On a recent mini-vacation, I chose to stay at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort and had the opportunity to have dinner at Maya Grill. I’ve heard absolutely nothing about this restaurant, so naturally I had questions: Is this a good restaurant? Why is this an overlooked restaurant? How come nobody even mentions this restaurant? There is only one way to get some answers, so let’s go and find out what it’s like for ourselves. Who knows, maybe we’ll uncover a hidden gem in the process!
Maya Grill is situated in the El Centro area of Coronado Springs, or as I call it: “old school Coronado Springs.” The original center of activity before Gran Destino Tower was built. It’s listed as a Mexican/Latino restaurant. “Savor the flavors of Mexico at Maya Grill.” What isn’t mentioned, and really should be, was the live instrumental music that was performed. A mix of traditional and Disney tunes, played at a comfortable level, to enhance the dining experience. It was a very nice touch to the overall atmosphere!
But first, a traditional margarita! Because why not? No salt because I’m giving the illusion of being heart-healthy.
On to the foods!
I decided to start with an appetizer of chips and salsa ($10). Naturally, I’m a little put-off by a Mexican restaurant that charges for chips and salsa, when you can go to your favorite local Mexican restaurant and be given the same thing for free. The chips were fine. Mine had a mix of big, whole tortilla chips, and smaller broken pieces. Some that looked like they came from a bag and some that looked like they were made in-house.
The salsa was fine as well; it was mild. Something everyone could enjoy. If nothing else, this is a solid choice if you want something to snack on while waiting for your entrée. For an additional $3, you can instead have queso blanco, which I did not, but I would give it a try on a future visit.
Skip this soup.
Next, I decided to try what I would consider an actual appetizer: Southwestern Tortilla Soup ($10). Chicken, garbanzo beans, cilantro, cotija cheese, and tortilla strips, which then has chicken broth poured over it tableside. Sounds like it could be promising, but it was terrible. The chicken was kind of tough. I had full pieces of cilantro, which was awkward to chew. This soup overall was really lacking flavor and any kind of cohesiveness that would make it good. I would not recommend it. Oddly enough, when I said something to the manager, he actually agreed with me!
Fajitas!
Perhaps a sizzling plate of beef fajitas will make me forget all about that soup. It certainly smells good! I chose the Sizzling Beef Skillet fajitas ($28) and as you can see, it arrived with everything you would expect when ordering fajitas. It had peppers and onions, black beans and rice, and of course, tortillas.
Also include was a side plate with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, guacamole, and cheese. As you can see, we’re going to need more cheese. Nitpicking aside, the flavor of the skirt steak was fantastic. Very nicely seasoned and marinated, cooked perfectly and wasn’t tough to chew. It nearly knocked my socks off; it was that good! This dish was definitely a good choice if you’re in the mood for fajitas at dinner. Or, if you don’t want beef, you could get the chicken fajitas, and now they also offer shrimp!
Dessert!
When it came time for dessert, I was given a myriad of choices on the menu, but was recommended the chocolate brownie (normally $6, but was comp’d). A warm chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream. It was good. Simple, yet good. I wondered if a Mexican hot chocolate brownie would have been a more suitable twist here. As a whole, this dessert was rich and gooey, making it a simple yet solid ending to a nice dinner.
The discussion.
To answer my own question from the beginning: is Maya Grill a hidden gem? I would say ‘yes’, especially now that the menu has undergone some changes and they now offer shrimp fajitas. There are certainly other things on the menu that I would like to try. The fish tacos were tempting, as were the empanadas.
What really surprises me about Maya Grill was while doing research before my trip, I could not find any recent reviews about this restaurant. Noone was talking about it! Maya Grill was completely off the Disney blogging radar. Naturally I had to ask myself, “why?” Had people already dismissed it? Has everyone completely forgotten about Maya Grill ever since Gran Destino Tower opened? I had to find out for myself and give this restaurant a try!
And I’m glad I did.
Disney Rover 