Review: Riviera Maya
Author: EatHSE | Filed under: Food Reviews, Location: Fishers, IN, Recommended: Independent
Riviera Maya
8657 E. 116th Street
Fishers, IN 46038
http://www.rivieramayamexicanrestaurant.com/menu.html
[Editor's Note: There also appears to be a scanned copy of the menu at Coupons4Indy.com's site. There are additional coupons for the restaurant there as well.]
This downtown Fishers location used to be the home of smoke-filled breakfast placed called Papa’s, a short lived night club and a failed tavern to name a few. During the winter, a sign was posted that Riviera Maya was coming and I watched the place slowly transformed as workers gutted the place and cut stone for weeks. Somebody was finally putting some money in here and I eagerly waited its opening about fifteen days ago. This is the owner’s second location outside of the original Columbus, Indiana location. The Fishers location does not yet have a menu online, but the Columbus one I linked in this review matched Fishers with the prices being higher in Fishers. So how is the food?
Chips and Salsa
If you can’t do the chips and salsa right, you are in big trouble. Fortunately, the chips were a darker corn color, warm and fresh but need some salt for my own taste. The salsa is good and picks up a punch the more you eat even though it is not heavily spiced. The salsa is a very basic smooth textured salsa, but not runny, which is my favorite kind. I like a little cilantro in mine, but as I said, it is a good simple salsa.
What I Got:
Burrito Loco $9.99: A large 12 inch burrito stuffed with chicken, steak, shrimp and topped with a white melted cheese that never left a heavy feeling as I ate it. The steak was so soft that it melted in my mouth and the shrimp was marinated and cooked to perfection which is rare as most places overcook shrimp for my taste. This is quite frankly one of my favorite burritos I have ever had and the quality of all the meats was high and cooked to perfection. My only complaint is that the burrito did not come with rice or beans which I may request next time.
Chimichanga Acapulco $8.99: My wife got this deep fried flour filled tortilla with chicken, steak, shrimp covered in cheese and served with typical sides like beans, Pico, rice and guacamole. I do not eat deep fried food, but tried this chimichanga and begged my wife for a second bite. It was so good that my wife ordered it again on our second visit three nights later to celebrate my birthday.
Quesadilla Rellena $6.99: A typical quesadilla with chicken and refried beans that is served with lettuce, tomato, sour cream and guacamole. I tried a bit of my kids’ meal they happily shared and ate some themselves. Any time I can find a menu item that a two and three year old love, it makes the whole experience better for everyone. By the way, the guacamole is top notch and I ordered an extra bowl for $2.50.
Fajitas Especial: $11.99: On my second trip for my birthday, I decided to give the fajita a try. There are many variations and combinations of fajitas you can order to meet your preferences. Not only did my fajitas come with the same good chicken, steak and shrimp I mentioned previously, but they also came with a Mexican sausage similar to chorizo but better. Along with this combination came all of the typical menu additions you find with fajita elsewhere including grilled onions, peppers, lettuce, tomato, guacamole, sour cream, Pico, rice and beans. This was easily two meals for $11.99 and easily my favorite fajitas when comparing them to other area restaurants.
Would I Buy It Again? Yes. I was shocked when I walked into the place as it has been completely transformed and we were quickly seated in a spacious booth. The fast and efficient service would be the pattern throughout dinner. Fishers finally has a winner filling what was once and often a vacant location. In both of my visits to Riveria Maya, the food has been very good and the service kept up with keeping my drink full and fresh chips and salsa on the table. Both of my experiences have been very positive in the fifteen days they have been open and the parking lot is packed nightly as Fishers takes its first taste of the Riveria Maya. With dishes ranging for the typical $8 combos to $18 fish dishes, a large menu and a family friendly atmosphere, Riveria Maya has something to offer everyone and I highly recommend you stop in a give Fishers newest restaurant a try. I will continue to follow-up this review of other menu items each time I visit.
-EatHSE
Tags: burrito loco, chimichanga acapulco, chips, fajitas, Food, mexican, quesadilla relleno, riviera maya, salsa
Great review – I was wondering how this place was going to be and was curious who the first would be to hit it. Have you tried Friaco’s that’s about seven hundred feet from this place? I’m curious if you had an opinion about the better of the two. I’m just happy that we now have some good mexican options in Fishers.
It’s odd that your burrito didn’t come with the standard side items, but the other dishes did. Regardless, literally EVERYthing looks delicious. Great review
nice, well timed review – my office recently relocated right down the road from here… a few coworkers have sampled and had nice things to report, so I’d say it is high time I check it out!
I’m initially curious about the enchiladas poblanos – maybe an interesting variation on the usual red enchilada sauce.
My Chile Relleno was pretty awful, but my taco and burrito were ok. If you like the El Rodeo, La Hacienda style of “Authentic” Mexican, Rivera Maya is a good alternative and you should leaved pleased. I would stay away from the combos and look at their signature items. I would also say that the interior of the building and cleanliness was well above the competition.
