturants. My daughter loves the baja pizza. The appeitizers are large enough to eat as meal within itself. I also love the Grande Chimmi dinner either chicken or pork. I've also tried out the salmon which was really tasty. All in all a great place to have Mexican food.
(4)
Tara D.
When planning our weekly Saturday night date my husband and I wanted to try Macayos in Mesa mainly for the location on the water, a chance to enjoy the view and some good food and one another's company after a long week. I had been to the restaurant before and he had not so we were excited to give it a try. We sat outside off to the west side. There was a large party to the left and right of us. The party to the left were only there for a short time but the party to the right, that had numerous children, literally took over our dinner and ruined our entire night. First of all three of the children sat directly between the water and our table screaming at the ducks, ruining our view and distrubing our dinner. And that was only the beginning. Shortly thereafter 6 other children from the party began to climb on the stairway rail that was literally 3 feet from our table. We were in the middle of a jungle gym and they were running and screaming all around us. Now I understand this was the fault of their very rude parents for not caring that their unruly children were ruining our night along with every other diner outside. But what makes me mad is the employee response. They knew what was going on and simply didn't care. Our waiter said and did nothing even after he obviously saw how annoying the situation was and how aggravated we were when we asked for our check right away and handed him our card so we could get out of there immediately. I went up to the hostess station on the way out and told all four of the employees up there that they shouldn't seat anyone else outside since there were unruly children climbing all over the back area and that they had ruined our night and our dinner. Even though I was obviously visibly upset the main hostess said "there was only so much they could say" (to the other party) and she didn't offer an apology nor an opportunity to speak to a manager about our unhappiness. Talk about poor customer service! Thank you for ruining our night and wasting $60 of our hard earned dollars!
(1)
Lily L.
Macayo's is one of our go to places for Mexican food. Usually my husband and I will go and order a spinach con queso appetizer and split a shredded beef baja burro. The creamy white sauce is just right and this meal hits the spot when you have a craving.
(4)
Karen W.
Meh. Service was friendly, and the atmosphere is bright and festive, but it's pretty Americanized Mexican food. I had a California burro ($9.49), which was a large size, and tasted OK, but for about 1/3 of the price and for about the same size, I can get a better tasting burro with the same type of ingredients at Los Favoritos. I've also had dishes with their Baja sauce, which tends to be too heavy tasting for me.
(2)
Kelly V.
A lot of folks bag on chain restaurant and generally, I AM one of those folks, but Macayo's remains consistent and tasty. It's kind of like a friend-with-benefits. You're never getting married but every time you hook up, you know exactly what you're going to get.
(4)
Dawn S.
Pros: -Mesa location -Mini-chimis on menu for about $8 Cons: -20 minute wait for 2 people. (it was a Friday night though) -Sitting in the bar area, it took awhile to get drinks and menus. -After we sat, it took 20 minutes for our order to be taken and put into the kitchen. I won't be coming back here anytime soon.
(1)
Amy B.
I admit, I am not a mexican food coniseur, but I have a taste for it every now and then. Being that I've never eaten at a Macayo's before, I thought I would give it a shot this time, and sit down and eat here at this location. On the good side, the place is very colorfully decorated....lots of bright colors, and plenty of decor to match. The service was wonderful, and I enjoyed myself while I was here. The down side, is that I found the food a bit pricy, and I wasn't all that impressed. I ordered 2 tacos and a cup of tortilla chicken soup. The cup was rather tiny, and was a bit disappointed with the small portion. It was good, but a bit spicy for my taste. The tacos were good, but honestly, Ive gotten bigger, better tasting tacos from Filbertos at half the price. I could see myself coming here more as a happy hour guest, or bringing some out of town friends here to enjoy the decor and get a taste for some of thier food, but not as a regular customer. I don't think its bad, I just feel that the food was just okay and it was a bit overpriced for what I felt like I got.
(3)
Cullen K.
Just stooped in for lunch and oredered the Baja pizza. The pizza was amazing. We had Scott as our server and he did an awesome job. I Can't wait to come back to have an awesome meal and cold cerveza.
(5)
Karen O.
What gave me the push to finally try this place was their enticing three course meal special. We also had a coupon for a free spinach con queso appetizer, which was fabulous. The salad, which was my first course, was pretty good. Our waiter rubbed me the wrong way early on, however, when I asked him what dressings they offered. He rolled his eyes at me and asked me if I wanted something creamy or something like Italian "cuz I don't wanna stand here and name them all." Excuse me, is that not part of your job to tell patrons what their salad dressing choices are?! I didn't understand the big deal, especially after he eventually rattled off all the dressings in fewer than five seconds. The food was delivered quickly, which was impressive. Granted the restaurant was far from packed on the particular Wednesday we went for an early dinner. My second course was a chicken dish. It was supposed to be spicy, but was far from it. The portion size was decent, though. Rice, beans, salsa...All average taste, not spectacular by any means. My third course, the pumpkin flan, was delicious. I just wish the size of the flan they served me was doubled. So puny! Am I in a rush to get back here? No. Did I hate it? No. At least I know which dressing I will be ordering for my salad whenever I go to Macayo's next so I won't be inconveniencing our server!
(3)
Anne P.
I got engaged after eating at Macayo's many, many, many moons ago (hubbie figured a fancy night out would tip his hand). I used to dine at this location nearly every Friday in the mid 90s when I started at Intel. Since then, I have been underwhelmed each time I have visited. Last visit: toilet had overflowed in the women's bathroom, living one stall availalble for an 'ick' experience. Couple that with the out-dated, disheleved looking front lobby and I washed my hands of an old stand-by. Adios Macayo's.
(1)
Melinda H.
Macayo's food is good, just the service sometimes leads a lot to be desired!
(3)
Jim W.
Two stars feels a little harsh but Macaynot's just didn't quite measure up to the standard for Mexican in the valley. One of the restaurants I held up as a standard to judge Macaydon't's against is a little hole in the wall Mexican place near my office. The food there is less diverse but more authentic and better than Macayshouldn't's and for the price much better. So if I can get better than Macayno's and more authentic than Macaykeepgoingo's and cheaper than Macaymovealongthere'sbetterandcheaperMexicandownthÂeroadalittleway's than why I am going to eat there? They do have a nice outdoor seating area on a pond that features large warning signs about not feeding the birds as well as diners feeding the birds and a live demonstration on the mercenary behavior of birds when they get used to people feeding them and practically land on your plate to grab a peck or two. The food came out very quickly at Macayhuh's and the service was very good. Everything slowed to a crawl for some reason when we asked for a box and the check. Don't get the wrong impression, Macaysosofood's is OK, it's not bad by any stretch. I would eat here if someone else was buying for sure. I had a fish taco (overdone) and blue corn enchilada which was OK.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Reinhard K.
Enchilada was good but the rice had almost no seasoning, and the refried beans had too much salt. I'd give this place one more try but that's about it.
(3)Julie C.
I have been coming here for a long long time. We had nicole tonight as a server. Worst service ever! Not only did she get my order wrong twice but she tried to come over ask me if my order was better than tried to show me on the menu how I was wrong. When i showed her she was wrong she stomped off. Then came back to the table to fill water and did not fill mine but others mine was empty. I'm not sure we will be returning anytime soon. Sad cause I really love their Baja sauce.
(1)Lisa V.
This is a classic Mexican chain restaurant and they are consistently delicious. We each had a different margarita and we all tasted the others. They were all good. I had the cucumber margarita which was really light, less sugar, and very tasty. We each had two individual bowls of salsa with chips as an appetizer. Yum! For dinner I had the roasted poblano chili. It wasn't too heavy, nor to light. I really enjoyed it. My husband had the steak fajitas and he likes them well done. The seasoning was perfect. Our other friend had the Baja Burro, which looked delicious. This isn't a need an upscale five star Mexican Cantina, but a great neighborhood Mexican restaurant. The price was right. The service was friendly, reliable and at a reasonable pace. I will definitely be back.
(4)Marie C.
