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Monday, December 3, 2007

Maya Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar, new upscale authentic Mex, opens in Rowlett

By Teresa Gubbins

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ROWLETT — For the latest authentic-Mexican restaurant, you'll have to drive to Rowlett to Maya Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar, located in a shopping strip on Route 66. Rowlett, whoa, but check out the menu: pan-seared scallops and tamale-battered shrimp on tomatillo serrano mango salsa; grilled sirloin carne asada on chorizo-Yukon gold potato gratin with charred tomato salsa and gypsy pepper rajas; roasted potato, caramelized onion, and cheese enchiladas; adobo-rubbed grilled bone-in pork chop on cumin-smashed potatoes with caramelized apple chile chutney. You know how you can tell it's an au courant place? When they say the potatoes are smashed, and not mashed (which is like so 1995).

Maya has an interesting story. Brother-and-sister Robin and Roger Tomberlin, who own the shopping strip, were approached by someone from a major local Tex-Mex chain who said he'd love to do a restaurant there. OK, said the Tomberlins, who welcomed the opportunity for a new Mexican place in Rowlett. But the guy didn't deliver as promised, and away he went, leaving the Tomberlins with a desire for a good, upscale Mexican.

They retained the services of restaurant vet Michael Costa, who'd helped launch similarly-titled upscale Mexican restaurant Trece Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar on Travis at Knox. Costa brought a team including a manager, chef (Kent Lemmons), catering director, and bar manager from Trece. But Costa says that Maya is equally inspired by Mamacita's, a highly-rated Mexican restaurant in San Francisco. Look for Patron tequilas, fruity margaritas, and maybe even tequila on tap.

Maya JUST opened this weekend so it's still rough around the edges. But prices are relatively low with the most expensive item being the chile-marinated NY strip steak with churrasco salsa on queso fresco potatoes and huitlacoche tequila cream corn for $21, and entrees averaging out at $14 -- cheap for this kind of high-end food.

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Comments

Billusa99

Billusa99 Anonymous

Mmmmmmmmm... the only thing better than a smutty woman is smutty corn soup!

1 year, 11 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

smellycat Anonymous

Who is this Michael Costa? Are there any restaurants he has been a part of that are still open, and why did he steal all of Trece's employees? Do you think this makes the Colombo family happy?

1 year, 11 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

frankie214 Anonymous

Who do you think created Trece? The staff was Costas, ask Colombo! One visit to Maya and you will understand where everything came from. Maya is a fantastic restaurant and well worth a visit!

1 year, 11 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

tgif51 Anonymous

What a wonderful addition to Rowlett, great bar, fabulous food and it is certainly nice to have an upscale restaurant in the neighborhood.....

1 year, 11 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

fwreader Anonymous

This is making me hungee!

1 year, 11 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

jholcomb Anonymous

Hey, the food is great. And I do mean GREAT! The service is wonderful too. But that's probably because my lovely daughter J-Lue works there. heh heh If you're looking for a cool place with great food to take a date or your wife, then I suggest you try this place! The lighting is low, the price is right, and the people and food, DY-NO-MITE !!! JH

1 year, 10 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

rpg123 Anonymous

I love this place. Have been there a couple of times and the food is always exceptional. Just went for brunch for the first time today and what a wonderful surprise. A great bloody mary bar and the huevos rancheros were the best I have ever had. Quite a bargain too-- just $6.00. How can you beat it. I will be going back again and again.

1 year, 9 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

VelvetHammer Anonymous

Don't waste your time going there now. It's completely lost all appeal. The menu is a moving target, the salsas and margaritas are horrible now, and the service was the worst I've seen in a long time.

So sad too, because I really loved this place until this weekend.

I should have known something was amiss when there was a piece of paper on the door saying they were doing Karaoke. Sheesh! I'll never go back again.

1 year, 4 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Teresa Gubbins

Teresa Gubbins Staff

VelvetHammer, thanks for input. they lost/let go of their chef last month, and i heard they'd shifted the food from having upscale pretensions to more pedestrian tex-mex. which you now have confirmed...

1 year, 4 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

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