I’ve been to Riviera Maya three times already and can I say Yum?!!! First visit I had the Burrito Carne Asada and it was fantastic. As EatHSE said, the beef here is amazing and so tender. I’ve also had the lunch burrito with beef and the tamale, which was only okay. Having eaten at Friaco’s too I have to say that Riviera Maya is better – not that Friaco’s is bad, but RM is much better. And the interior is beautiful with lots of reclaimed materials. Hope we can keep them around for a long time!
wow! I’m going to have to give this place a try! Their price on my favorite mexican dish (camarones a la diabla) is OUTSTANDINGLY LOW!
I think most places like this don’t include things like beans or rice on the side of their burritos, because they are actually included inside the burrito itself. Having a burrito filled with beans that includes beans on the side seems like it would be rather redundant. That being said, it appears that this burrito just had meat inside, so this type of thinking wouldn’t apply. This is just my guess, though.
BigRed…I have not been to Friaco’s yet so I cannot make a comparison. I am a teacher in Fishers and I can tell you I am heading back to Riveria for the end of the year celebration dinner. Looking forward to summer and having some extra time to dine out and contribute to the blog a bit more as my 60-70 hr weeks come to an end for awhile.
I was amazed by the architecture inside, I talked to the owner and he put a lot of work into the place (hundreds of thousands
). It’s also a small chain, there are others throughout Indiana.
As for the food, I got one of the specialty quesadillas filled with steak, onions, green peppers, and plenty of cheese. It was better than the quesadillas at el rodeo/la hacienda/cancun (though those are very good also)
10/10, great service, great food, great atmosphere.
*The order I got was called Quesadilla Mazatlan, my favorite quesadilla now
We had lunch here last week. I was disappointed in the steak fajita. It may have been cut on the wrong bias. I could not eat the steak without a tug of war fight. The onions and peppers were still crunchy and I love them that way.
My boyfriend got the beef enchilada. He said it was all right but with a frown on his face. He thought it was bland. I liked the taste of the red sauce.
The chorizo queso was too salty. Even the owner said he won’t eat what I called “Americanized” chorizo.
The owner wants to make sure people love his restaurant. I believe he has a hit on his hands in Fishers.
I/we will try this restaurant again. But for dinner.
The restaurant decor is very festive looking. We sat by the waterfall. One of the waiters said it was a romantic spot for us. I love the sound of water so I was happy. The staff and owner are worth seeing again. They were helpful and nice.
There are good coupons at http://www.Coupons4Indy.com for this restaurant.
I have told friends to try this restaurant. Only because I will try it again. The dinner menu is so much more diverse than the lunch menu and I am excited to try something different. Items other Mexican restaurants do not have.
Please give this restaurant a try.
I had the good fortune of visiting the Riveria Maya last week on a business call, and returned with my wife that night to have dinner……
Restaurant is very clean, although the bathroom hadn’t been tended to for a while when I washed up…(Paper towels thrown at the top of the trash can, and scattered around the floor. Pointer for owner: Take the lid off of the trash can in the men’s room, and the cleanliness in there will improve……)
Food was awesome. Waiter was awesome. Owner was there, and I saw him helping out the staff by tending to tables…..
Waiter got a $10 tip on a $20 bill…..He was the manager’s son, and does an excellent job. – Real friendly, joking with kids at the next table – I can’t say enough about him….
I just read about this restaurant in an article in Nuvo about sustainability. The article says that many of the cool architectural features, such as a fountain and gothic doorway, are recycled from old buildings. I live nearby and am very excited about this new place.
Also thanks for the excellent review, with photos even.
I just had lunch there a few days ago, and enjoyed it very much. OMG the lime margarita was good and strong! I appreciated the fact that the guacamole was more avocado than sour cream, unlike many places. The pico de gallo also had a great kick from the jalapenos. I look forward to trying them for dinner soon.
I ate there tonight for the first time. Taco chips and salsa never cause me to quiver with delight and they did not this evening. That’s OK. I do not eat at Mexican restaurants for the chips and salsa.
The chicken chimichanga platter ($8.25) was overall bland, but lots of food*. Thus, I assume the appeal of this dining place in Fishers. Reminds me of the old joke where three ladies are complaining about the bad food and further complain about the small portions. There was lots of tough, stringy chicken in the doughy, not crispy, pastry shell.
The pastry part of a chimi is supposed to be crispy, I think. They are at El Camino Real in Noblesville where the same meal used to be excellent. The service at Maya was fine, except for the person lounging at the entry counter who said neither hello nor goodbye. I said both. He may have been asleep? Maybe he was just really, really focusing on his cashier job, though he had no business when I arrived or left.
If you want a lot of average food that looks Mexican in a bright place that looks clean, I suppose Maya is OK. I won’t go back, though I eat out infrequently anyway.
* – refried beans – 15 cents; rice – 10 cents, guacamole – 25 cents; sour cream – 25 cents; lettuce – 10 cents; pico de tomato stuff – 15 cents = $1.00. Decor, rent, utilities, salaries, upkeep, profit = $7.25. Great if you can afford paying 5 or more times what food costs to have it plopped down in front of you instead of having to slave over a stove and missing a TV show.
Riveria Maya – Left out the cost of chicken and pastry, $.50, so the non-food costs were only $6.75. Of course, if you are a decent tipper, and I am, the total cost becomes $10.25 and the non-food costs rise to $8.75.
Does this restaurant have vegetarian options? Bean burrito types? What about seafood?