Service was terrible. The Appetizers came with the meal, instead of before. We waited a long time for the meal. No refills on drinks (two of us had soda that should have been refilled). Requested extra napkins and never got them. Could see our server standing and chatting with other employees. Poor customer service. Have had better service elsewhere. In their defense they did give us credit on our bill towards the appetizers and the food was good, but the place wasn't that busy to have such bad service.
(2)Terrance H.
I have been coming to this Macayo's with my family for many years! It was once our family staple for get gatherings. So it was great to be back after some time. The food is always great and dependable. The actually physic of this establishment is in much need of renovation. The booth cushions gave no support and sank in, some were torn. It is apparent that the wear and tear of has taken it toll. Also, the service took a bit of a dive on our last occasion. The server wasn't to pleasant and didn't seem to happy to be at work. Long story short. Old building, solid food, hit or miss service.
(3)Chris H.
HH is fantastic! $3 Margaritas are what Happy Hour should be about after all! They also offer select appetizers for $3 & $5. A few of my favorites include: tamale bites, red corn chicken taquitos, baja pizza, and large cheese crisp. I've heard the queso dips are pretty fabulous as well. You can get 1/2 pint of Baja sauce for $2.99 now! If you have ever had the pleasure of eating a Baja Chimi, you know that this is a marvelous announcement. I would swim in that stuff if I could. Though, that is probably highly unrecommended for numerous reasons and I bet it would take A LOT of sauce to fill up a whole pool. That being said, definitely make sure to try the Baja sauce if you have not already had the opportunity to do so. In my opinion, the best tables in the place are the booths by the windows. Don't forget to watch your step as you are walking up or down the stairs. This has become a bit of a joke between my friends but surely you'll receive the same warning. Just one more example of the great Macayo's customer service. Making sure I do not face plant in a crowded restaurant is rather high on my list so thank you. No matter when you dine you will receive unlimited chips and salsa and you will get plenty of drink refills. Typically, the food is out fast and pipping hot. On my last visit, food was out in under 10 mins! (We weren't even on our second bowl of chips yet). In the past few years, the menu has been adapting to various dietary needs so they offer gluten free items and (to my delight) calabacitas (their version has corn, zucchini, poblano pepper) have been added to the menu options as well. (Yay!)
(4)Fay W.
We live nearby so we eat here every now and then. The food is always good - so are the margaritas. My favorite was the berry berry - and I was impressed to see that they used real, fresh berries in it. YUM! I do wish they would get rid of the whacky African animal motif. But they've been on that corner forever and I guess it's a "thing" by now.
(4)Mario C.
Is has been a very long since I have visited this Macayo's. Parking is shared with a few other business's but, still amble parking. Very colorful inside, but, some places here are a bit worn out and could use a bit of sparkle. We came about 5:20 and had about a 15 min wait. They were quite busy for a Tuesday night. We checked it out upstairs, but it was freezing a cold up there. So we were glad we ate downstairs. We got a nice booth. we had a sweet server. She was very busy, but did her best to keep checking on us. She refilled our salsa and drinks several times. The food was just so so. Not the kind of Macayos we know and love. I had a steak Quesadilla which was a little light on the steak. Lots of Onions though. T got shrimp enchililadas. She said they were good but, both of us the rice and beans were a little flavorless. All in all good food though, service was great! Thank you Nora!
(3)Marie M.
I hadn't been here before but it was great! Very friendly staff. Fast service, good food and drinks and moderately priced. Super atmosphere. I'll be back!!
(5)Leticia W.
I come her for the margarita's. It's really the only thing that has kept me faithful to macayo's. The menu has changed and i can taste the difference. I do really like their Baja chicken burro. The patio area is always nice. The bar area upstairs is due for a renovation. Overall the food is ok the drinks are good the location is great.
(4)TJ H.
Macayo's was very busy. Sunday night. There were a few tables open so we asked to sit at the one facing the patio with the lake view. The hostess was very accomadating & sat us at the requested table. Our server was at our table quickly & took our drink order. K & I decided we were going to try the "3 course meal for $10.99" offer. This is a pretty good deal. You start with either tortilla soup or salad. Then pick one of the 4 entrees & finish with one of the two desserts. K went with Tortilla soup, Shredded Beef Mexican Flag Chimichanga (sauces on the side) & fried ice cream. This is where it got interesting. K asked if she could sub additional Baja sauce for the green sauce but was told no. She could however order the sauces on the side with additional Baja sauce. Huh? Our server politely pointed to the small print on the menu that read "No substitutions, Thank You". Geeze. I'm starting to get flashbacks of our dinner at Abuelo's. Unless these are pre-made, why can't the cook scoop an addional blob of Baja sauce instead of a laddle of red sauce? Monkey's... I know it's Monkey's. K said the Tortilla soup was not overly spicy with a nice rich flavor. Her Flag Chimi was tasty, plenty of filling and extra yummy with the extra baja sauce. K really enjoyed the fried ice cream. A scoop of Dryers quality Vanilla ice cream rolled in a crunchy corn flake and cinnamon type coating & fried. Topped with a drizzle of honey. Yummy goodness. I ordered the salad, Green Chile Pork Stew & fried ice cream. The salad was a decent little salad. Really a perfect starter. The pork stew had chunks of pork with Poblano pepper, tomatillo, Jalapeno, onion & cilantro. It came with 2 flour tortillas. Yummy. Really a good stew. I gave my ice cream to C. C wanted his new favorite Mexican dish... Steak & cheese, toss in a tortilla if you must. Well looky there, on the 3 course menu is a Grilled steak quesadilla. Perfect. Or so we thought. C asked if they could leave off the chopped up vegetable medley sprinkled on the top. Our server politely pointed out that there is also chopped up veggies (onions & peppers) INSIDE the quesadilla AND again pointed to the "No substitutions" note on the 3 course menu. Monkey's. &@$# Monkey's. So we scrapped that idea & went with the Carne Asada Burro without the pico de gallo. $11.49. Since this is on the regular dinner menu our server said we could make any necessary changes we wanted. C loved the burro. The carne asada was cut into decent sized chunks, very flavorful & not at all chewy. Winner, winner, steak burro dinner. We took the rice & beans to go. C loved my fried ice cream but was not a fan of the honey drizzle. In the end we all loved our food. A policy is a policy so I can't really complain. Good food. Polite service. Fair pricing. 4 Stars.
(4)Joan G.
Have been coming here for years and it is consistently good food. It is older and quirky but the food and service are always good. I like sitting in the booths next to the windows with the view of the lake and in the fall/spring the patio is very nice. The bar is upstairs and has some good happy hour deals. My favorite is the chimi with the baja sauce, it is a spicy white cream cheese type sauce they add to the regular sauce and gives it that extra kick! They do sell margarita glasses that offere discounted refils as well.
(4)Matthew D.
We stopped here for supper after a friend recommended this as she's been there before, Im actually visiting from the north east so not familiar with this place at all. I'm hoping my experience tonight was a fluke..... Let's start with the decor its almost typical, really bright pastel colors, older building. It actually looked like it was going to be fun. We told the hostess we were in for dinner and she asked if we wanted to sit upstairs or down, I didn't know it was two different areas etc. She said there were Tvs upstairs and we could seat ourselves or if we wanted to be seated to sit downstairs, we sat downstairs and that was probably our mistake. The odd thing with the decor is the loft of creepy animals... Hippos, giraffes, zebras etc.. Looked more like an African Safari than a Mexican joint... The server came over realized she forgot her pen, or someone stole it so she would be back.. We got a story on how many pens she goes through etc, it was mildly amusing actually. She failed to come back for a bit. We looked up and she was dropping off checks etc. Finally got a beverage and chips and she disappeared again. It was slightly busy so we were understanding for a bit. The manager walked through the dining room looking at the floor instead of the tables so we couldn't even grab him to say we hadn't ordered yet. Another 5-10 minutes our server noticed us and ran over and wouldn't ya know she still didn't have a pen and couldn't take our order, she went to get a pen or so we thought. We were all slightly annoyed but understanding since the party of 9 behind asked for separate checks. We finally asked if she was going to take our order and the server actually got another server to wait on us and she said, I won't be able to give you good service so she passed us off to the new server who was definitely a lot better but at this point it's already been a while. We placed our order and food was out in minutes, my soup had a huge chicken breast in it which was great had I been able to get it on the spoon lol. See pic. It was like half the cup, it was really tasty though so I was pretty stoked. I had the stuffed pablano, which was awesome. My friends had the shrimp chi I which were also awesome. End of the day the food was good but customer service kinda sucked. I'd go back next time I'm in AZ to give it another shot because of the food
(2)Dee S.
