It's no secret: I enjoy a good meal!  I feel the restaurants of the Riviera Maya can hold their own against most Caribbean destinations.  I'm no food critic - just an opinionated end user.  A wide variety of cuisine and price can be found very close to "home".  Here is where I feel the folks staying at All-Inclusive Resorts really miss the boat.  Not only are freshly prepared, ala carte dishes much better than "sat in the sun too long" or "same sauce, different meat" buffets, but sampling the local fare affords the opportunity to mingle with Locals and Expatriates alike.  We prefer to get our culture first hand, not from "Fiesta Night" at the A/I Resort...

While I'm on my soapbox, a brief word about meals in Mexico.  Unlike in the States, where drive-through meals are wolfed down during rush hour commutes, meals in Mexico are much more civilized.  They are meant to be enjoyed, not rushed.  So, don’t pop in to a restaurant if you expect to be somewhere else in 15 minutes.  Buy some snacks instead.  Besides, you’re in paradise – what’s your hurry?

Your servers will generally not leave empty plates or glasses in front of you for long.  They may ask you “¿Finito?” or “¿Terminado?”, which means “Are you done?” before clearing your plate.  Note that it is considered impolite for your server to bring you the restaurant check before you ask for it.  This often leads to confusion amongst U.S. visitors.  Simply get your server’s (or another server’s) attention and ask “¿La cuenta, por favor?” [lah coo-wayn-tah, pour fah-vore], which means “The check, please?”.  Tipping is on a par with the U.S. and calculating percentages works the same in Pesos as it does in Dollars.

Make it a point to try the fresh fish while you're in paradise.  Typical offerings are Grouper, Red Snapper, Boquinete (Hogfish, but don't let that name put you off - it's wonderful!), Atun (Tuna) and Dorado (Mahi Mahi).  Even diehard carnivores and fish stick haters are impressed when they taste the real thing.  When I say "fresh", I mean FRESH!  "Swim with 'em in the morning, eat 'em at night" is my motto!  We have seen fishermen bringing coolers of the day's catch to restaurants, negotiating with the chef and, within 5-10 minutes, the fish has been on our plates.  THAT'S FRESH!

Langosta (lobster), Cangrejo (crab), Pulpo (octopus) and Caracol (conch) are caught locally.  Camerones (shrimp) usually come from the Gulf, but are still better than we get in the States (inland, anyway).  Carne (beef) dishes will typically disappoint, as the cattle graze and the meat is cut differently than in the States.  Any exceptions to this will be noted in the reviews.  Puerco / Carnitas (pork) and Pollo (chicken) are plentiful and tasty.  Strict vegetarians may have trouble finding food not prepared in lard.  Local fruits and vegetables are great (fresh squeezed orange juice every day!) and are rinsed in an iodine solution by the restaurateurs to avoid any unpleasantness.

La Cueva del Pescador (Cave of the Fishes) - (12/02) – right next door to Turtle Bay.  They are open for lunch and dinner and almost always have a crowd.  Seafood is the specialty here.  The grilled fish of the day is always excellently prepared. Carlos Danú, the owner, has been a professional fisherman in Akumal since 1982 and still offers his services for half and full day charters, in addition to snorkeling and sight seeing trips (inquire at the restaurant or contact us for more info).  He’ll even prepare the fish you catch at his restaurant!  Carlos' son, Alím is pulling more management duty these days and he and the rest of the staff are friendly and accommodating.  Tell them all that Dave and Colette say "Hola"!  As time goes on, we find we take more meals at La Cueva del Pescador than at any other establishment. Might have something to do with the fact that my Cuba Libres come with a glass of ice containing a generous pour of rum and a bottle of Coke on the side...  Watch for signs indicating live entertainment, as Carlos sometimes has musicians from Veracruz perform at the restaurant (typically, on high season weekend nights). 

Lol-Ha - (12/02) - just to the south of the entrance into town, on the beach.  Definitely a favorite and often imitated.  This is Lol-Ha's second incarnation, the first having been burned down by “Americans with fireworks”.  Breakfasts are wonderful.  Lunch duties shift to the beach bar & grille (good pizza, burgers...and killer Margaritas!).  Dinners are fantastic.  Try the Shrimp wrapped in bacon, the Mango Chicken, Pok Chuk or the Shrimp or Lobster Flambe, prepared tableside.  Extremely professional staff.