Would like to see that the handicap parking revised. Currently you have to walk the entire length of the restaurant to the park your car. It's quite far. Service was extremely slow, granted it was a bit busy, but there was lots of staff walking by. Salsa was okay and the chips were okay, nothing great. Something to eat while passing the long wait for our lunch. I ordered a cheese crisp with shredded beef, it was disgusting the way it was presented. The meat was so wet that the crisp was no longer crispy. It was very unappetizing. Blah! We couldn't get our bill fast enough to get out of there. .. definitely won't return. There is way better Mexican around town.
(1)Michelle F.
Alayna was and is a wonderful server, she was always there with refills and a pleasure to have. She was great and helpful, food was wonderful as always and Alayna the best part of it. Thanks
(5)Anita L.
OMG this was the best customer service I received in a long time. My order was wonderful. We received our food quickly and it was nice and hot. Very yummy too. I would definitely return and recommend them to my friends and family.
(5)Daniel T.
The food was good as usual and the service was prompt.
(3)Nina H.
It's been a while since I've been here but the food is always great. The service could use some work.
(4)Audi S.
Food was good as always, but the customer service was crap. The happy hour posted every where is not valid anywhere other than the bar upstairs. I got no discount on the appetizer after seeing multiple signs stating half price appetizers and drinks. A bill for almost $60.00, for poor customer service, and on top of it all I was practically sharing my chips and salsa with the pigeons. I will not be back. Check your bill if you choose to eat here, they are on the hustle ;)
(1)Ray Z.
Enjoyed the meal, but happy hour was unfair. They listed $3 house margaritas of which I got 2. Served in a large martini style glass. Then I watched a guy order one after happy hour and the drink was served in a regular large drinking glass. Not the much smaller glass I got. So basically I paid $3 for a much smaller drink. A happy hour drink should be a special price on their regular priced drink.
(4)Tom H.
The restaurant is very fun looking, with a nice chaotic layout that has lots of nooks and areas. There is an interesting fan and a display of colorful jungle animal figures. Inside and out, this restaurant says "Fun!" Our server was friendly. But the food was so so, and the food and check service were a little slow. I am rating the restaurant mainly based on the food and the fact that my first visit was a serious let-down after a lifetime of curiosity about Macayo's. Oh, and it's not cheap. $30 for 2.
(2)Dennis M.
Great perfect everything!
(5)Anna Kaira M.
I seriously believe that we ordered the wrong things. Let's start with the good things about our experience here. Restaurant looks clean, we requested to sit out at the patio since the weather was nice. Scott our server greeted us, put down the complimentary chips and salsa (which was alright - not bad not good). Service was okay. Scott checked us frequently and made sure our drinks were filled. We didn't really talk much, no how are you today/is this your first time here etc. But he wasn't rude. He was alright. Anyway we ordered the Chile Verde Shrimp Enchilada, Spicy hot wings, Jalapeño Burger and a pumpkin flan for dessert. We had the green tamales to go as well. For drinks my bf had dos equis and I had a raspberry hibiscus lemonade. The pumpkin flan and the tamales were outstanding. The rest however, wasn't memorable. Bad parts: Ordered hot wings and it seemed we got buffalo flavored wings that was sprinkled by dried chili peppers. (See the picture) Nope, not even hot at all. It was a tad bit overcooked too so it was dry and wasnt juicy/succulent. My shrimp enchilada had the tiny shrimps inside, I know that shrimps are up this season since I work at a restaurant as well so I didn't really mind but the flavor was just lacking. The Mexican rice tasted like it was mixed with 3 cups of butter. I wasn't happy at all. Didn't finish it. My bf had their jalapeño burger and as Ive said in the description of my photo, it tasted like burger king with just salsa on top. The fries though were pretty decent. He didn't finish either. And we were starving when the food arrived. All in all, sitting on the patio was a major plus but watch out what you order. If it's your first time, better ask what's popular first and probably stick with that. Would come back maybe weeks or a month from now but not so soon. My hope for chain restaurants are seriously dying.
(3)Mike C.
On the plus side: service was over the top and the place is very cool (has an upstairs seating area). Chips and salsa were fantastic. Prices were reasonable. On the minus side: my chile relleno was mostly dough - not at all what I expected. I would go back, but I would definitely try another dish the next time.
(4)Onel V.
Love this place! My boyfriend took me here for lunch & the ambiance was a treat itself being seated at a booth where we have an unobstructed view of the lake...the food was good, the server was attentive with our needs. My boyfriend ordered the guacamole dip, it's heaven! Avocado mixing w the citrusy taste of lemon & cilantro, the best! I ordered for the steak fajitas and they're soooo good! Next time I visit him in Phoenix, I'll ask him to take me here again...we are coming back:)
(5)Bill S.
One of my favorites! But only 4 stars.... The food is great. But...the service. :-/ well.... just make sure you keep the waiters attention. Do as I do.... Make empty slurping sound with your drink straw, as you stair at your waiter, or try waving the empty chip bowl. Just what ever you do DON'T throw it. You'll never get service after that. Talking from experience here. Yeah well sorry Mr. Waiter. 15 minutes to get seated, another 20 minutes for you to ask me if I have ordered, then 15 more minutes for you to bring me a drink and chip/salsa. And yes 30 more minutes to bring the food and 1st refill. So, after an hour and 20 minute the food! Hallelujah!! It's worth the wait. Everything on the menu is very good. The chicken stuff poblano is my favorite. And try the spinach con queso dip. Maybe the waiter was just having a bad day. I will definitely be going back with hopeful intentions.
(4)Dani O.
My food was served to the table next to me. The customer chatting away on her cell phone put her finger in my green corn tamale a few times complaining 'this isn't my food' and when she finally decided to quick playing with my food, told the server it wasn't her order the server attempted to then serve it to me! I told the server that the other lady put her finger in it a few times so I couldn't accept my food. She took it to the kitchen to be remade. My order came out on same red plate that was originally presented to me. The plate itself was piping hot with extra sauce on the tamale than the last one but food was room temperature. My boyfriend's food was also room temperature and his side of french fries a total of 13 were soggy. The server even noticed there were very few french fries on the plate and said she'd bring out another order. We were starving at this point so I ate around the end of the tamale that I felt to be still compromised and my boyfriend ate his room temperature overcooked steak but left the 13 soggy french fries. The second order of fries never made it out to our table...may have gone to another table and we were just ready for our check. While waiting we called a manager over to inform him (Brian) what had happened so it wouldn't happen to another customer in the future. Brian swore up and down he personally threw my food out and the food I now had was all freshly prepared. He apologized profusely about the second order of fries never arriving and the entire experience. Brian removed both our meals and my second untouched Patron margarita from our bill. I've come to this location several times and it has never been like this. We shall return after their remodel and give them another chance!
(2)Brenda S.
Love the food but we are freezing our butt off. Need to do something about the fireplace not working and turn up the heat.
(3)Jillian G.
I guess you guys agree with me, but if this place isn't good why are they ALWAYS packed?! I'm so confused. And during my 8 years of living in AZ people around me all seemed to love Macayo's, another thing I don't get, because I think the food is nasty. It's inauthentic and makes you feel like crap after you eat it. I like the idea of the restaurant with all the bright colors and the cool patio, but the place is actually really dirty. Now they don't even have taco salads anymore! What kind of Mexican restaurant gets rid of their taco shells?? If you're looking for Mexican food go up the road to Si Senor, that place is amazing!
(1)Lori G.
If you are an animal lover, boycott this restaurant! I went in for dinner after work. I walked in behind a woman who had parked in a take-out only spot, and I happened to notice a dog inside the car, windows opened a few inches, as I walked by. I didn't think much of it, as I figured she was actually getting take-out. WRONG. Maybe 10 minutes later, I notice she is sitting at a table ordering food! I go up to the manager and tell him that while she parked in a take-out spot, she is eating in the restaurant WITH HER DOG SITTING IN THE HOT CAR. He shrugs and says it is a "sticky situation" and he is not going to do anything. The hostess says, "Mike!" and goes and picks up the phone. I go sit back down, but after a few minutes, am too antsy to just sit there, walk back outside and see the car and dog are still there (just to make sure I had it right) and walk back inside and confront the manager again, asking if he called the police. He says no, as he "didn't see anything", but since I witnessed it I could call the police myself. I asked him if he ever heard of a thing called animal cruelty, and turned and walked out, calling 911 and checking on the dog, who seemed ok but was still panting. The manager comped my meal for the "situation" (according to my waiter), but his behavior was inexcusable. My family have been regulars at this location and the Ahwatukee location for a long time, but I cannot continue spending money at a restaurant where they blatantly ignore something like this.
(1)Meredith M.
One of my favorite Mexican restaurants! We my mom's surprise 60th birthday party on the back patio and it was great. I've gotten lucky and always have had great service here. My only complaint is that I wish there was another one closer to my house (in South Chandler).
(5)Heather D.
Went here on a Thursday night and there was a pretty long wait. When we walked in the lady who appeared to be the hostesses asked how many there were two of us she said it would be just a minute. Well that minute turned into 15 mins. Ok so we sit down and got a waitress who was obviously overwhelmed. She didn't know who was sat first. We told her to take care of the other couple who was sitting next to us. She came back and got our drink order. We were ready to order by then but she didn't ask until after she brought our drinks. Now all if those things aren't necessarily horrible, but that and this made it a bad experience. She came back to get our food order. I ordered a cheese enchilada with GREEN saunce no onions. And my boyfriend ordered the sampler platter with NO GUACAMOLE. Since he is VERY allergic which he told her. So of course we were upset when we received our food. I received a cheese enchilada with RED sauce that tasted old and not good. And my boyfriends food had guacamole. She dropped iff our food quickly and when she came back and we told her, she said she told them no guacamole and asked if she could take just the item's with it in and remake them. So she did that but when he got them back they were still cold. When it came to my order she again said I told them green sauce. She said she wrote it down correctly and that I could see her ticket. I don't care if you wrote it down correctly. It obviously wasn't right so why would you bring it? I was starving and we had to pick up our kid so I didn't have mine remade. But the food was just awful. When she came to give us the bill she told us the manger (who we never spoke to nor did they come to apologize) gave us 20% off??? No one apologize for what happened just made excuses. We quickly left and we will be extremely reluctant to return. We have been here multiple times and it's never been bad. I understand somethings but the way things were handled were horrible
(1)Ralph C.
Well Beloved n I haven't been to a Macayo's in quite a bit. Now I know why. Friday night thought we done at different restaurant than the usual. Macayo's had a no wait so we scooted right in. Waiter was ok. I ordered a carne asada chimi Beloved ordered a carnitas plate. The wait for food was reasonable, however the beans were overcooked both rice n beans super dry the chimi has a sauce that seen better days Beloved didn't fare much better same issue with beans n rice The carnitas were large chunks of beef that I could see from across the table that they were very dry. Carnitas could have greatly benefited from a sauce to make them platable. My two cents No Mas
(1)Russell V.
I bought a deal chicken to try this place out and they refused to honor my coupon because they don't know how to use the smart phone app. I hate being ripped off by MACAYOS.
(1)Mike A.
After a 6 month hiatus, I had family in town and we wanted Mexican food. On Black Friday, we knew restaurants could be packed because of hungry shoppers taking a break from their door buster deals. I reluctantly went back to Macayo's and I'm glad I did. Whatever beef they were using before is back to the original and the menu items tasted just like I remembered it. This time I ordered the shredded beef Macayo Chimi with rice and beans and oh was it good! I barely finished my plate and I was relieved the quality of food had returned. Our server tonight was Ken and he rocked it. He made sure our glasses were full and he served our food real quick and we had everything we wanted. Even at the end he noticed my Father-In-Law's name on the credit card (he paid the bill) and said "Thank You Mr. Rausin for dining with us tonight." That was a nice added touch. He really seemed like he cared about his customers. We've never had bad service at this location. My faith in Macayo's is restored and I will be back!
(4)April A.
Brought my dad here for dinner, as we were craving Mexican food and am glad we did! Not only did we receive top-notch service (Many thanks to our amazing waiter, Ken), but our food was so good and served in a matter of minutes from when we ordered it. And you thought only Jimmy John's served your food to you lightning fast?! Ken made sure our glasses were filled, checked in on us to see how we liked our meals, and was very efficient. He also pronounced my dad's last name correctly when giving him back his credit card after dad paid the bill. That deserves kudos in my eyes right there as my family last name is hard to pronounce and hard to spell for many people, despite it only being 6 letters. I had the Baja Chimi and it was so good and filling! I will definitely order that again! Great service + great food + great company=An outstanding experience!
(5)Patti N.
We love this place! So peaceful at night by the lake! Unfortunately we had a horrible server named Danielle #7142. So horrible that I didn't even want to leave 2 or 3 percent tip let alone 15 percent! We needed refills for the kids and never got them before we left. We were halfway done with our meal and she brought us out the tab like we weren't welcome here anymore! We had to flag her down for everything! Not one time did she ask us if we needed anything or if everything was okay. We ended up leaving a 3 dollar tip and she's lucky she got that! Never again will I go to macayos I'd this is the kind of serice I'm gonna get.
(1)Preston S.
I have to say I haven't been to this location in a long time. This is right in the middle of my old neighborhood. I went here with my amazing girlfriend for lunch. I was wondering how it would be. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. First off the place is very clean. They still have the same décor that was up 10 to 15 years ago but instead of having an inch of dust on it everything was sparkling clean. Now the booth we sat in had a small tear in the seat and the cushions sunk in a lot when you sit down but that wasn't a big deal. I realized while looking at the menu that I had never had one of their Chimis and they claim to have invented the dish so I guess I better try one. Have to have the specialty of the house because if that is their specialty and it is no good how can anything else be. Their salsa was really good. It had some different things added into it but it worked. I could have filled up on the chips and salsa. Good thing I didn't because the chimi was great. The sauce they put over the top of it was just great. I got the pork but next time I want to try the shredded beef. Even the rice and beans were good. Our server Christine did a great job too. My water and my girlfriend's iced tea glasses were never empty. Plus she was really nice. I don't know about the other locations but I will be back to this one for sure. It is nice to see an Arizona institution still going after all these years. Still making good food too. I was pleasantly surprised. I am happy that this was my 100th review on Yelp. Good place for that milestone.
(4)Courtney P.
Horrible service!! Sat for 15 minutes without any service. One server came to the table beside us and walked away. I mentioned to the hostess what happened and she was like ok, what do you want me to do about it. We walked out.
(1)Miss J.
Okay, so we did go back after I swore off returning. We had an eye appointment with the awesome eye doctor there in the parking lot, and the siren song (of the olden days when Macayo's was my favorite restaurant) was calling me. I focused on the chips and the hot sauce (which you must ask for or you'll never know the glory) and then ordered a tried and true favorite, and it was fine. Things are a little different from back in the day. That's a fact. They won't acknowledge it, but it's true. However, sticking with a reliable mex-n-match of shredded beef taco and a beef tamale, rice & beans, I did fine. The service is marginal these days unless you get one of the "old" crew- there is a short full-figured blonde waitress that's been there forever, and she is the finest server you can have for any price-level restaurant. I can't remember her name. But she's great. Anyhow, it was better this time.
(4)Mary S.
Lunch time at my favorite place with my favorite guy. Love this place. I had a yummy taco salad and my hubby had beef tacos. Love thier tacos, but just felt like salad today.
(4)Blaise B.