Lol-ha seasonally features a Mexican Dance show with buffet dinner.  Reservations are recommended, as is this show (different regions may be featured on different nights).

Loncheria Akumalito – (12/02)  - Open air counter outside the main gate (next to Super Chomak grocery).  Inexpensive breakfasts and lunches.  Reasonably quick service.  Many of the Akumal business' workers dine here.

La Lunita - (09/98) - midway up Half Moon Bay.  Open for breakfast and dinner.  Some folks rave about this place.  We have given it a couple of tries, but haven’t been that impressed.  It is conveniently located with respect to our condos, and is on the beach.

Que Onda - (12/02) - Italian cuisine for Dinner.  Occasionally open for breakfast.  Some inconsistencies in the service, but the staff is trying very hard.  We've always had good luck, others haven't reported the same.  The Ceviche (marinated fish) comes highly recommended.  The pastas we've had were very good.  The “Fillet Mignon” was more like “Thin Tenderloin tips in mushroom sauce”, but still very tasty.  The menu is ala carte and the extras  can add up.  Oh, and don't get the Tiramisu too close to an open flame!

Turtle Bay - (12/02) - just inside the archway at Akumal Bay.  Open for breakfast and lunch.  This restaurant has quickly become everyone’s favorite eatery.  It offers great bakery (come early for the best selection – but leave a cinnamon roll for me!) and breakfasts as well as deli sandwiches and fresh fruit smoothies at lunch.  During the high season, Turtle Bay also serves dinner on Friday and Saturday nights.

South of Akumal:

Pizza Leos - (12/02) - in Ciudad Chemuyil.  Great (and inexpensive) pizzas.  Took a few visits before we realized the menu had another side.  Add Lasagna and a gigantic Shrimp Salad to our list of Leo's favorites.

Restaurante Oscar y Lalo - (12/02) - on Bahias de Punta Solimon.  Look for the sign on the east side of the highway, then follow the dirt road a long way (long enough to wonder if it was a good idea....don't worry - it was), then turn at the sign to "La Playa".  In one place, you can swim in a Caribbean bay, a lagoon and a cenote.  Oscar and Lalo used to run the wonderful restaurant at Playa Chemuyil, until that former State Park got abruptly "sold" to Fiesta Americana Resorts and closed to the public.  This idyllic spot is actually world famous.  The Corona beer commercial where the guy skips the beeping pager across the water was shot nearby, as was the movie "Blue Lagoon", years previous.

Casa Cenote - (12/01) - on Tankah bay.  Before the bay got wired for electricity, this restaurant, run by an Expatriate from Texas, was only open during daylight hours.  The Sunday Barbeque is a favorite (served roughly around noon).  The cenote behind the restaurant makes for a refreshing snorkel and we saw a giant grouper while snorkeling the bay.  Watch out for the whirlpools in front of the restaurant - they actually connect to the cenote.  Last I heard, Casa Cenote was "charging" for parking in their lot.  I assume they validate?

Want to prepare your own Meals to Remember at your condo?

Akumal has two convenience stores located just outside the archway, Super Chomak and Mini Super Las Palmas (formerly El Pueblo).  Both have decent selections of food and beverages.  Super Chomak, reportedly, now has an ATM.

Half Moon Bay also has The Corner Store (operated by Vista del Mar Properties, see the review of La Buena Vida restaurant) and La Caleta.  Both are quite small, but are very handy for that emergency Cristal (a local soft drink) or Helado (Ice Cream).

For larger grocery (or hard goods) runs, a trip to Chedraui or San Francisco de Asis Markets in Playa del Carmen might be in order.  The prices and selection are much better.  Bring a cooler to prevent spoilage, if you or your condo has one.

Akumal hosts a Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays (verify this when you get to town), outside the archway, near the basketball courts.

In December of 2002, a group of fishermen in a small pickup came by the condos, selling freshly caught shrimp (from Campeche) for $13 U.S. per kilo.  Colette boiled them up and we kept them in the fridge for snacks.  Good stuff!  I hope those fishermen continue to make Half Moon Bay a stop on their route.

Pueblo Tulum has traditional merchants along the boulevard: one selling fish, one chicken, one pork, etc..

If you have favorite spices, you might want to bring them.  It's difficult to keep them stocked in the condos.