This is my go-to Mexican food restaurant whenever I have to meet the folks out in Mesa. I do not think I have ever had a problem out here except maybe for it taking a minute too long to get a margarita on a busy day but you can't really fault them for that. The decor is bright and festive which is great for the tots and the mini-chimis always seem to put my girlfriend in a good mood when when she is blue (read:hungover).
(4)Brian B.
Great time with great friends. As soon as you walk into this place, there are no waitstaff, seating hostess, or a welcome crew for that matter. It's a sit down at any table you want type of restaurant and the waiter/waitress will eventually see you in a hot minute. I had the grilled ahi tuna tacos, which are tasteless without the avocado dip they come with, makes them all that much better. It does have a little kick (just a side warning to the folks who don't like spice) Our waitress, AUDRA is AMAZING! She is VERY attentive and fast. Drinks were being refilled before we ever noticed they were empty. (Thanks for making us laugh Audra!) After dinner we all went back downstairs and enjoyed the patio area. Which is a bit hard to find for the first time folks. Use the door by the restrooms to head to the patio. Our patio server was Colby, who was also VERY attentive and quick. All around had a great time, will be back again and ask for AUDRA and COLBY.
(4)Aaron S.
I love Macayos. Traditional authentic Mexican food yet still very unique. Love all the bright colors and atmosphere. THE BAJA CHIMI! For that matter anything on their menu with the Baja sauce is to die for. Really like the salsa. Good margaritas too.
(5)Steve E.
My wife and I made a reservation for 15-20 people for an after party following our wedding and reception this past weekend. The reservation was ready as requested. Good thing, too, since we had 19 people in attendance and the restaurant was absolutely packed. The service was quite slow to start, but once it got going it went well. The food came out reasonably quickly for such a packed restaurant. Our server was friendly and even complimented us at the end of the meal for being such a fun group to deal with. Our group had a good time, very good food, and decent service. About the only problem we had aside from the slow start to the service was the noise level as there were quite a few birthday celebrations throughout which required several servers to sing and clap loudly. It was a little disturbing for people in our party with sensitive hearing, though we all appreciated the friendly party atmosphere.
(4)Liz D.
I think Macayo's is pretty good! They have a great menu however I think they're a bit over priced. (I'd recommend Aribas).
(3)Lia B.
The service and atmosphere were great; however, for the price of the food vs quantity and taste... Not worth it and most likely not return unless brought by a friend again.
(3)A. E.
2 Storey's of moderately passable mexican. The salsa is what pulls them down, along with the beans... they tasted like they wanted to be yummy and just weren't. ON the PLUS side were the plethora (tell me Jefe do you know what a plethora is?) of SUPER MEGA chips in my basket of chips... if you don't know what a super mega chip is, let me tell you: It's a corn chip that has multiple corn chips folded into one another, often with the center being chewy because it's not fully fried. YUM Thank you and goodnight.
(2)Robyn N.
Obviously I'm one of the few who likes this place, but I just judge it for it is. I don't come here expecting authentic Mexican food or a fine dining experience. I do come here for tasty margaritas and the poblano chicken dinner, which is the only food I've ever ordered from here. It's a chicken and cheese stuffed poblano pepper, breaded and fried and covered with their bajai sauce. Now I know the bajai sauce is nothing more than cream (sour cream?), cream cheese and jalapeno juice, but it sure is yummy! Quite addictive and no way it's good for you, but I just can't help myself. The chips and salsa they serve when you sit down are good, they offer a mild and a hotter sauce and I like them both just fine. I love the patio they have overlooking a small "lake". It's a great place to hang out and drink margarita's. I have always had good service here. I've been here many times over the years and I'm sure I'll be back again!
(4)Joanna C.
I love this restaurant! They have great service, a nice ambiance, and the chips and salsa are great. And the fried ice cream is the best! Everyone in our family and everyone we have introduced the restaurant to, agree. I have been to the Mesa and Gilbert location and prefer the Gilbert one. There is a nice beside the restaurant literally out the patio. Great place for a date or for a family night of good food.
(5)Christie C.
All I have to say is... You had a nice run but it's time to quite. I go about once a year and each year they go down hill a little more. I don't think I'll go back.
(2)Destiny A.
I love this place. I love the food and the atmosphere. Very friendly staff and the manager does come around to talk to you. I love their tacos, chimichangas and chips! They always fill the chips up and I have a huge party when I go there. With the Mexican food restaurants out there, this one is the best one. I love the food and the atmosphere they provide. I have always had a friendly waiter, the manager has come to talk to us and even help serve drinks. They are always aware of when the chip bowl is empty. I think the only two things that annoy me from there is their rice is not good and their green corn tamales are too smooshy. Other then that I love this place and until I can find a place that wows me with their mexican food, this is it. If anyone orders a burger from here they really shouldn't be posting a review, wtf is up with that? It's a mexican restaurant not McDonalds.
(4)Brant A.
This place has a great patio. And the margaritas are decent. However, the food is definitely Americanized and only ok at that. Maybe for a happy hour on some nice Summer day, but other than that, there are plenty of other places closer and better.
(3)Rich R.
This review is gonna be a little different. As much as I go here, you would think I love Mexican food. Truth is, I'm not a big fan at all. My wife loves it and with that, I'm bound to make an appearance once a week. My two items that I rotate here are the California burrito, and the Cheeseburger. The burrito is the closest thing here I can get to Chipotle which I love, and the burger, well it's pretty good, but nothing special. The hidden gem here is the french fries. Man those are good. Cooked in the same oil as the tortilla chips, it really brings a different flavor to the fries. One thing I can say about this restaurant that I love? The excellent customer service. I've never had a bad waiter or waitress and the manager is very involved in the customers experience as he does ask everyone if they've enjoyed themselves and if there is anything he can do to make it better. That alone makes me want to come back. And who knows, I might try something else on the menu.
(2)Erica L.
Your typical Mexican chain restaurant in the suburbs. It's good when you need your chips and salsa fix, but don't take the date here if you want to impress. The back patio is the place to be especially when you're sneaking in a margarita at lunch. It's got misters, shade, and a view of a playa lake. It almost makes you forget you're in the burbs.
(2)Yvett R.
Oh. My. God. Friends had been telling me that we should try Macayo's. They said it was good Mexican food. I finally tried it. I ordered the Sonoran Enchilada Sampler and I'm not kidding, the sauce tasted like the crap they used to give us at elementary school and call enchiladas. That is EXACTLY what it reminded me of. Blech. I didn't like it then and I don't like it now. How have they been in business for so long?
(1)Penelope R.
This is my favorite macayo's. I really like this place been coming here for many years. I always have the baja chimi and a margarita. I know its run of the mill, but they have this dish nailed down. I worked at the one on central when I was a young muchacha and their chimi is good too. But Im always disappointed with the one on warner bummer cause its closer to me
(4)Debbra H.
where to begin? how about a capitol T for terrible. I have been going to Macayo's off and on over the years.... Last night I took a friend from out of town there for dinner. I felt confident that the food and service would be pretty good. Well, not so. Besides the presentation of our meals being amateurish and unappealing the food was tired and dried up. Laughing as I write these words but, it's the truth. The waitress was sweet and tried to do her best but, we sat there for 1/2 hour before they took our order. Then to the food. Honestly, I had a beef tostada and the flavor was unrecognizable and the beans were like paste. The bean tostada that my friend was attempting to eat was completely unacceptable. Now, how hard is it to pull off something as simple as a Bean Tostada... really? The waitress offered to get us more food, different food etc. What we really should have recieved was a refund and an apology.
(1)Anna C.
The food is basic and the service is not good. The waiter did not tell us what food they were out of and the kitchen just replaced that food with something different or nothing at all. It took a long time to get drinks and chips refilled. We had no response to our complaints about the food. Overall, you can get this kind of food anywhere, even the grocery store.
(1)Thomas L.
I am giving this place 1 extra star since I love the sauce that they sell at stores for enchiladas. So I decided to go here and give the real thing a try. Man was I surprised....they dont even use their own sauce they sell. The sauce that landed on my tongue was gross, I tried to start over in my head thinking maybe I was expecting to much but the meat inside was not any better. To top all this off the sewer was over flowing outside and was stinking up the night air. Even though my wife said she liked what she ate this is my review and I would never return. Learn from this review and use the sauce that you sell at Walmart and things will start to get better.
(2)Brad C.
Their green chile tamale with baja sauce is probably the best thing I have ever put in my mouth. Chips and salsa are alright. Also try their mini chimi-s. So good. Great service.
(5)Maggie F.
The service was great! We had a large group & had called prior to make a reservation. Our table was ready when we arrived & they had assigned 2 servers. They were both incredibly pleasant & attentive. Our food came out really quickly & no one had any complaints. I wouldn't say this was authentic Mexican food, but it doesn't have to be. A good time was had by all :)
(3)Diane M.
I have been going to this Macayo's location since it's grand opening in the 80's! This continues to be my favorite Mexican restaurant in the valley. I now make my hubby drive me quite a distance just to go here 1-2 times a month to get my fix. The food is always consistently delicious.
(5)Carina M.
I hate you. Really hate you. I hate you even more because I have to pass by you every day to get to the grocery store. I hate you so much I make sure to flip you off everytime I pass by you. I hate you because I love mexican food and instead of you being Rosa's you're Macayo's. Why can't you be more like Rosa's? Why do you have to so close to me? Why must your fugly parrot be so obnoxiously bright at night, a welcoming beacon of mexican food for unsuspecting first timers? You lured me in. Made me think you could have been authentic; the real thing. You're not. Dross. That's what you are. Dross...yet people still like going to you. May you burn in hell for trying to pass off that slop that I ordered as a chimichanga. I hate you. PS No, I'm not kidding - I really hate you.
(1)Melissa H.
It's a Valley staple. It's not the best, but it could be much, much worse. I make it here about once a year. The place is usually packed. The decor is bizarre. The margaritas are good. The chips and salsa are pretty damn good. The food is meh. The service is always friendly.
(3)Jennifer K.
They make a great queso dip. Most of the time the wait staff is ubber friendly too. I think the food overall is pretty decent, but admittedly I mainly go for the queso dip!!
(4)Rex S.
The food is OK but is 'gringo-Mexican' food. If your parents are in town and you need a safe place to go, this would do the job. Bring your antacids with you, maybe some Gas-X too as high winds will blow after eating here!
(2)Brian G.
I have been to this Macayo's too many times to count and unlike other restaurants that change over time I can always count on Macayo's to have the best service and food possible. Plus the food is cheap and you get plenty of it. My food choices have varied and I have always been impressed with my choices, although my favorites are still Spinach Con Queso for an appetizer and a Baja Chimi with Beef! Just talking about it now makes me want to go again!
(5)Lynn N.
When Taco Bell's menu beats out a sit-in restaurant for flavor, speed, and seating, there's something that needs to be fixed. Reservations were made for a large party of approximately 25 people days in advanced, so normal expectations were that the seats would be reasonably ready in a reasonable location. Once we walked inside, it was a different story. We waited almost an hour to be seated, and once the tables were ready, most of our group was sat in the blazing hot sun. It was ridiculous. After about 10 minutes we had to complain since as soon as we were seated, a whole area of seats opened up underneath some covered awning. Another 20 minutes or so and we were relocated inside and tables were moved around to accommodate everyone. Ordering the meals went smoothly, food came out in a decent amount of time, and the margarita drink was good flavored, not that strong. The food itself was disappointing - visually appealing, but left a lot to be desired for taste. I ordered the fajita quesadilla which came with guacamole, sour cream, and a shot size of beans and rice. The cheese, chicken, onions, and bell pepper filling was very bland. The few fine points couldn't save the overall review of this place, even though the staff tried their hardest to make everyone happy. Poor planning on the upper management's part.
(1)Lauren L.
Horrible food.
(1)Amber Z.
The place was clean, the service was great, the food was nothing to woohoo about. I have been there twice, the food is consistently the same bland and boring stuff. The salsa is just a step above Pace picante, the beans are not good, and the rice was the same. If you have never had 'good' Mexican food, then you will probably love this place.
(2)Kirk K.
Won't be back. The parking lot use to be packed. No I know why it isn't. Not sure what happened. Food below par service very slow. Rice way over seasoned. Perhaps the manager will read this and make corrections.
(1)Emily C.
ok. i love macayo's, i always have. the food is pretty darn consistent and when i'm going to a chain restaurant, that is what i expect and actually what i want. as per usual, the food was exactly what i had anticipated. i would have loved to give a 4 or 5 star review on the food, but that's not what this review is really about. THIS is a service review. Matthew and i went to dinner with my parents last night (Sunday) around 645 and Paul was our server. now, i don't know if he was new or one of those older, jaded servers who think they know everything. sometimes they're hard to tell apart. this guy seemed like he didn't want us or anyone else to be there, like he had better things to be doing than his JOB. if you don't like people, DO NOT BE A SERVER. seriously. had to ask for refills two separate times after near empty drinks (1" left in glass) sat for 10 minutes, had to ask for more chips twice, and he dropped Matthew's plate on the way out of the kitchen and said "did you hear that crash? that was your taco, they're making you another one." which took another 10 minutes. oh and my favorite...my dad ordered shrimp fajitas. the food comes (minus Matthew's) and what kind of fajitas do we receive? beef. i said to my dad, "didn't you order SHRIMP fajitas?" he replied that he did in fact do so and stated such to the server. Paul said that was incorrect, that he wrote down beef. my dad said that wasn't what he ordered and that he would indeed like shrimp. so i don't know how you get beef from shrimp, or even steak from shrimp. yes, they're all monosyllabic. but they've got differing vowel sounds and one of those words starts with a different letter even! he was totally rude and when i go back (it's inevitable, i like their generic food occasionally) i will specifically request to not sit in Paul's section.
(2)Erica O.
Dear Macayo's, I would like to thank you for renewing my hatred for your bland, artery busting Meximerican food. I hadn't experienced your brand of deep fried crap since I came of majority and stopped dined out with the family at restaurants that specialized in satisfying even the blandest of palettes. I must say, you continue to exceed my wildest expectations in that respect! I had to continue looking down at my plate just to make sure the 3,000+ calories I was consuming were more than just a mirage of Mexican food. I will admit that I have a long standing, simmering hatred for you, Macayo's. So maybe this biases my opinion a bit. I can't in my right mind fathom why I thought you deserved a second chance last night. I think it's testament to the fact that sometimes I make super stupid decisions on an empty stomach, especially when I'm hungry enough to eat the ass end out of week dead burro. I suppose I was expecting something a bit more appetizing than that stretch of hyperbole. How wrong I was. Your patio was the highlight of the evening. It's backed up against a lake and there was a duck that watched me eat. He had a shiny green head. It was nice. I made him my zen when all I wanted to do was lash out in frustration over the meal. If I could offer a suggestion to benefit both the duck and myself, perhaps you could pipe some music out onto the patio, because listening to Suzie and Sally Suburb bitch about their waistlines while committing refried sin was pretty grating. The food however, far outshone those cackling soccer moms in terms of annoyance. I don't know who you think you are, Macayo's, but charging 10-15 bucks an entree at your establishment just about gave me a heart attack long before the lard had a chance to bully up on my arteries. Maybe it's because I think you have the street value of a gum job from a run down whore, but I have to say that those prices were shocking. I could travel the valley over and find better Mexican food for much cheaper. For that price, I expect outstanding quality and taste, or at least a hip see and be seen environment. All you have is a duck working in your favor. I do have a serious question for you though, what's with smothering your entrees in cream cheese and trying to pass it off as Baja sauce? It was the same jalapeno spread I get on my bagel in the morning, but with even less heat and flavor. I suggest renaming it Manhattan sauce in honor of the bagel and schmear capital of the nation, and I think it would be a touching homage to the Pace Picante "New York City?!" commercials. I also can't understand why the majority of your entrees offer either rice or beans, but few have these in conjunction. Those are universal standards at a Mexican food joint, and the ultimate test of quality since they're comparable the valley over. Do they bring you shame? Is that why you don't want to offer them both? Or are you just a cheap nickel and diming motherfucker, Macayo's? I'm more apt to believe the latter, because you charged me two bucks for guacamole without informing me that it cost extra. Then you delivered a pile of gelatinous green goop of questionable origin that had absolutely zero flavor. By this point in the meal I really shouldn't have been surprised at how bland everything was, because I was on to your ploy of substituting flavor for gobs of cream cheese and a heavy hand with the salt shaker. But despite stiff competition from the bland pico de gallo and the puzzling "Baja sauce", it was the shitamole took the grad prize of suckdom for the evening. I have never tasted weaker guac. You must have used some terrible avocados and whipped them with corn syrup or some other food-like filler. There wasn't a zing of cilantro or lemon juice, no hint of Serrano spiciness, not even the tang of some onion, although I did see a couple soggy tomatoes bits added for color. I don't think I will ever be coming back, Macayo's. It's not you, it's... I can't lie; even to spare your feelings. It's you. It's all you. I'm breaking up in a public setting because I'm scared that you'll key my car while by back is turned, or at the least smother it in cream cheese. I know you're into that freaky shit. Wishing you deep fried broken dreams, Erica
(1)Rob F.
I like this place, it's good American Mexican food in a corporate chain atmosphere, and given the crowds that mill about on the weekends waiting for tables when this is a little off the beaten path compared to the national chain restaurants located down the road. The bar mixes great drinks. My biggest issue is that the wait can be really long, but I can understand why.
(3)Art R.
Not a place for authentic Mexican food but if you are looking for gringo southwest food where you can take lightweights from the east coast to it is ok. I do like their salsa. Lots of flavor but not very spicy. The guacamole is a overpriced rip off. It is what it is.
(3)Kristy R.
Haha, okay, I am obviously the odd one out here. I was both surprised but not at the same time when I saw how low the average reviews for this restaurant are. Surprised becasue this is my favorite sit down Mexican restaurant. Not surprised since I know usually half of the people I know don't care for the food here as they find it to be more of an American take on traditional Mexican dishes. I really like the food here. It is always consistent and super yummers! The three things very important to me in Mexican cuisine are the beans and rice and of course the chips & salsa. You usually get these as a side with every Mexican dish, so they better be good. Their beans are always piping hot and creamy and their rice is super flavorful and extremely moist! Their chips and salsa are delicioso! Chips are served hot and this salsa is very unique and has a garlicy flavor. May sound weird in writing but it is phenomenal when you're eating it (bring gum for afterwards if you're on a date) ;-) I have liked every dish I have tried here. There combination plates are great because they actually give you a ton of choices! Sides and entrees. Most places will give you a small list of options, it makes it very limited for vegetarians too. When I used to eat meat, I loved their shredded beef tacos! I would get soft tacos, corn tortillas. Very moist and tender. I really like their burritos, all of their enchiladas, their green chile and corn tamale, and so so so much more! Their baja sauce is this creamy, cheesy, spicy sauce that you can get on your food or for your chips. Wowza! I have not had a bad food experience here...an occasional service experience or two when they were really swamped but I will remain a loyal customer. Thank you for your yummy food!
(5)Paul B.
This is pretty decent Mexican food. You have to remember, this is a chain restaurant, so if you're looking for authentic Mexican (though I must say, most authentic stuff I have had wasn't anything to brag about), this isn't the place for you. But if you want to get a taco and beans and a margarita, stop on in. The back patio is nice when it's cooler out.
(3)Than R.
I don't know why i have been here more than once, but the parking is horrible, and the food is only so-so. lots of color and flare but not much going for it. the baja sauce is great but i seem to get sick later that evening when i eat it. i need to learn from experience
(2)Seana S.
best salsa ever! also a fan of the mini chimi's... as well as regular-sized.
(5)Shannon B.
This weekend we went to Macayo's to celebrate a birthday. We had a 7:30 reservation and the table was set up early! I brought a cake to the restaurant and they were nice enough to put it in the refrigerator until we were ready for dessert. Many people in our party have a lot of specific food needs and our server, Kyle, made suggestions to help each individual person. He was so helpful and kind. Our meals were hot and even though there were a lot of special requests, they came out perfect. I would go here again
(4)Aaron M.
Expensive mediocre food and i had terrible service. Mexican food should not be expensive. The best thing was the raspberry hibiscus tea.
(2)Mathew N.
You can never go wrong with Macayo's! Margaritas & Burritos. Heck Yeah!
(4)Tabitha P.
Terrible experience. Maybe the waitress was just having a bad night but her whole demeanor made me feel like I was bothering her. We asked for a drink menu and were told that they were upstairs. ( we had been sat downstairs) We went to the front and asked for a drink menu, no problem. The best part of our whole night was the guy who makes balloon animals. The service was super slow. The waitress never checked to make sure out meals were correct or to see if we needed anything else. It took forever to get refills. She brought us boxes for our leftovers than disappeared, while we waited for our check. After about 10 minutes we went to the front to ask for our check. As we had 2 small children we were ready to leave. We requested split checks. Our fault for not double checking, however the waitress had jumbled the whole thing. My card was charged, then voided ( will update on that), then charged for the correct amount. Not once had the waitress apologized for her lousy service. Needless to say, we did not tip. I have never been so dissatisfied with a restaurant. Absolutely will NOT return in this lifetime. After rating a few days (probably because of the credit card company) the original charge that was voided did not process through.
(1)Jennifer T.
Terrible, terrible, terrible service! I had just arrived from California, it was hot and I was starving. I wanted Mexican so I decided to give this a whirl. Granted we got there at 8 and they close at 10, but still. Hostess sat us down and handed us menus. No one came for about 15 minutes until I got up to notify the hostess. She said "oh, sorry there must have been some confusion with the waiters. Uh, ok! She took our order, brought us out drinks and after we got our food, our server showed up. A little too late I thought. She asked if we needed refills and we said no. My friend asked for a side of beans and the girl forgot, says "oh no I forgot about those but I'll make sure they're pipping hot when they come out". She was a complete airhead! The food was mediocre at best! Won't be going back to this place, yuck!
(1)Rebecca H.
Food was great, service was bad. Waiter never came around, my drink was empty most of the time and wasn't getting refilled. Normally love this place. Wait staff was lacking, I really hope this won't be a normal occurrence.
(3)Barbara H.
I love the patio here. the food was not too bad my last visit. We would definitely return.
(4)T B.
I drove by this location and almost kept going. However once again I was in the mood for Mexican food and decided to give this place a try. The restaurant itself is rather outdated, trip hazards everywhere as you walk from one level to another to another. A pretty dated restaurant. I ordered what else, a burrito. Again what is it with all meat inside and nothing else...after a while you really want more favorable tastes. Oh well, another restaurant bites the dust when it comes to burritos. Maybe try something different if I am in the neighborhood.
(2)Rand H.
Stopped in here for lunch today with Mike C., Robyn N. & Arlin B. I thought the restaurant was great, with a lot of small dining areas on all different levels giving it character, & a pretty little lake outside which was in plain view of our table. Also, there's a nice covered patio out there, of which at least part is reportedly smoker friendly. The service was great, & the food I had was delicious! This was a "Mex 'n' Match Combo", which gives you lots of choices. I went with Tortilla Soup, a big (Pablano) Chile Relleno, a shredded beef hard taco, & steamed veggies. The portions were generous, everything was served at the right temperature, at the right time, & the prices here are very reasonable. How can Enya keep from singing, & how can I keep from giving this Macayo's 5 STARS? Woohoo! :-))
(5)Marie S.
I seriously don't understand what people think is so great about this place. Maybe because it's been around forever and they're the kind of people that won't ever branch out and try something new. This place was okay back in the day but has suffered a serious decline. PEOPLE! We live close to the border. There are plenty of excellent, authentic Mexican restaurants in the valley. Macayos is to Mexican as Olive Garden is to Italian: a bland, Americanized, chain restaurant version of international food. The food is nothing special. When asked what ingredients were in the salsa a waiter responded, "I don't know, the salsa comes from a can." I can never say that I've had great service here. One waitress in the bar broke my friend's older "Senor Bob" margarita glass, didn't apologize and just gave him a new one. When he pointed out that the new ones are much smaller her response was, "You get the same amount of tequila in both." Which is not true and leads to another point. The margaritas here have become downright horrible. I watched the bartender fill margarita glasses with a pre-made pitcher of watered down sweet and sour mix lightly spiked with cheap tequila. It's sad that I can't even force myself to come here, given that it's walking distance from my house and they have a nice patio on the lake. But after many worsening experiences I have given up on this place and won't return.
(2)Lee Ann W.
Went for dinner tonight and was able to be seated within 15 minutes of check-in. Great enchiladas! Entertaining atmosphere but seems very noisy.
(4)Christine P.
This is my favorite mexican food restaurant anywhere! They have the best spinach con queso dip! the chimi's are also always very good. service is great, salsa is yummy!
(5)Jason H.
Macayo's has never been one of my go-to Mexican restaurants. It's always been just OK but not exceptional. My wife swears by the Margaritas and they do have Negra Modelo on draft. But the food is, as I've already said, just OK. They have recently added al pastor tacos to the menu. These are pretty good. I've also tried the carne asada burrito, which is decent.
(2)Katarina H.
This is one of my families favorite Mexican resturants. My daughter loves the baja pizza. The appeitizers are large enough to eat as meal within itself. I also love the Grande Chimmi dinner either chicken or pork. I've also tried out the salmon which was really tasty. All in all a great place to have Mexican food.
(4)Tara D.
When planning our weekly Saturday night date my husband and I wanted to try Macayos in Mesa mainly for the location on the water, a chance to enjoy the view and some good food and one another's company after a long week. I had been to the restaurant before and he had not so we were excited to give it a try. We sat outside off to the west side. There was a large party to the left and right of us. The party to the left were only there for a short time but the party to the right, that had numerous children, literally took over our dinner and ruined our entire night. First of all three of the children sat directly between the water and our table screaming at the ducks, ruining our view and distrubing our dinner. And that was only the beginning. Shortly thereafter 6 other children from the party began to climb on the stairway rail that was literally 3 feet from our table. We were in the middle of a jungle gym and they were running and screaming all around us. Now I understand this was the fault of their very rude parents for not caring that their unruly children were ruining our night along with every other diner outside. But what makes me mad is the employee response. They knew what was going on and simply didn't care. Our waiter said and did nothing even after he obviously saw how annoying the situation was and how aggravated we were when we asked for our check right away and handed him our card so we could get out of there immediately. I went up to the hostess station on the way out and told all four of the employees up there that they shouldn't seat anyone else outside since there were unruly children climbing all over the back area and that they had ruined our night and our dinner. Even though I was obviously visibly upset the main hostess said "there was only so much they could say" (to the other party) and she didn't offer an apology nor an opportunity to speak to a manager about our unhappiness. Talk about poor customer service! Thank you for ruining our night and wasting $60 of our hard earned dollars!
(1)Lily L.
Macayo's is one of our go to places for Mexican food. Usually my husband and I will go and order a spinach con queso appetizer and split a shredded beef baja burro. The creamy white sauce is just right and this meal hits the spot when you have a craving.
(4)Karen W.
Meh. Service was friendly, and the atmosphere is bright and festive, but it's pretty Americanized Mexican food. I had a California burro ($9.49), which was a large size, and tasted OK, but for about 1/3 of the price and for about the same size, I can get a better tasting burro with the same type of ingredients at Los Favoritos. I've also had dishes with their Baja sauce, which tends to be too heavy tasting for me.
(2)Kelly V.
A lot of folks bag on chain restaurant and generally, I AM one of those folks, but Macayo's remains consistent and tasty. It's kind of like a friend-with-benefits. You're never getting married but every time you hook up, you know exactly what you're going to get.
(4)Dawn S.
Pros: -Mesa location -Mini-chimis on menu for about $8 Cons: -20 minute wait for 2 people. (it was a Friday night though) -Sitting in the bar area, it took awhile to get drinks and menus. -After we sat, it took 20 minutes for our order to be taken and put into the kitchen. I won't be coming back here anytime soon.
(1)Amy B.
I admit, I am not a mexican food coniseur, but I have a taste for it every now and then. Being that I've never eaten at a Macayo's before, I thought I would give it a shot this time, and sit down and eat here at this location. On the good side, the place is very colorfully decorated....lots of bright colors, and plenty of decor to match. The service was wonderful, and I enjoyed myself while I was here. The down side, is that I found the food a bit pricy, and I wasn't all that impressed. I ordered 2 tacos and a cup of tortilla chicken soup. The cup was rather tiny, and was a bit disappointed with the small portion. It was good, but a bit spicy for my taste. The tacos were good, but honestly, Ive gotten bigger, better tasting tacos from Filbertos at half the price. I could see myself coming here more as a happy hour guest, or bringing some out of town friends here to enjoy the decor and get a taste for some of thier food, but not as a regular customer. I don't think its bad, I just feel that the food was just okay and it was a bit overpriced for what I felt like I got.
(3)Cullen K.
Just stooped in for lunch and oredered the Baja pizza. The pizza was amazing. We had Scott as our server and he did an awesome job. I Can't wait to come back to have an awesome meal and cold cerveza.
(5)Karen O.
What gave me the push to finally try this place was their enticing three course meal special. We also had a coupon for a free spinach con queso appetizer, which was fabulous. The salad, which was my first course, was pretty good. Our waiter rubbed me the wrong way early on, however, when I asked him what dressings they offered. He rolled his eyes at me and asked me if I wanted something creamy or something like Italian "cuz I don't wanna stand here and name them all." Excuse me, is that not part of your job to tell patrons what their salad dressing choices are?! I didn't understand the big deal, especially after he eventually rattled off all the dressings in fewer than five seconds. The food was delivered quickly, which was impressive. Granted the restaurant was far from packed on the particular Wednesday we went for an early dinner. My second course was a chicken dish. It was supposed to be spicy, but was far from it. The portion size was decent, though. Rice, beans, salsa...All average taste, not spectacular by any means. My third course, the pumpkin flan, was delicious. I just wish the size of the flan they served me was doubled. So puny! Am I in a rush to get back here? No. Did I hate it? No. At least I know which dressing I will be ordering for my salad whenever I go to Macayo's next so I won't be inconveniencing our server!
(3)Anne P.
I got engaged after eating at Macayo's many, many, many moons ago (hubbie figured a fancy night out would tip his hand). I used to dine at this location nearly every Friday in the mid 90s when I started at Intel. Since then, I have been underwhelmed each time I have visited. Last visit: toilet had overflowed in the women's bathroom, living one stall availalble for an 'ick' experience. Couple that with the out-dated, disheleved looking front lobby and I washed my hands of an old stand-by. Adios Macayo's.
(1)Melinda H.
Macayo's food is good, just the service sometimes leads a lot to be desired!
(3)Jim W.
Two stars feels a little harsh but Macaynot's just didn't quite measure up to the standard for Mexican in the valley. One of the restaurants I held up as a standard to judge Macaydon't's against is a little hole in the wall Mexican place near my office. The food there is less diverse but more authentic and better than Macayshouldn't's and for the price much better. So if I can get better than Macayno's and more authentic than Macaykeepgoingo's and cheaper than Macaymovealongthere'sbetterandcheaperMexicandownthÂeroadalittleway's than why I am going to eat there? They do have a nice outdoor seating area on a pond that features large warning signs about not feeding the birds as well as diners feeding the birds and a live demonstration on the mercenary behavior of birds when they get used to people feeding them and practically land on your plate to grab a peck or two. The food came out very quickly at Macayhuh's and the service was very good. Everything slowed to a crawl for some reason when we asked for a box and the check. Don't get the wrong impression, Macaysosofood's is OK, it's not bad by any stretch. I would eat here if someone else was buying for sure. I had a fish taco (overdone) and blue corn enchilada which was OK.
(2)